Ivy and Bean_ Books 4,5,6 - Annie Barrows [31]
“Call this dancing?” Bean whispered. “This is standing.”
“Enter the prince!” cried Madame Joy.
The prince was a girl wearing a black leotard and a red hat that looked like a tiny pillowcase. The prince was the second-crummiest part in “Wedding Beneath the Sea,” but it was way better than being a friendly squid. The prince at least got to leap. The prince-girl leaped toward Dulcie while Dulcie fluttered away. Then the prince got down on one knee and waved her arms at Dulcie. Then Dulcie nodded, and all the other fishy things got in a circle and danced around them. Except the two friendly squids. Madame Joy said they were like doormen. They guarded the entrance to the mermaid palace.
Finally Madame Joy clapped her hands. Class was over. For Ivy and Bean, it was especially over. Next week they’d be living at the aquarium.
Ivy grinned at Bean. “Bye-bye, ballet,” she whispered.
“Down with squids!” Bean whispered back. The night before the field trip Bean filled her backpack with useful items. Band-Aids? Check. Pencil? Check. String? Check. Underwear? Check. Bag of salt? Check. Nancy had told her once that all you needed to stay alive was salt and water. Bean figured there would be plenty of water at the aquarium.
Bean zipped her backpack closed. She looked around her room. It seemed like she should be discussing important things with Ivy. She couldn’t think of any important things, but she called Ivy anyway.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
“Who’s this?” said Ivy.
“Bean!”
“Oh. Hi, Bean,” said Ivy. She didn’t like talking on the phone. “What do you want?”
“Are you ready? Say ten-four if you are.”
“Say what?” asked Ivy.
“Ten-four,” said Bean.
“Fourteen,” said Ivy.
“No! It means yes,” said Bean.
“Yes what?”
“Ivy! Yes, I’m ready!” yelled Bean.
“Oh. I’m ready, too. Good-bye.” Ivy hung up.
Forget it. Bean went back to her room. It was almost bedtime, which meant it was almost morning, which meant it was almost running-away time. Bean could hardly wait.
VERY FISHY
Ms. Aruba-Tate’s class swarmed off the bus. They were proud. Their bus behavior had been excellent, if you didn’t count Marga-Lee and Dusit.
They stampeded up the stairs toward the aquarium’s front door. Who would get there first? Who would be the best?
“Boys and girls! Stop!” hollered Ms. Aruba-Tate. They stopped. Ms. Aruba-Tate didn’t holler very often. “Boys and girls! Stay where you are! Don’t move! Stay with your buddy! Try to stay together!”
The white marble patio outside the aquarium was full of hollering teachers and wandering kids. There were kids sliding down the handrail on the stairs. There were boys throwing their backpacks at each other. There were girls walking along the rim of the fountain. All the teachers were trying to get all the kids to stand still. What a nuthouse, thought Bean.
“Boys and girls! Follow me!” shouted Ms. Aruba-Tate. “Stay with your buddy!”
Linking arms, Ivy and Bean climbed the stairs toward the big golden doors.
“Our new home,” Bean whispered.
They went inside. The aquarium was big and dim, with dark hallways like arms leading off in many directions. It was sort of greenish all over, and even with hundreds of kids wandering around, it was quiet.
“Okay,” said Ivy, pulling out a list. “The first thing we do is find a good hiding place.”
But they couldn’t find a good hiding place because Ms. Aruba-Tate was calling them over to the alligator pit. The second-graders clustered around the pit and stared down at the alligators.
“Look!” Bean nudged Ivy. “There’s money in there!” Bright coins sparkled in the slimy alligator water.
Ivy looked. “No way am I going in an alligator pit to get money,” she said.
“Oh. Right.” Bean stared at the money. What a waste.