Super Turbo vs. the Pencil Pointer

by Lee Kirby

  CONTENTS

  1 A VISITOR IN CLASSROOM C

  2 THE BIG REVEAL!

  3 EMERGENCY MEETING!

  4 A POINTY PLAN

  5 SNACK ATTACK!

  6 CAFETERIA SHOWDOWN

  7 SUPERPETS VS. THE PENCIL POINTER

  8 ONE DOWN

  9 AND IT WAS ALL WORTH IT

  “HERE’S A SNEAK PEAK AT ‘DOG DETECTIVE RIDER WOOFSON’ ”

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  What is this big secret, you might ask? We’ll get to that. For now, Sunnyview Elementary School is just your typical old elementary school. And Classroom C of Sunnyview Elementary School is just your typical second-grade classroom.

  Oh sure, Turbo might look like an ordinary hamster. But remember that big secret? Well, here it is. You see, Turbo isn’t an ordinary hamster. He’s also . . . Super Turbo, the mightiest super-hamster in the entire known universe!

  But the students of Classroom C have no idea that Turbo is a super-hamster. And Turbo has to protect his secret identity. So around the kids, Turbo is just typical Turbo. That’s okay with him because being the official pet of Classroom C is a big duty and even superheroes enjoy some time off!

  The bell sounded the end of the school day. Some of the students filed past Turbo’s cage and waved to him on their way out.

  Ms. Beasley spent a few minutes gathering up her things, and then she left too. “Good night, Turbo, see you tomorrow!” she called as she shut the door behind her.

  What to do? thought Turbo. He didn’t have any plans tonight since there was no Superpet Superhero League meeting on the schedule.

  Well then, read closely! You see, Turbo wasn’t the only superhero pet in Sunnyview Elementary. The truth is, all the class pets were secretly superheroes. And as superheroes, they decided to band together as the Superpet Superhero League to stop evil in and out of the classrooms!

  Turbo thought for another moment about his plans. Suddenly, he knew what he was going to do for the rest of the night. He climbed onto his water bottle and gently lifted the top of his cage. Then he swung down from the table and scurried across the floor to the reading nook. He’d been reading a Rider Woofson adventure the past few nights and he was anxious to see how it ended.

  Turbo settled in and was leisurely reading when . . .

  CLICK!

  What was that noise?

  CREAK!

  Turbo looked toward the door. Oh no! It was opening! Which meant . . . someone was about to enter Classroom C!

  Turbo looked around for a hiding spot.

  A foot entered the classroom. Turbo dove underneath his book, hoping it would cover him.

  Then he had a horrible thought—what if whoever it was noticed that Turbo wasn’t in his cage? They’ll think I’ve been kidnapped! They’ll send out search parties!

  Turbo dared to peek out of his hiding place. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the mysterious visitor was just the school janitor. He was probably coming to empty the trash.

  But wait! He wasn’t heading for the trash! He was heading directly for Turbo’s cage!

  The janitor stood in front of Turbo’s cage. Then he opened his supply kit and pulled something out. What was it? Turbo strained his eyes but it was too far away to see.

  Suddenly there came an awful high-pitched drilling sound. It was almost as awful and high-pitched as the alarm in the cafeteria, which Turbo had set off one time in order to defeat an evil rat named Whiskerface.

  And then it was over. The janitor packed up his things and headed for the door. He flicked off the lights as he left.

  Phew! That was a close call! thought Turbo. I better get back to my cage before anyone actually notices I’m gone.

  It took Turbo a while to get back in the dark, and when he finally did, he was relieved to see that everything looked normal. But . . . if everything looked normal, then what was the janitor doing?

  Turbo opened his eyes. Sunlight was streaming in through the classroom windows. He got up, yawned, and stretched. Had last night been all a dream? Turbo looked around. On the shelf above his cage, he could see . . . something. So it hadn’t been a dream. Whatever the janitor had installed last night was up there, but Turbo sure couldn’t tell what it was.

