Henry awoke to the sounds of birds chirping sweetly, and shifted around in bed until he could see the perpetrators. He couldn’t help but smile as he watched a mother bird feed her two ravenous babies. When he forced himself out of bed he was glad to find that for the first time in his life the floor was pleasantly cool instead nipping with cold. And as he crossed a mirror he noticed that his hair lay unusually flat. Yes, today was definitely going to be a good day. Then again how could his escape from high school be bad?

His smile faded immediately when he sat down at the kitchen table. In front of him the newspaper was spread out. Principal Frisk was on the cover shaking his finger to at photographer. So, in truth his smiled didn’t fade the first second he saw the paper. No that didn’t happen until he read the headline above the snarling man. “Principal of Midland Prep Vows to Stop Banana.” He didn’t want to read on, but his eyes betrayed him. It was like looking at a train wreck, knowing the horror that faced you in the eyes yet being unable to turn away.

It seemed that the night before Frisk had been watching the game with not only the usual board members but also with the headmaster of Midland Prep’s Rival school, Ewan Brawnson. Even Henry read his name with contempt. Frisk had proceeded to rub Brawnson’s nose in the school’s popularity. Brawnson, however, had simply replied, not only to Frisk but also various area reporters, that it was a shame that Midland Prep was unable to control its students. The board members had looked amongst each other and the next thing anyone knew Frisk was down on the field announcing that the pranksters would be caught.

He reached for the phone, almost absently, and dialed Timmy’s number.

“Who is it?” his voice was tired.

“Have you seen the paper?”

“Henry?”

He simply repeated himself, this time with more force. “Have you seen the paper?”

“No. What time is it?” Timmy sighed into the phone.

“Well let me read it to you. Principal of Midland Prep Vows to Stop Banana.” For a second it was quiet then…

“Oh my god. That’s what you were worried about? I thought it was something horrible like Frisk being elected president or the cancellation of Star Trek.” Henry chose to ignore the pun at his passion.

“I don’t think you understand what this means. He’s promised to hunts us down.”

“You remember what happened when he promised to “hunt down” the people who threw the stink bombs in his office? The teachers got together and flushed the evidence down the toilet. Don’t worry.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I’ll see you at ten.” And Henry probably would have simply shoved the proclamation to the back of his mind if at that very moment, the group of girls who had worshiped his yellow baby hadn’t suddenly marched by with bananas impaled on sticks. Midland Prep really hated to be embarrassed in front of their rivals.

A few hours later Henry and Timmy met in the school’s west parking lot, usually used for games, and at the moment, conveniently abandoned. They sat quietly on the hood of the car as they waited for the counterparts to arrive, only to laugh when Gregory and Rocky appeared, walking and sweating profusely.

“What happened to you?” asked Timmy, his mouth twitching up into a wry yet lighthearted smile.

“My mom took away the car…” panted Gregory. “She was afraid that I’d take it to a “disorderly” graduation party,” but before Gregory could finish Rocky interrupted him.

“And wind up totaling it.” He received an elbow, in his giant side, for his efforts.

“Would you have?”

“Of course, but that’s not the point.” Henry couldn’t help but be fascinated by the conversation, even though he had heard multiple similar ones in the past few weeks.

“You brought the costume at least?” asked Timmy, shaking his head.

“No. But don’t sweat it. My mom told me about her “restrictions” yesterday night so I was able to hide it here.” Henry groaned; it was if his stomach sensed what was coming. But then again weren’t all of Gregory’s actions fallowed by impending stupidity. Unfortunately, the running back heard and turned towards him.

“I told ya, Don’t Worry. It’s perfectly sake.”

“And where exactly is it perfectly safe?” He didn’t know why he always felt such a strong dislike whenever that particular Neanderthal spoke. Maybe it was the chocolate pudding incident in the third grade.

“I hid it behind some tools in the garden.”

Timmy spoke up again, preventing Henry from retorting. “Well, we have about a half hour before the ceremony so we better go and pick the suit up.”

“It’s just around the corner,” pointed Gregory. In the first second Henry saw where Gregory had been pointing he thought that someone had finally murdered Frisk. The area was covered in yellow tape and police were swarming around it. And then he knew.

They all stopped at the same time, but somehow couldn’t muster up the strength to turn around and run. The sergeant who was standing in the middle of the panoply , surveying the scene turned around and smiled.

“Henry!” he shouted, warmly, in his distinctly trained voice. “How are you and your friends doing?” Henry stepped forward and gulped, then continued closer in what seemed like the slowest pace possible. He didn’t even turn to see if the others were following.

“Fine.” His tone was unusually high. And because he couldn’t think of anything else to say, “So what happened here?”

“Oh some gardener found the suit that prankster’s been wearing.” Three pairs of furious eyes descended upon Gregory who had suddenly found the ground fascinating. “Fernado and Ralph are taking it back to the lab to run some tests.” Henry didn’t ask what types of tests, he didn’t think his stomach could handle anymore.

“Oh, Ok.”

“Well have a nice day,” waved the sergeant. When they rounded the corner, Henry couldn’t help it, he smashed Gregory up against the brick wall. And for some reason, probably because he was so shocked at being pushed around by a kid who was a good half-a-foot shorter than him, he remained there.

“You are so stupid. You’ve ruined everything.” He felt like dog was snarling through his throat.

“Don’t Henry,” said Timmy quietly, shaking his head. Although he didn’t let go he did stop pushing.

“We have about five minutes to get it back, or else there’s no chance.”

“Are you crazy?” sputtered Gregory. “The police are transporting it. I can’t get another mark on my record. Notre Dame only made an exception because my parents donated a lot,” he began to laugh in a weak and stuttering manner. “And I mean a lot.”

“Oh shut-up,” hissed Henry. He had had enough of the simpering football star. “You got us into this mess, and you’re going to help get us out of it.” His words, however, seemed to have the opposite effect of what he’d intended, and Henry soon found himself sprawled out over the ground.

“I don’t have to take this shit. Especially from the Geek King.” With that Gregory huffed off.

“Well lets go and get the costume,” sighed Timmy. That was all, no admonishment, no disappointed glance.

They crept around to the parking lot to the flashing blue and red lights. Luckily the two policemen were involved in a particularly competitive thumb war. Henry glanced over at Timmy, who smiled triumphantly. The banana suit was simply dangling from the back of the car. This would be simple.

“You go,” said Timmy.

“Me?” asked Henry. Both Rocky and his friend nodded.

“Yeah. You’re small and stealthy.”

“Thanks,” he spat sarcastically. Why must everyone insist that because he was under five nine that he was short? At least they hadn’t called him gangly.

“Stop whining. It’s a compliment under the circumstances.” With that Timmy slapped Henry on the back, the movement of encouragement really an excuse for him to push Henry forward.

He moved carefully, hunched over. The police men, were so involved in their macho competition that they didn’t even look away from where their hands were linked. His blood was pumping furiously by the time he reached the back of the car, so much so that it was almost an obstacle to inch when he felt like he could run miles.

He reached out for the yellow material and for a moment just fingered it reverently. Even though he was so intimately involved with that inanimate object he had never before touched it. He turned and started to run back to towards his two companions, who were smiling from cheek to cheek, when Riippppp.