The Vikings easily spot the hiding place. The catapult launches the soldiers into the air, and they land on the top of the TV by Alex and Frankie’s heads.
In seconds, the Vikings are shooting arrows—with twine attached—up and over the hanging lights. They begin swinging at the boys’ heads. Whoosh! They kick them in the ears and thump their foreheads with metal shields.
The boys duck and swat at the tiny Vikings, their fists cracking against the armor with each pass. Thwack!
The Vikings are not deterred. The archers step close and launch flaming arrows into the air. They land at all different points on Alex’s and Frankie’s clothes, erupting in pockets of smoke.
“I’m on fire!” the twins screech. They bat at each other, trying to put out the flames, which have set off the squeal of the smoke detector overhead.
With the guys otherwise occupied, Lenora and I hurry to Tiny T. We try to lift the raccoon cage, but it’s too heavy, and T keeps swiping at us through the grate.
At that moment, Snake manages to free an arm from the scrawny Viking trying to bind his hands. But with his ankles tied together, he has nowhere to go. Snake begins to topple over and reaches out, pulling Lenora down with him. She smacks her knees down on the floor.
“Ow!” Lenora tries to wriggle free of Snake’s grip. “Let go of me!”
I jump up to help her, but my shirt gets caught on the corner of the cage. “Thor, help!” I yell, trying to yank free.
Thor has had enough. The Vikings recapture Snake’s arm with their ropes, and Thor climbs up onto the bully’s chest. A lightning bolt zaps the carpet by Snake’s head.
Thor raises his hammer, ready to smack Snake across the nose. “Unhand her at once, you serpent demon!”
Snake’s eyes go wide, and he finally lets go.
I twist my shirt loose and rush over to pull Lenora up. “You okay?”
Lenora nods and brushes her knees off. “Thanks. You too, Thor.”
Thor’s face is as red as Lenora’s hair—no one messes with his lady. He bows deeply while the rest of the Vikings finish tying up Snake and the boys.
Lenora and I turn back to the cage, and I reach to open the door.
“Don’t open it!” Lenora cries in unison with the guys.
“No, it’s fine. He’s tame. You okay, boy?” I reach in to pet Tiny T, but he lunges and hisses at me. I pull my hand away in time and snap the door closed.
“Tame?” Snake laughs. “You’re delusional.”
“That thing wanted to claw my eyeballs out,” Frankie shouts.
“Yeah, good riddance,” Alex adds.
I slowly open the cage door and extend my hand again. “It’s okay, buddy. It’s me.”
Tiny T sniffs hesitantly. Then he rushes out and lunges at me.
Lenora screams, and the boys’ eyes go wide. “He’s gonna eat Hyper!” Frankie yells.
T jumps onto my lap, and for a second it seems he might chow my face, but instead he rubs his forehead against my chin.
Snake momentarily stops his thrashing on the ground to watch while T licks my face and cuddles. Alex and Frankie drop their jaws.
“The T. rex is, like, hugging him!” Alex exclaims.
“How come he didn’t do that with us?” Frankie whines. “Lucky!”
The Vikings finish pinning Snake’s arms and legs, and Thor stands on his chest, triumphant. “We have subdued the giant serpent disguised as a boy, along with his lackeys.”
“Get him off me!” Snake shouts. “Let me up.”
“Not a chance.” I set Tiny T down beside me and stand up. “Thor, are they secure?”
Tiny T saunters slowly over to where Snake lies and bares his fangs. Dino drool drips onto Snake’s forehead.
“Get it away!” Snake screeches. “He’s going to eat me!”
I laugh and let Snake squirm for a second before hoisting T up.
Thor does a quick walk around the boys, kicking at the ropes. “All good, ogre.”
“Okay. The men can go home.”
Lenora takes the magic pouch out of the gym bag, and Thor lifts open its edge. One by one, the Vikings crawl back into the pouch, dragging their catapult and weapons with them.
“Fine job. Thank you, soldier. You did well.” Thor pats each of them on the back as they go in. But he stops the little scrawny one, the one who allowed Snake’s arm to get free. “You mustn’t let your mind wander in battle. Your slight caused my lady harm.”
