"Inside voices, everyone!" Ms. Shrinivas stood at the front of the bus and clapped her hands to get her students' attention, and the noise reduced the general racket and din of voices to dead silence as the children directed their eyes towards their teacher. She had an excited smile on her face as she exclaimed, "Okay, everyone, who's excited to visit the zoo today?"

A loud cheer rose up from her charges, and no one was cheering louder or with more enthusiasm than Darcy Helmandollar, much to the amusement of her best friend, Lisa Loud. She smiled at her companion as Ms. Shrinivas continued with a cheerful, "Wonderful! However, before we pay a visit to our animal friends, I would like to remind you of our rules. First, I want all of you to use the buddy system; find a partner for this field trip and stay with them at all times."

"Way ahead of you, Miss S.," Lisa said as she held Darcy's hand.

"Second, please stay within seeing and hearing distance of our chaperones. I don't want any of you getting separated from the group." Darcy pulled her stuffed giraffe from her backpack and held it in front of her, saying, "You hear that, Rafo? You stay right by me today!" Again, Lisa couldn't help but smile at her friend's infectious enthusiasm.

"And finally, and this is most important: have fun! We're going to be taking a train ride, having a nice lunch, and feeding the giraffes today! Isn't that exciting?"

"It certainly is," Lisa replied with her trademark stoicism. Darcy, however, could hardly contain herself when Ms. Shrinivas mentioned the giraffes. As a cheer rose up from her classmates, Darcy hugged her doll and said, "We're gonna meet your cousins today, Rafo! I know you can't wait to meet them either!"

"He is an inanimate object, Darcy," Lisa observed. "I highly doubt that Rafo will be able to interact with proper, living specimens of Giraffa camelopardalis." Her friend responded with a giggle and a cheerful, "I like it when you say big words, Lisa! They're funny!"

"Heh... I suppose they are, in a way." Lisa stared out the window as the bus began its trip to the Royal Woods Zoo, and after a short fifteen-minute ride, she and her classmates disembarked and assembled near the entrance. Ms. Shrinivas and the two chaperones went to the head of the group and clapped their hands, drawing the kids' attention to the trio of adults before them. "Okay everyone, we're here," their teacher announced. "Now remember: buddy system, stick by either me or the chaperones, and have fun! Let's go meet the animals!"

The kindergarteners cheered as the group entered the gates of the zoo and headed for the penguin exhibit in front of them. Ms. Shrinivas pointed at the birds and said, "Look, everyone! See them swimming?" The kids oohed and aahed at the penguins gliding through the water, Darcy included, while Lisa stood and observed the birds' behavior with a calm, detached expression. At least she did, until Darcy placed Rafo on top of her head. "Lookit, Rafo," she said. "Look at the birdies! Isn't that neat?"

Lisa stepped out from beneath the stuffed giraffe, leaving Darcy holding him over nothing but air. Once she realized that, she hugged him close to her chest as Lisa said, "Do you wish to know an interesting fact about this particular breed of penguin?"

"Sure!"

"Excellent. The Spheniscus humboldti, street name Humboldt penguin, is able to swim anywhere from 20 to 30 miles per hour. And not only that, they are able to dive almost 500 feet into the water to find sustenance."

"Wow," Darcy replied with wide, curious eyes. "You hear that, Rafo? 500 feet! That's almost as tall as your cousins!" Lisa couldn't help but roll her eyes at the exaggeration of that statement, but her friend's innocent enthusiasm proved to be infectious, resulting in a warm, fuzzy smile appearing on her face. The duo stuck together as Ms. Shrinivas led the class away from the penguins and towards a building in the distance, and large letters on the stonework outside identified the building as the zoo's aviary. Ms. Shrinivas stopped the group just outside the entrance and announced, "Okay everyone, we're going to go inside and look at some pretty birds! However, watch where you put your hands, and watch where you step!"

One of Lisa's classmates raised his hand and asked, "Why, Ms. Shrinivas?"

