Once again in the lunchroom. . .

"Okay. I decided to go with your pattern of serving, but we make simple substitutions. Take these chicken nuggets for example." Storm was telling the lunch ladies about his plan to include healthy food in the kids' diets.

"What about them?"

"See these lean chicken breasts?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, if you cover them in this panko bread and put them in the oven for ten minutes, the kids would eat them."

"Would you bet on that?" Alice challenged.

"Yes, I would," Storm responded.

"Then, I propose a bet. If there are no chicken breasts left in the first of three bins of them on the table, I will run around in a giant veggie suit while the kids chase me in P.E."

"And if there are any left in this one bin?"

"You run around dressed like broccoli."

"You're on." Storm was grinning. He would enjoy seeing Alice running around dressed up like a giant vegetable. "Just watch out for rabbits."

At lunch, the kids were surprised to see giant breaded things instead of chicken nuggets.

"Wow, what are these?"

"They're giant chicken nuggets!"

"Cool! I want one!"

Behind the counter, Storm was grinning. "They love them. The substitution of steamed carrots for 'mashed potatoes' seems to be going well, too."

The bowl of fruit was nearly empty, and the carrots were gone. The chicken breasts were disappearing fast, and it looked like Storm was going to win the bet. Suddenly, a familiar face appeared in the food line.

"Hey, it's the tooth fairy!"

"I'm NOT the tooth fairy," Storm answered.

"Don't you wear white pajamas?"

"No, I don't." Storm was giving the kid a death glare that she was completely ignoring.

"You wear white pajamas, I saw you!"

"I DON'T WEAR PAJAMAS!"

The entire lunchroom was silent. Alice leaned over and whispered, "Ever heard the expression 'too much information?'" Storm turned his icy glare on her. When the chatter picked up again, the girl seemed to finally understand that Storm was not the tooth fairy.

"Sorry, sir. I mistook you for the tooth fairy. He gave me a star!"

"Shuriken."

"Yeah, that thing! Sorry!" The girl ran off happily.

Alice was laughing maniacally. The kids had left for class, and she was staring at the one piece of chicken left in the bin. The kids had loved the meal, but there was one chicken breast left in the bin.

"Nazeka. . ." Storm was standing there with a look of utter disbelief on his face.

"Get ready to be broccoli!" Alice's face was triumphant, even though she now believed that the school could change.

"Horrible, horrible day. . ." Storm sighed, looking at the paper. The stores all over Huntington had brought in deep fat fryers from Texas and were now opening new wings dedicated to fixing the 'fryer mutilation phenomenon.' Deep fat fryers from Texas and an entirely new section of every Costco dedicated to fixing broken fryers. The world really was going down the drain.

You ran around dressed up like a giant pea pod? Snake Eyes signed, reminding Storm of his failed bet.

"I'll never make a bet again. . ."

This chapter really makes you feel sorry for poor Storm, no?