An Unexpected Adventure Read online

  ***

  My backpack felt awkward as I stepped onto the bus on Monday. I just knew someone was going to notice the odd shape, and we’d lose our egg. All weekend long I’d been nervous. I’d been afraid Mom or Dad would think I was acting strange and get me to confess. They hadn’t, but I’d be glad to hand it over to Chace, protective instinct or no.

  One look at Will’s face, and I knew he hadn’t forgiven me for keeping the egg. He hadn’t said a word to me at church yesterday, but I’d hoped he’d give in. It didn’t look good.

  “Hi!” I greeted him as I sat down.

  He turned and looked out the window. Great. Kids might not look at my backpack, but they most certainly would notice Will was in a tiff. With a sigh I leaned back for the half-hour bus ride.

  It was a quiet, awkward trip. Will talked over the seat with Cherise once she got on, but he ignored me. I don’t know how Cherise didn’t notice, but then again, it was Cherise. No one ever knew what she was thinking.

  The students filed off the bus with the typical complaints of junior highers mingling with the enthusiasm of kindergartners. Once in the halls, the elementary kids split off down their corridor and the junior high students went to their lockers.

  Chace wasn’t anywhere to be seen. I had a dilemma on my hands—the egg barely fit in my locker, and I didn’t want to leave it unattended, but the rules said no backpacks in the cafeteria, which was where we spent the first fifteen minutes before the bell rang. I decided to chance it and left the bag in the cramped steel confines, feeling a spike of guilt as I walked away.

  Even though Mom had fed me breakfast at home, I decided to grab a bowl of cereal and a carton of milk. If we had to sit in the cafeteria, I might as well eat, and besides, breakfast was free. I grabbed my food and headed to the eighth grade table. To my relief, I spotted Chace finishing his bowl of cereal as I sat down.

  “How was your weekend?” I peeled the cover off the cereal packet and opened my milk.

  Chace eyed me, but shrugged. “Okay, I guess. Saturday afternoon I helped Dad worm sheep.”

  “Ew!”

  Chace grinned. “It’s better than docking tails.”

  “True,” I agreed. “But I’d rather be beach combing.”

  Chace pushed up his glasses. “How was yours?”

  I twitched a shoulder. “Okay. Nothing exciting.”

  Chace nodded. “Do you have your backpack back?”

  I shook my head. “Probably after school.”

  “Any problem using the other one?”

  I knew what he meant. He was asking about the egg. I shook my head. My mouth was full of cereal. He rolled his eyes and dropped his elbows onto the table. I swallowed and looked around. Everyone else was at the other end of the table chatting.

  “It’s fine. I have it in my locker,” I said in a conspiratorial tone.

  Even behind his glasses I could see the surprise register in his eyes.

  “I wasn’t going to break school rules to bring it in here.” I glanced around nervously.

  Chace relaxed. “Bring it to class.”

  “Of course.”

  I knew it was risky, but I’d just have to take that chance. I couldn’t leave it alone all day.

  When the bell rang, I grabbed my garbage, tossed it in the trash, and got in line. I found myself next to Chace at the end.

  “What’s up with Will?” He nodded toward our friend.

  “He’s still mad. He’ll come around.”

  It wasn’t what Chace wanted to hear; he disliked conflict more than the average person. Usually we all got along, but sometimes Will could be, well, Will, and Will had a mind of his own. Chace and I both knew to give him a few days, and he’d likely come around.

  ***

  Between second and third period we had our break. I took my backpack toward the restroom.

  “Harley,” Miss Smith called from her doorway. “You know better than to take your bag into the restroom, or to class for that matter. What’s so important that you can’t leave it in your locker?”

  “Ah, nothing, ma’am.”

  She gave me her famous stare, the one that made first grade students cry and hardened junior high boys shake in their boots.

  “We found a rock on the beach on Saturday,” I said, scrambling for a plausible excuse. I was surprised and a little impressed with my own ingenuity when the next words that came out were: “We wanted to show it to Mr. Behr to see what kind it is.”

  She nodded. “It must be pretty big. Go ahead and take it to him then.”

  “Yes, Miss Smith.”

