When the truck pulled up to the school, the four immediately noticed Bugler standing with his teacher.
"Oh crud." Zero muttered.
"This can't be good." Ralph said.
"One of us has to go get him." Fixit said. "He's just pointed us out to her."
Indeed Bugler had, because he and his teacher began walking toward the truck.
"What do I do?" Zero asked.
"Just do whatever." Bullet said. "Just keep us out of trouble."
Zero took a deep breath and got out of the truck. Ralph leaned over and cracked the window so they could hear what was going on.
"Hello." Zero greeted.
"Hello." Bugler's teacher said, smiling. "I'm Ms. Smith, Billy's teacher."
"Um... something wrong?" Zero asked.
"Oh no!" Ms. Smith exclaimed. "I just was wondering if I could maybe talk to your parents... you are Billy's older brother, right?"
"Er... yeah." Zero said.
"Anyway, I was wondering if I could speak to them." Ms. Smith continued.
"Why?" Zero asked.
"Advanced Placement." Ms. Smith said. "We took tests about a week ago and Billy's scores were the highest in the district for his age group."
"Oh." Zero said, casting a look at Bugler.
"Yes, so I was wondering if I could call them, or they could call me, or they could stop down and see me after school one day soon." Ms. Smith said.
"Our parents are dead." Zero said quickly. Ms. Smith's face fell. "We... we're taken care of by... by our aunt."
"Oh, well, maybe she can come down one day soon or something." Ms. Smith said.
"I'll... I'll have her call you." Zero said.
"All right then." Ms. Smith said, smiling again. "I'll see you."
Ms. Smith walked away and Zero and Bugler got in the truck.
"You'll have her call her?" Ralph asked, then smacked Zero upside the head.
"Hey!" Zero exclaimed. "I didn't know what else to do!"
"So, we need an aunt... and soon." Bullet said.
Nobody else said anything. Zero just started the truck and drove them back to their home, sweet home.
Bugler sat on the couch as everyone else paced around.
"She doesn't actually need to see our nonexistent aunt, right?" Ralph asked.
"Right. She only needs to talk to her." Bullet said.
"Then let's just get someone to call her and pretend to be our aunt." Ralph said.
"I would say that one of us could call her, but she's heard all of us speak." Fixit said. "Who are we going to get to call her?"
"More important question, who do we know that has a phone?" Zero asked.
"There's one at the convenient store, right?" Fixit asked.
"Yeah, but it doesn't work." Zero said.
"Dude, look who you're talking to." Bullet pointed out. Zero smiled sheepishly.
"Can you by any chance whip up an aunt out of some old scrap metal and a shoe lace?" Ralph asked jokingly.
"Max." Bullet said suddenly.
"Come again?" Zero asked.
"We could get Max to call her." Bullet said.
"Great idea, but how do we find Max's number?" Fixit asked.
"Details, details..." Bullet muttered.
"What if we just got someone from town?" Ralph suggested.
"Too risky." Zero said. "Who knows who she knows around here."
"Well, we could find someone from out of town." Fixit suggested.
"What do you mean?" Zero asked.
"Well, we could go to the hotel and pay someone to make the call." Fixit explained.
"How much?" Bullet asked.
"Twenty bucks I guess." Fixit shrugged.
"So, five bucks each, not counting Buggy." Zero said.
"Right." Bullet agreed.
"Can we go later?" Bugler piped up. "I'm hungry."
"Oh crud." Zero muttered.
"This can't be good." Ralph said.
"One of us has to go get him." Fixit said. "He's just pointed us out to her."
Indeed Bugler had, because he and his teacher began walking toward the truck.
"What do I do?" Zero asked.
"Just do whatever." Bullet said. "Just keep us out of trouble."
Zero took a deep breath and got out of the truck. Ralph leaned over and cracked the window so they could hear what was going on.
"Hello." Zero greeted.
"Hello." Bugler's teacher said, smiling. "I'm Ms. Smith, Billy's teacher."
"Um... something wrong?" Zero asked.
"Oh no!" Ms. Smith exclaimed. "I just was wondering if I could maybe talk to your parents... you are Billy's older brother, right?"
"Er... yeah." Zero said.
"Anyway, I was wondering if I could speak to them." Ms. Smith continued.
"Why?" Zero asked.
"Advanced Placement." Ms. Smith said. "We took tests about a week ago and Billy's scores were the highest in the district for his age group."
"Oh." Zero said, casting a look at Bugler.
"Yes, so I was wondering if I could call them, or they could call me, or they could stop down and see me after school one day soon." Ms. Smith said.
"Our parents are dead." Zero said quickly. Ms. Smith's face fell. "We... we're taken care of by... by our aunt."
"Oh, well, maybe she can come down one day soon or something." Ms. Smith said.
"I'll... I'll have her call you." Zero said.
"All right then." Ms. Smith said, smiling again. "I'll see you."
Ms. Smith walked away and Zero and Bugler got in the truck.
"You'll have her call her?" Ralph asked, then smacked Zero upside the head.
"Hey!" Zero exclaimed. "I didn't know what else to do!"
"So, we need an aunt... and soon." Bullet said.
Nobody else said anything. Zero just started the truck and drove them back to their home, sweet home.
Bugler sat on the couch as everyone else paced around.
"She doesn't actually need to see our nonexistent aunt, right?" Ralph asked.
"Right. She only needs to talk to her." Bullet said.
"Then let's just get someone to call her and pretend to be our aunt." Ralph said.
"I would say that one of us could call her, but she's heard all of us speak." Fixit said. "Who are we going to get to call her?"
"More important question, who do we know that has a phone?" Zero asked.
"There's one at the convenient store, right?" Fixit asked.
"Yeah, but it doesn't work." Zero said.
"Dude, look who you're talking to." Bullet pointed out. Zero smiled sheepishly.
"Can you by any chance whip up an aunt out of some old scrap metal and a shoe lace?" Ralph asked jokingly.
"Max." Bullet said suddenly.
"Come again?" Zero asked.
"We could get Max to call her." Bullet said.
"Great idea, but how do we find Max's number?" Fixit asked.
"Details, details..." Bullet muttered.
"What if we just got someone from town?" Ralph suggested.
"Too risky." Zero said. "Who knows who she knows around here."
"Well, we could find someone from out of town." Fixit suggested.
"What do you mean?" Zero asked.
"Well, we could go to the hotel and pay someone to make the call." Fixit explained.
"How much?" Bullet asked.
"Twenty bucks I guess." Fixit shrugged.
"So, five bucks each, not counting Buggy." Zero said.
"Right." Bullet agreed.
"Can we go later?" Bugler piped up. "I'm hungry."
