DISCLAIMER: I do not own Horton Hears a Who!.

JoJo was on his way home from school that evening. When he heard someone calling his name.

"Yo, JoJo! Yoo-whoo, JoJo!"

JoJo didn't have to turn around to know who it was. He stopped short behind a crack on the sidewalk and craned his neck around to see Trevedale, Stevel and Derk: The Ain'ts. JoJo and his friends humorously called them Trashel, Stupid, and Dirt, behind their backs.

They were probably going to give JoJo a hard time about the field trip being a flop again. That, or ask about the wellbeing of his dad's bottom just so they could laugh about JoJo currently having to sit on a stack of text books as a substitute for his desk. Or simply just make fun of him for being so small.

"What do you want, Tra...uh, Trevedalel?"

JoJo asked.

"We have a gift for the king," he said as he held up a poorly wrapped, lime green box that had a blue ribbon tied around it. "Will you give it to him...er..don't say it's from us?"

JoJo narrowed his auburn eyes in wary. "Why not? In fact, why don't you just deliver it to him yourselves?"

Trevedale squared his shoulders impatiently. "Look, Shorty! It's a pie. We made it in home ec. We were going to throw it in your ugly face, but then we decided to do something nice." Trevedale said the word "nice" with the same expression he made when Ned caught him bullying JoJo.

"We want to give it to the Mayor as a thank you gift for chaperoning the feild trip." Derk said.

JoJo rolled his eyes. He wouldn't buy that story even if it came with another one for free. Something was up. These morons were being way too nice...except Stevel who looked a little sick.

"I thought you all were unhappy with how the trip turned out," JoJo said. "I mean, you didn't even get to see the Giant Meatball in person."

"True," Trevedale said. "But come on! You gotta admit the trip was so bad it was good."

"And thanks to the Mayor," Derk added. "We have something new to joke about rather than how much of a puny little twerp you are."

JoJo took the box and held it to his nose. "How do I know you didn't poison it?"

"We're bullies, JoJo." Trevedale said. "Not delinquents."

JoJo noticed an index card taped on the side of the box that said, "2 THE MAYER" and ended with a horribly drawn smiley face.

"What if we get thrown in the dungeon," Stevel breathed in Trevedale's ear.

Trevedale thrust his elbow into Stevel's ribs. Stevel dropped to the frozen concrete, whimpering and trying regain the breath he lost. Was it really that important to them. Maybe Trevedale just wanted to get on Ned's good side after what happened at the museum. Maybe he was too embarrassed to apologize in person for being such a jerk to the Mayor's son and wanted to express his remorse in the form of a delicious desert. It was possible.

"Take it easy, okay? I'll drop the pie off at my dad's office," JoJo said.

"Cool!" Derk and Trevedale hooted, high-fouring each other.

JoJo started down the sidewalk again but then stopped to say one last thing, "Just so you know, my dad is well aware of the jokes you guys have been making about him."

JoJo didn't wait to see Stevel's face whiten. When he got to City Hall, he decided to leave the pie with Ms. Yelp, Ned's secretary, this way he wouldn't have to face Ned himself.

Ned came shooting through the elevator tube that lead straight to the lounge where he was greeted by Ms. Yelp and a few of the council members.

"Mr. Mayor, your son came by with a gift for you," she said and then handed the box to Ned.

Ned examined the box with a raised eyebrow.

"JoJo?" He muttered. His chest suddenly felt tight. "For me?"

"It's a pie," Ms. Yelp said. "Don't ask me what flavor, 'cause I don't know."

Ned smiled and then turned to the council members. "Would you all like a slice?" He offered.

"Sure," they all said.

Ned sat the box on the coffee table next to Finwick. The red fish leaned on the ridge of his bowl for a closer look.

It just didn't make any sense. Why would JoJo leave him a gift after everything that's happened? The desk getting crushed, the feild trip being a flop, and the scornful notebook entry.

JoJo had an abundant supply of reasons for wanting his space, and Ned understood that. So why was JoJo suddenly changing his mind? Did Sally put him up to this?

"What a surprise! I had no idea JoJo even knew how to cook," Ned said.

"Perhaps Sally helped him?" offered one of the council members.

Ned shrugged. As he fought with the ribbon tied around the box, he noticed the index card taped on the side. When he read it, his nerves were in knots.

Why would JoJo refer to him as "Mayor?" Was Ned so lame that now, JoJo didn't claim him as his father?

Ned gave a shakey sigh.

Oh well, my son made it special so that's all that matters to me, he thought.

Ned untied the ribbon and tore into the box like a little Who child on Christmas morning, but inside, he was surprised to find that the box held no pie at all.

Ms. Yelp scrunched her up nose like she'd just smelled something awful.

"What is that?" she asked.

Ned pulled out one of a hundred frozen meatballs from the box. He ran his tongue around his front teeth and swallowed in an attempt to numb his throat.

Everywho looked to Ned for a logical explanation. Was it an inside joke? A mix up? A prank?

This was revenge. JoJo was still angry about everything Ned did and was trying to get back at him.

Ned fell into a chair and forced a giggle so that no one would worry.

"That was a good one, son," he muttered.

JoJo's head swirled in the direction of his bedroom door that burst wide open. Ned came storming in.

"I just have one question," he demanded.

JoJo looked at his dad, confused.

"Why do you hate me so much?" Ned asked. His chin trembled. "I'm trying my best to make you happy."

JoJo didn't respond. This must have been the so called "gift" from the Ain'ts.

"Dad, I can explain-"

"No, JoJo! I've given you your space now you give me mine!"

JoJo's eyes widened. "Dad!?"

Ned darted out of the room and slammed the door in JoJo's face.