April 9th Arthur

# Every day when you're walking down the street, everybody that you meet

# Has an original point of view

-# And I say hey!

-Hey!

-What a wonderful kind of day

# If we could learn to work and play And get along with each other

# You got to listen to your heart

# Listen to the beat Listen to the rhythm of the street

# Open your eyes, open your ears

# Get together, make things better By working together

# It's a simple message And it comes from the heart

# Oh, believe in yourself For that's the place to start

-# And I say...

-Hey!

-Hey! What a wonderful kind of day

-# If we could learn to work and play And get along with each other!

-Hey!

-# What a wonderful kind of day!

-Hey!

-# What a wonderful kind of day!

-Hey! #

'Hey, DW!'

-Hey!

-Waugh!

'I remember like it was yesterday. I was in a good mood that morning

'because the day before I'd received a postcard

'from my friend Carlos in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

'It was a beautiful day. I remember that, too.

'Just a beautiful, normal day in early spring.

'Who would have thought that this day would change so many people?'

April 9th? Oh, no!

I completely forgot. I have to cater a breakfast at Arthur's school.

-Can I go with you in the van?

-Mom! Arthur's crazy dog's staring at me!

You're eating slowly. You're teasing him.

Bye-bye, Daddy!

Have a great day.

Hey! >

SNORING

ALL TALK All right, class. I have the results of yesterday's vocabulary quiz.

Not bad overall, or should I say

passable - which was a word most of you got wrong. HE SNIFFS

What's that smell? ALARM RINGS

Children, remain calm. Form a line at the front.

OK, class, follow me. Don't run.

Stay in line,

Sue Ellen.

ALARMS RING, SIRENS WAIL

Come along, Binky.

We'll send someone around to go in the side door.

Is Mr Morris gonna be OK?

He'll be fine. He just injured his leg. He was lucky.

My dad's in there. He needs help.

My crew is looking for him.

-They're gonna get him out.

-Can I see him?

-Stop! It's not safe to go in.

My journal! Oh!

Dad!

What's going on?

There was a fire. Our classroom was badly damaged.

A fire in the school?

Aw, it's not fair!

-It'll be all right, Buster.

-The biggest event of the year happened

and I slept through the whole thing!

We were in that classroom just yesterday, and now it's all burnt.

Going to school at Mighty Mountain.

-Those kids are huge.

-I'm happy Dad got out OK. He could've been hurt.

Yep. Those flames were spreading fast.

-You saw the flames?

-No way!

-What did they look like?

-It was no big deal.

-Weren't you scared?

-Nah.

Takes more than a fire to scare me.

You must have been a little scared.

-Nope.

-Wow!

I would be, with all that black smoke and the suffocating heat.

Knock it off! I said I wasn't afraid. End of conversation.

What's gotten into him?

He usually just takes the top scoop.

SNIFFLING Why is she upset? It's a journal. >

You can buy them at any store.

-She's had it since first grade.

-I've kept a cupcake

since first grade. Well, half a cupcake. I ate some last week.

You know what? The icing was still soft.

SCREAM

AUDIENCE LAUGHTER

Here, honey. Some oatmeal cookies.

-I just baked them.

-Thanks, Mom.

'Fear not, little girl.

-'Your kitten is safe.'

-Cool! Bionic Bunny.

'Oh, thank you! I don't know what I'd have done if I'd lost Fireball.

'Hmm, Fireball. Fireball.

'Where have I heard that name before? I've got it!

'It's the name of the cat of my old arch-villain, the Hothead.

'What a coincidence. Wait!

-'That's no coincidence.

-Yeah, my long-eared friend. We meet again!'

BIONIC BUNNY GASPS

'Is it getting hot in here, or is it just you?'

Binky, I thought you might like some...

Hey! You can't pick on George. He's in MY class.

Only I can pick on him.

Thanks.

-I'd have wrapped it but I couldn't find paper that matched.

-What is it?

A new journal - with a faux velvet cover.

You seemed upset. I thought this would cheer you up.

Thanks, but I don't want it.

You don't want it? Why? This is much nicer than that ratty thing you had.

That "ratty thing" I had was filled with stuff that can't be replaced.

But thanks for the thought, Muffy.

This wasn't cheap, you know! Eight dollars! And it was on sale!

Smoke everywhere. You could hardly see your hands.

The whole wall burst into flames.

-I ran as hard as I could...

-Buster,

-what are you talking about? You weren't even there.

-Erm...OK.

I wasn't there. But these are true accounts told to me by witnesses.

-No, they aren't. Don't listen to a word. He made it all up.

-Aw, man!

What did you do that for? They were really enjoying the story.

It's not a story. It happened.

-Do you realise my dad could have been really hurt in that fire?

-Oh.

I guess I never thought of it that way. How about I just tell the part

where the firefighters used axes to chop through the doors...?

Do whatever you want. I don't care.

Mom, how come I don't feel as upset as the other kids about the fire?

It might be because you weren't actually there. It's OK, Buster.

-There's no one way you have to feel.

-I just wish I felt something.

-It takes some people longer than others to feel upset.

-Really? Days?

I hope I don't get upset tomorrow. There's a Bionic Bunny Special.

I don't know how long it'll take, but tape that special.

There's something I want you to do.

-Good night, Arthur.

-Night, Dad.

-Where's your next catering job?

-At the aquarium.

-Convention of fishermen.

-Aquarium?

-Good. I was worried it might be at another school.

-Schools are safe.

