(Michael is leaning out of the boys' bathroom window at school. Buster is struggling to hold him by the belt.)

Michael gasps. " Have you ever noticed how something really big can start from the littlest thing?"

Buster grunting) " Come on Michael! Pull!"

Michael glares back ." I'm trying!" (grunts) " Like how some guy nobody ever heard of records a song in his bathroom, and it becomes..."

(A flashback of D.W. playing Crazy Bus is heard. Arthur has both pillows covering his ears.)

D.W. sings with Joe Fallon: " Sloppy, gloppy, gloopy..."(The song is still playing.)

Arthur sighs annoyed. " Stop it, stop it before I go crazy and eat these cushions!"

(Cut back to real life.)

Michael blinks. " Or, how D.W. can manage to have a tantrum over nothing?"

(Cut to fantasy: D.W. opens her front door and sees a sunny day.)

D.W. grumbles. " I'm sick of sunshine. Sun, sun, all the time sun! How about some rain around here? Is that too much to ask? IS IT?!"

(Cut to real life)

Michael tries to reach a bit more out. " So anyway, this whole stupid mess started over nothing, over less than nothing- whoa!"

Buster yells. " Michael, watch out!

Michael gets scared. " Don't let me go!"

(Michael 's belt comes off and Buster falls backwards with it.)

Buster jumps up. " Uh oh."

Jessie waves to the audience. " Double Dare!" Title Card: The-Hot-Air-Balloon-Ride.

(Michael Brain, Francine, and Buster are in the treehouse doing homework.)

Michael frowns. " I can't believe how much homework Ratburn gave us, I'll never get to watch any TV."

Buster noded. " No kidding, and tonight's the great showdown between Dark Bunny and the 60 foot squid!"

Francine laughed. " Where he gets eaten by a giant clam and-"

Francine+Buster looked at the others at the same time. "...digested by clam juice!" (they high-five.)

Brain sighs sadly. " And we won't get to see it." (A Dark Bunny poster is shown.)

Michael scrolls down in his schoolbook. "It's so unfair, one of these days I'm gonna not do my homework."

Buster finished a sum in his math journal. " Impossible, how would you ever face Ratburn?"

Michael put a finger on his chin. " I don't know, I just wouldn't go to school maybe." (closes math book.) " I'd skip school and do my homework when I felt like it."

Francine laughs. " Oh right, you skip school? You're too much of a scaredy cat!"

Michael glares at her. " I am not! I'd skip school in a minute, like, like, that!" (snaps finger.)

Francine grins. " Oh yeah, I dare you!" (points finger at Michel.)

Buster gasps. " She dared you Michael , you have to do it!"

Michael grumbles. " No I don't!"

Brain noded. " Yes you do, it's the rule."

Michael looks confused. " What rule?"

Brain frowns. " I don't make 'em, I just call 'em."

Michael looks back to Francine. " Yeah, well then, I dare you back!" (He points at Francine who looks taken aback.)

Francine noded grimly. " Well, well then, I dare Buster." (points thumb at Buster.)

Buster looks confused. " Me? Well, I don't have anything to do with this!"

Brain shook his head. " It doesn't matter Buster, once you're dared, you're dared!"

Buster clenches his teeth. " Well, then I dare you!" (points finger at Brain.)

Brain looks around. " This is serious guys, we need a plan."

(Michael Buster, Brain and Francine look at a drawn map on the floor of Arthur & Michaels room.)

Brain looks thinking on the map. " Ok, here's how we'll do it." (He is holding a pencil.) " Normally, we walk to school in a straight line." (draws straight.) " But tomorrow, we'll make a right turn there, at this bush..." (draws an x.) " and um... we turn right and... we don't go to school."

Francine raises an eyebrow. " That's not much of a plan."

Brain shrugs. " What do you want, I only had five minutes!"

Michael grimaces. " I really don't think we should do this."

Francine looks at him. " It was your idea, Michael!"

He grumbles. " No it wasn't! I was kidding, and you-"

Brain tries to help. " Look, it's out of our hands, however it happened, we've all been dared and that's that."

Jane could be heard offscreen. " Michael dinner!"

(They all stand up.)

Francine looks at the others. " So I guess we should just meet at the bush tomorrow and decide what to do from there."

Michael seems to be confused. " But what if-"

(D.W. opens the door.)

