Saturday morning, Fermat slept in a little later, and got up just before Alan. Checking his e-mail, Fermat, saw that his father had wrote him:

Fermat,

Mr. Tracy informed me of the art trip. I would rather you did not miss Spanish class, but I also do not want you to miss out on the art excursion. Call me when you get the chance, and we can discuss it.

Love you,

Dad

Fermat sighed and wrote back:

Dad,

Either way I miss a class, but the art teacher has an alternate assignment if you want me to not miss Spanish. I will call you after lunch here.

Love you too,

Fermat

"Hey Fermat," Alan yawned from his top bunk, "What time is it?"

"I-it is a-a-almost n-n-nine. W-want to g-get br-br-br-food soon?"

Alan climbed down from his bed, "Sure, let me just get dressed."

Ten minutes later, the duo left Marx Hall and made their way to the cafeteria. Grabbing a plate of eggs and toast and a juice box each, the friends surveyed the dining area. They saw Jake waving them over, so went to sit with him. "Morning, sleepy heads," DJ greeted.

"G-g-good m-morning, DJ," Fermat returned, "J-jake."

"Hey Fermat," Jake returned.

"And we are not sleepy heads," Alan defended, "We were just capitalizing on the fact that it is a Saturday morning. A day for late mornings, at least for me. Fermat is always up before me."

"Whatever you say, island boy," DJ retorted and shoveled a bite of eggs into his mouth.

"What time do you usually get up, Fermat?" Jake asked.

"S-seven th-thirty or e-e-eight," Fermat answered, "I l-like to ch-check e-mails e-e-early."

"Time zones make talking to our parents interesting. We're going to bed as they get ready for dinner. Lunch here and they are barely getting up," Alan explained between bites, not to mention rescues interrupt that tentative schedule also…

"I can imagine," DJ mused," Glad I'm in the same state, I can call anytime almost, cause they are also most likely awake."

"Except for six am practices," Jake added, "Those are going to be killer!"

"Man, that does suck," Alan said, dreading just the thought of getting up before the sun!

"W-w-what a-are you t-t-t-both up t-to t-today?" Fermat stuttered.

"We were going to finish off homework, than chill some. Sam and Rob were thinking of ultimate Frisbee this afternoon. Want to join us?"

"I n-need to c-c-call my D-dad," Fermat answered, "I-I c-could w-w-w-observe th-though."

"What time we looking at to play?" Alan asked, finishing off his juice

"Uh, it's ten now," Jake said look at his phone, "What three hours for homework?" DJ nodded, "Probably about two or two thirty; gives us time to change and snack."

"Who else is going to join in?"

"Whoever, I think Jack and Paul from Algebra were interested, then we see if anyone else is interested when we get out there," Jake supplied.

"Sounds like fun, I'll finish off my own homework then just wait around maybe call home also," Alan said thoughtfully.

DJ nodded, "Alright, we'll knock on your door, when we're leaving." The four boys nodded and stood up, returning their trays before heading for their hall.

Once in their room, Alan went to his desk and pulled out some binders, "Hey, Fermat, can you help me with my math and science assignments?"

"S-sure Alan," Fermat smiled, getting his notebooks as well, "I'll c-call Dad a-a-after tw-twelve thirty."

"Yeah, he would probably be up then. While the Tracy elders rock the house with snores," Alan joked.

Laughing at the thought, both friends settled into complete their last assignments.

At quarter of one, Fermat dialed his father's lab. "B-brains h-here," Hiram Hackenbacker answered the call.

"H-hey Dad!" Fermat greeted.

"S-s-son! H-how are y-you?"

"Good. D-d-done w-with h-h-h-assignments," Fermat smiled, "J-just c-calling about t-the ar-ar-ar-class t-trip Tuesday."

"Ah. L-let me g-g-g-pull that u-up," Brains nodded and began typing at the computer, "H-h-here it i-is." Brains began scanning the permission slip nodding to himself, "I-is Alan, th-there?"