"Because I don't want any of you to get bird poop on your hands or feet." The mere mention of the word "poop" caused her class to burst out laughing, but Lisa saw an opportunity for some research. "Ah, yes," she said to herself. "One sample of feces from any bird I wish, and I can study its eating patterns to my heart's content!" She rubbed her hands together in anticipation as the laughter died down and Ms. Shrinivas said, "Time to say hi to the birds!" As the group entered the aviary, they were greeted by a large, faux-outdoor scene with rock outcroppings, a small waterfall, trees and bushes, a small stream beneath a bridge, a pond, and birds of all shapes, sizes and colors. Ms. Shrinivas handed out laminated picture guides to her students and said, "See how many of these birds you can find while we're here, everyone! Remember to stay within sight of either me or our chaperones!"

Lisa stuck her picture guide in her pants pocket and followed Darcy as she observed the scenery with wide-eyed wonder and fascination. Rafo's head poked out of her backpack and bobbed back and forth along with her steps as she spotted a bird in a tree and looked at her guide to see what it was. When she found it, she tugged on Lisa's sweater and said, "Look! It's a..." She squinted her eyes at the name of the bird on the guide and struggled to form the words as Lisa peeked over her shoulder. "A... sp... speeeeh... speeeeccck..."

"Sound it out, Darcy," Lisa said with an encouraging smile. "You can do it." She squinted her eyes in total concentration and did as Lisa instructed, finding her way to the answer as she said, "Speeeckled... mou... ma... ooose... mouse! B... bird! Speckled... mousebird! That's a speckled mousebird, Lisa!"

"Indeed it is," she observed as the bird spread its wings and flew off towards the waterfall. "Congratulations on a successful reading of its name!"

"Thanks! Bird twins!" She gave Lisa a hug that the little genius reciprocated, and the pair went off to look at some more birds. Darcy pulled Rafo from her backpack and attempted to hold him close, but a large white stain on the top of his head stopped her. She scrunched her face in confusion and said, "Uh, Lisa... I think something's wrong with Rafo." Lisa turned around to see what it was, and when she realized what had happened to her friend's prized possession, she called Ms. Shrinivas over and said, "I do believe one of the denizens of this aviary has used Rafo as a toilet. Shall I take him to the facilities and remove said stain?"

"No, you two stay here," she replied as she took Rafo in her hands. "I'll get him cleaned up." Lisa snapped her fingers and let out a disappointed grunt, while Darcy pouted and sniffled as she handed him over. The apprehension on her face led Ms. Shrinivas to crouch down to her level and put her free hand on her shoulder with a gentle smile. "It's okay, Darcy. I'll get Rafo all cleaned up and he'll be right back in your arms where he belongs."

"Y... you promise?"

"I promise." Darcy smiled a wobbly smile and gave her teacher a hug before Ms. Shrinivas headed for the nearby bathrooms. "It's okay, Darcy," Lisa assured her. "Rafo is in good hands." The pair headed to the small bridge over the stream to look for more birds, and with Lisa's help, Darcy was able to identify a blue-grey tanager, a mandarin duck and a chestnut teal. She was even able to say the name of the latter bird with almost no hesitation, save for a small pause in between syllables on "chestnut." When she did that, Lisa applauded her and said, "I'm proud of you, Darcy. It seems your reading skills are improving."

"Awww... thanks, Lisa." The two friends smiled at each other, and Darcy's grew wider as Ms. Shrinivas approached her with a squeaky clean Rafo in her hands. "Here you go, Darcy. All cleaned up." When he was back in her arms, Darcy gave him a big hug and said, "Oh, welcome back, Rafo! I missed you!"

"He was only gone for three..." Before she could finish her sentence, Lisa stopped herself for her friend's sake when she saw how happy and content she was at being reunited with her plush giraffe. After planting a kiss on his tummy, she placed him back in her backpack and left his head sticking out. Ms. Shrinivas took note of that and suggested, "Darcy, why don't you put Rafo all the way into your backpack so he stays safe?" Darcy countered with, "But... I really want him to see all the different animals with me. And I really really want him to see his cousins later!"

"Well, I noticed how much he was bouncing around when you were walking earlier. If you were walking any faster, he might have fallen out and gotten lost. You wouldn't want that, would you?"

"No... I wouldn't."

"Just keep him inside when you're walking, and when we stop to meet some more animals, you can take him out."

