CHAPTER TWO: LILO'S HULA RECITAL

"…And that's how the werewolf got its fur."

Lilo Pelekai walked off the stage of her hula recital to some claps and cheers.

"Woo-hoo!" called Stitch from the audience. "Go Lilo!"

"Thank you," she said graciously, as she sat down next to Mertle.

Moses, Lilo's hula teacher, climbed up onto the stage. "Well, Lilo, that… um… informative dance about werewolves was very… interesting. Next, we have Mertle Edmonds, who will be doing a hula called 'Break the Day.'"

"It's about morning and the sun," Mertle informed them, climbing up next to Moses, "breaking the day. In this case 'breaking' means 'starting.' But only a weirdo wouldn't know that." She stuck her tongue out at Lilo.

"Booooo!" called Stitch. "Stitch break you! Ika patootie! Wanga–"

"Stitch!" Nani closed his mouth.

"Thank you for stopping that rude interruption, somebody," said Mertle, glaring at Nani; thinking that she was the one booing.

"Nani…" Moses frowned. "If you don't want to see the other girls perform, then please leave."

"Yeah," said Mertle, "please. Now get outta here!"

"Naga Nani," Stitch said quickly, not wanting to get Nani in trouble. "It was me. Loocha-varanda."

"And now you're talking in that weird language again," said Mertle. "Does weirdness run your freaky family?"

Teresa, Yuki, and Elena giggled.

"That's not funny!" cried Lilo.

"Yeah," said Victoria. "It's mean, Mertle.

Weird is good… and interesting."

"Yeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaahhhhh!" called Stitch.

"Stitch!" Nani covered his mouth again. "You're gonna get us into even more trouble!"

"Aha!" said Mertle, for no apparent reason.

"Hey," said Yuki, "if that was Lilo's sister talking… then who was she talking to?"

"Yeah," agreed Elena. "Who was the one interrupting Mertle?"

"Maybe it was a ghost!" said Teresa.

"Named Stitch!"

"Stitch? Oh, that's just Lilo's dog," said Victoria, but it was the wrong thing to say.

"A talking dog? A mean one?" asked Mertle. Then she realized. "Yeah… actually, I have seen him talking before!"

"A talking dog!" Two men stood up. Lilo gasped as she recognized the two alien hunters that had once tried to steal Stitch and one of his cousins: Merwin and Dean.

"It's him!" Merwin cried and caught Stitch in a giant butterfly net. "The one who the big guy let get away!"

"I wonder where his annoying friend is," said Dean. "I'm glad it's not here – that one drove me nuts!"

Stitch growled. He couldn't escape.

"Stitch!" shouted Lilo.

"Look!" said Merwin. "It's that girl!"

"We'd better get outta here fast," said Dean, "or she'll try to–"

Just then, the lights went off. When they came back on a few minutes later, the alien hunters were gone… and so was Stitch!

"Stitch!" cried Lilo. "They got Stitch!"

"I dunno, Dad," said Pepri, who was hiding in the shadows with Shamus and another creature. "Maybe we should get him and give him back."

"Are you crazy?" asked Shamus. "Actually, you are, but we can't give him back. I need

Experiment 6-2-6."

"Whatever you say," said Pepri, and disappeared after the alien hunters.