She points on her brother. " Michael! Mom called you for dinner two hours ago," (Brain, Francine, and Buster are walking out) " Come on!"

Michael stares at his little sister. " It was 5 seconds ago, and who said you could come in here?"

D.W. shrugs. " What are you doing anyway?"

Michael rolles his eyes. " None of your business." (He walks out. D.W. looks suspicious.)

D.W. looks at him with a suspicious smile. " We'll just see about that."

(Michael is poking at his food at the table when he notices D.W. is staring at him.)

He looks over to his mother. " Mom, D.W.'s staring at me!"

David looks over. " D.W., maybe you could take a look at those brussel sprouts instead."

D.W. shook her head. " Michael is much more interesting than brussel sprouts - sometimes."

(Michael sticks his tongue out at her)

After dinner Arthur walks over to his brother. " So Michael, watch Dark Bunny with me?"

Michael noded. " Sure Arthur! I can go on with my homework after the show! What about your homework?"

Arthur smiles. " Well, in Special Ed we don´t get some! That only good thing about it, besides hang out with Violet! We finish our stuff in school!"

Michael gasps. " Wow, you´re lucky! Mr. Ratburn gave us so much homework these days!"

Arthur shook his head. " I wanna stay with you guys either than in the Special Ed class! Can´t believe that one seizure makes me a bit slower at time,

Michael noded, both went into the living room.

Evening 6.58 pm

(Arthur and Michael were watching Dark Bunny with a worried expression. D.W. stands in the door.)

D.W. looks around. " Is it safe to come in?"

Arthur noded. " Yeah, it's a commercial!"

D.W. came over to the couch. " So has the clam eaten Dark Bunny yet?"

Michael noded. " Yep."

(Arthur turns off the TV.)

D.W. crossed her arms. " So are you gonna tell me what you look so guilty about?"

Michael rolles his eyes. " Would you quit it, D.W.? I don't look guilty! I look completely...not guilty!"

Jane appears at the door. " Don't you have any homework, Michael?"

Michel glares at D.W. the same moment. " I told you already, I am not guilty! SO LEAVE ME ALONE ALREADY!"

Jane clears her throat, Michael looks over at her. " Oh, uhm, ha ha! Sorry mom!"

Arthur widen his eyes. " Uh Michael, i know that angry look on mom´s face."

Jane points to the boys. " Michael, finish your homework now and then it's bedtime! Now

Michael noded embarrassed. " Yes mom."

Jane looked at Arthur. " Arthur I have some good news for you!"

Arthur seems to be confused. " What good news Mom?"

Jane smiles. " Well Ms Jenkins is back at Lakewood and she wanted to see you tomorrow at 11'am!"

Arthur blinks confused. " Tomorrow? "

Jane noded. " Yes tomorrow!"

Arthur noded too. " Okay Mom!"

Jane steps back into the kitchen. " You can stay up until 9'pm then took your pill Arthur!"

Michael stood up and headed upstairs.

D.W. looked over to him. " Arthur, Michael is up to something i know it!"

Arthur shrugs. " Oh yeah!" around 9 pm Arthur took his pill and get ready for bed.

...in the night in the boys´ bedroom

Arthur was asleep when he heard Michael talking in his sleep.

(Michael is sleeping in his bed, tossing and turning. He is muttering.)

Michael whispering. " No, no, I hate clams...no..."

(Cut to dream: Michael is inside a clam.)

Michel looks around. "Where am I?"

The clam talked to him with a loud, scary voice. " Well, you're certainly not at school, are you?!"

Michael gulps. " I... No, I'm not, but I want to be!" (Buster walks up to Michel while holding his nose.)

Buster looks confused. " Are we inside a clam? Cause it really stinks in here."

Michael stares at him. " Where did you come from?"

Buster shrugs. " I don't know, but I'm leaving." (He walks over to shell and bangs his fists on it.) " Hey you, let us out!"

The clam laughs. " Too late for that! You took a wrong turn at that bush back there! And now..."

(Green juice begins to fill up in the clam.)

Buster shudders. " It smells like clam juice. Michel, I think we're being-"

Michel +Buster yelling at the same time. " Digested!"

(Cut to real life: Morning before school.

Michael sneaks into the office of his mum and picks up the phone.

