Trixie pranced all the way to the playground in Milford's body. Who knew that the mayor could be so spry? It made Trixie laugh, and hearing the mayor's voice letting out his goofy guffaw made her laugh harder. Ziggy could hear her coming and stared in slack-jawed wonder.
"Trixie, is that you?"
"You'd better believe it." Trixie twirled around to show off her work.
"That's amazing! What's it like?"
"It's good to be the mayor," Trixie said with a chuckle. Ziggy pointed at the bundled apron in her hands.
"Say, what is that?"
"I just put Robbie's machine in here." She pulled the apron aside to show Ziggy the mayor's loaf pan. "We don't want anyone else finding it, right?"
"Wow, that's really smart." Ziggy licked his lips. "Can I have some bread? It smells so good."
"Sorry Ziggy, it won't hide the machine if you eat it. But you can always go to the mayor's house and get some more. The kitchen was like a bakery. Actually," Trixie said with an uplift to her tone, "I think it's your turn to be the mayor."
"Really? Are you sure you want to trade places already?"
"Don't worry about it, I've had some fun already," Trixie assured him. "This way you can eat his bread and do all sorts things only adults can do."
"Oh, yeah! Let's do it!"
The clubhouse was the best place for them to use the Mind-Me-Matic in secret. Once it was done the first thing Ziggy did was hit his head on the ceiling and rub at his bald head.
"Be careful," Trixie scolded him. "You don't want to break the headpiece or we'll be stuck like this."
"Sorry," Ziggy said, and immediately giggled. "I really sound just like the mayor!"
"You are the mayor now," Trixie said. She took the head piece and the ray gun from Ziggy and stowed them back in the loaf pan. No one would find it tucked out of the way in the clubhouse.
"What are you going to do while you're me?" Ziggy asked. Trixie shrugged and snapped back the cape tied around her neck.
"I'm sure I can think of something."
Stephanie dragged her feet heading to her house. It was unfair of her uncle to send her home for what felt like no reason, but how could she argue with him? Milford wasn't just her uncle but the mayor of LazyTown, and what the mayor says, goes.
What was he even doing out by Stingy's house, though? Stephanie had left her uncle that morning elbow deep in bread dough. She could have sworn he was making it for Bessie. Why carry it all over town?
"Hey, Pinkie. Stephanie!"
Ziggy's shout pulled Stephanie out of her thoughts. She waved at the little boy across the street. "Sorry, Ziggy, I have to go home, I can't play right now."
"Why not?" Ziggy asked with a curious grin.
"My uncle grounded me," Stephanie said. She frowned. "I didn't even do anything."
"Well, you must have done something to deserve it. Too bad!" Ziggy laughed and ran off. Stephanie gawked, opening and closing her mouth. She scrunched up her face and stomped all the way into her house.
Stephanie flung herself onto her bed and kicked the mattress a bit before settling down to fume. She had just gotten herself into a proper sulk when the front door opened again.
"Mmm, it sure smells yummy in here."
Stephanie recognized the heavy footfalls of her uncle in the kitchen. He puttered around in there, squeaking the oven door and rolling drawers open and closed. Usually Bessie kept Milford busy all day long, especially if he was bringing her gifts. Stephanie got off her bed and poked her head out of her room. Milford had his own head in the refrigerator at the moment.
"Uncle Milford, didn't Bessie like the bread?"
"Huh-wuh?" Milford straightened up from the fridge with a carrot halfway to his mouth. "Oh, Stephanie, I thought you were at Stingy's today."
"I was until you sent me home," Stephanie said. "Don't you remember?"
"Why would I do that?" Milford asked.
"I don't know," Stephanie said, frowning.
Milford itched his chin with the tip of the carrot. "Well that's strange. What was that about Ms Busybody?"
"The bread," Stephanie said, her frown coloring her voice. "You gave it to her, didn't you?"
"Was I supposed to?"
"Uncle, are you feeling okay?" Stephanie stepped out of her room. Any resentment she felt towards her uncle couldn't stand up to her growing concern. "It's not like you to be this forgetful."
"I'm fine!" Milford flapped his hands to shoo Stephanie back, dropping his carrot in the process. "Just stay in your room, um, until I get back." Stephanie backed up reluctantly. Milford hurried over and shut the door before she could press the issue.
Milford's footsteps retreated and the front door opened and closed. Stephanie paced around, fretting over her uncle's bizarre behavior. She sat down at her desk and pulled out her diary, opening it to a blank page. The words wouldn't come to her, though, and she tapped her pen against the empty lines, deep in thought.
Something must have been wrong for her uncle to be acting this way. Stephanie would wait like he asked, but only for a little while. If he didn't come back soon she would see for herself what was going on.