Anna, Banana, and the Monkey in the Middle Read online

  For Sophia Jane

  (and Tessie, too)

  —A. M. R.

  For Donna and Maggie, my Sadie and Isabel

  —M. P.

  Chapter One

  Rise and Shine

  I popped up like a jackrabbit-in-the-box, feeling wide-awake and eager as a beaver. I had animals on the brain.

  “Banana!” I said, leaning over the side of my bed. “We’re going to the zoo!”

  Banana looked up at me with her big doggy eyes and thumped her tail against the pillow in her basket where she sleeps. I reached down to tug her soft ears. She understood, of course, that by “we” I didn’t mean her and me—dogs aren’t allowed on school field trips. I meant me and my best friends, Sadie and Isabel, plus the rest of our class and the other two third-grade classes. It was going to be a super fun day.

  “I wish I could sneak you there in my backpack,” I said. “Then you could meet the prairie dogs!”

  My teacher, Ms. Burland, had shown us pictures of prairie dogs and some of the other animals we’d be seeing at the zoo. We’d learned what the animals eat and how they play and other cool things about them. I liked hearing about the animals’ habitats, like where they sleep and what parts of the world they’re from. Ms. Burland says the animals that live in a place are part of what makes that region unique. (“Unique” had been our word of the day. It means special and different and one of a kind.) That made a lot of sense to me. Banana definitely makes my house unique, and my room is extra special because she sleeps there.

  “But actually,” I told her as I slid out of bed, “prairie dogs are in the squirrel family, not the dog family. So if I took you to the zoo, you’d probably want to chase them.”

  Banana wiggled in agreement. She loves chasing squirrels.

  “They’re called prairie dogs because they bark like dogs,” I said. “And because they live in the prairie. Except for the ones that live at the zoo.”

  Banana yawned and stretched her front legs. I guess she’d heard enough facts about prairie dogs.

  I made my bed and pulled on my outfit of black leggings, a pink-and-white striped shirt, pink sneakers, and black-and-white polka-dot socks. While I got dressed, I sang a silly song that Isabel had made up. “We’re going to the zoo! A-doob-a-doob-a-doo! We’re going to the zoo! You and me and you!” Yesterday at recess, Isabel and I had linked arms and skipped around the playground, belting out the song at the top of our lungs. We’d stopped short when I’d noticed Sadie watching us with her arms crossed and her eyebrows worried. We hadn’t meant to leave Sadie out. It had just happened. Luckily, Isabel had grabbed on to Sadie and soon we were all three skipping and singing, and Sadie looked happy again. But it had been a close call.

  Sadie and I have been friends forever, but we only just met Isabel this year. It’s twice as much fun having two best friends, and mostly, we all get along great. But in some ways Sadie and Isabel are still getting used to each other, I think. I was glad we would have the whole day at the zoo to have fun as a threesome. Banana and I were certain that by the end of the field trip, Sadie and Isabel would be calling each other “best friend” too.

  I grabbed my backpack off the floor and a note fell out of the side pocket. I unfolded the paper and saw it was a drawing Isabel had made of two cute pandas chewing on bamboo. She’d written Anna under one of the pandas and Isabel under the other. The pandas even kind of looked like us. Isabel is an amazing artist.

  I smiled at the drawing and taped it up on my mirror, under a photo strip of Sadie and me goofing around in a photo booth. “There,” I said to Banana. “How does that look?”

  Instead of answering, Banana pounced on her favorite plastic bunny toy and shook it back and forth, growling as it squeaked. I laughed. Banana is just a little wiener dog but I think in her head she’s as huge and ferocious as a tiger. A tiger that likes to cuddle in my lap, and sometimes spins in circles, chasing her own tail.

  “Come on, crazy beast,” I said. “Time for breakfast.”

  I put on a headband and my gold pony necklace with the sparkly blue eye, and galloped out the door.

  Chapter Two

  Monkeying Around

  When we got to the kitchen, Dad was already there, sipping coffee from his TOP DOG mug and making a cheese-and-pickle sandwich for my lunch. “Hey, kiddo,” he said. “And hey, Banana.”