He dials Buster´s number., to his luck the rabbit-boy answers. " Baxter house, hello?" " Buster, it's me. I can't go through with it. I don't care if Francine dared me."

Buster was sitting on a sofa. " I can't go through with it either, I dreamt that this giant clam told me that if I didn't go to school, I'd be digested! And all I know is that if a clam tells you to do something, you do it!"

Michael gasp. " That's so weird, I had the same dream-"

D.W. enters the door. " Michael!"

Michael glares at her. " Go away, I'm on the phone!"

D.W. shook her head. " It's a free country. Why are you use the phone in mom´s office?"

Michael looks at his sister. " This is private!" He turns back to the speaker. " Buster, can you call everyone and tell them you-know-what is cancelled? I can't talk right now."

Buster sighs too. " Sure thing, see ya." He hangs up.

Ashley enters the room, she walks over to the sofa. " Buster what are you up too?"

Buster shook his head. " Little Smiley, not now please! I have phones calls to make, now go and eat breakfast!"

Ashley grumbles. " Fine Buster. but i know you are up to something and i get what it is!" She walked over to the kitchen.

(Brain was on the phone talking with Buster.)

Brain sighs. " Ok, if you're sure. What clam?"

(In the Frenskys' kitchen, the answering machine on the phone goes on.)

Francine´s voice could be heard. " You've reached the Frensky's, leave a message."

Buster´s voice could be heard. " Francine, are you there?"

(Francine is putting on her jacket. She has headphones on and does not hear the phone.)

Buster sounds a bit confused. " You know the thing, it's uh... well we're not gonna do it. There was this clam, and forget about the bush, ok?"

(Francine is scatting and then leaves.)

(School is about to start, many people are seen getting in the school.)

Michael looks over to Buster. " Did you call everyone?"

The rabbit-boy noded. " Yep, it's all set. It´s better, Ashley gets suspicious."

(They walk toward the school.)

(Meanwhile, Francine is hiding in a bush nearby. She is looking at her watch which reads 8:35. The bell rings. She ducks behind the bush as Alex, Jenna and Fern walk by.)

( Mr Ratburn is taking attendance in class.)

Mr. Ratburn looks on the list. "Buster Baxter."

" Here!" Buster raises his right hand.

Mr. Ratburn goes on. " Muffy Crosswire."

Michael looks over to Buster. " Where's Francine?"

Buster shrugs concerned. " I don't know!"

Mr. Ratburn reads the next name. " Francine Frensky." He looks around. " Francine?"

(Michael and Buster looked at each other in confusion.)

(Meanwhile, Francine is standing by bush, still waiting for them.)

She growls angrily. " I'm going to kill those guys! And now it's 9 o'clock! Shoot!"

(She runs up to the school doors and tries to open the door, but it's locked.)

Francine gulps. " Uh oh."

(Mr. Ratburn and Mr. Marco are talking at the door entry to the classroom.)

Mr. Marco laughs. " So, did you catch it last night?"

Mr. Ratburn shook his head. " No, unfortunately it was scheduled opposite 'The Many Loves of John Galsworthy'. Couldn't miss that."

(Francine looks through a window and sees Michael and Buster.)

Francine looks up. " Psst!"

(Francine ducks and crawls to another window, Mr. Ratburn looks over to where Francine is hiding, then he turns around.)

Francine looks up again. " I said, psst!"

Mr. Marco points to the teacher´s office. " I've got a tape if you want to take a look."

Mr. Ratburn noded. " Terrific. How about you and me meet at the staffroom, say, 11 o'clock?"

(Michael and Buster look towards the window.)

Buster frowns. " Francine? What are you doing out there?"

Francine glares at him ." What am I..? What are you doing in there?"

Buster seems confused. " We called it off, didn't you get my message?"

Francine grumbles. " No, and now I can't get in!"

(Mr. Ratburn looks a second time over to where Francine is, and she ducks again.

(Michael and Buster then hum nervously while doing their work.)

Mr. Ratburn looks back at Mr. Marco. " Its debt to German expressionism..."

Michael points down the hallway. " Meet us at the bathroom window!"

(Michael looks out of a high bathroom window.)

Michael waves. " Francine! Francine! Over here!"

(Francine runs to the window. She steps on a pipe and manages to grab Michael`s hands. But it was some inches too high.)

Francine gasps. " Don't just hang there, do something!"