  Was it a machine that shot out laser nets any time a kid picked his nose? Or a freeze ray if someone whispered in class? Or a top secret ghost detector? The possibilities were endless!

  Turbo was just about to climb up onto his water bottle and take a closer look when . . .

  RING-A-DING-DING!

  Students began to file into Classroom C. Turbo would have to wait until later to see what was up there.

  Ms. Beasley was making an announcement at the head of the classroom.

  Oh good, thought Turbo, she knows all about the mysterious device! She’s probably going to warn the kids to stay clear until it can be properly removed from the shelf above my hamster cage.

  “Class, I just wanted to point out,” Ms. Beasley was saying, “that we have an exciting new addition to the classroom!” She gestured toward Turbo’s cage. “A brand-new electric pencil sharpener!” she announced.

  The class oohed and aahed as if Ms. Beasley had just revealed that it was a flying chocolate-maker.

  A hand shot up. It was a girl named Meredith whom Turbo had been keeping an eye on. The word in the Superpet Superhero League was that she was a potential troublemaker.

  “Ms. Beasley, may I sharpen my pencil?” Meredith asked.

  “Yes, Meredith,” Ms. Beasley replied. “Anytime anyone needs to sharpen their pencil, they may get up and do so quietly.”

  Meredith sprang up and ran to the sharpener.

  It was awful. Turbo would have covered his ears, but with Meredith right there, all the kids would’ve probably noticed, and then they’d start asking questions, and then he’d have to reveal his secret identity, and then . . . it was too risky.

  Meredith pulled her pencil out of the sharpener and held it up. “Pointy!” she proclaimed.

  Pretty soon, the whole class had lined up to sharpen their pencils.

  Why is everyone so excited about a pencil sharpener? thought Turbo. Can’t they just chew their pencils into points, like I can?

  Turbo never got his answer. Instead, the pencil sharpening continued. NONSTOP. ALL DAY.

  Turbo sat grumpily in his cage, food pellets in his ears to block out the noise. But toward the end of the day, Turbo began to notice something. And that something was falling into his cage. It looked like his cedar chips, but it was lighter and fluffier.

  Then Turbo let out a gasp. It was pencil shavings!

  The pencil sharpener was dropping pencil shavings into Turbo’s cage! Every time a kid sharpened their pencil, a few more flakes fell down! At this rate Turbo was surely going to be buried!

  “I suppose you’re all wondering why I called this emergency meeting of the Superpet Superhero League,” said Super Turbo.

  School had let out a few hours ago. Now the class pets were gathered in their secret meeting place, the reading nook of Classroom C.

  Super Turbo brushed a few pencil shavings off his cape. “Something strange is happening in Classroom C,” he continued.

  “That’s funny,” said a parakeet named Clever, who was also known as the Green Winger. “Something strange is happening in Classroom D as well!”

  “Weird,” said Leo, the official pet of Classroom A, also known as the Great Gecko. “I was going to report strange happenings in my classroom as well!”

  “Me too!” exclaimed Angelina the guinea pig, who also known as Wonder Pig. She was the official pet of Classroom B.

  “This . . . is . . . mysterious . . . ,” Warren said as
slowly as you’d expect a turtle to speak. He was the class pet of the science lab, and he was also known as Professor Turtle.

  “What’s going on?” asked Nell from within the water-filled Turbomobile that served as her home when she wasn’t in her fish tank. She was also known as Fantastic Fish.

  “Hmm . . . ,” said Frank, also known as Boss Bunny. He was the official pet of the principal’s office. “And you’re telling me this happened in every classroom last night?”

  The Green Winger, Wonder Pig, and the Great Gecko all nodded.

  “How could the janitor be so careless?” asked Super Turbo.

  “What if . . . ,” began Boss Bunny, “what if the janitor wasn’t being careless?”

  “Hold on. Who—or what—is the Pencil Pointer?” asked Fantastic Fish, scratching her head with her fin.

