by Annie Bryant
“The important thing is that he’s somewhere safe,” Avery reminded her friend. “Remember that story your dad told us about, Char? About those poor feral parrots on Maui?”
Charlotte nodded. “Mhmm. We can’t let the cruise people set him loose.”
“We’re really helping Marisol out!” Isabel added. “She could lose her job if they caught her with a bird on board.” Isabel showed Avery how to hold her arm so Franco would perch there. The parrot gingerly stepped off Isabel’s shoulder and onto Avery’s outstretched arm.
Maeve wasn’t convinced. “But aren’t birds noisy? And messy?” she protested.
“We can take care of everything!” Avery exclaimed. “He’ll be the newest member of the BSG! Our very own onboard Marty!”
“At least until we get to Maui,” Charlotte chimed in. “But no one can know he’s here.”
Avery giggled. “So he’s exactly like Marty!”
“Marty smelly!” Franco squawked, sending Avery into such a fit of giggles, Franco flapped off her arm and landed right on Maeve’s shoulder!
Maeve squeaked in surprise and tried to shake the bird off her shoulder, but he would have none of it. “Get him off!” she begged Isabel. “What if he…what if…”
That’s when the unspeakable happened. “Oops!” Franco said happily, hopping from Maeve back to Isabel. All the girls stared at the drippy white blob running down the front of Maeve’s T-shirt.
“Ewwwwww!” Maeve screamed.
“Yuck,” Charlotte agreed.
Avery wasted no time in running into Mr. Ramsey’s bathroom and retrieving a giant roll of toilet paper, which she tossed to Maeve in a perfect football throw that would have made her brother Scott proud. Unfortunately, Maeve didn’t even see it coming! But Franco did, and snatched at the end of the white paper, flying up toward the ceiling to perch on the curtain rod with paper trailing down from his beak as the roll spun across the floor and under the bed!
“Um, at least you changed out of your nice dress…?” Isabel tried to cheer up Maeve as she crawled around on the floor, bunching up the runaway paper.
Charlotte took the wad from Isabel and wiped at Maeve’s shirt.
“I’ll get her a new shirt!” Avery shouted and returned with the first thing she found in Maeve’s giant suitcase.
“But that one doesn’t match!” Maeve wailed dramatically, finally coming out of her state of frozen shock.
“There are things that don’t match jeans?” Avery said with a baffled expression, staring at the lacy blue and purple striped shirt she had grabbed.
Maeve looked so tragic, and Avery so confused, that Charlotte and Isabel couldn’t keep in the laughter. When Franco dropped the last of the toilet paper and started laughing along too, with a weird, almost robotic-sounding ha-ha-ha, even Maeve stopped feeling sorry for herself and joined in!
Operation Feed Franco
Once everyone had calmed down, and Maeve had found a clean, matching shirt (thankfully she had brought enough clothes for an extra week of cruising), Avery got down to business.
“I think it’s totally cool that we’re helping out Marisol,” Avery began. “But for now, we need to figure out Operation Franco. Number one: Who cleans up after him?”
“We take turns,” Isabel suggested. “If only Katani were here to make a schedule!”
Avery was too happy about the parrot to feel upset that Katani wasn’t here. “She can help with a schedule when she comes back. Let’s keep going. Two: What are we going to feed him?”
“Franco hungry!” the parrot squawked. Suddenly his wings were a blur as he flew down from the curtain rod to Isabel’s shoulder.
“Will he warn us before doing that again?” Maeve stuttered.
“We have plenty of birdseed,” Isabel started to say, finding the bag Marisol had left with the cage in the closet. But Franco had a different idea.
“Pineapple! Love pineapple!”
Maeve smiled. “I like pineapple too, but—”
“Pineapple!” the parrot insisted.
“See Maeve? He can order his own dinner!” Isabel declared.
Charlotte looked in the mini-fridge in her father’s room. “Except we don’t have any pineapple.”
“And the dining room is closed,” Avery added.
Isabel thought about it for a moment. “If he eats pineapple, I’m going to find him pineapple,” she said with a determined look on her face. She tried putting Franco back into his cage in the closet, but he climbed across her back from one shoulder to the other to avoid her hands.
