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And strong.
    All the things Mitchell wasn’t.
    Mitchell snapped his fingers. Perfect.
    Mrs. Farelli frowned. She leaned forward.
    He’d forgotten. Mrs. Farelli liked to be the only finger snapper in the Center.
    Mitchell looked up at the stage. He put on his listening face.
    He thought about an adventure for Gary Bopper. Fighting a giant grizzly bear. The bear had claws that were sharp as knives.
    Mitchell shivered.
    Everyone began to clap.
    Mitchell sat up straight.

    “… old enough to leave home now,” Ellie was saying.
    What?
    Mitchell didn’t want to leave home. His mother would miss him. Who’d help his father carry out the trash? Who’d sleep with his dog, Maggie?
    Worse yet, what about his birthday? What about his presents? What about his birthday cake?
    Ellie smiled. “We’ll stay overnight at the Zigzag Nature Center.”
    “Eee-ha!” Trevor, a kindergarten kid, yelled.
    Mitchell leaned over to Habib. He didn’t care if Mrs. Farelli saw him. “What about our mothers?”
    Habib didn’t answer. He was still listening.
    Maybe Habib didn’t care about leaving his mother.
    Mitchell couldn’t believe it. Habib’s mother made the best chicken. Her cupcakes had gooey icing.
    Mitchell didn’t want Habib to think he was a baby, though. Mitchell’s sister, Angel, called him that all the time.
    “It’s great news.” Mitchell could hardly get the words out.
    Who’d want to stay at the Nature Center? It was probably full of poison ivy.
    Things might wander around in the woods. Bears, maybe. Coyotes. Snakes and lizards.

    “Any questions?” Ellie asked.
    Hands waved all over the place.
    “Where will we sleep?” Charlie asked.
    “In tents,” Ellie said.
    “Eee-ha!” Trevor yelled again.
    A bear could rip open a tent in two minutes
, Mitchell thought.
    And wouldn’t it be dark?
    At home he slept with the hall light on.
    He wanted to be sure things weren’t moving around.
    Creatures like the ones on the Nature Channel.
    “We’ll see nature up close,” Ellie said.
    “Dee-lightful,” Gina said.
    “You’re right.” Mr. Oakley stepped forward. He waved his hands around.
    Mitchell hoped he wouldn’t fall off the stage.
    “We’ll learn about unusual plants and animals.” Mr. Oakley smiled. “We’ll be surprised at all we see.”
    Mitchell tried a cough. It was an
I have to stay home
cough.
    Mr. Oakley was still talking. “We might even see nature at night.”
    Mitchell’s next cough was louder. It sounded like a clap of thunder.
    Mrs. Farelli was passing permission slips around. She frowned at him.
    Mitchell stopped coughing. He put on a Gary Bopper face. A
Don’t worry about me, I’m only choking
face.
    Mrs. Farelli looked as if she didn’t believe him anyway.
    Mitchell sat back.
    He thought about tents in the dark. And paw prints.
    Bears with teeth as large as their claws.
    He thought about killer plants that grabbed your ankle.
    Worst of all, spiders with fangs and feelers!

M itchell and Angel were wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants. “We’ll have to watch out for deer ticks,” Mr. Oakley had said.
    They dragged their bags down the street. Their dog, Maggie, raced around them. She thought it was a great adventure.
    Mitchell didn’t think it was so great. He’d hardly slept all night.
    Mom walked with them. “Watch out for each other,” she said about a hundred times.
    “Don’t worry,” Angel said. “We’ll be home by tomorrow afternoon.”
    By that time, Mitchell’s birthday would be almost over.
    “Keep an eye on each other anyway,” Mom said.

    Mitchell looked at Angel. She was older than he was. Taller. But her arms and legs were skinny as sticks.
    What good would she be against a bear?
    He shivered.
    “Do you feel sick?” Mom asked.
    Mitchell started to nod.
    Angel was staring. “Are you going to be a baby?”
    Mitchell put on a Gary Bopper face. “I’m almost as old as you are.”
    Up ahead was the Zelda A. Zigzag School. Mom gave them both a bunch of