Guinea Pigs Don't Talk Read Online Free PDF Page A

to Mr. Burber's grocery store to get the secret ingredient.
    Lisa slipped out of her desk and made her way to Mrs. Flowers's desk. She knew she was pushing her luck.
    "Mrs. Flowers," she said as nicely as she could. "May I please go to the restroom?"
    Mrs. Flowers smiled. "Lisa, you're like a busy bee today." She let out a sigh. "Okay, but it's almost recess, so meet us on the playground when you're finished."
    "Thanks," Lisa said. She hurried out the door. She had five minutes to make it to the slide.

12
The Truce

    Traci was the first one at the slide.
    "Where were you?" she asked when Lisa came running up. "What's in the bag? And what's this all about?"
    "It's about our problem with Angel and Joe."
    "Oh that," Traci said. "I was thinking about it this morning. I wonder what they'll do next."
    "That's the problem," Lisa said. "They do something to us, then we do something to them. It never ends."
    "And it keeps getting worse," Traci added.
    "Well, I have a plan," Lisa said. "And if it works, the problem will be over. Hey. Here they come."
    Angel marched up to the slide. She folded her arms over her chest. "Well, what do you want?" she asked.
    "Yeah, what do you want?" Joe echoed. He stood beside Angel.
    Lisa took a deep breath. It was now or never. "Let's call a truce," she said firmly.
    "A truce?" Joe asked. "What's that?"
    "It means that we don't trick you anymore, and you don't trick us," Lisa explained. "No more revenge."
    Joe stared at Lisa and Traci. He looked at Angel, then back at Lisa. "Yeah, sure," he said. "Like we can trust you."
    Angel said nothing.
    "I mean it," Lisa said. She knew it was time. She stuck her hand in the bag and carefully pulled out the secret ingredient. She held it out for Joe. He looked at her hand as if she were holding a precious jewel.
    "Yummy Tummy Cream Cakes?" he exclaimed.
    "It's a peace offering," Lisa said. "There are two in the package. One for you, and one for Angel."
    "What'd you do to it?" Joe asked suspiciously.
    "Nothing," Lisa said. "Honest. I let Bruiser eat Angel's Yummy Tummy Cream Cake, so I'm replacing it."
    Angel still hadn't said a word.
    Joe smiled. "Maybe you're not so bad after all."
    He took the package, then turned toward Angel. "Angel, it's Yummy Tummy Cream Cakes, your favorite."
    "I see what it is," she said. Her eyes were on the creamy cakes.
    Joe ripped the package open with his teeth. He pulled out one of the creamy rolls, and bit off the end. Then he held the other roll out for Angel. She didn't move.
    Lisa held her breath. Joe had agreed to the plan. But Angel was tougher. Angel's eyes traveled from Joe to Traci to Lisa. They stopped on Lisa. It was those piercing eyes again. Lisa stared back, determined not to back down. The Yummy Tummy Cream Cake stood between them in Joe's hand. This was the moment of truth.

    Angel blinked. She took the Yummy Tummy Cream Cake.
    "Good," Lisa said. She quickly opened the second package and handed a creamy cake to Traci. "Three cheers for the truce," she said, jabbing her cake into the air. "Hip hip hooray!"
    Angel and Traci did the same. Joe held up his half-eaten cake and the four cakes touched.
    "Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray!" they yelled.
    They lowered their cakes and ate them.
    "Mmmmmmmm," Angel said with white cream oozing from her lips. "I love these."
    Lisa smiled. She was making friends. She glanced at Angel. Well, maybe not
friends.
Angel was more like a non-enemy. But that was okay. It was a start.
    Joe shoved the rest of his creamy cake into his mouth and then wiped his hands on his shorts. "Now, how did you get your voice to come out of Squeaky's cage?"
    "It's easy." Lisa smiled. "Come over to my house after school and I'll show you." She eyed Angel.
    "I'd like to see how it works," Angel said. She added quickly, "Of course I knew all along it was a trick."
    "You have to admit, it did sound like Squeaky," Joe said.
    The other three looked at him.
    "I mean
if
Squeaky could talk he would sound like