  “I think you’d better come with me,” said Boss Bunny darkly. “There’s something you all need to see.”

  The superpets followed Boss Bunny to the vent in Classroom C.

  Using her super-pig strength, Wonder Pig removed the vent cover and the animals filed inside.

  When the Superpet Superhero League had formed, they’d decided that the best way to travel in secret was to use the vent system. It was also their way of communicating. Each pet had an object that they hid just inside the vent in their classroom. They’d tap it on the vent floor, and the sound would echo throughout the whole system. Turbo’s object was that ruler right there.

  Being a guinea pig, Wonder Pig not only had strength, but also super maze-running abilities. The superpets followed her as she raced through the vents. She popped out into each classroom to make sure that, yes, the Pencil Pointer had indeed struck each and every one!

  Now the Superpets climbed out of the vent that led into Principal Baxter Brickford’s office.

  “It’s over here,” said Boss Bunny, taking the lead. “On Principal Brickford’s desk.” He led all the animals to a yellow notepad.

  “Boss Bunny, you’re sounding a little like our old enemy Whiskerface,” said Fantastic Fish. “How does installing a pencil sharpener in each classroom help the Pencil Pointer take over the school?”

  “Excellent question!” said Boss Bunny. “First, have you noticed how the kids are mesmerized by these pencil sharpeners?”

  “Yes!” exclaimed Super Turbo. “Is it mind control?”

  “It very well could be, Super Turbo,” said Boss Bunny. “These kids keep sharpening and sharpening and SHARPENING their pencils—”

  The Great Gecko snapped his fingers. “Until we’re all buried beneath a mountain of pencil shavings!”

  “And then there are no superpets to protect the school!” cried Wonder Pig with a gasp.

  “Exactly,” replied Boss Bunny. “We can’t expect the kids and teachers to understand the danger they’re in. And with no superpets around, the Pencil Pointer will easily take control of Sunnyview Elementary School!”

  “But who is the Pencil Pointer?” asked Wonder Pig, scratching her head. “Is it Principal Brickford?”

  “It can’t be,” said the Green Winger, pointing at the drawings of Boss Bunny. “The Pencil Pointer wants to get rid of the school pets, and Principal Brickford clearly loves Frank.”

  Boss Bunny giggled with delight, then got serious. “It must be someone above Principal Brickford! Someone who hates cute, fuzzy animals!”

  The Great Gecko leaned forward. “What does it say there toward the bottom of the map?”

  Super Turbo adjusted his goggles. “It says ‘trial in cafeteria.’ ”

  “Well . . . that’s . . . mysterious” said Professor Turtle.

  “Are you guys thinking what I’m thinking?” asked Wonder Pig.

  The Superpet Superhero League arrived at the school cafeteria.

  “I know we came here for snacks, but maybe we’ll find some clues about this mysterious Pencil Pointer too,” said Turbo.

  “And maybe we’ll find some nacho cheese potato chips!” said Wonder Pig, licking her lips.

  “And some gummy worms!” said the Green Winger. “Way better than real worms!” she added. “Believe me, I would know!”

  In the pantry the Great Gecko used his sticky hands and feet and his super climbing power to scale the side of the cabinet where the snacks were kept.

  The superpets looked around. The Great Gecko was right. The snack cupboard was completely bare!

  “Maybe check the fridge?” called out Fantastic Fish.

  “Good idea!” yelled the Great Gecko. He scurried over to the fridge.

  Suddenly the superpets heard a loud whistle. They whirled around.

  Slowly, creeping out from the shadows, stepped . . .

  “What—what do you have there?” Fantastic Fish stammered, practically drooling with hunger.

  “Oh, this?” asked Whiskerface, stroking his long whiskers. “This is just a bag of incredibly delicious nacho cheese potato chips. The last bag of incredibly delicious nacho cheese potato chips in the whole school. And maybe even in the whole world!”

