"Hi honey!" Ricky Ricardo walked into the small city apartment he shared with his wife and small son. "I can't stay too long, I just..."

His wife Lucy was sitting on the couch with their son, Little Ricky. Their eyes were glued to the television.

"Lucy?"

No response.

"Lucy?" He poked her gently. "Honey?"

Lucy started. "Oh, hi Ricky! Gee, I didn't even hear you come in! Little Ricky's favorite show's on!"

Ricky laughed. "Oh, that 'Odd Squad' I been hearing so much about?"

"Yeah! I must've gotten so caught up in it, I didn't even hear you come in!"

Fred and Ethel Mertz, the Ricardos' neighbors and close friends, poked their heads through the open door.

"Odd Squad?" Fred came in, joining Lucy on the couch. "I've been meaning to check that out..." He coughed. "Because I'm interested in what my godson is watching, of course."

"Yeah," Ethel followed him inside, smiling indulgently. "Of course you are." She sat down in the chair next to the couch. "So, Luce, what's the story?"

"Well, it's all about this team of little kids that go around solving odd problems. It's really funny and cute and it's very educational! It's helped Little Ricky a lot with his math skills in school!" She cuddled her young son. "Hey, it's even taught me a few things!"

"Yeah," Ricky chuckled. "With the way you manage your household budget, you could use some math skills!"

"Oh, har-har!" Lucy sniffed, then turned back to Ethel. "So anyway, that one girl, the one with the glasses, she needs to get that gadget from that other girl..."

"Wait a minute," Ricky peered at the screen. "Hey, that little girl with the smart mouth, isn't she Latina?" He grinned. "Well, how 'bout that! We got us some representation!"

"Yeah," Lucy continued. "So, that girl with the floppy tie-thing and the crazy eyes, she's the Odd Squad scientist and she and the girl in the glasses and that boy with the Elvis hair are stuck in a time-loop..."

"MOM!" Little Ricky whined. "I can't hear the show!"

"Oh! Oh, sorry, dear!" She smoothed her son's hair.

Fred kept staring at the TV. "What I don't understand is how we're able to watch this on a black and white set in the Fifties."

Ethel rolled her eyes. "Way to ruin the suspension of disbelief, killjoy!"

Ricky leaned down and kissed his wife's forehead. "Well, enjoy your show, guys. I just stopped by to let you know I'm gonna be working a little late at the club tonight. The boys and I are getting a new show together..." He paused, realizing what he just said. "AND NO, LUCY, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BE IN IT!"

Lucy didn't even look up. "Hmm?"

"You heard me!" Ricky insisted. "You are not going to louse this show up like you've done all the others! I'm putting my foot down!"

"Oh," Lucy nodded absently. "That's nice, dear. By the way, could you see if you can get anyone at the club to entertain at Little Ricky's birthday party tomorrow? Maybe a clown or something?"

Ricky blinked. "Yeah." He backed toward the door. "Yeah, I'll see what I can do." He looked at the little group watching the television, shrugged, and walked out the door. "Something very odd has happened..."

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"ZAP! ZAP! KA-POW!" Little Ricky in his PJs and robe ran around his Aunt Ethel pretending to zap her with his tooth-brush. "I GOTCHA, JAMIE JAM! NOW YOU STOP JAMMING STUFF UP!"

"All right, all right Agent O'Ricky, I surrender!" Ethel laughed. "Now you finish getting ready for bed."

"Aw, do I gotta...?"

"Yes, you gotta," she steered him toward the bathroom. "You want to be all rested up for your birthday tomorrow, don't you? Get those teeth brushed and your mom will come in a few minutes to kiss you good night."

Ethel emerged from the bathroom just in time to see Lucy come into the apartment carrying a large box.

"Is that..." She looked behind her, then mouthed the rest. "Little Ricky's birthday cake?"

Lucy nodded. Ethel followed her into the kitchen, where Lucy showed her the Odd Squad-themed cake.

"Oh, that's really good!"

"Yeah, I know," Lucy sat down in one of the kitchen chairs. "I guess it would've been cheaper to bake my own cake but I could never have made anything that looks this good!"

"Oh, the little badges around the edges are adorable! They..." Ethel noticed Lucy's mood. "Say, what's wrong, kid? Something bothering you?"

Lucy sighed in exasperation. "Oh, that Caroline Appleby! Her little Stevie's birthday is coming up too and she was at the bakery going on and on and on about the pricey stuff she'd arranged for his party." She slumped. "She's hired balloons and pony rides and musicians and fireworks..."

"Yeah, well..." Ethel patted Lucy's shoulder. "You know how she can be..."

"Well," Lucy slumped even more. "I finally ended up telling her Odd Squad was coming to Little Ricky's party."

Before either woman could say anything, they heard a gasp behind them. They turned to see Little Ricky standing by the door, brush in hand, mouth full of toothpaste.

"Odd Squad's coming to my birthday party?"

Before they could say anything, he'd bounded across the kitchen and wrapped his mom in a bear hug. "OH MOM, THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU! YOU'RE THE BEST MOM EVER!"

Lucy smiled weakly. "Well, I..."

"Oboy, I won't even be able to sleep tonight!" Little Ricky headed for bed. "Odd Squad at MY party! Wow!"

Ethel watched to make sure he was tucked safely in bed before asking, "You didn't really get Odd Squad for Little Ricky's party, did you?"

Lucy stared miserably at the cake. "I can't even afford to get a bouncy castle."

"Oh, NO!" Ethel sat in the other chair. "Poor Little Ricky'll be heart-broken!"

"Yeah," Lucy sat staring glumly. Then a familiar gleam came into her eyes. "Unless..."

"Oh no," Ethel swallowed. "Not another one of your crazy ideas! Lucy, you know those schemes of yours never work!"

Lucy stood up. "They do too!" She considered, then admitted. "Sometimes... But this one's foolproof!"

"Yeah," Ethel sighed, resigned. "And we're gonna be the fools to prove it! What've you got in mind?"

"It's really very simple!" Lucy explained, excitement creeping into her tone. "If there were something odd here, like a monster or something, Odd Squad would have to come and fix it, right?"

"I... guess..." Ethel pondered. "But how're you going to get something odd to show up at Little Ricky's birthday party?"

"Well, you know those old Halloween costumes you and Fred keep stored in the cellar...?"

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