  My heart sank. What had I done? But there was no backing out now. Miss Smith was watching me like a hawk. I had to go to Mr. Behr’s room now, so I crossed my fingers and hoped he just wasn’t there.

  “Hi, Harley; hi Chace,” Mr. Behr’s deep and kind voice greeted me. I was surprised to turn and see that Chace was, indeed, behind me. “What can I do for you boys?”

  I looked to Chace, but he hid behind his glasses and bangs. There was no help there.

  “We were wondering if you knew what this was.” I said setting the backpack on one of the lab tables.

  Mr. Behr taught both math and science, and he was one of my favorite teachers. He genuinely liked the students, and it showed. Right now, he stood waiting with his hands resting on his ample stomach. Give him white hair, and with his round belly and beard he’d look just like Santa Claus.

  Chace cleared his throat, and I swallowed. After a furtive look, I unzipped the backpack and carefully began to reveal the egg. Chace reached out a hand and caressed it. The gesture surprised me. Our eyes locked. An understanding passed between us, a pledge in the midst of a tense and uncertain moment.

  “That’s some find,” Mr. Behr said. “Where’d you get it?”

  I told him about Professor Raleigh and how he was looking for thundereggs.

  Leaning in closer for a look, Mr. Behr asked, “May I?”

  At a nod from both of us, he reached out and touched the shell. After a brief moment of contact, his bushy eyebrows suddenly leapt up as if trying to jump off his face. Without a word, he walked to the door and shut it. Returning, he placed both hands on the egg.

  “Boys, what do you know about thundereggs?”

  Both Chace and I shrugged, intrigued by Mr. Behr’s behavior. “They’re large rocks?” Chace finally voiced his thoughts.

  Mr. Behr nodded, waiting.

  “Sometimes, they can have quartz inside of them,” I said. “And they’re the state rock.”

  Mr. Behr nodded again. “You have been paying attention in class. Now, I’m going to ask you to apply what you know. Where are thundereggs found?”

  I looked to Chace. He didn’t remember. I paused, trying to think back to sixth grade science class. It seemed so long ago.

  “I knew it!” The words seemed to explode from Chace. “Something didn’t seem right, Harley, when the professor said he was looking for thundereggs. We have agates on the beach, not thundereggs. Those are found in the center of the state!”

  Mr. Behr shifted to readjust his weight. We looked to him.

  “Boys, feel the outside of this.”

  Chace and I caressed the egg. It was silky smooth.

  “Thundereggs are rough until polished. This shows no signs of polishing. It’s way too big to be an agate. How heavy is it?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t want to carry it around all day, but it’s not bad in the backpack.”

  “It’s mainly bulky,” Chace’s words had shifted to what they were like during science class, all business and thoughtful. Mr. Behr had trained us to talk like scientists. I picked up on the cue.

  “Then why would Professor Raleigh say he knows there’s thundereggs here? He’s a professor at UC Berkley.”

  “Remember, Harley, even teachers and professors can be wrong. We’re all learning,” Mr. Behr reminded us.

  The bell rang, causing us all to jump.

  “Would you trust me to keep it here?�
�� Mr. Behr asked.

  I looked to Chace.

  “I’m taking it home tonight,” he said.

  “What if I drop it off at the high school for you before you get on the bus?”

  Chace’s eyes got large. “You’re serious?”

  “Come in at lunch and we’ll talk about it.”

  Chapter 3: A Lunchtime Meeting

  When there are only eighteen people in your whole class, they notice when one of your best friends doesn’t hang out with you. By lunch, everyone was talking about Will not talking to me. I was glad the egg was with Mr. Behr—I was afraid Will would say something out of spite. I should have known better, but sometimes Will could get snippy, and I never knew what he’d do.

  “Hey, Harley,” Tanner called from a table where he sat. “Come eat over here. I can be your new friend.”

  Peter and the other boys at the table laughed. I ignored them and waited for Chace to grab his lunch. Once he was through the line, we headed for the door.

  “Boys.” Claudia, the lunch lady, stopped us at the door. “You know you can’t take food out of the cafeteria.”