"An excellent idea, Miss S.," Lisa added as she adjusted her glasses. "I know it may pain you to do so, Darcy, but do it for Rafo's sake. I would much rather see him kept safe and in your possession than wind up lost and forgotten." Darcy thought about what they had suggested for a few seconds before she pushed Rafo's head down into her backpack and zipped it shut. "Sorry, Rafo. I'll make sure to let you out when we see some new animals."

"And now we can continue our bird hunt." Lisa took Darcy's hand and began to lead her around the aviary once again as Ms. Shrinivas watched with a proud smile. It didn't take long for the duo to complete the rest of their picture guides, and they finished just in time to head to the nearby elephant exhibit. The kids all gaped in wonder at the majestic beasts as Darcy pulled Rafo out of her backpack and put him on top of Lisa's head once again. The little genius rolled her eyes and chuckled as Darcy exclaimed, "Lookit, Rafo! It's your friends! Can you see them okay?"

"I am sure he can, considering where he now sits," Lisa replied with a grin. "Rest assured that Rafo's vision is unobstructed." The plush giraffe looked on as a pair of zookeepers entered the elephant pen carrying a watermelon in their arms. They each claimed an elephant as they placed the melon on the ground by their front legs, and after they felt around with their trunks, they stepped on the melons and crushed them with little effort. The kids all gasped in amazement as the animals used their trunks to snack on the fruit, with several of Lisa's classmates pointing and exclaiming how cool it was. It wasn't long before the class headed to the next exhibit, which happened to be a building declaring itself the Great Ape Sanctuary. Lisa and Darcy were so enthralled by the elephants, however, that they didn't notice their classmates were gone until Lisa turned her head to the right and saw nothing but blank asphalt next to her. "Oh dear! Darcy, we must make haste and follow our classmates!"

"Right!" She stuffed Rafo in her backpack, not bothering to zip it up as the duo ran towards the Great Ape Sanctuary to catch up with everyone. Luckily, they made it back to the group before their absence was discovered, and as they caught their breath, Ms. Shrinivas led everyone inside the building. However, as soon as they entered, Darcy felt nature begin to call and she said, "Ms. Shrinivas? I need to go tinkle."

"As do I," Lisa added.

"Go right ahead," their teacher replied. "I'll have one of the chaperones wait for you." They went into the restroom and answered the call, and as they washed their hands, Darcy said, "I'm having a lot of fun today, Lisa! How about you?"

"I, too, am having an enriching experience today, Darcy," she replied with a smile. "Now, let us rejoin our classmates and visit the primates in this establishment."

"Okay! You ready to see them too, Rafo?" She reached behind her into the backpack, but to her shock, all she grabbed was air. Her eyes widened and panic began to set in as she took the pack off and looked inside; to her horror, it was empty except for a few scraps of paper and a picture book. Lisa was in the middle of drying her hands when she heard a series of small whimpers from behind her, and when she turned around, Darcy was on her knees with wide, devastated eyes and a quivering lip. She was quick to comfort her friend as she asked, "Are you okay? What seems to be troubling you?"

"I... I can't find Rafo!" She opened her backpack for Lisa, and her heart sank as she peered into the empty space. "I... I put him right here when we left the elephants, and I didn't close my backpack! He... he must have fallen out!"

"Then we shall simply return to the grounds near the elephant exhibit and retrieve him," Lisa declared. "He couldn't have gotten far, after all."

"But what if he's not there anymore? What if... someone else picked him up, or... threw him away?" That last option almost proved too much for Darcy to bear as Lisa comforted her with a warm embrace. "Do not be despondent, my friend. We shall recover your beloved plush giraffe and have him back in your possession before the conclusion of this field trip."

Darcy sniffled and asked, "But how? If the adults don't see us, we're gonna get in trouble!"

"That's where you're wrong, Darcy," Lisa retorted with a confident smile. "We shall not get in trouble, because we're not going to leave the adults' side."

"Wh... what do you mean?"