“Franco sad! No go! No no no!”
“He’s kind of overdramatic,” Maeve commented.
“You’re one to talk!” Avery laughed.
“Marisol told us her aunt who owned him forever was an actress,” Charlotte said.
“In telenovelas!” Isabel added.
“Oooh! A parrot de amor,” Maeve crooned to Franco. “I like you better already!”
“I guess Franco will just have to come with us,” Isabel decided.
“He can’t come with us,” Charlotte cautioned her. “What if he gets caught?”
“Oh, no!” squawked Franco.
“Oh, no, is right!” Maeve said, then sighed. “Great, now you’ve got me talking to a bird!”
“Franco love Izzy,” Franco cooed, and Isabel melted inside.
“How could you say no to a face like that?” she pleaded to the other girls.
“So where are we off to?” Avery asked, ready for a parrot adventure.
Isabel thought it over for a second. “Maybe we can take him to the upper deck? Sometimes people have snacks before bed. There may be leftovers.”
“That idea just might work!” Charlotte agreed.
CHAPTER
10
Pineapple, Pineapple Everywhere
They made it to the upper deck without being seen. The night was cool and clear, the moonlight casting shadows along the deck.
“I have to say, that’s a pretty good disguise, Izzy,” Charlotte whispered.
Franco poked his head out between two buttons of Isabel’s bulky raincoat. She hadn’t wanted to pack the jacket in the first place, but now she was glad her Aunt Lourdes had insisted.
“¡Hola!” the bird said.
“Not a peep!” Isabel whispered. Franco bobbed his head up and down and then pulled his head back through the jacket so he was hidden from sight. Isabel hoped that meant “yes.”
“Jackpot!” whispered Avery. The tables next to the lounge chairs were littered with empty glasses garnished with uneaten wedges of pineapple.
“Pineapple!” squawked Franco.
“Shhhhh!” Isabel cautioned the demanding bird.
“We’re on it!” Avery whispered. She, Maeve and Charlotte went from table to table, collecting the fruit in wadded-up napkins from the abandoned drinks. When they had gathered as much pineapple as they could hold, they brought it all back to Isabel and started feeding the parrot through the buttons in the raincoat.
Franco was in food heaven. “Franco love pineapple!” he exclaimed. His curved beak made small work of the triangle-shaped yellow slices, and soon they were all gone.
“I love me pineapple as well!” a voice bellowed out. Oh, no! The girls turned to see Captain Bob at the other end of the deck, coming right toward them!
Isabel glanced around. “Omigosh! There’s nowhere to hide!” she whispered frantically. “What are we going to do?”
“Keep that bird quiet and follow my lead,” Maeve replied.
“Shhh, Franco!” Isabel warned him.
Maeve adjusted Isabel’s raincoat and motioned for everyone to huddle around their friend. “Hey, Captain Bob!” she called out coolly as he approached. “Beautiful night, isn’t it?”
“It is!” Captain Bob replied. He looked at Isabel’s raincoat, confused. “Was it raining?”
“Oh, Izzy just caught a chill.” Maeve smiled.
“Charlotte’s dad is still sick, so we don’t w
ant to take any chances,” Avery continued in a rather professional-sounding voice.
Charlotte and Isabel looked at each other, amazed. They knew Maeve was an improv pro, but Avery?
“Captain Bob, shouldn’t you be, I don’t know, like steering the ship?” Maeve asked.
Captain Bob tipped his hat to them. “Aye, but me first mate has it handled. After me grub I like to take a stroll abovedecks. It’s better than walkin’ the plank!”
“Walk the plank!” screeched Franco from inside the raincoat.
Captain Bob raised an eyebrow. “Did one of you just say something?”
Charlotte, Maeve and Avery crowded around Isabel, who smiled uncomfortably. “Quiet,” she mumbled.
“Excuse me?” Captain Bob puffed out his chest.
