Under the Sea

Under the Sea — page 7
Awwwk She shrieked Steam nearly boiled right out of Mrs Pendlebury’s ears She hopped on one foot trying in vain to bend down in her too-tight dress swatting and flailing her arms That was Paisley’s cue to escape She dashed back to her house and slammed the door behind her Ahhh The messy comfort of a regular house Textbooks and huge stacks of paper filled the living room bookcases and stuffed several corners Mom’s exotic plants grew from every available surface and overflowed the hallway leading to the basement Dad’s various awards knickknacks and framed biology and anatomy prints covered the walls It was home Paisley’s pet Indian gray mongoose Newton slid down the stairway bannister and leaped onto Paisley’s shoulder He poked his wet nose into her ear to say hello Mom had found him as an orphan during one of her research projects in India Paisley rubbed Newton’s brown fur Hey buddy she said with a sigh Dad walked out of the kitchen Paisley glimpsed a 10