"This unfortunate situation has provided me the perfect opportunity to test out my latest invention!" Lisa reached into her pants pocket and pulled out a small remote control and a pair of circular disks that she placed on the floor. She stepped onto one as Darcy did the same on the other, and when she did, she pointed the remote at her friend and said, "Hold still, please." Darcy did as instructed, and Lisa activated the device. Within seconds, a light-blue beam of light surrounded the both of them, and Darcy stared at it in awe while Lisa stood stoic with her eyes closed and a proud smile on her face. The light vanished after thirty seconds, and once it did, Lisa instructed Darcy to step off the disk as she did the same. She pressed another button on the remote and began the second step of the process, and the pair watched as the device generated a pair of exact replicas of themselves from scratch. Darcy's jaw dropped as she asked, "What is this, Lisa?"

"It's quite simple, really," she replied. "This device utilizes the latest in cloning technology and robotics, as well as the technological assistance of a three-dimensional printer. These doubles, which I dub Lisabot and Darcybot, are picture-perfect clones of ourselves that will rejoin the group in our stead while you and I search for Rafo." The clones opened their eyes, and despite the fact that theirs were glassier than normal, the irises, pupils and general shape were dead ringers for the real deal. Lisa handed her clone an extra pair of glasses from her sweater pocket and asked, "Can you hear me, and can you see me?"

"AFFIRMATIVE," Lisabot answered in a monotone voice. Darcybot smiled and nodded.

"Excellent. Darcy, may I borrow your backpack?" She nodded and handed it to Lisa, and she proceeded to hand it to Darcybot, who put it on over its shoulders. Lisa zipped it shut before she told the robots, "I need both of you to take our places amongst our classmates while Darcy and I search for her missing plush giraffe. Please do your best to remain inconspicuous and act as we normally would."

"INSTRUCTIONS RECEIVED AND UNDERSTOOD. COME, DARCY. LET US RETURN TO OUR GROUP." Darcybot giggled as it followed Lisabot out of the bathroom, and when they spotted the chaperone sitting across from them, Lisabot approached him and said, "GREETINGS, ADULT MALE. DARCY AND I HAVE COMPLETED OUR BATHROOM DUTIES AND WE WISH TO RESUME OUR JOURNEY."

"I want to see the monkeys," Darcybot said in a picture-perfect recreation of the real Darcy's voice.

"Then let's go see them," the chaperone replied as he guided the pair back to their classmates. As they rounded the corner away from the bathrooms, the door crept open as Lisa and Darcy left the confines of the Great Ape Sanctuary and headed back towards the elephants. They made sure to move fast in the hopes that they would just be able to grab Rafo and return, but when they reached the elephant pen, there was no sign of him. Darcy's heart sank as they searched the path up and down, but the wide-open layout and vast expanse of concrete left little to the imagination. She tried her best to keep a brave face as she faced the possibility- which was now looking more like a certainty- of never seeing Rafo again. However, it was no use as she threw her arms around a surprised Lisa and cried, "Why didn't I zip up my backpack? Now I'll never see Rafo again...!" Lisa returned the embrace and did her best to comfort her, but as she looked up and into the distance, she saw a motorized cart carrying garbage bags. On the back of that cart lay a small blue crate, and Rafo's head poked out over the top. Lisa grinned and replied, "I don't think that will be the case. Look!"

Darcy turned around and strained her eyes towards the cart. As she focused in on the crate, she let out a gasp of relief and shock as she exclaimed, "Rafo! He's safe! Lisa, we have to get him!"

"Agreed," she replied. "The vehicle appears to be parked at this time, so let us make haste!" The pair ran towards the cart, but the operator did the same as he tossed a garbage bag onto the cart and started it up again. Lisa let out a cry of "Dang it" as they chased after the vehicle, and they were well down the pathway past the Great Ape Sanctuary as their kindergarten class left the building. Everyone, from Ms. Shrinivas down to the chaperones and every one of her students, had a wide-eyed, exhausted look on their face as Lisabot prattled on and on about the similarities between humans and primates.

"ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS LOOK AT THE TYPICAL BONE STRUCTURE OF A PAN TROGLODYTES AND A HOMO SAPIEN TO SEE THAT THEY ARE ALL BUT ONE AND THE SAME. THERE IS LITTLE DOUBT THAT OUR CLOSEST MATES ON THE EVOLUTIONARY LADDER-"

Ms. Shrinivas covered Lisabot's mouth with her hand and let out a tense, "Your observations have been very informative, Lisa, but now I think it's time for us to pay a visit to the big cats, namely lions, tigers, and leopards!" When she removed her hand from Lisabot's mouth, the clone picked up right where it left off as it said, "AH YES, THE LARGE CATS OF AFRICA. ONE OF THE MORE INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THESE FELINES IS-"

Darcybot giggled as a loud collective groan rose up from the group. Meanwhile, out of sight and out of earshot, the garbage cart was pulled off to the side of the path near the polar bear pool as Lisa and Darcy caught up to it. With a boost from her friend, Lisa climbed up onto the cart and took a peek in the crate, but Rafo was nowhere to be found. She let out a frustrated grunt as another cart rolled by, and as it drove past, Lisa saw Rafo sitting in the front passenger seat next to the driver. "There he is! Let's go, Darcy!" She leapt off the back of the garbage cart and ran as fast as her legs could carry her, with Darcy keeping pace as she observed, "Looks like... we're getting... some exercise today!"

"Indeed!" As they gave chase once again, their robot doppelgangers and their classmates exited the big cat exhibit. A gaggle of dead eyes, frazzled hair and slack jaws were visible on everyone but them as Lisabot continued to prattle on about the lions. "LIONS DO NOT, AND HAVE NEVER, LIVED IN THE JUNGLE. THEREFORE THEIR NICKNAME AS THE 'KING OF THE JUNGLE' IS A TOTAL FALSEHOOD. MODERN FILMS AND YOUR PARENTS HAVE LIED TO YOU ALL. AND ANOTHER THING-"

"ENOUGH!" Ms. Shrinivas stomped her foot and whirled around on Lisabot, delivering a tense, exhausted plea of, "Enough. It's time for lunch. And after we've eaten, we'll take our train ride and visit the giraffes. I know you've been looking forward to that, Darcy."

"I have," Darcybot replied with a smile. "But I am hungry."

"Then let's eat." The class headed for a nearby cluster of picnic tables near a restroom as the real Lisa and Darcy continued their pursuit of the cart. As they ran, the lace of Darcy's shoe became untied, and she wound up stepping on it and tripping herself up. She fell forward, smacking into Lisa and knocking her off her feet as they fell to the ground. The little genius groaned in pain as she helped Darcy up and dusted her off, asking, "Are you okay?"

"I... I think so," she replied before she stared down the path as the cart disappeared into the distance. "But we lost the cart. And... and we lost Rafo!"

"Untrue," Lisa countered as she pulled Darcy behind a small bush on the pathway. "Look to your left, if you would." Darcy did so, and lo and behold, she saw another cart approaching them. "If we hitch a ride, we can catch up to our intended target and retrieve Rafo. Do you think you can..." However, before Lisa could finish her sentence, the driver of the cart stopped and peeked behind the bushes. The duo screamed in surprise as their cover was blown, and the driver, whose nametag identified him as Ken, said, "Hey there. Are you two lost?"

"No, sir," Lisa replied. "My friend Darcy misplaced her plush giraffe, and we attempted to follow him and retrieve it."

"We don't know where he's going, and..." Darcy sniffled and began to tear up, and Ken gave her a warm, understanding smile as he said, "I'll tell you what. Let me call around on my radio and see who has your giraffe, and then I'll give you a ride to whoever has him." Lisa and Darcy looked at each other and smiled, but then the driver said, "And after that, I'm gonna take you to the kids' lost and found area. Odds are you two are from that kindergarten class, so I'll have someone contact your teacher and she can come get you."

A cold chill ran down Lisa and Darcy's spines as they climbed into the cart, and Lisa sat in the driver's seat as beads of sweat began to appear on her forehead. What do we do? What do we DO?! Her frantic, panicked thought was answered seconds later when she heard Ken speaking into his radio.