Maeve erupted in a fit of laughter. The girls looked at her confused, but she motioned for them to follow along. “Oh, Captain Frawley.” Maeve waved a hand like she was explaining something perfectly simple, even though she didn’t know yet what she was going to say!
“Isabel and Avery,” Maeve started slowly, buying herself some time…“They, well, umm.” A light went on in Maeve’s eyes. “They’re just practicing being, you know…ventriloquists!
“That was Isabel’s voice I just heard?”
“Of course! I mean, sometimes it is,” she declared.
“Izzy’s getting pretty good at it,” added Charlotte. Maeve was putting on an Oscar-worthy performance, so she was going to do everything she could to help!
“That’s pretty amazin’,” Captain Bob admitted. “Can ya do it again, girl?”
Everyone stared at Isabel. She cleared her throat. “Um, sure…hang on.” She opened her mouth and nudged Franco under her jacket, willing him to saying something—anything! But Franco didn’t say a word!
Isabel coughed. “I’m, uh, new at this, so it doesn’t always work,” she explained.
“Practice makes perfect!” Captain Bob advised her.
“That’s what I’ve been telling her,” Maeve said. “But does she listen?”
Avery rolled her eyes and shoved Maeve playfully. “Anyway, thanks, Captain Bob! Have a great night!”
“Same to you girls!” he said, and tipped his hat and started to walk off.
“G’night, Captain Smelly!” Franco cried from his hiding spot.
Captain Bob whirled around. “Sorry!” Isabel said, muffling her laughter.
As Captain Bob left, he surreptitiously sniffed his armpits. The girls waited until he was out of earshot and collapsed into laughter.
Captain Smelly
They safely got Franco back to the room without anyone noticing. Charlotte couldn’t believe they’d had such a close call—with Captain Bob, of all people. “Throwing your voice, Maeve, that was brilliant!”
“Excuse me,” said Avery, “but I believe Izzy and I are the ones with the voice-throwing ability.”
A knock came at the door. Everyone froze. Have we gotten caught after all?
“Quick! We’ll hide Franco in the closet!” A panicked Isabel opened the doors and thrust the bird in among Katani’s neatly unpacked shirts.
The girls held their breath as a key card beeped and the door swung open.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as Marisol let herself and Katani in.
“That pool is da bomb!” Katani gushed. “You guys should totally come with us tomorrow. You’ll see how…” Katani’s voice trailed off as she noticed that no one was saying anything. “What’s up? Spill.”
“You know that surprise we had?” Charlotte asked.
Katani flopped on the bed. “Oh, yeah! Can you show me now?
“Surprise!” Isabel opened the closet door, and Franco hopped out—right at Katani!
“Surprise!” Franco repeated.
Katani’s eyes grew wide as she stared from the bird to the inside of her closet—half of her clothes had fallen off their hangers and the rest were all tangled in a ball! “Where…on earth,” she said slowly, looking each girl in the eyes, “did you get a parrot? And what did he do to my closet!?”
“His name is Franco,” Marisol said, eyes flicking from Katani and back to the other girls. As she repeated her story, Charlotte started picking up Katani’s clothes and hanging them up again.
“Franco, this is Katani,” Isabel introduced when she was done with the story.
“Styliiiin’,” cooed Franco.
Katani smiled, but had some questions. “Listen, I love animals, I do! But we’re here as guests of the travel magazine and the cruise lines! Isn’t it against the rules to have animals on board? What if they throw us off the cruise? And what are you feeding him?”
“I brought some pineapple for him—” Marisol started, taking a Ziploc bag out of her pocket. She stopped when she saw the girls’ amused faces. “What? ¿Qué paso?”
Maeve motioned for Avery, Isabel, and Charlotte to join her, and the girls reenacted the scene from the top deck with Captain Bob.
“Captain SMELLY?” a disbelieving Katani protested. “He did not!”
“Did so!” Isabel said proudly. “And Avery and Maeve, you should have seen them!”
“Smelly!” Franco squawked. Katani started giggling and Avery smiled. It’s good to be back with my friends—all of my friends, she thought, looking at Katani.
“Captain Smelly!” Katani told the parrot, and soon all of them were wiping tears off their cheeks. Everyone except Marisol.