  I gave Dad a good-morning hug, scooped some kibble into Banana’s food dish, and poured myself a big bowl of Gorilla Grams. “I’m going to see a real gorilla at the zoo today!” I told Dad.

  My brother, Chuck, poked me in the ribs. “Kind of like how you see a real monkey every time you look in the mirror?” he said.

  “Better than when you look and see a giant slug,” I shot back. Chuck snorted into his orange juice.

  Dad looked like he might start a lecture on teasing, so I quickly distracted him with cool animal facts. “Did you know that gorillas can weigh over four hundred pounds?” I asked. “They’re huge!”

  “Wow,” Dad said. “I did not. Must be all those Gorilla Grams they eat for breakfast.”

  “Nope,” I said, even though he was kidding. “They eat roots and leaves and tree bark and fruit. And also slugs.” I stuck out my tongue at my brother.

  “Mmmmm, slugs,” Chuck said.

  Banana licked the kibble crumbs from her snout and trotted over to her usual spot at my feet. She sat and looked up at me with perked ears and hopeful eyes, wondering if I might drop my food. Sadie calls that Banana’s “Please?” position. Isabel hasn’t gotten to see how Banana acts at breakfast yet, but maybe we’d all have a sleepover soon. Then Banana could beg at Isabel’s feet too.

  Mom came into the kitchen wearing her Important Meeting Suit. Her shoes clicked on the tile floor as she walked over to kiss Dad on the cheek and take the mug of coffee he held out to her. She even sounded important.

  Mom works in a big office where she’s the boss. Everyone there has to do what she says, except for the clients, who get to tell Mom what they want, and she and her team try to make them happy. That’s what Mom calls the people who work for her, her “team.” It sounds like they should be wearing matching uniforms with numbers on the back and doing stretches together and stuff, but they wear regular office clothes like Mom’s and mostly just sit at their desks.

  Sometimes I go to the office with Mom, and everyone who works there is super nice to me. Mom’s assistant, Mr. Max, lets me use his fancy pens and highlighters. I draw pictures to put up in people’s cubicles, and string paper clips into crowns and necklaces for Mr. Max and me to wear.

  The necklace Mom had on with her suit this morning wasn’t made of paper clips, but it was still pretty. “You look powerful,” I said.

  She laughed, even though I was serious. “Thanks, Annabear. I have a big day today. And so do you! Are you ready for all those hippos and zebras?”

  I danced in my seat. “Yes!”

  Banana wagged her tail but Chuck made a grumpy face. “It’s no fair that Anna gets to go play with monkeys all day and I have to take a stupid math test.”

  “Sure it’s fair!” I said. “You got to go when you were in third grade. And I’ve never been to the zoo yet.”

  “Yes you have.” He pointed at me with his spoon. “Where do you think we got you from? Dad and Mom found you in the Monkey House.”

  I knew that couldn’t be true, but I looked at Dad to make sure. He shook his head. “He’s teasing, Anna,” Dad said. “Chuck, we’re going to send you to the Monkey House if you don’t stop torturing your sister.”

  “Yeah, send me to the Monkey House!” Chuck said. He jumped around, scratching his armpits and goi
ng, “Oooh-oooh-oooh-oooh!”

  “Maybe after your math test,” Dad said. Chuck fell back into his chair.

  Dad opened the cupboard and took out a box of fruit strips. He dropped a cherry one into my lunch bag.

  “May I have three?” I asked. “Pleeeeeeeeease? To share with Isabel and Sadie?” I made wide, pleading eyes like Banana’s when she begs. I tried to lift my ears like she does too.

  It worked! Dad dropped two more fruit strips into the lunch bag. “Sharing is good,” he said. “Just don’t share your fingers or toes with the lions, okay?”

  I drew an X across my heart to make it a promise. “I won’t,” I said. But I couldn’t wait to share the lunchtime surprise with my friends.

  Chapter Three

  Faster Than a Speeding Turtle

  I finished my breakfast and glanced at the clock. It was time to go!

