When they got back to the tree house, Abby led the kids to her room. She let them eat from her private ice cream stash, and then nap on her couch, her bed, and in some cases the floor (which they didn't mind one bit). Lily was curled up on her pillow. Abby opened a drawer beside her bed. She took out an old doll she had played with when she was five. She had taken that doll everywhere. Her name was Penny. She tucked the doll into Lily's arms. Suddenly her door quietly creaked open.
"The PreSchoolmobile is ready," Numbah 2 said, coming in the door.
"Alright, alright," Abby stage-whispered. "Just let me get them up from their nap."
Hoagie nodded and closed the door. Abby gently shook the pack of preschoolers awake and took the sleepy-eyed bunch downstairs.
Abby saw their skoolbus temporarily converted into a PreSchoolmobile. On the inside it sported a couple tubs, a roomful of small beds, and a bunch of high chairs, as well as a dollhouse and a couple of Kuki's Rainbow Monkeys. ("Just to borrow!") Abby led the children to their beds so they could continue their nap.
"Alright," Nigel said. "Where do we go from here?"
"Oh Nigey!" an all-too-familiar voice called out.
I can't believe this, Abby thought. But she looked out the window and there she was. Numbah 1's girlfriend. Lizzie.
"Oh !" she called out again.
"What, Lizzie," Nigel answered, his hand over his face in frustration. Lizzie was the last person he expected to show up.
"I brought you a preeeeeeeeseeeeeeeent!" she sang up, followed by a swift "LET ME IN!"
Numbah 1 shook his head and pressed the button to open the door. Lizzie trounced up the steps, wielding a pie.
"Lizzie, I don't want a-" Nigel started, but Lizzie cut him off. "Come on, come on," she said, waving a piece over his head. Just then, Lizzie felt a tug on her shirt. She looked down.
"Can I have some?" one of the little kids asked.
Lizzie growled, then softened her face. "Of coooourse you can have some!" she sang, handing the boy a piece. He took a bite. Everyone cringed, waiting for an unconscious kid on their hands. But the boy spread his face in a wide grin. "Mmmmm."
"That is not possible," said Hoagie in disbelief.
"These kids are so starved, they'll eat anything," his friend countered, leaning over.
"You think you could whip up a couple more of these?" Abby asked her, hearing the preschoolers waking up in the other room. The one by her side looked scared at the word whip, but Abby placed a hand on his head reassuringly.
"Sure!" Lizzie squealed, and skipped off of the ship.
"Alright, where first?" Numbah 1 asked.
"California," Abby said surely. "They said most of the kids came from there,"
"Alright," Numbah 2 said. "It'll take about an hour to get there."
The ship rose up into the air and took off. Abby went back into the makeshift bedroom. All but three of the kids were lying awake in their beds. Abby drew a quick bath for each of them. Once they were a little cleaner, Abby came up with a few blondes, some raven-black hairs, and even a redhead. The rest woke up, and Lily stumbled into the room where Abby was drying off a little blonde boy.
"Im hungry," she said. Abby realised they probably all were. It had been near;y an hour since they had had her ice cream, and considering how starved they were, that wasn't enough. She bathed the last few and placed them in the high chairs. They were just finishing up when Hoagie's sure, strong pilot's voice came over the intercom. Some of the kids squealed at the loud sound, but Abby listened up.
"We are now landing in California."