“I’m happy you’re having a good time with Franco, but we must be more careful or I will lose my job for sure,” a concerned-looking Marisol warned the girls. “Captain Bob may be goofy, but he’s also really smart. You know that staff meeting I had to go to? He wanted to talk to us about proper onboard conduct, and he reviewed several passages from our employee manual…including one about what to do if an animal is discovered on board. I guess my neighbor from the staff quarters thought she heard scratching.”
Isabel’s face was perfectly straight now. She took a deep breath. “What does that mean?”
“Well…usually the only animals you find on a cruise ship are rats. That’s what everyone was worried about.”
“Ewww!” Maeve gagged.
“Oh, no!” squawked Franco.
“But they might go looking. It’s a good thing I moved Franco here, girls. You have my sincerest thanks for keeping him safe.”
“And we’ll make sure he stays safe!” Isabel promised, scratching the bird’s gray-feathered head.
Postcards Home
Dear Kelley,
We went horseback riding through the most gorgeous Hawaiian jungle and I totally thought of you! It was sooo much fun. Unfortunately, that’s where the fun ends, as I have surfing and karaoke to look forward to—not! I’ll have to do some serious shopping to make up for it! I promise to buy you something nice. Miss you tons!
TTYL,
Katani
Ma Cherie Sophie,
Dad is doing much better, but he’s still not shipshape. (Ha!) I can’t say this trip has turned out the way I expected it to, but my dad says that adventure is the best part of travel. Remind me to tell you our parrot story. It’s super top-secret, so I don’t dare write it out on this postcard! Hawaii is beautiful, but not so très chic as Paris…
Au revoir,
Charlotte
Dear Sam,
One day when I’m rich and famous, I’m taking you to Hawaii! I might even let you drag me to the Pearl Harbor memorial…but seriously, I’m loving every minute of this vacation! I’m going to learn how to surf! I’ll teach you when I get home. Promise!
XOXO,
Maeve
Dear Elena Maria,
There’s a funny story behind this picture. I’ll fill you in when I get home!
Adios,
Isabel
Dear Scott,
T-minus two days till I’m shredding the waves. Can. Not. Wait. Andie and Dad are being, well, you know. GROSS. Don’t even get me started on Kazie. I’m just thinking of carvin
g it up! And saving the nenes and wolf spiders. Did you know Hawaii has more endangered species per square mile than any other place on the planet? So sad!
Later,
Avery
Part Two
New Family, Old Friends
CHAPTER
11
Supercollider!
Those track pants have to be here somewhere,” Avery mumbled as she rummaged through her backpack on the top bunk. Everyone else was all ready to go on the bike ride through the lava fields in Hilo. “I can’t find anything!” she complained.
“Maybe if you learned to pack neatly instead of just shoving everything in, you’d be able to find what you’re looking for,” Katani responded. Not only was she ready, but her outfit was fully coordinated from the laces in her sneakers to the ribbons in her hair.
“Ha-ha-ha!” squawked Franco. Marisol had let them bring him in their room while they all got ready, since it made him happy to be out of his cage.
Avery stuck out her tongue at Franco and dumped the contents of her backpack on the floor. Oops! Everything landed on Maeve.
“Hey!” Maeve yelled. She ducked, but not in time to avoid a flyaway pair of track pants. “Watch it!”
Avery hopped off her bed and retrieved the runaway pants from her friend’s head. “Finally! I was looking for those.”
Maeve piled all of Avery’s belongings back onto her bunk. “Katani, I need your opinion. What does my outfit say to you?” She was wearing a pink top, denim leggings, pink socks, and sneakers.
Franco whistled at her from his perch on the edge of Isabel’s bunk. “Cuuuute!”
“I agree,” said Katani, giving a thumbs-up. “Our little parrot friend may have a future in fashion!”
“How is Franco doing?” Charlotte asked.
Franco began to bob up and down at the sound of his name. Isabel scratched between the feathers on his head. “Franco, are you going to be good while we’re gone today?”
“Good, good!” the bird insisted.