(Buster is looking in the mirror at his teeth.)

Michael looks over to him. " Buster, do something!"

(Buster walks over to Michael and pulls on his belt.)

Michael gaps. " Ow! Not so hard."

Francine looks up. " Michael , pay attention! You're gonna drop me.!

Michael tries to pull her up. " I can't help it, you're too heavy."

Francine grumbles. " I am not too heavy! I weigh less than you. Arthur could pick me up easily!"

Buster struggles. "Michael, watch out!"

Michael gapss in fear. " Don't let me go!"

(Michael 's belt comes off and Buster falls backwards with it.)

Buster look up. " Uh oh."

(Michael hangs in the window and Francine is now lying on the ground.)

He looks down to her. " Sorry."

Francine blinks and rubs her head. " Now what?"

Binky enters the toilet and came over. " What are you ding? Francine, why you´re outside?"

Francine stood up. " Long story, i must get in now!"

Binky smiles mischievously. " Leave it to me Francine, I have an idea."

(Michael and Buster are now outside of their lockers.)

Buster frowns confused. " Since when does Binky have ideas?"

Binky walks over to them. " It's all set, as soon as you hear me screaming, run to the door."

Michael was confused. " Why should we run to the door?"

Binky sighs. " So you can open it!" (slaps head.) "Sheesh! Ok, here it goes. Owww!"

(Binky holds his left foot pretending to be in pain, and fake screaming.)

Michael was still confused. " What is he doing?"

Buster pats his shoulder and start to run. " Come on!"

(Michael and Buster run to the front door past the principal's office. Michael looks around and sees Francine standing at a different door nearby.)

Michael waves. " Francine! Over here!"

Francine grumbles. " You were supposed to be over here!"

Buster shook his head. "Nu uh,"(shakes head) " you were supposed to be over here!"

Francine clenched her teeth. " Nu uh, you were supposed to..."

Michael interrupts. " Hurry up, we don't have much time! Uh oh what is Mom doing here?"

Arthur and Jane entered the yard when the boys spotted his brother. " He rubs his eyes.

Jane frowns. " Michael, what are you doing here outside? Buster, Francine?"

Arthur looks at the others. " Francine what are you doing out here at 11:am?"

(Mr. Ratburn walks to Binky and disperses the kids who have gathered around him. He gives Binky a stern look.)

Binky stood up. " Uhm, it's my shoe Mr. Ratburn... uh it's too tight."

Mr. Ratburn sighs. " Then I suggest you get a new pair."

He rolls his eyes and notices Arthur and Buster by the front door. He walks over, followed by Binky.

Binky ran after him. " Uh no, no-no-no-no, wait. I think it's my socks."

(Francine is running towards the door.)

Buster waves to her. " Hurry up, before it's too..."

(Mr. Ratburn is standing behind Buster, having seen the whole thing.)

Buster notices Jane and Arthur. "...late. Oh no, Michael´s mom!"

(Binky is now lying on the ground.)

Mr. Ratburn clears his throat. " Ahem, what is going on?"

Michel+Buster+Francine sammer same time. " Uhm, well, uhm..."

(Mr. Haney arrives and opens the right door.)

Mr. Haney frowns confused. " What is all the commotion? Francine, Arthur, why aren't you in school?"

Francine gets nervous. " I uh... I uh... see, uh.."

Arthur frowns. " I was at my..."

Jane interrupts. " He's with me here, but Michael..."

Mr. Haney noded. " Yes, excuse me Ms. Read, i forgot! But the others, I think you all had better come to my office immediately."

They all enter the teacher's office.

Michael looked over to his mother. " But Mom I was just..."

Jane interrupts him angrily. " Michael Alexander Read sit down and not another word!"

(Buster, Binky, Francine, Michael and Arthur are waiting outside the principal's office. Ms Read and Mr. Frensky can be seen talking to Mr. Ratburn and Mr. Haney inside.)

The school bell rings.

Michael buried his head in his hands. " Mom used my middle name, great!"

Francine noded. " I am doomed too!"

Buster shrugs. " Not necessarily, I heard about this one girl who got expelled, but then she got a job selling donuts, and now she can eat as many as she wants without paying!"

Binky laughed. " Cool!"

Francine glares at both. " I don't wanna go to work, I wanna go to school! And eating donuts the whole time, i think one day i gonna explode!"

