You Can't Have My Planet
Page 20
We checked out YouTube on our smart phones. There were thousands of clips showing immaculate subways and sparkling skyscrapers on Wall Street, in Times Square. The entire island was green and pristine.
I met up with Tula behind a tree in Strawberry Fields.
“I got revenge on the princess,” she said.
“Good,” I said. “I hope she’s dead.”
“Worse than that. I planted a black butterfly inside her. Now she’s in love with Stanley.”
“No way,” I said.
She popped open her briefcase. “See for yourself.”
I peered inside the briefcase. Stanley and the princess were snuggling on a couch, taking turns spitting quarters across the room.
“You’re the hottest parking meter I’ve ever seen,” she said.
“I hear that from a lot of women,” crooned the parking meter.
“You don’t have a girlfriend, do you?”
“No, baby,” said the parking meter. “I’m all yours.”
She swooned. “You’re my prince.”
Tula closed her briefcase while I rolled around on the grass laughing. She directed my attention to a figure strolling across Strawberry Fields. “Someone wants to talk to you, Giles.”
I rushed over to the judge. He was disguised as a construction worker in dirty overalls. It was definitely him. I don’t know too many construction workers who sound like wind chimes when they walk.
“Your Honor!”
“That’s right. It’s me, Giles. I came here to inspect your city. And I must say, I’m very impressed. What impresses me the most is the manner in which you did it. It wasn’t the technology and all the gadgets. Ultimately it came down to you kids. Thousands of children taking action, doing simple things. You have renewed our faith in your species. You children really do care. Congratulations, Giles. You have passed the test.”
We shook hands. Dust particles floated in a figure eight around our clasped hands.
“It’s the Pollendoozees,” said the judge. “They came to join the celebration.”
I waved Toshi and Almost Big Daddy to come on over. When I looked back at the judge, he was gone. So were the Pollendoozees.
Almost Big Daddy was depressed. I wrapped my arm around him.
“If I’m Big Daddy, then what I say goes. Is that right?” I said.
“Absolutely,” the android murmured.
“Then I therefore issue a decree that from now on you are to be called Big Daddy.”
His face brightened. “Are you sure?”
“I’m positive.”
“What a relief. You have no idea how horrible it was being Almost Big Daddy.” He got down on his hands and knees and kissed the ground. “Life is good. I’m Big Daddy again.”
Toshi and the euphoric droid wandered off. They knew I wanted to be alone with Tula. I joined her behind the tree.
Both of us couldn’t stop grinning.
“So are we going out on a date or what?” I said.
“Of course we are.”
(Hey, reader, did you hear that? I’m finally going to kiss a girl!)
“I think I’ll take you to the Regassa Nebulae,” she said. “Their sunsets are amazing.”
“When do we go?”
“I don’t know. We’ll figure it out. I’m due back in court right now and you have to go congratulate the other member of our team.” She pointed at Navida on the other side of the field.
I whipped out the green vial. “I saved some star milk for Navida. In five minutes she’ll be doing cartwheels too.”
“No, she won’t, Giles.”
“Why not?”
“Giles, star milk is so concentrated, it will only work on those who have been drained of all life force. Navida has not been drained of life, Giles. Far from it. She’s more alive than most of the people in this city. The star milk would explode inside her. Her system couldn’t take it.”
“Come on,” I said. “Are you serious?”
“Heed my warning. What you hold in your hands could kill her.”
“Then you do something, Tula. You can do anything.”
“There’s a limit to what I can do, Giles.” Her blue face sank. “My father isn’t well. There’s nothing I can do for him either.”
Tula wasn’t a superhero. None of us were.
She gave me a hug and smiled. “Go say hi to your friend. She’s looking for you.”
Tula pressed the button on her briefcase and disappeared. I wandered over by Navida, who was marveling at the foliage. She beamed at her trees. “I’m the happiest girl on Earth.”
The happiest girl on Earth couldn’t be in a wheelchair, could she? Maybe she could. That thing on her face was too bright to be a smile. And yet that’s what it was. The wind blew a piece of it onto my face. It was the same smile but on two faces. That’s how big it was. It needed two faces to not feel all scrunched up.
“Come on,” she said, “let’s go check out the Sheep Meadow.”
I pushed her along a winding path. We came upon a sunlit stream.
“I don’t remember a stream being here,” Navida said. “And look at that funny little bridge.”
“Let’s cross it,” I said.
When we got to the other side, I glanced back over my shoulder. The Bridgeling winked at me.
I winked back.
I pushed my friend through the park.
It was one of those clear blue afternoons when the day belongs to the sky.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I’d like to thank my agent, Rosemary Stimola, for the miracle of selling this book twenty-four hours after agreeing to represent me. My deepest gratitude to Liz Szabla and Kate Egan, for their exquisite editorial guidance. Thanks to Marlene Sway, for opening my eyes to the power of children’s literature. Thanks to Eric Harabes, who has an uncanny knack for jump-starting my imagination. Thanks to Jared Cyr and Rick Adams, for the fuel of friendship. To Jim Miller, a tireless supporter of my writing. And special thanks to my girlfriend, Andrea, also known as Cozy Superstar.
A FEIWEL AND FRIENDS BOOK
An Imprint of Macmillan
YOU CAN’T HAVE MY PLANET, BUT TAKE MY BROTHER, PLEASE. Copyright © 2012 by James Mihaley. All rights reserved.
For information, address Feiwel and Friends, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Mihaley, James.
You can’t have my planet, but take my brother, please / James Mihaley. — 1st ed.
p. cm.
Summary: Thirteen-year-old Giles, a New York City boy who feels invisible next to his talented younger sister and smart older brother, comes to the rescue when space aliens from an intergalactic realty company arrive and try to evict humans for polluting the world.
ISBN: 978-0-312-61891-9
[1. Extraterrestrial beings—Fiction. 2. Environmental protection—Fiction. 3. New York (N.Y.)—Fiction. 4. Humorous stories.] I. Title. II. Title: You cannot have my planet, but take my brother, please.
PZ7.M59176Yo 2012
[E]—dc23
2011036241
Feiwel and Friends logo designed by Filomena Tuosto
First Edition: 2012
eISBN 978-1-4668-0499-9
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