  “Mr. Behr wants us to see him.” Chace juggled his lunch tray to push up his glasses.

  Claudia steadied his tray.

  “Thanks,” he mumbled.

  “Go eat then,” she said. “But make sure this tray comes back here.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” We agreed and hurried past her.

  Once we were settled in the science room with the egg on the lab table, Mr. Behr asked, “What do you boys think this is?”

  Chace spoke up before I could. “When Will found it, he thought it was a stone, but I knew it was an egg.”

  I stared at my best friend, dumbfounded. I thought we were going to protect the egg, and here he was telling a teacher what we thought it was. I kicked him under the table. He glared at me, but continued talking.

  “What I don’t know is what kind of animal would lay an egg this huge.”

  “Good question, Chace.” Mr. Behr nodded. “What about you, Harley? Do you agree with Chace?”

  I looked at the egg, trying to decide what to do. We all liked Mr. Behr, but could I trust him? He waited for my answer in his relaxed manner, as if he had all the time in the world. Chace didn’t push, waiting for me to make my own decision.

  “I guess there’s no point denying it now,” I sighed. “Yeah, I agree with Chace.”

  Mr. Behr shifted his position. “Based on what you know, what animal could it be?”

  That question had been floating around my head all weekend.

  “I’ve been thinking about that.” Chace set his fork down. “The only animals I know of that can be that big are emus, ostriches, and tortoises. Tortoises probably have a smaller egg because they get bigger as they get older. Emus and ostriches aren’t this big.”

  “So, what is it?” I opened my milk and took a drink.

  Chace shrugged. “The only thing that makes any sense is something that no longer exists.”

  I wanted to look at him as if he’d grown horns, but the same thought had come to me. I hoped Mr. Behr would set us straight.

  “And what would that be, Chace?”

  I couldn’t believe our science teacher was encouraging this line of reasoning.

  “Dinosaur eggs would be this big.” Chace shoved his last bite of food into his mouth.

  “A dino?” I asked, trying to sound like I hadn’t pondered the idea as well. “How could it be?”

  “I don’t know.” Chace stood and dropped his trash into the garbage can.

  I finished my sandwich, hopped down from my chair, and walked over to the egg. Seemingly of its own accord, my hand began caressing its smooth surface. Chace and Mr. Behr joined me.

  “Boys, you’ve done an amazing job of setting out a hypothesis. Now it’s time to prove it. I could have a friend at the university test it for age and scan it for clues.”

  My mind shrank away from the suggestion. I didn’t want to hurt the egg that way. Before I could answer, Chace shook his head.

  “I don’t think so. Thanks for the offer, but. . .” he trailed off.

  Mr. Behr nodded. “I understand. Really the process couldn’t hurt the egg.”

  Unless it’s alive. The words floated through my mind unbidden. Chace laid his hand on the egg as he thought. Mr. Behr added his. We stood looking at it, trying to puzzle out the mystery. What could it be?

  While we pondered, a quiet, pulsing sound filtered into my conscious hearing. It started low, but built in intensity, until I recognized the pattern. It sounded like a heartbeat. Chace stirred beside me, but Mr. Behr held a finger to his lips and shook his head. The beating continued, calm and steady. Mr. Behr was the first to move. I had never seen his face so amazed, peaceful, and curious all at the same time.

  “Chace,” his voice cracked like a teenager’s. “I think I understand your hesitation. Are you still sure you want to take it home tonight?”

  Chace nodded. “I can’t leave it here.”

  “Okay.” Mr. Behr’s voice was back to its normal bass timbre. “Just promise me you’ll let me know if you need any help”

  We both nodded.

  Chapter 4: A Mysterious Egg

  The next morning as I ate breakfast, Professor Raleigh came into the dining room. I greeted him but made sure to take another bite so I didn’t have to talk to him; unfortunately, it didn’t work.

  “Harley, why didn’t you tell me you boys found a thunderegg this weekend?”

  I almost upset my breakfast bowl in shock. “What do you mean?”

  “I said I’d pay you for the rock if you found one, but you didn’t tell me.”