Buster scratches his head. " Maybe they'll only expel you for a year."

Arthur shook his head. " I'm sure they won't be too hard on you Francine, it really isn't your fault!"

Francine said You can say that again! It's your fault Michael! If you haven't made me dare you then none of this would've happened! Idiot!"

Ashley came into the school office and handed over a paper to the secretary when she spotted the four beside the door to the principal´s office. She frowns. " Uhm, guys, what you are up to?"

Buster points with his finger to her. " Let it go! It´s not your business!"

Ashley blows a strand of her hair out of her face. " You got trouble, i knew you were up to something! Luckily Jesse is no troublemaker like you! Well, we will see what Auntie-mom will say about this!" She ran out of the school office. " I CALL HER AT WORK!"

Buster gasps. " ASHLEY!" He sighs. " I´m more than doomed, mom would grounded me until i´m leaving college!"

Michael looks over and pats his shoulder. " it probably won't be that bad right?"

Buster glares at him. " You remember when i answered Mr. Ratburn´s question in class with a joke? Three weeks grounded and no tv!

Michael widens his eyes. "Oh yes!" He sighs. " Yes, you are in very, very big trouble! As Mr. Haney would call your mum anyway. And i be in trouble too when mum comes out of the office!"

Francine looks over to them. " Guys, be quiet, they come back!"

( Ms Read Mr. Frensky, Mr. Haney and Mr. Ratburn come out.)

Mr. Haney looks angry. " I'm disappointed in you Francine! Where on Earth did you get the idea to skip school?"

Francine grumbles " I, I...! It was my idea I guess, my stupid idea."

Mr. Haney sighs. " Then I'm afraid you'll have to spend all of next week after school, and this had better not happen again!"

Francine noded. " It won't."

Mr. Ratburn crossed his arms. " I'm Very disappointed in you too, Miss Frensky. I know you as more responsible than this!"

Francine closed sad her eyes. " I know."

Michael widen his eyes. " Wait! This isn't fair. It wasn't Francine's idea. It was my idea, only not really, because I never meant to do it. But then, we got dared and Brain said we Had to do it, and it was the only way we could watch Dark Bunny and not do our homework. So, anyway, if Francine's punished, then I should be punished too!"

Buster noded. " Michael 's right, punish me too."

Binky stands up, looking touched, and wipes a tear from his eye. " And me, punish me."

Michael looks confused over. " Binky you didn't have anything to do with it."

Binky blinks. " Oh yeah. Forget it!" (He sits down again.)

Mr. Ratburn shook his head. " Nice try, I applaud your spirit. But since you managed to make it to school, it makes no sense to punish you."

Michael + Buster looked at each other. " But... but..."

Mr. Ratburn points a finger in the air. " But, I am glad to have a plausible explanation for why you didn't do your homework. For that, I will give you an extra assignment."

Michel+Buster sighed in relief. " Yay, alright!"

(They high-five. Mr. Haney and Mr. Ratburn are shaking their heads.)

Mr Ratburn looked at Arthur. "And as for you Arthur your Mom already get things straight out. I forgot you had that appointment in that moment."

Jane sighed annoyed " Michael, we will be have a long talk after dinner tonight!"

Michael looks sadly down. " Yes Mom!"

When they left, Bitzi's arrived. She looked at Buster. " Ashley called me on work, what IS GOING ON?"

The rabbit-boy gulps. " I. Am. so Doomed!"

(Mr. Marco is pouring coffee in the teacher's lounge. Mr. Ratburn walks in.)

Mr. Marco looks over. " Busy day Nigel?"

Mr. Ratburn sighed and sat down. " A tough one yes, do you have the tape?"

(Mr. Marco hands him a video tape.)

Mr. Ratburn shook his head. " I just fail to comprehend why good students would choose to" (puts tape in TV) " skip school and fall behind on their homework."

(Mr. Ratburn turns on the TV and Dark Bunny starts playing.)

TV Announcer: " Time now, for your hairy hero, as he battles the 60-foot squid. 90 minutes of non-stop oceanic action."

Mr. Ratburn smiles. " All right!"

(He sits back relaxed.)

Mr. Marco laughers enthusiastic. " This is a great one, wait till you see the giant clam, it's just absolutely disgusting, and the way it sucks up Bunny."