THE MOTHERSHIP Hollywood is in Florida Bruce said He had a blue workbook too It wasn’t open That’s where my dad lives If your dad’s real he doesn’t live in that Hollywood said Pablo He was hiding a comic book inside of his math pages That Hollywood is in California So Bruce stood up He peered out the window of the Mothership Gold and brown leaves were falling in the yard The air smelled wet like soggy cereal You just wish you were going to be a Thunder Kid 2
Yeah I do said Pablo Just like you wish And keep on wishing Do you ever tell the truth Bruce turned from the window frowning Always When have I lied What about when you said your grandpa was a wizard asked Mei She was doodling a picture of Saturn in her workbook You told us your grandpa turned a bratty boy into a puppy That was the truth said Bruce waving his arms There are no wizards huffed Nia What about when you said the Army gave you a jeep You said the jeep became a helicopter after you flipped a switch The Army did give me that said Bruce I just can’t show you where it is It’s top-top-top secret You’re such a liar said Pablo under his breath You think I’m a liar Bruce screamed You’re a liar calling me a liar Enough said Nia holding up her pencil like a stop sign We need to get our homework done 3
But it’s Friday Pablo whined He wanted to finish his comic It was about scientists chasing a giant lizard with 10 heads Don’t you want to get your homework done first asked Nia Then you don’t have to worry for the rest of the weekend Pablo shrugged Nia had a good idea But he only had a few more pages of his comic book to read Mrs Mack told me I don’t have to do any homework said Bruce I’m busy doing work for the police this weekend The kids rolled their eyes Bruce wanted to go on But no one was listening anymore He frowned and looked out the window again The gray sky was starting to turn darker They would all need to go home soon Bruce pouted as he watched the clouds They made him think of airplanes He always took an airplane to visit his dad He was actually scared of flying He didn’t tell his friends that He told them he flew the plane himself when the pilot needed a nap His friends didn’t believe he went on a 4
plane They didn’t even think he had a dad Bruce stared deeper into the clouds He imagined himself as a hero in a Thunder Kidz movie Then he saw a purple flash It didn’t look like lightning It looked like the clouds were on fire More flashes came in bursts The purple fire was spreading A burning ball was falling through the flashes There’s something in the sky Bruce shouted to his friends He pointed to where the flashes and the burning ball had been But the sky was empty 5
