Bean sat on her hands and stared at her plate with her lips shut tight Then suddenly her tongue shot out of her mouth and her head swooped down to her plate I can’t help it she said licking There’s a magnetic force pulling my tongue out of my mouth Bean’s family looked at her like she was a bug An ugly bug That’s disgusting said Nancy Bean please said her mother Cut it out said her father I can’t slurped Bean The force is too strong Her father took her plate away Bean slumped against the back of her chair Thanks dude I owe you one 8
Don’t call me dude said her dad Go do the dishes What It’s Nancy’s turn yelped Bean It was Nancy’s turn until you licked your plate Now it’s your turn said her dad That’s totally unfair huffed Bean I couldn’t help it Haven’t you ever heard of forces beyond your control Yes I have said her father Forces beyond your control are going to make you do the dishes What am I Cinderbean Bean said What about my rights Slowly her dad lowered his newspaper and looked at her Think about whether you’re making a good choice or a bad choice Bean There was a pause I guess I’ll go do the dishes Bean clomped into the kitchen 9
Bean you didn’t see my pink yarn did you Oops Bean tried to roll behind the couch but Nancy saw her Bean Do you have my pink yarn No said Bean That was true She didn’t have it She would never have it again 10
Nancy looked at her slitty-eyed Do you know where it is No Who knew where it was by now Nancy’s eyes got even slittier Have you seen it recently Recently Mom Bean took my yarn Before she knew it Bean was having to look around her room for her money She changed hiding places so often that it was hard to remember where she kept it exactly She had to give Nancy seven dollars to buy new yarn Seven dollars Now she only had two dollars and some coins left And the yarn hadn’t even worked Bean had fallen out of the tree anyway Bean’s mom was under her desk She was doing something with wires and Bean could 11
