CHAPTER SEVEN
"Ready, dear?" Mrs. Turner asked Timmy after he finished up his breakfast.
"Yes, Mom", Timmy replied, holding up his backpack, "the permission slip is in the bag".
Timmy was poofed back home shortly after Cosmo had taken up his self-appointed position of bodyguard for Big Daddy. Wanda had decided to stay with Cosmo so that he would not bodyguard Big Daddy to death.
For the time being then, Timmy would not have his fairy godparents close at hand, but Wanda took care of any potential problems that might arise.
"Here's something for you to be able to keep in touch with me while we're gone", Wanda said, poofing what looked like a watch onto Timmy's wrist.
"Hey, a communicator", Timmy said, recognizing it at once.
"Yes, Sweetie", Wanda replied, "To other people, it looks like a normal watch, but you're the only person who can see it for what it really is. If an emergency comes up, just push the button in front and talk, I will be able to speak with you".
"Thanks, Wanda", Timmy said. Looking at the device, Timmy then asked, "Any idea when both of you will return?"
"Its hard to say, Sweetie", Wanda answered, "When the effects of the Steroid-Ade potion wears off. I really can't leave Cosmo here alone with Big Daddy".
"Aw, don't sweat it!" Cosmo said, poofing on a costume that made him look like a green-haired member of the 'Men in Black', "I'm top of everything!"
"That's what I'm afraid of", Wanda muttered.
"Best of luck, Wanda", Timmy said, "Better poof me back home. I'll, see you later".
Timmy was poofed back just as his dad came into his room with the tools to fix his door.
"Hey, Short-Stuff", Mr. Turner said, "Tootie couldn't find you. Where were you?"
"Uh, bathroom?" Timmy stammered.
"Works for me", Mr. Turner said as he started fixing the door, "boy, these termites really make our doors flimsy, don't they?"
Now, the following morning, Timmy put on his backpack and headed out the front door to the bus stop. He pressed the button on his wrist communicator.
"Morning, Sweetie", Wanda's voice responded, "what's up?"
"I'm going to be on a field trip today, Wanda, so if you do finish up early with Big Daddy, you won't find me at school".
"Thanks for the heads-up", Wanda replied, "I have to get back to work up here".
"What's going on?" Timmy asked.
"Uncle Calzone asked me to run things while Big Daddy is 'sick', so I'm going to be doing the same stuff when Mama Cosma kidnapped him", Wanda explained.
"Not all the same stuff though", Timmy reminded her, "remember his reaction about the doilies on the trash cans and the pink trucks?"
"Yeah, well…" Wanda answered, "You have a good day, okay?"
"Will do", Timmy acknowledged, turning off the communicator. Timmy smiled as he thought about how Big Daddy would be trying to survive the attentions of super-Cosmo, plus the girlie-up decorative urges of his daughter…
Timmy's smile vanished however shortly after the bus pulled up. Getting on, he walked back to where A.J. and Chester were sitting, but he was abruptly yanked into Tootie's seat by her sudden grip on his arm.
"Good Morning, Timmy!" Tootie said in greeting while crushing him on a hug, "All ready for the field trip?"
While Timmy was squirming in Tootie's grasp, A.J. and Chester looked over to him and snickered.
"Boy, this week is going great!" Chester commented, "First, dealing payback on Francis, and seeing Timmy squirm!" A.J. nodded in agreement.
At the next bus stop, Trixie and Veronica got on board the bus. Trixie simply ignored Timmy squirming in Tootie's embrace, but Veronica was careful not to go too close to them. She was still shocked at Tootie's strength…
At school, the various classes were assembled in the school hall. Principal Waxelplax was on the stage addressing them.
"Good morning, Class", Waxelplax said, "as you know, we are going to be visiting the natural cave complex of Mount Dimmsdale. The buses are all lined up outside and once we get the permission slips, we will be on our way. Whee!"
The students echoed her last comment. Any excuse to be out of class was something to rejoice about.
However, one person wasn't so pleased at this trip. Mr. Crocker really preferred tormenting his students in class. A field trip made his task of making his students miserable rather more difficult.
"Okay, Students", Crocker rumbled, I'll be pairing you up for this field trip, so make sure you stay with your buddies. Understood? Good, now start finding buddies", he ordered.