"Yeah, Brains," Alan said from the side, "Right here."

"W-w-what did y-your f-f-f-dad h-have t-to say?"

Moving in closer to the screen, Alan replied, "He signed off on it, so long as I sent him a copy of my work and let Virgil critique it," he smiled.

"Hmmm, w-well, Fermat, w-w-what would y-y-you l-like to d-do? Sp-spanish or ar-art?" Brains looked over at his son.

"Ar-art. Our Sp-sp-sp-language t-teacher has an al-alternate as-as-assignment," Fermat reasoned.

"Al-alright, Fermat, I-I'm s-signing and s-s-sending t-the f-f-f-slip," Brains matched his words with action.

"Th-thanks, Dad!" Fermat beamed, "W-want m-me to s-s-send my w-w-work t-t-t-as well?"

"I'm s-s-sure Virgil w-would l-l-l-enjoy s-seeing it, as w-w-would I, s-son," Brains nodded with a smile.

"Ok-k, Dad," Fermat grinned, "T-talk to y-y-you l-later."

"Di-di-di-same h-here," Brains waved, then disconnected.

"Think Gordon would be awake, yet?" Alan wondered aloud.

"I d-d-don't know. M-m-maybe, why?"

"Got to plan a prank for when Scott goes up to Five," Alan grinned deviously. Turning to his own computer, he dialed up Gordon, "Hey, Gordo! Wake up!"

A minute later a bedraggled Gordon came on the screen, "W'at?" A jaw popping yawn cut off any other attempt at words.

"Wakey, wakey," Alan sing-songed, "We got to have a Terrible Two plus One strategy meeting!"

"Al," Gordon yawned again, "You do realize…that it's not even…eight up here right?"

"Come on, Gordon! Where's your sense of youth, you're starting to sound like an elder!"

Snapping to attention, Gordon mock glared at his only baby brother, "Take it back!"

"I-it was pr-pr-pretty c-close, Gordon," Fermat backed Alan.

"Alright, alright," Gordon threw up his hands, "Why are you calling a strategy meeting? None of us are even home."

"But someone will be replacing you, right?" Alan winked.

"Taking on the oldest elder, hmmmm, I'm listening," Gordon rubbed his chin in thought, "Johnny will most likely run Scooter up, then give a refresher course. And Johnny wouldn't want to have a mess on Five."

"I th-think y-you s-should l-l-leave d-dye in t-the sh-sh-shampoo," Fermat suggested.

"That would require an earthbound third party. Virgie is a likely candidate," Gordon said deep in thought.

"We can't mess with the systems, for two reasons, Johnny would spot it a mile away and Dad would have our hides if it interfered with rescues," Alan removed an option.

"B-best n-not to a-anger e-either one," Fermat agreed.

"I like the hair dye, but professionalism is important up here," Gordon drummed his fingers on the consol.

Alan, who was tapping his chin, grinned hugely, "Got it! We short-sheet him! Two weeks of short sheets will be an annoyance—"

"I-it w-would make Scott, m-m-m-angry," Fermat cautioned.

Gordon was nodding with his own smile, "We can leave a second set of sheets and tell him about them after a week. That gives him a week to cool down, and us to plan strategic avoidance for another week or so."

"Operation Angry Elder," Alan put his hand in front of the computer.

"I-is a-ago!" Fermat said putting his own hand on top of Alan's.

"Team Terrible Two plus One, execute!" Gordon said, holding his hand in front of his own computer.

After a pause, the three threw their hands in the air and crowed. "Alright, team, in two weeks' time we will have the fruits of out labor realized," Gordon stated, "Now if you don't mind. Some of us still need breakfast, and more importantly, coffee, before a grueling debrief of yesterday's rescue. Talk to you two later."

"Bye, Gordon," Alan and Fermat said together before the screen went black.