"You've got the plush giraffe, Seth?... Perfect. Where are you?... Near the train station? I'll be there as fast as I can. Thanks, dude." He clipped his radio back in its holster and turned back around to get in his cart... but the kids were gone. As soon as they heard "train station," Lisa and Darcy had bolted from the cart and ran as fast as they could to their intended destination. They turned the corner and it was right in front of them, but so were their classmates and their robot doubles. And to make matters worse, Ken was rapidly gaining on their location.

"It appears we are caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place, Darcy," Lisa observed. "Any ideas you may have would be greatly appreciated." As her friend looked for an opening, she saw that Lisabot and Darcybot were bringing up the rear of the group, and the cart containing Rafo was parked next to the ticket office. She pointed those details out to Lisa, and a determined smile appeared on her face as she pounded her fist into her palm. "We can accomplish both goals at once! Excellent work!" The duo looked at each other and nodded before they approached their doubles and yanked them behind a pillar. Lisa reached into her pocket and pulled out the remote, pressing a button labeled DEACTIVATE. The doubles' eyes changed from human-like to clear, blank glass as they slumped to the ground. Their classmates were none the wiser as Darcy stepped back into the line with her backpack in tow, while Lisa approached the cart and tapped Seth on the back of his leg. "Excuse me, sir. I believe you have something that belongs to my friend."

"Oh, you mean this giraffe?" He gave Rafo to Lisa and said, "Here you go, kid."

"Much obliged, sir," she said as she accepted the toy. She could see her friend's eyes light up with glee as she brought her beloved plush giraffe back to her, and she grabbed him in her arms and hugged him tight. Lisa wiped the sweat from her brow as Ms. Shrinivas turned to face them, saying, "And here are your tickets, girls. Now, Lisa, please... for our sake... no more facts. I don't know how much more we can take!"

"Of course, Miss S.," she replied with a sly nod. "One can only absorb so much knowledge, after all." They boarded the train just Ken pulled up next to Seth, and as he asked about the duo, Seth explained what he had done and pointed to the train car they and Ms. Shrinivas now resided in. The trio waved at them, and Ken returned the wave with a confused, but relieved, expression on his face. However, his confusion grew even more pronounced when Seth called him over to where Lisabot and Darcybot sat with a cry of, "Ken! Get over here!" He met him at the pillar and was greeted by the sight of the two deactivated robot doubles, and he replied with a drop of his jaw and a declaration of, "What the... there's no way! I... I saw them board the train! What the heck is this?!"

"You can say that again," Seth replied as he tilted Lisabot's head up. "I don't know if this is some sort of elaborate prank or what, but I know this: those two kids are geniuses. One of 'em, at least. I wanna know what the heck this is."

"That makes two of us." They didn't have to wait long, as the train carrying the kindergarten class arrived back at the station five minutes later. Ken and Seth stood next to the pillar and waited for Lisa and Darcy to pass by, and when they did, Ken flagged them down. Lisa's eyes widened and her stomach dropped as she realized what that meant, and Darcy began to tremble with nervousness as they approached the cart drivers. Ms. Shrinivas followed them as the duo reached the back of Ken's cart, and when they did, they saw a green tarp lying over what looked like a pile of garbage. Once Ken lifted the veil, however, Lisa frowned in disappointment, Darcy hung her head and Ms. Shrinivas let out a shocked gasp as Seth pointed at the robot doubles and asked, "What is this? What the heck were you two trying to pull?"

"I agree," Ms. Shrinivas added as she crossed her arms. "I think we all deserve an explanation." Darcy couldn't bear to look at her teacher as she stepped forward and attempted to speak, but Lisa stopped her by placing her hand against her friend's chest and shaking her head. As Darcy stepped back, Lisa took her place and began her explanation.

"This... was all my doing, Ms. Shrinivas. When we visited the elephant exhibit, Darcy and I had become so fascinated by said pachyderms that we failed to notice that you had moved on to the next location. Darcy placed Rafo in her backpack and we made haste, but in our collective haste, both of us failed to notice that her backpack remained wide open, and thus, Rafo was lost. Upon our discovery of this fact, I utilized one of my inventions to create the robotic clones you see before you." Lisa pulled the devices out of her pockets and placed them on the back of the cart for all to see as she continued. "Darcy and I only intended to be gone for the length of time it would have taken to return to the elephant exhibit and retrieve Rafo, but when we got there, he was gone. We saw him on the back of a cart, and we gave chase."

