"Now, Mal, please don't embarrass Mommy?" My mommy said as we drove to the school. I frowned inside my costume. The school was putting on a play, and my class got Thanksgiving as the holiday we got to present and I got to be the turkey. My mommy made me the costume and it had three holes in it, one for my face and two for my legs. My arms were trapped inside.

Cynthia was in the play too, but her fifth grade class was doing President's Day. She was playing Mrs. Washington, the "first First Lady" as she said. My costume was a lot better than hers, though. Hers was just a big poofy dress.

Unlike me, the rest of the class had to dress up like pilgrims and indians. I got to stand in the front with four other people, two pilgrims and two indians. Oscar and Natara were the indians and Matt and Ken were the pilgrims. I got to stand out though cause I'm special and Mrs. Johnson the music teacher said I had a really good singing voice.

"I promise," I sighed. Mommy parked in the parking lo and ushered me inside and onstage where Miss Tibby was waiting for me.

"Oh good, you're here," she said as she guided me over to the rest of the class. The curtains were closed and I took my spot with the other four in front of the risers.

I looked up at Miss Tibby. "Do you like my costume?" I asked with a smile.

"It looks lovely, Mal," she said.

"Miss Tibby!" Natara shrieked. "But you said my costume looked love-aly!" (She did look kind of pretty with the feather in her hair.)

"All the costumes look lovely," Miss Tibby said with a smile. Natara crossed her arms and stomped her foot. I laughed at her.

We waited forever for the principal to announce that the play would start. We were the first act cause we were the youngest. When we heard him start to talk, Miss Tibby reminded us to smile before she headed over to the piano where Mrs. Johnson was sitting. The curtains opened and the spotlight hit us and a million cameras went off. I couldn't block my eyes though cause my hands were trapped.

Mrs. Johnson began to play the piano and then we all began to sing.

"Over the river and through the woods
To grandmother's house we go!
The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh
Through the white and drifted snow-ow!"

Natara took a step forward, taking the spotlight from me. I quickly took two steps forward to regain the attention. I stopped singing and glared at her.

"You're not the turkey!" I hollered at her.

"I don't care!" She yelled back. She took three steps forward and walked right off the stage. Natara's mom rushed over to her, Mrs. Johnson stopped playing and Miss Tibby rushed over to me.

"Mal!" She scolded.

"I didn't do nothing!" I defended. I could see my mom marching up the stairs while my dad laughed in the front row.

"Malachi Charles Fallon!" My mom grabbed my ear and pulled me offstage. "You just can't stay out of trouble, can you?"

"But I didn't do anything! I didn't push her, my hands are trapped! Remember?" My dad laughed harder and my mom scowled at both of us. She grabbed my dad by the arm and dragged both of us out.

"When we get home, you're going straight to your room," she told me. As I opened my mouth to protest, my dad ruffled my hair and gave me a thumbs up.

"And you!" My mom shouted at him. "You're just encouraging him! Why do you think he gets into so much trouble? Because you laugh when he does something that gets him in trouble!"

"Oh, c'mon Angie, he's just a-"

"No! I don't want to hear it! You, room. You, couch!"

"Ah, hell," me and my dad said together.