The tiny Viking bows his head. “Her hair,” he says. “I was entranced. She is a goddess of epic proportions.”
Thor scowls. “Never mind her hair.” The tiny Viking trembles, and Thor eases up. “But you are correct. It is easy to lose oneself in her beauty. Carry on.” Thor ushers him in as Lenora blushes. I shake my head.
“Dude!” Snake pleads. “We were just joking. Come on.”
“Yeah, this is nuts. Untie us,” Alex says.
I ignore them and bend down by the magic pouch, holding Tiny T in my arms. “How about you, buddy? You ready to go back to the other world?”
Thor holds the pouch open, looking hopeful. I’m not sure what I expect, since T would hardly fit in there now anyway, but he doesn’t make a move.
I sigh. “Okay. Well, I gotta at least put you in this gym bag. Just for a little while.”
T struggles at first but settles down when Thor hops in with him.
“You can’t just leave us here all tied like this!” Snake shouts.
“Yeah, I can,” I say. “Good luck explaining it to your parents. And if you try to blame it on me, I’ll use my magic to fill your room with spiders.”
I wouldn’t. But they don’t know that.
Lenora and I hoist up the much heavier gym bag and start to walk out.
“But we’re friends, man. Friends play jokes on each other. We’re even now. You know, for the basketball,” Snake says.
I stop and turn. Not long ago, I would’ve died to hear Snake say those words. Now I know better.
“That’s funny for three reasons,” I say. “One: I never meant to hurt you. I didn’t space out during basketball to be mean. I have ADHD, and sometimes I can’t help stuff. The stuff you do to me—it’s mean. Plain old mean. Two: Alex was right yesterday. We’re actually not friends. Not at all. And three: Lenora’s right too. Next time, try catching the ball yourself—with your hands instead of your face.”
Alex and Frankie snort, and Snake shouts, “If you walk out of here, we’ll never talk to you ever again! You’ll have no friends!”
“I don’t want friends like you.” I smile at Lenora. “I want friends like her. She’s way better than all of you combined.”
SATURDAY—BACK AT MOM’S HOUSE
Ned drives us back to my house and drops us off. When Lenora and I walk in, Mom is basically in the same spot I left her before, munching chips and watching sappy shows. She sits up. “You’re back again? Is everything okay?”
“Long story. Mom, this is Lenora. She’s a friend from school.”
Lenora smiles and waves at Mom. Then we walk straight past, carrying the heavy gym bag, as Mom scrunches the potato chips closed and stands up. We have to move quickly. All we need is for Tiny T to start thrashing and catch Mom’s attention.
“Wait. Are you sleeping here or Dad’s tonight?” Helicopter launching, stand clear.
“Sleeping here.” Lenora and I leave the room.
“He could’ve called. Why the change? And what are you two doing with that bag?” Mom calls after us. “Have you eaten?”
“It’s for a school project!” I call back down the hall. Hopefully the mention of school, combined with Mom’s sappy shows, will keep her distracted.
Lenora and I bolt into my room, close the door, and set the gym bag on my sizzled baseball carpet. Thor calls out from inside the gym bag: “May we
be relieved of this aromatic cloth carriage now?”
I unzip it, and he pokes his head out.
“Thanks for your help, Thor. We couldn’t have done it without you,” Lenora says.
“My lady, is the sun shining brighter in the kingdom today, or am I mistaking the glow for the beauty emanating from your hair, the color of warm embers?”
“Gotta love this guy.” Lenora smooths her apparently ember-colored hair. “Here, let me help you out.” She reaches in to lift him out of the bag, and his rugged face turns a little pink.
“What about T?” I tug the side of the opening.
“He isn’t well,” Thor says. “He barely moved during transport. I believe the stress from his captivity with the serpent ogres may have taken his last bit of strength.”
I reach in and pet Tiny T’s side. He’s cool to the touch and taking shallow breaths.
Lenora peeks over my shoulder. “T doesn’t look so good.”
“Without proper dragon sustenance, he is not long for this world. He must return to the Other Realm forthwith,” Thor says.
