Maya:

“This is totally a new development,” Wendall says to me. We are still hiding in pet food store, but none of us has thought to move. “Uncle Louie and the Polka Dots are totally the wallaby-nappers in disguise!”

“What?” Perry’s mouth is now full of snake pellets. Wendall and I share a glance, simultaneously agreeing not to comment. “Uncle Louie is totally my idol! He’s not a wombat-napper!”

“Wallaby,” I say in exasperation. “It’s a wallaby.”

“I think,” said Wendall, “that it’s time to pay another visit to Mrs. Widmeyer.”

We trek across a few blocks to the Widmeyer place. Apprehensively, we make our way up to the front door. I look at Wendall. He looks at me. “Should we, like, ring the doorbell?” Wendall asks.

“Um…” I hesitate.

“My keen senses and brilliant intuition are telling me maybe we should think this out,” he says.

“Too late,” I point. “Perry’s done it already. So, unless we want to play ding-dong-ditch…”

“We don’t.”