As Lisa spoke, she began to realize how foolish her decision had been, and she closed her eyes and let out a sad, regretful sigh. "Ken found us and offered to bring us back, but once we heard that his coworker Seth was in possession of Rafo here at the station, we... caught up to our doubles, and then I deactivated them and we joined back up with the group." Ms. Shrinivas shook her head in shock and disappointment as she asked, "Why on Earth would you do something so foolish? What if the two of you had gotten hurt, or lost, or God forbid, kidnapped?" She turned on the stern teacher voice as she declared, "I'm afraid I have no choice but to punish you both for this. So..."

"Ms. Shrinivas, if you must punish anyone, let it be me," Lisa pleaded. "This was all my idea. And to answer your question as to why I did this: when we were in the bathroom and Darcy realized she had lost her beloved plush giraffe, the look on her face was the exact same expression she had after I..." Lisa hung her head and gulped back the lump in her throat as the memory returned. "...after I told her I no longer wished to be her friend. I could not bear to witness her return to that state, so I formulated this plan. I saw it as an opportunity to redeem myself for that awful mistake, and as an opportunity to help my friend in her time of need. I did all this because, to echo Darcy's own words..." She looked at her best friend with a warm, knowing smile. "That's what friends do for each other."

Darcy smiled back and gave Lisa a grateful hug before she continued. "I am deeply apologetic for deceiving you the way I did, but... I know how much Rafo means to Darcy. I had to do something." Ms. Shrinivas' eyes softened as she knelt down to face Lisa eye to eye, and she replied with, "That was very noble of you... but it was still foolish. What you should have done was told either me or the chaperones, and we would have taken care of it."

"And not only that, we have a lost and found area at the main entrance," Seth added. "I was gonna have your friend's toy held there until someone could pick it up." That piece of information caused Lisa to hang her head even further as Ms. Shrinivas dropped the hammer. "I'm not going to punish Darcy, but I have to punish you, Lisa. You will stay by my side for the rest of the field trip, and you will not leave my sight. Your little escapade has also cost you your opportunity to feed the giraffes."

"That punishment is more than fair," Lisa sighed.

"I'm not done. I'm also going to call your parents and let them know what happened here today." She placed her hands on Lisa's shoulders and said, "What you did was incredibly dangerous. I know your heart was in the right place, and I appreciate that you tried to make Darcy feel better, but you went about it the wrong way."

"I know, Miss S.," Lisa replied. "Thank you... for sparing Darcy." Ms. Shrinivas nodded and held her hand as the little genius turned to Ken and Seth and said, "Gentlemen, I will now activate the self-destruct mechanism on these doubles. One touch of a button and they will disappear." She reached into her pocket with her free hand and pressed said button, and when she did, the clones began to dissolve layer by layer. When the process was complete, all that remained was two small piles of colored dust. The two men shook their heads in dumbstruck awe as the kindergarteners and their teacher headed towards the giraffe pen, with Lisa holding her teacher's hand as they climbed the stairs to the feeding platform.

Darcy pulled Rafo out of her backpack and clutched him to her chest as the zookeeper explained what was going to happen. She held a small leafy tree branch in one hand and a large graham cracker-like wafer in the other as she said, "When the giraffes grab the food, just let it go. Don't try to hold on, okay?"

A collective "Okay" rose up from the group.

"All right! Let's feed some giraffes!" Lisa watched as the animals made their way towards the feeding platform, and she turned to Ms. Shrinivas and said, "Majestic beasts, aren't they?"

"They certainly are," her teacher replied. When she looked over at Darcy, she couldn't help but chuckle as the little girl jumped up and down with a wide-eyed look of excitement on her face, exclaiming, "Lookit, Rafo! Lookit! Here come your cousins!" The giraffes ambled and milled about, bobbing their heads and looking at the kindergarteners with curiosity. That curiosity turned to hunger as the animals noticed the food in the students' hands, and they moved their heads in to chow down.