My stomach squeezes. It’s my fault T is here, basically starving, despite the piles of deli meat. He doesn’t deserve to die. I lift him out of the pouch. He’s limp and heavy.
“Thor is right. He needs real dinosaur food. We have to send him back right away.”
T’s chest rises and falls quickly. I stroke his leathery skin. I never meant for this to happen. He looks so weak. It reminds me of the day Gram’s dog died. He could only lie there, breathing heavily, as we petted his wiry fur and told him it would be okay—until he took his last breath. I don’t want that to happen to Tiny T.
“I’m sorry, little guy. I’ll try to send you home.”
Lenora kneels by me and places her hand next to mine on T’s side. He lets out a small groan, and she flinches. T tries to lift his head, but he doesn’t have the strength.
“Please don’t die,” she says.
“I’ve got to do this fast. I hope it works.” I reach for my sketchpad and pencils and begin drawing. Lenora sits cross-legged, holding the magic pouch in her lap, stroking Tiny T’s head. She has tears in her eyes.
Thor climbs up onto her and sits down on her thigh. “What is the ogre doing?” Thor asks.
“His talent,” Lenora replies.
I draw and erase and draw some more for nearly ten minutes. I draw exactly what I want to have happen: Tiny T putting his leg in the pouch. I put on the final touches, tear the drawing off the sketchpad, and hand it to Lenora.
“What do you think?” I ask, tapping the pencil against my leg.
“It’s super good,” she replies. “Let’s just hope that once T sticks his toe in the pouch, the rest of him will follow.”
I take the pouch in my hand. After a good, hard look at my drawing, I toss the pouch to the center of my room—before Vacation Brain has a chance to make five more Tiny T friends to gobble us all up.
T is still flat on his back. Nothing happens.
“It’s not working.” I jiggle my knees.
“Maybe he just doesn’t have the energy,” Lenora suggests.
I tap my sketchpad on my knee like a drum. “Come on, T. You gotta get up.”
Maybe I have to draw a Tiny T energy drink… coffee or something. I chew on the end of my pencil, thinking, when the headless men suddenly stand at attention and begin marching in formation. Tiny T lifts his head, then his body, and then, finally, he stands.
“Ah, the beast has arisen!” Thor says.
Lenora leaps up on the bed and starts jumping. “Come on, T! You’ve got this!”
Tiny T roars a tiny dinosaur roar and clambers past me toward the pouch on the floor. My heart pulses in my neck.
“The ogre’s artistic strength appears satisfactory to the task!” Thor exclaims.
“Go, T!” Lenora cheers him on.
At the sound of her voice, T stops and cocks his head in that cute way—well, okay, it was cute when he was the size of a squirrel.
“Crud.” Lenora’s voice is squeaky high. “Shoo, T. Keep going.”
Thor holds his mallet at the ready. I get up and position myself between Lenora and Tiny T—just in case.
“Time to go home, T. Thanks for being such a cool dinosaur. I know what you came here to teach me, okay? Not just about magic… but that I’m not only about the trouble I get into. That I have positives too. Like the imagination that brought you here in the first place. And the curiosity to figure out how to send you home. And the creativity to draw it right.”
I look at Lenora. “And what a friend looks like. Even if you had to eat half my room before I figured it out.”
Just then, Mom knocks on the door. “West? What was that sound? Did you bring an animal in that bag?”
T hears her voice and turns toward the door. He swishes his tail and takes a lumbering step back toward the center of the room.
“Don’t come in, Mom!”
“I know I promised, but that sounded like a—” Mom starts to open the door.
“Go, quick!” I yell, waving my arms.
There’s no way this is going to work. T is like a bulldog trying to get into a lady’s purse. Mom is going to see him, and I’m pretty sure if she knows I’m magicking up dinosaurs in my bedroom, my newly mastered magic pouch will get a permanent time-out.
But then T tucks his foot into the pouch, and just as Mom enters the room…
He’s gone.
Lenora is on my bed, I’m in front of her, both our mouths open wide enough to catch flies. Thor hides behind Lenora’s leg, and the army men freeze in place.