A.J. and Chester paired up, so did Sanjay and Elmo. Mark Chang found himself paired up with Trixie, much to Timmy's disgust.
"So, Turner!" Crocker said, "Looks like you're the only one without a buddy, so I'll pair you up with…THIS ROCK!", he spazzed out, handing Timmy a pebble.
As Timmy looked at the rock in disbelief, Crocker said, "Well, we're all buddied up, so let's get on the bus!"
As Crocker's class headed out of the hall and onto one of the buses, Timmy looked down at the rock he carried.
"That's just great!" he grumbled, "Mark gets Trixie, my other friends are taken, and I'm left with a rock! Cosmo would love this! Still", he reasoned, "it could have been Tootie. Thank goodness she's in another class".
After Timmy took his seat, Crocker boarded the bus and took a head count, collecting all of the permission slips in the process.
"Okay, Twenty-one students and one rock. All correct!" he announced. Sitting in front of the bus, Crocker looked back at the students with his habitual sneer as the bus pulled away.
Behind this bus, another bus headed out following close behind. On this bus was Tootie's class, and like Timmy, Tootie was the odd person out. It wasn't anything unusual for her, so she was not unduly upset. She was still pleased that she was going on the same field trip as Timmy, and she knew that she would be able to find time to see him, so that thought kept her mind occupied for the trip.
Thirty minutes later, the buses pulled up outside the entrance to the cave complex at the base of Mount Dimmsdale. The teachers directed the students out and lined them up. Once done, a guide came forward.
"Good morning, Dimmsdale Elementary", the guide said, "You'll be entering the cave complex presently. All routes out are clearly marked, so there is no chance you'll get lost. Still, don't touch either the stalactites or stalagmites, and keep close to your buddies. Okay?"
"Yes, Mr. Guide", the students replied in unison.
With that, the guide gestured to the first group of students – Crocker's students – and directed them to enter the cave. As the students entered, they put on helmets with built-in flashlights and turned them on.
The caves were deep, and they looked eerie in the flashlights, but there were signs and notices placed at regular intervals. As Crocker's class went deeper into the cave, the guide started talking about the geological processes that formed the caves in the first place.
"Well, its dark enough so that Tootie will be hard-placed to see me", Timmy said to himself. The lecture was boring him to death already. Still, it was better than putting up with Crocker's in-class rants.
Timmy ended up going further into the cave than the rest of his students. Crocker noticed this and walked up to him.
"So, Turner", Crocker sneered, "All alone except for your rock? Well, you can always wish for talking friends with your FAIRY GODPARENTS!" he spazzed out loudly.
That was a big mistake as when Crocker spazzed, he fell back against the side of the cave wall. All of a sudden, a rumbling started. Small rocks started falling down from the ceiling.
"Uh, oh!" Crocker muttered. The tour guide's eyes widened.
"Cave-in!" the guide screamed, "everyone out now!"
The students started running out toward the entrance. Crocker stood up and started running. Timmy started to run, but a large piece of rock hit him on the top of his helmet, causing him to fall to the ground, dazed. The flashlight on top of his helmet was smashed.
"Turner!" Crocker shouted, "wish for this to stop with your FAIRY GODPARENTS!", causing another spasm, which in turn started the rocks to fall harder.
Just then, a large amount of friable rock fell between where Crocker and the others were, and where Timmy was.
Outside the cave entrance, Tootie and her class watched in horror as a cloud of dust started coming out of the entrance. Several seconds later, Crocker and his students – coated in dust – staggered out of the cave, coughing.
"Crocker!" Waxelplax called out, "get a count of your class. Now!"
Gasping, Crocker made a count. He quickly realized that someone was missing.
"Turner and his rock-buddy are not here", he reported, "He must still be in there!"
"Timmy's trapped in there?!!!" Tootie screamed, "I've got to go and get him!"
Tootie ran over to the entrance. Waxelplax and the guide tried to stop her, but her strength enabled her to brush them aside. Grabbing one of the available helmets, she ran into the cave. She had to find Timmy!
Back beyond the cave-in, Timmy was there: a little shaken, but otherwise all right. However, thanks to his smashed helmet flashlight, he was alone in pitch blackness, and with his wrist communicator missing. It had come off his wrist during the cave-in, and without any light, he couldn't find it…