  “We didn’t find a thunderegg.” My mind raced to catch up and hopefully get a step ahead before I let something slip.

  “Now, don’t lie to me Harley. I know you and your friends found one on Saturday.”

  “But, honestly, Professor—“

  He held up a finger. “Someone who was with you told me all about it. So, before you dig yourself into a hole, why don’t you answer my question?”

  “Professor, I don’t know who you talked to, but Chace and I did not find a thunderegg.” I gathered the remains of my breakfast. “If I don’t take care of this, I’ll miss the bus.”

  I loaded my dishes into the dishwasher, grabbed my backpack, and headed out the door. When the bus came, I greeted the driver and then headed back to where Will sat. He didn’t give me any room to join him, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me. I pushed him over and thumped my bag down at my feet. He glared at me, then looked down. I must have looked as intimidating as a bull elk whose harem had been threatened.

  “Why’d you tell Professor Raleigh that we’d found a thunderegg?” My voice was just loud enough to be heard over the bus engine, but my frustration was completely evident. “What were you thinking?”

  “I found a thunderegg and you and Chace took it from me.” Will’s back stayed straight as a board despite the jolting of the bus.

  “It’s not a thunderegg!” I exclaimed. “Think about it. Have you ever heard of one to be so smooth on the outside? Besides, you felt that tap; a thunderegg doesn’t tap back.”

  “You guys aren’t going to cheat me out of that money, Harley. If you don’t want it, I’ll take it. You know how much we need it.”

  I flopped back, surprised and a little chastened. I knew money was tight for his family, but I didn’t think it was that bad!

  “Will,” I said, softer now, “what if I told you Mr. Behr agrees with us?”

  Will’s head whipped around to look at me. “Mr. Behr?”

  I nodded.

  “What about Mr. Behr?” Cherise’s voice startled me.

  I turned toward the aisle to see her pixie face resting on her hands with her elbows on her knees. Her big brown eyes looked inquisitively at us.

  “He doesn’t think the rock we found this weekend is a thunderegg.” Will glared at me, daring me to contradict him.

 
; Great. Another unknown quantity in on the secret. Knowing Cherise’s propensity for chatting, I figured it’d be better if she heard it from Mr. Behr; maybe he could convince her of the seriousness. “Why don’t you two talk to him at break?” I suggested, giving in to the inevitable. “Chace and I’ll come with you.”

  ***

  Never had the first two periods dragged by so slowly. I don’t think Will heard a single word in Language Arts or Social Studies. Every time I looked at him, he was gazing out the windows. All I could think about was the beating of the heart we had heard and felt yesterday at lunch.

  As soon as the bell rang, we bolted from our seats. I was glad Miss Smith didn’t stop us. We found Mr. Behr in his classroom.

  “What brings you all to my room on this fine spring day?” Mr. Behr relaxed with his hands folded on his belly.

  Chace shut the door and nodded to me.

  “Mr. Behr, Will was the one who found the egg, but he’s convinced it’s a thunderegg. Can you tell him why it isn’t? Oh, and Cherise wants to know, too.”

  Cherise smiled at me and turned to our math and science teacher. “What he’s trying to say is that I’m nosey, and I want to know what the boys are up to.”

  Mr. Behr’s deep, hearty laugh filled the room. “Well what they found is a very rare object. At first they thought it was a thunderegg.”

  He went on to outline how we had ruled out the possibility. When he finished, Will looked up at Mr. Behr.

  “What you’re saying is that what I found is a dinosaur egg? And not only that, but it’s living?”

  Mr. Behr nodded.

  “I think you’re all missing something,” Cherise surprised us by saying. “Why does it have to be a dinosaur egg? Why not a griffon, or a dragon, or a phoenix?”

  I stared at her, dumbstruck. “Really?”

  “Is it any more crazy than a living dinosaur?” She lowered her big innocent eyes into a direct challenge, looking at me unblinking.

  “I. . .” I closed my mouth.

  “Okay, if we assume that our legends of dragons are from dinosaurs, you may be right, Cherise, but I doubt it could be any of the other mythical creatures,” Mr. Behr said. “Chace, be careful, and let me know as soon as it hatches.”