  I jumped up, quick like a bunny, and raced to the sink with my dishes. I dashed up the stairs, fast as a cheetah, and brushed my teeth with hummingbird speed. Banana’s ears flew behind her as we zoomed back downstairs. I kissed her on the nose and went out the front door.

  Chuck and I started down the sidewalk, but he was in no hurry to get to school. If he walked any slower, he’d practically be moving backwards. He really didn’t want to take that math test.

  “Come on, come on!” I said, pulling his arm. It was like trying to drag an elephant. “Hurry up, slowpoke!”

  “Chill, Annabean,” he said, sounding all grumbly. But he moved a little faster.

  I had to be on time. Ms. Burland had said that if anyone was late, the buses would leave without them, because it wasn’t fair for one person to hold up the whole group. There was no way I was going to get left behind and have to spend the day alone in the school library instead of at the zoo with my friends. It would be horrible to miss out on seeing the animals, and even worse knowing that Sadie and Isabel were having all that fun without me. What if it was so fun that they didn’t even miss me?

  I sped up.

  Finally, we got to school and I saw the two yellow field-trip buses parked near the edge of the playground, just like Ms. Burland had said they would be. Ms. Burland and the other teachers were there too, lining up the kids who had already arrived. I spotted Sadie’s bouncy curls and Isabel’s cute braids. My friends were waiting!

  I held on to my backpack straps and broke into a run. “Good luck with your test!” I called back over my shoulder to Chuck. He gave a funny salute.

  “Hi!” I said as I reached my friends. I was panting a little from running. “I thought I might be late!”

  Sadie and Isabel made room for me in the line. “We wouldn’t have let them leave without you,” Sadie said.

  Isabel looked just as excited as I felt. “We’re going to the zoo! To meet a kangaroo! And know what else we’ll do? We’ll see a panda, too!” she sang. Isabel loves making up silly songs.

  “Thanks for the panda drawing!” I said. “It’s super cute. Banana likes it too.”

  Isabel gave a shy smile. Sadie scrunched up her face. “What panda drawing?” Sadie asked.

  Before I could answer, someone behind me said, “Hey, Anna.”

  I turned around. Uh-oh. It was annoying Justin.

  “What’s gray and has four legs and a trunk?” he said.

  Sadie put her hands on her hips. She’s always up for a challenge. “That’s easy,” she said. “An elephant.”

  Justin smirked. “Nope! A mouse on vacation!”

  I rolled my eyes, but Sadie giggled. She thinks Justin’s cute.

  “Well, what’s gray and has three trunks, four tails, and six legs?” Sadie said.

  Justin’s eyes narrowed. “What?” he asked.

  “An elephant with spare parts!” Sadie said.

  “Nice,” Justin said. Sadie glowed.

  I thought of one. “What do you call an elephant that needs a bath?”

  “Trouble?” Isabel guessed.

  “Nope,” I said. “A smellyphant!” I’d have to remember to tell Banana that joke. Dogs like anything smelly.

  Sadie nudged me. “How about this: What’s black and white and pink all over?”

  I smiled. I knew the answer she was thinking of.

  “I’ve heard that one,” Justin said. “A blushing penguin.”

  Sadie put her arm around me. “Nope!” she said. “We are.”

  Sadie was wearing pink, black, and white today too. We hadn’t planned it that way, but Sadie and I have been friends for so long that sometimes things like that happen. We wear the same colors on the same day, or have the same idea at the same time, or know what the other one is thinking before she even says it.

  “We’re twins!” Sadie said. “Can you tell us apart?”

  As I slid my arm around Sadie’s waist, I noticed Isabel standing off to the side, staring at the ground. She looked sad and left out. But I knew how to fix it.

  I took the pink headband off of my head and placed it on Isabel’s. “There!” I said. “Now we’re triplets.” It wasn’t quite true, but Isabel still looked pleased.

  Justin shook his head. “Girls are so weird,” he said.

  But we didn’t care. Now everyone could see that we belonged together.

  Chapter Four

  Hop to It

  The bus doors squeaked open and everyone lunged forward, eager to board first.