Mom stands with her hands on her hips and surveys my room. “Westin Scott Hopper—your room! What happened to your carpet? And your desk?” She walks over to the desk, charred from Thor’s lightning bolts, and runs her finger along the marks.
“I’m… not done cleaning?” I say, still in shock.
“Not done?” Mom is furious. “You haven’t even started! Considering you’re being accused of arson and there are burn marks everywhere, playtime with your friend is over. You can spend the rest of the day cleaning this room, and it had better be done by morning. Lenora, can you get your mom to pick you up?”
Lenora shrugs. “Mom died. But my dad can come get me.”
“Oh.” Mom’s face falls. “You’re that friend? I’m so sorry. I guess… you can stay a little longer.” She turns on her heels and walks to the door.
Whoa, I don’t think I’ve ever seen the copter decelerate that fast. But then she revs it up for one last flyover.
“But clean this up, West. Immediately. I mean it. Clothes put away, bed made, nothing on the floor.” She leaves without shutting the door.
I walk to the pouch and stand over it. “He’s gone,” I say in quiet disbelief.
Lenora stays on the bed, next to Thor. “Yeah, it worked. Whaddaya know?”
I look over at her. “Did you really just use the ‘my mom died’ card to keep me out of trouble?”
Lenora smirks. “Yeah. I know how to sacrifice for friends.”
I raise a brow.
Thor bends at the waist, bowing to Lenora. “My lady, I deeply regret the loss of your mother. I do not feel right returning to the Other Realm if you are grieving.”
Lenora kneels. “I need to take care of this one myself, Thor.” She glances at me. “It’s time to talk to my dad. About my mom.” She looks back at Thor. “But you’ve been very good to me, and I appreciate your concern.”
Thor bows. “I would climb a mountain of fire for you, my lady.”
“I’m sure.” She sits up. “West, do you have scissors?”
“Sure.” I grab a pair from my desk. “What for?”
Lenora clasps a long lock of hair at the nape of her neck and clips. “A gift.” She hands it to Thor. It’s t
wice as long as he is.
Thor takes an end and falls to one knee. “My lady, this will make the finest cord once braided. And with it, I shall scale the tallest fortress, lasso the finest steed, pull the richest treasure from the sea. And I shall have you with me, always.”
Lenora giggles. “Here, I’ll help you braid it.”
Thor holds one end while Lenora braids, and I sit on my floor to sketch: Thor, walking into the pouch, holding a cord of red, braided hair, followed in a line by an army of headless green men.
And since I figure it’s okay to use magic to clean up a mess that magic—mostly—made, in the background, my room is spotless. The charred marks on my rug and desk are gone. My clothes are hung perfectly in my closet, un-torn by T. rex claws.
Lenora wraps the braid around and around and fastens it to Thor’s belt. I hold up the drawing when I’m done. “Guess it’s time for you guys to go too,” I say.
Thor bows to Lenora, climbs off the bed, marches to my side, and punches me in the arm.
Ouch. That actually hurt.
“Ogre.” Thor nods.
“Thor,” I reply. “Thanks. For babysitting my dinosaur this week. And you know, battling the serpent ogres. And stuff.”
“You are most welcome for all the stuff, ogre.” Thor winks and lifts his hand in the air. I high-five his little palm.
With his other hand, Thor raises his mallet. “Ogre, while you have failed, as anticipated, to achieve a warrior’s physical strength, your ability to rescue the dragon with your creative wit, courage, and flair with the pen is a strength not to be denied. I am proud to count such an ugly ogre among my companions.” He sighs. “Although never among my soldiers. Truly pathetic, indeed.”
With that, Thor walks to the pouch’s edge, followed by a line of headless army men, just like I drew. He kneels and looks to Lenora.
“My lady. It has been an honor serving you. The memory of the spark in your eye and the flame of your hair will warm my dark nights.” Thor stands and circles his hammer one last time. “Fare thee well. May your heart find happiness. And may you always be wary of sweet-talking ogres in ugly dresses.”
In a flash as quick as lightning, Thor and the men disappear into the pouch. In the same blink, my room is clean. Bed made, books put away, clothes hung, untattered. Even the char marks are gone.
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