Part 2 of the Second Grade Arc is gonna take us to New York City, where Milo and Melissa are taking the adventure of their lives! Inspired partially by 'Home Alone 2: Lost In New York'. ROLL IT!
December 6th of 2010 - a bright, clear, cool late fall morning. However, Mr. Murawski's 2nd grade class wasn't at John Trystate Elementary. No, they were in New York City! It was a class trip to learn about weather patterns...and also to have a little fun.
"As you can feel by the wind, class, as the seasons change, so does the weather. As we are 2 weeks away from the official start of winter, the weather is getting colder and more brisk. That's because the high pressure systems that bring heat to us over the summer are shifting to South America, where right now, it's spring," Mr. Murawski started his teaching.
Meanwhile, Milo and Melissa were in the back of the class, looking to each other.
"This is so boring, Melissa," Milo said to his ginger friend.
"I know...but if we want to complete our parents' challenge, we're going to have to pay attention," Melissa answered Milo. "You bring your skates?"
"Yeah. Did you bring yours?" Milo asked, showing her his ice skates.
Melissa smiled, showing Milo her new ice skates. "Sure did!"
After Mr. Murawski's teaching, everyone hit the Rockefeller Center skating rink.
"Melissa, I have a confession to make - I've never been ice skating before."
"Neither have I. But just hold my hand and don't let go, okay?"
Milo smiled, hugging Melissa. "Okay, 'Liss."
Once on the ice, Milo took Melissa's hand as they glided on the ice, never letting go of each other. Mr. Murawski took note of Milo and Melissa's actions.
'Those two are getting rather close,' he thought to himself. 'I better relay this to my wife and tell her about it for when they hit her 7th grade science class.'
After lunch, Milo and Melissa broke away from the class and hit FAO Schwarz. The big piano there caught Melissa's eye pretty quickly.
"Milo, you ever see the movie 'Big'?"
"No. I don't think so."
Melissa smiled as she dragged Milo to the big piano. "You're gonna love this! Trust me!"
The duo danced on the big piano as a crowd of people gathered around to watch them. One of the onlookers was on their iPad reading about a pair of crooks who had been terrorizing New York. After Milo and Melissa finished their routine to a round of applause, they went right to the onlooker, who showed them the picture of the bandits - Harry Lime and Marv Merchants.
"THE WET BANDITS?!" Milo and Melissa said in unison.
"I thought they were just in a movie series from the 1990s!" Melissa freaked.
"Apparently not! I guess it's up to us to defend New York! And I've got a plan! It's time for us to become Kevin and Kristina McAllister! Let's head back to 30 Rock to go over the strategy."
"Right!"
Minutes later, at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, Milo opened his blueprint for the traps to be set.
"Let's split up to cover more ground. I'll take Times Square and Central Park, you take Yankee Stadium and Citi Field. Then we'll both meet up and rig Broadway with traps. Your backpack will have everything you need, including your subway card - B or D train to Yankee Stadium, 7 line to Citi Field."
"Got it! We'll meet back at Toys R Us Times Square for the piece de resistance!"
The duo went right to work. Milo deliberately skipped Toys R Us Times Square, saving it for him and Melissa to rig together. He rigged the flagpole at One Times Square with a trapdoor that would open when the iconic Times Square Ball was raised. Once opened, the trapdoor would unleash a Siberian Tiger. The bridge between One and Two Times Square was a rope that Milo rigged with kerosene. Once Milo was across, Milo would light the rope and cut it, sending the bandits on a 30 story drop to the street below.
For the American Eagle flagship, Milo took a branding iron out of his backpack and hooked it up to the entry door. Once touched, it would burn the bandits' hands. He even rigged the entry ways to all his traps with dry ice!
Over at Yankee Stadium, Melissa replaced Reggie Jackson's monument with a fake - a lever that would open a trapdoor to the batting cages, which would lock and activate the pitching machines, pelting them with 90 MPH fastballs. That would all be set up with ball bearings leading up to Monument Park. As for Citi Field, she had turned the Jackie Robinson Rotunda into one big glue trap! Once activated by the pulling of the rope around the Jackie Robinson statue's right arm, it would send the bandits down a tunnel through a glue field and cover them in feathers before ejecting them out of the stadium.
Finally, at Toys R Us Times Square...Milo and Melissa rigged the Ferris Wheel with a rope that would trigger a staple gun. As the wheel turned, it would activate the staple gun, firing one staple after another at the bandits, with each staple more painful than the last.
"Traps are all set?" Milo asked.
"Every single one! Citi Field and Yankee Stadium are rigged from here to Boston! You?"
"Times Square is rigged with with trap upon trap upon trap! Let's get into position!"
Milo and Melissa hid behind Times Square Studios and waited for the bandits.
"Oh, hello!" Milo called out as he took out his Nerf blaster and fired a dart at Marv. Melissa did the same to Harry.
"GET THOSE KIDS!" Marv called out. Milo and Melissa split up - Milo taking One Times Square and Melissa taking the American Eagle flagship. The bandits' first stop...Toys R Us Times Square - where the staple gun was waiting. After taking punishment from Milo and Melissa's staple gun trap, they headed to the American Eagle flagship. Marv slipped and grabbed the door handle, only to fall victim to the branding iron trap! Same goes for Harry! Melissa then bailed and went right to Two Times Square, while the bandits went to One Times Square, where Milo and his trap were waiting! Milo took out his remote and raised the Times Square Ball - triggering the trap! Out comes the Siberian Tiger to pummel the bandits!
"Where'd these kids get a tiger?" Harry questioned as Milo took the zipline he set up to join Melissa at Two Times Square. Marv and Harry tried to follow...but Milo and Melissa had already lit the fuse!
"SNIP! SNIP!" Melissa called out, taking rope cutters from her backpack and cutting the rope, sending Marv and Harry plummeting 30 stories to the street. This bought Milo and Melissa ample time to take the 7 train to Citi Field to await the bandits' next move and sure enough...they followed.
Once again, Milo fired his Nerf blaster at the bandits from behind the Jackie Robinson statue. Marv and Harry attempted to follow...but they were greeted with Melissa's glue trap and were promptly ejected as Milo and Melissa escaped via the D train to Yankee Stadium for one final trap! This time, it was Melissa who set everything in motion from behind the fake Reggie Jackson statue. The bandits attempted to pursue, only to trip on the ball bearings, pulling the lever and falling into the batting cages. The cages were remotely locked by Milo, who then activated the pitching machines.
"CURSE YOU, KIDS!" Marv called out.
"They're smarter than that McAllister kid we faced 20 years ago," Harry added as the cops arrived. Joining New York's Finest...was Mr. Murawski and his 2nd grade class!
"There you kids are! You sure were busy!" Mr. Murawski said.
"And you caught our most wanted fugitives!" One of the officers told Milo and Melissa. "As a show of thanks, we'll be saving a pair of spots on the force for you when you're old enough!"
"SWEETNESS!" Melissa cheered.
"Now let's get you guys home!" Mr. Murawski said.
"What a day..." Melissa said to Milo.
"No kidding. We went to New York, danced on a huge piano and caught wanted criminals!"
"This is shaping up to be a fun year, Milo!"
There you have it! A little tribute to 'Home Alone' for you! Next up - Milo's in the Christmas play as...THE GRINCH! See ya then and remember...
IT'S MILO'S WORLD AND WE'RE ALL LIVING IN IT!