Meet The Author

I don't own Calvin and Hobbes

Was it Dannor that spawned this idea? I'm not sure, so kudos to Dannor anyway.

Today seemed like another ordinary day for Calvin. He'd gotten up, had breakfast, rode the bus to school, and nearly fell asleep during class.

However, Ms. Wormwood seemed happy today. Calvin looked outside. No total solar eclipse, no UFO, no crop circle, no Halley's Comet, no dinosaur. Calvin finally let his hand rise up before the pledge of allegiance.

"Yes, Calvin?" Ms. Wormwood inquired.

"Why are you so happy?"

"Because, Calvin, one of my old students is coming back."

"Did they really fail college that badly?"

"No. Her name is..."

Later that day, Calvin burst through the door with such intensity that, when Hobbes tried to pounce Calvin, he wound up part of Calvin's mad dash to the kitchen.

Calvin's mother heard this noise, and prepared for impact. Calvin was probably suspended, or in a fight, or something.

"Mom!" Calvin screamed, overjoyed. "You'll never guess who's coming to our school next week!"

"The police?" Calvin's mother joked.

"No! Mabel Syrup, author of Hamster Huey and the Gooey Kablooie, as well as Commander Coriander Salamander and Her Single-Hander Belly-Lander! Ohboyohboyohboy!"

"That's... great, Calvin." Calvin's mother sighed.

"I agree!" Calvin smiled, running up to his room to read Huey and Coriander... again.

As Calvin read the books over and over again over the next few days, Hobbes allowed himself at Calvin's stash of comic books. Calvin oddly didn't even notice, even when Hobbes read them beneath the covers using a flashlight.

Eventually, the situation reached its logical breaking point, and, two days before the presentation, Ms. Wormwood decided to read the epic story of Hamster Huey. Calvin stood up and recited the entire story.

"Wow." Ms. Wormwood stated, dazed after Calvin's recital. "That's amazing. You know, Mabel was a lot like you."

"Really?"

"Yeah, she came to class one day, and..."

**Corny Flashback**

"Ms. Wormwood?" An energetic young girl who barely did her work asked her [presumably much younger] teacher.

"Yes?" Ms. Wormwood replied.

"Why are you so happy?"

"Because, Mabel, one of our favorite authors is coming!"

**End Corny Flashback**

"Wow, Ms. Wormwood!" Calvin smiled.

"Not only that, but Mabel is working on a third book!"

"Really?"

"Yes. It's called 'Mucky Ducky and His Lucky Hockey Puck!' "

"Cool!" The entire class went.

"Remember," Ms. Wormwood told her class as they got ready to leave, "Mrs. Syrup is coming tomorrow."

Calvin got home, and couldn't sleep. He began narrating a book that he called 'Hobbes and the Knobs of His Corn Cobs,' which Hobbes got tired of listening to.

The next morning, at six o'clock, Ms. Wormwood arrived at her classroom to prepare for Mabel's presentation. Calvin was already there.

"Hello, Calvin." Ms. Wormwood smiled.

"Hiya, Ms. Wormwood. Where's Mabel?" Calvin responded, cheerfully.

"She's coming."

"Goody!"

Ms. Wormwood unlocked the classroom, and Calvin was in his seat before she had the key out of the door.

"You know, Calvin, Mabel was a lot like you."

"You've told me before, Ms. Wormwood."

"Well, she had a stuffed-"

"Speaking of stuffed, would you mind if Hobbes stayed to watch?"

"Not at all, I suppose. Mabel should like him. Now, then, where was I. Oh, yes, Mabel had a stuffed hamster named Huey, and she treated it like it was her best friend ever. Huey and Mabel were always together..."

Ms. Wormwood continued to talk for another ten minutes before she stopped. She then prepared the room, then began grading homework. Finally, Mabel walked into the room.

"Ah, Mabel, good to see you again." Ms. Wormwood smiled.

Mabel looked twenty, maybe twenty-five years old. She had long, brown hair and blue-green eyes. "You too, Ms. Wormwood." She smiled. She had perfect teeth.

"How's Huey?" Ms. Wormwood inquired.

Mabel pulled a stuffed hamster out of her pocket, and smiled. Suddenly, she saw Hobbes. As Ms. Wormwood looked in disbelief at one of the homework papers, Hobbes pounced Mabel.

"Hello there." Mabel smiled. "What's your name?"

"You can see him?" Calvin asked.

"Of course I can." Mabel smiled.

"Hobbes." Hobbes answered.

"Hobbes, meet Huey."

"Wow? THE Hamster Huey?" Calvin and Hobbes both asked in disbelief.

"The Hamster Huey." Huey smiled, crawling up onto Hobbes' head.

"I'm a big fan." Calvin smiled.

"I heard about you from Ms. Wormwood. You can recite all my stories?"

"Huey and Coriander, that's all."

"Well, those are my only books so far. Looking forward to Mucky Ducky?"

"Of course!"

The class entered the room now, and swarmed around Mabel. Mabel smiled at them and answered all their questions.

"Class, sit down." Ms. Wormwood requested. "Don't crowd Mrs. Syrup."

"Mabel, please." Mabel Syrup smiled.

"Okay. Don't crowd Mabel."

The class sat down. Mabel Syrup began her presentation, which took all day, since Ms. Wormwood invited her to teach the class. Mabel even gave a math quiz, and every member of the class, Moe and Calvin included, got a 100.

That afternoon, right as the bell rang, Calvin's Mother appeared at the door. The six-year-olds stampeded out, all except for Calvin. Calvin's Mother took this moment to introduce herself.

"I'm his mother." Calvin's mother stated, gesturing to Calvin.

"Nice to meet you." Mabel Syrup smiled.

"Let's do lunch sometime." Calvin's Mother smiled.

"Sure. I'm moving here, anyway."

"The house next door to us is for sale."

"I'll look into it."

After Calvin's Mother had left Mabel with an address, Calvin and his mother drove home.

Calvin and Hobbes got inside when Calvin discovered something in his pocket. He pulled it out, and it was Huey! With Huey was a note from Mabel. It read, "To Calvin. Keep dreaming. Mabel Syrup."

The next month, Mabel Syrup and her husband moved in next door. Mabel's third book sold out, and Calvin managed to snag Mabel's autograph. Huey and an autographed copy of all three books were kept in a display case in Calvin's room for many, many years.

One day, roughly fifteen years later, Ms. Snodgrass, Ms. Wormwood's replacement, had a surprise. An author with the pen name Calvin Hobbes, whose real name was Calvin Waterson, was coming to visit. Little Mabel Syrup Jr. could barely wait, so she memorized both of Calvin's books that had been released...