  “C’mon!” Sadie took charge, pushing into the herd of kids. “Let’s get a good seat!” she said. I followed her closely, with Isabel right behind me.

  Ms. Burland stood next to the bus door, towering over everyone like a giraffe. “Nicely, nicely! No need to shove,” she called out. “I don’t want to see any animal behavior until we get to the zoo. And then I only want to see it happening inside the cages.”

  There were some groans, but people stopped pushing and got back in line. Ms. Burland can be strict, but she’s still the best teacher in the whole Lower School. Even Justin listens to her and does what she says. Usually.

  Isabel tugged on my sleeve. “We’re sitting together, right?” she asked.

  “Of course!” I said, just like I’d said yesterday when Sadie had asked the same thing.

  We reached the front of the line and Ms. Burland checked off our names on her clipboard. I looked down at her feet. “Wow! Nice shoes,” I said. She wore glittery purple high-tops with white toes and white laces. Banana would love them. She always likes hearing about Ms. Burland’s cool shoes.

  “Thanks!” Ms. Burland said. She did a little dance and the sneakers sparkled in the sun.

  I climbed up the stairs onto the bus and followed Sadie down the aisle. She grabbed a seat as far back as we could go, and scootched over toward the window to make room. I slid in after her and squeezed over too, so Isabel could sit on the end. There was just enough space for all three of us.

  But the second Isabel’s butt hit the seat, we heard the bus driver shout, “Two to a seat!”

  “Oh no!” I said, looking at Isabel, then at Sadie, then at Isabel again.

  “But we fit!” Sadie protested.

  “I don’t care if twenty of you fit,” the bus driver grumbled. “Two to a seat. Those are the rules.”

  Sadie fell back into the corner. “That’s not fair,” she said. “Grown-ups shouldn’t get to just make up the rules. We should all get to vote on it.” But I could see she knew there was no use in fighting it. And I supposed the rule was fair if it was the same rule for everybody.

  “What are we going to do?” I said. I didn’t want one of us to have to sit alone or with some other kid. I wanted us to stick together, like we’d planned.

  I wished that I could have brought Banana. At least then we could have divided up into two and two.

  Sadie grabbed my arm. “You said yesterday you’d sit with me,” she said. “You promised.”

  Isabel’s eyebrows shot up. “You said you’d sit with me, too!”

  Oh no. “I want to sit with both of you!” I said. “I wasn’t lyin
g. I just didn’t know.”

  “Well, you have to decide,” Sadie said, still clutching my arm. “You can’t sit with us both.”

  Isabel nodded grimly. We all knew it was the truth.

  They waited to hear my choice. But I couldn’t decide anything. My brain was frozen, like a deer in headlights.

  What was I supposed to do?

  Chapter Five

  Split Decision

  The bus was filling up fast. I needed to decide quickly, before there were no good seats left for whoever had to move. But I didn’t want either of my friends to go. And I definitely didn’t want to have to choose who would.

  If I chose Isabel, I knew Sadie would be upset. But if I chose Sadie, then Isabel would be upset. No matter what I did, someone was going to feel left out.

  This was terrible.

  Maybe I should be the one to go sit by myself. But that wouldn’t make anyone happy either. Then I’d be breaking my promise to both of my friends.

  I wished I could shove my head in the sand like an ostrich, or hide under a blanket like Banana, and wait for the problem to go away. But I was going to have to decide.

  I felt Sadie’s grip on my arm get tighter. Her message was clear: Choose me. It’s hard to say no to Sadie. And she was right that I’d promised her first.

  I turned to Isabel. “I’m sorry, but Sadie asked yesterday.”

  Isabel blinked. “Okay,” she said. I was worried she’d be angry, but she just looked sad, which was even worse. It felt awful to disappoint her.

  “I’ll sit with you on the way home, okay?” I said as Isabel stood up. She nodded.

  Sadie opened her mouth to object to that, but then she shut it and nodded too. “That’s fair,” she said. But she didn’t look happy about it.

  Isabel smiled at us both, a real smile. “Hey! It’s all right,” she said. “We still get to spend all day together at the zoo.”