"Kendra here," said Van, gesturing toward the bald girl, "has the ability to see the future."

"Oh, really," said Francine, a bit suspiciously. "Can she tell me if I'll get good grades this year?"

"No," replied her duck-billed friend. "She can only predict bad things."

Kendra's ears vibrated oddly. "In the year 805,701 A.D., a meteor will collide with Earth and render its surface uninhabitable," she intoned. "Humanity will be forced to live underground and eat worms."

"What year was that again?" said Francine worriedly.

"My name's Duke," the poodle boy introduced himself, "and I can memorize anything instantly."

"That's amazing," Francine marveled.

"It's a gift, and a curse," Duke told her.

"How can it be a curse?" asked the monkey girl. "I'd love it if I could do that."

"I'll show you," he offered. "Ask me a very simple question."

"Okay," said Francine. "What's the capital of Pennsylvania?"

Duke's face suddenly went as blank as his sunglasses. She waited for his answer, but nothing came out. Then Sue Ellen rushed past them, rubbing her back and weeping miserably.

"What's wrong with her?" mused Francine.

"That's…that's the girl who shook hands with me today," said the cat boy with the long auburn hair. "I tried to warn her."

Binky, looking so sheepish that Francine thought she could see wool behind his ears, happened upon the group. "Hey, Binky," Van hailed him. "What happened to Sue Ellen?"

The bulldog boy stared down at his rather large feet. "Some, uh, bullies snuck up on her and dumped fire ants down her back."

"Fire ants?" exclaimed Francine with a gasp. "That's horrible!"

"That's typical," said the cat boy.

"Stop being so hard on yourself, Schlemiel," said Van comfortingly.

"Excuse me," said Francine, moving away. "I'd better see if I can help."

"The nurse has some hydrocortisone," Duke pointed out.

"Geez," said Van, looking toward the school entrance. "Poor Sue Ellen."

Binky shook his head. "I don't get it. She could've taken those guys. She's got a freakin' black belt."

"Maybe she tried, but fell flat on her face," said Schlemiel. "That's the effect I have on people. It's like I transfer my bad luck to them."

"Actually, Binky," said Van, "Sue Ellen stopped practicing martial arts about six months ago."

"She…" Binky's jaw plummeted. "…what?"

"She said she wanted to devote more time to feminine activities," the duck boy went on. "Dancing, dressmaking, that sort of stuff. 'Fighting's for boys,' she said."

It seemed to Binky as if the concrete under his feet was turning into quicksand.

"Even so," said Van, "it's weird that she'd let herself be taken so easily. Unless, of course, there was a boy nearby, and she was waiting for him to charge to her rescue."

Binky swallowed. "I-I've gotta go," he said anxiously. "I just remembered, I've got a bun in the oven."

Francine emerged through the school doors, her teeth clenched in anger. "Binky!" she cried out. "You dirty rotten coward!"

Unable to think of a better course of action, Binky ran away. With every step he felt Francine's glare melt through the back of his shirt. "You'd better run, coward!" she yelled after him.

"What was that about?" Van asked the livid girl.

"Those punks were torturing her," Francine grumbled, "and he stood there and did nothing, the big dumb coward!"

Van became crestfallen. "Not Binky," he muttered quietly. "Surely not Binky."

"Harrisburg," Luke suddenly blurted out.

"Took you long enough, wisenheimer," Francine chided him.

"Hey, I had a lot of information to sort through," said the boy defensively.

Meanwhile, Binky rounded a street corner only to be confronted by the familiar gang of four bulldog lads. "Oh, crap," he said under his breath.

"Binky, old chum," said Twinky warmly. "That was fantastic! We taught the alien a lesson she won't soon recover from."

"Your cunning and ruthlessness have earned you a place among us," said Dinky, puffing on a cigarette.

"Um, that's great," said Binky. "I'm honored, I think."

He gazed at them with hidden loathing. There's only one way to regain my stolen honor, he resolved. I am gonna kill you guys…

To be continued