Their long tongues snatched up the snacks as some of the kids laughed, some let out an exclamation of "ewww," and some laughed and let out an exclamation of "ewww." Darcy stood on the far end by Lisa and Ms. Shrinivas, and her excitement turned to awe as she held up her tree branch. The giraffe grasped the food with its tongue and took it into its mouth, and as it did, Darcy held up Rafo and said, "Hello, Mr. Giraffe! My name's Rafo! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

What happened next made Darcy's entire year. The giraffe took notice of its small doppelganger in the little girl's hands, and it leaned forward to get a closer look. After studying Rafo intently for a few seconds, it gave the stuffed animal a gentle nudge. Ms. Shrinivas, Lisa, and the zookeeper stood close to Darcy in case something bad were to happen, but nothing did. Its curiosity sated, the giraffe moved on to the next food source as Darcy turned around; the smile on her face had grown even wider, and her eyes were sparkling with excitement. She began to jump up and down as she exclaimed, "Ms. Shrinivas! Lisa! Did you see that?! Did you see that?! Rafo met his cousin! Did you see it?!"

"We certainly did, Darcy," Ms. Shrinivas replied with a smile as she gave Rafo a pat on the head.

"It appears that both of you got your wish," Lisa observed with a smile of her own. "You met a Giraffa camelopardalis up close, and Rafo was able to interact with his cousin... inasmuch as a stuffed animal can interact with a living creature." Darcy giggled at Lisa's big word as she gave her a hug, and Lisa returned it with aplomb as Ms. Shrinivas watched with a smile. In the end, the giraffes turned out to be the final stop of the day as the class boarded the bus for the trip back to Royal Woods Elementary. Once she took her seat, Ms. Shrinivas pulled out her cell phone, and a few seats back, Lisa knew exactly what that meant. She sighed and stared out the window as the bus began to move, and just as she started to get lost in thought, Darcy tapped her on the shoulder and asked, "Are you okay, Lisa?"

"I'm fine, Darcy. Why do you ask?"

"Well... you didn't get to feed the giraffes with us. And I kinda feel bad that I was so excited earlier-"

"Don't be," Lisa replied with a smile. "You had every right to be excited, just as I had every right to be punished. I made a regrettable error in judgment, and despite what awaits me when I get home - most likely being grounded for a fortnight - seeing you so happy brought a proverbial ray of sunshine to that situation. I can always return to the zoo and feed the giraffes some other time."

"But why did you take all the blame? I helped you with some of it, and..." Lisa took Darcy's hand and replied, "Because you're my friend. The lesson you taught me that day when we shared that cookie and repaired our bond has echoed in my mind ever since. You were sad, and I wanted to make you feel better... because that's what friends do for each other."

"That's what friends do for each other," Darcy echoed with a smile. Lisa nodded and continued: "The thought of seeing you reunited with Rafo, but then having your opportunity to interact with the real-life giraffes torn away from you because of my error, was too much. Therefore, I fell on my own sword and took the blow for both of us." Darcy winced and said, "That sounds like it would hurt."

"Odds are it would," Lisa replied with a chuckle. "Regardless, you didn't deserve to suffer for my mistake. You're my best friend, Darcy... and I will always be there for you." Darcy's smile grew even wider as she pulled Lisa into a grateful hug, and what she said next gave the little genius the warm fuzzies:

"I love you, Lisa."

She smiled and returned the embrace as she replied with, "And I echo said platonic appreciation, street phrase: I love you too." It didn't take long for Rafo to join the fun, as Darcy pulled him out of her backpack and deepened her voice when she said, "And I love you too, Lisa! Thanks for rescuing me!"

"Anytime, Rafo," she replied as she patted him on the head. "Hopefully your next field trip will not be as fraught with danger." Darcy had her stuffed animal give Lisa a nose boop with his snout, and she exclaimed, "Rafo gave you a thank-you kiss!"

"You're welcome," Lisa said before she realized what she was doing. She laughed as she observed, "Acknowledging an inanimate object... it appears my inner four-year old is showing."

"Hey, I'm four years old too!" Darcy gave her another hug and exclaimed, "FOUR TWINS!" Lisa hugged her back and said, "I'm glad we're friends, Darcy."

"So am I."

-END-