  Whiskerface paced back and forth, showing off his goods. “You superpests shouldn’t even bother looking for the good snacks. My Rat Packers cleaned out the whole cupboard!” He laughed his evil squeaky laugh.

  “I can’t . . . believe . . . it!” said Professor Turtle. “Whiskerface . . . is the . . . Pencil Pointer!”

  “But now you’ve taken our snacks!” said Wonder Pig, cracking her knuckles. “Now you’ve gone too far!”

  Whiskerface stood there blinking his beady eyes. “Yeah, sure, I’m totally the, uh, Pointy Pencil guy. You got me.”

  “Wait, guys!” cried Super Turbo, leaping forward. “Remember what it said on the map? ‘Trial in cafeteria’?”

  “Yeah . . . that surely was . . . mysterious,” said Professor Turtle.

  “I don’t know what you pooperpets are talking about,” said Whiskerface. “But I think you’re all crazy.” He started to back away. “You’ve not heard the last of the Pinky Pusher!” he cried as he dove through the hole in the wall that led to his lair.

  The superpets approached the bag of potato chips Whiskerface had left behind.

  “Is there anything in there?” asked Super Turbo. “Are they . . . ”

  Professor Turtle looked up sadly. “Gone.”

  With a sob, Boss Bunny threw himself onto his belly, shoveling pawfuls of potato chip dust into his mouth.

  Wonder Pig and the Great Gecko grabbed him by the arms and dragged him away. “It’s okay, Boss Bunny. Let it go. Just let it go.”

  Super Turbo clenched his fists. Whoever this Pencil Pointer was, he was going to pay!

  The superpets sadly made their way back to Classroom C. Super Turbo was pretty sure he could even hear Boss Bunny sniffling a little.

  As the pets exited the vent into the classroom, Super Turbo looked up at the pencil sharpener. It was just sitting there, above his cage. Staring at him. It almost looked like it was . . . smiling?

  Using every last bit of his super-hamster speed, Super Turbo bounded up to his cage. With a mighty leap, he practically flew up to the shelf where the pencil sharpener was bolted. But he didn’t have enough strength to pull himself up! He was starting to lose his grip!

  “Come on, guys!” shouted the Great Gecko, springing into action. “We have to get up there and help Super Turbo!” Then he looked around. “Well, those of us who can actually get up there.”

  The Great Gecko scampered up the wall while the Green Winger flew over to the shelf. The other animals cheered them on from below.

  They each grabbed one of Super Turbo’s arms and pulled him onto the shelf. Together, the trio tried to knock the pencil sharpener out of place.

  “It’s bolted down tight!” grunted Super Turbo. “We need more force!”

  Super Turbo, Wonder Pig, and the Great Gecko made their way down from the shelf. Then they lay on the floor, exhausted. They had defeated the pencil sharpener, but it had taken everything they had. And there were st
ill plenty more sharpeners out there!

  Fantastic Fish, Boss Bunny, Professor Turtle, and the Green Winger came over to check on them.

  “Are you all right?” Fantastic Fish asked Super Turbo.

  Super Turbo gave a thumbs-up. The Great Gecko managed to nod. And the Green Winger waved a wing.

  “Good,” said Fantastic Fish. “You guys really sent that pencil sharpener flying!”

  “It was . . . awesome!” Professor Turtle cried.

  “Nice work,” Boss Bunny agreed.

  “Definitely,” said the Green Winger. “But we should probably go make sure nothing got broken.”

  The superpets made their way over to the reading nook, where the pencil sharpener had landed.

  “Looks like the pencil sharpener is still in one piece,” noted Fantastic Fish.

  Super Turbo nodded. A few books had gotten knocked over and there were pencil shavings scattered about, but there was no other damage.

  Then Super Turbo noticed something else. It was a piece of paper that seemed to have fallen onto the floor.

  Super Turbo looked down at the drawing. He suddenly felt really guilty. The kids of Classroom C had been so excited about the pencil sharpener.