It was just some faulty wiring.

I know, but I'm still happy you're not going to a school. Good night.

-And this one's from a moray eel.

-18 stitches from that vicious cod.

I have a minnow bite.

Aye, Read. Any more of them crab cakes?

Coming right up.

SPLASH Help! Somebody!

Come on, the squid! Go, mammal!

Hey, that's my dad! Help him!

-Dad!

-Lad, I can't let you go in there.

It's too dangerous.

Oh, no.

CHIRPING Good morning,

Mr Morris. I'm Buster Baxter, and I'm here

-to see how you are.

-You a doctor?

Um...no. I'm a third-grader from Lakewood Elementary School.

They say to go easy on the sweets.

But the Crosswire kid sent me boxes of truffles. Take your coat off.

Make yourself comfortable.

Thanks, but I've gotta meet someone. I brought these.

-They're from my mom.

-Oh, OK.

-COUGHING

-Tell her, "Thanks."

Hey, I have asthma, too.

See?

Hey, I like your colour choice.

Do you also have allergies? I've got pollen, dander and peanuts.

But not chocolate, thank goodness. Here. Have as many as you like.

Mmm!

I guess I can be a little late.

Mr Morris plays the accordion and speaks Portuguese

-and worked as a dog groomer once.

-He sounds interesting.

-YAWN

-You don't sound too interested.

-Sorry, Buster. I'm just tired.

I had a nightmare last night.

Did you have pepperoni before bed?

-If I eat pepperoni, I dream penguins are after me.

-I don't believe it.

You even beat us at thumb wrestling. Best of seven.

You're going to love this one.

-I had it personalised for you.

-"Property of Sue Ellen."

-It's bound

in genuine imitation suede. Wait. Don't thank me yet.

It also comes with this stunning pen.

Thank you, Muffy.

I feel so much better now.

-A test?

-Well, at least some things never change.

FIRE ALARM RINGS

I just overheard.

-It's a false alarm.

-A false alarm?

I still haven't been through a fire.

-What rotten luck.

-That's GOOD luck.

-Not for the person who pulled the alarm.

-Someone pulled the alarm?

-Who would do a thing like that?

-Did you see those dweebs run?

What a bunch of scaredy-cats.

I was impressed with the firefighters.

Only took them three minutes and 29 seconds to get here. They're fast.

What?

-You don't think I...?

-Ahem! >

Is this your knapsack? It was found beneath the fire alarm.

"What I did was dumb. It was mean to all the Mighty Mountain kids

"who've been nice to me. I'm sorry.

"I'll never pull the fire alarm again.

-"The end."

-I'm glad you understand the seriousness.

But I admit I'm still baffled. Why did you do it?

-I don't know.

-Talk to the school counsellor.

I said I was sorry. Can't you just punish me?

Normally you'd be suspended for it.

But because of the circumstances, I have something else in mind.

Bottles and cans in the blue bags. Everything else in the green bags.

-Find any change, it's yours.

-Rimsky!

-You missed a spot!

-Which one of you is gonna help us pick this stuff up?

-Firefighters!

-How do you know them?

-I was a volunteer firefighter.

-Really? So did you ever see a fire?

Oh, yeah. Being close to flames is scary stuff.

-You know all about that.

-I don't.

-I mean, yeah, I guess I was pretty close, but I wasn't afraid.

-OK.

We're supposed to put the cans into the bag, Binky, not take them out.

Oh. Heh-heh...

'I'll never forget that day. I was grooming Cookie,

'a temperamental shih-tzu with a shot at gold.

'When all of a sudden, it happened.'

BARKING

What in tarnation...?

'There were 13 perfect circles in that cornfield -

'every one the exact same size.'

-I reckon there was only one thing that could've made them.

-Aliens?

Yep. Either that or a farmer with a tractor that only made right turns.

But I think it was the aliens.

Wow!

-Ready for another cream soda?

-OK.

I can get it. Why don't you sit?

No. I have to get used to crutches.

I'll be on them for a while.

I knew a kid with a broken leg. He got his cast off in three weeks.

Cos he was young. When you break something at my age, it's serious.

In fact, I don't think this leg is ever going to be the same.

BABY-TALK

I got the prize!

You took twice as much cereal than me. Half of that prize is mine.

Arthur, share the prize.

-I can't. It's a sticker.

-It's April 16th! Oh, no!

-The aquarium luncheon!

-Sure we can share it.

Here's YOUR half.

Dad, I don't feel well. I don't think I can go to school.

You're not that hot.

But my throat is killing me. I can barely talk.

I need some of your chicken soup.

I'll make it as soon as I get home.

What if you don't come home? What if something happens...

at the aquarium?

Arthur, nothing's going to happen to me. Why would you think...? Oh!

Are you worried because of the fire?

When I was your age, Grandma was in a car accident. She wasn't hurt.

But for weeks after I was worried whenever she set foot in a car.

'Even when she went to the store

'I was afraid she'd be in an accident.

'While I waited, I'd shoot crumpled balls of paper into the basket.

'I thought if I made more baskets than I missed, she'd be safe.'

It seemed to work. Of course, I was a pretty good shot.

One day, I forgot. She was gone for hours. I didn't shoot one basket.

-And you know what happened?

-What?

-She came home just fine.

It's my job to worry about you, Arthur. Not the other way around.

Help me bring these to the van.

"I have

"nothing to say."

Tell your readers to keep the bathrooms extra clean.

Mr Morris' leg isn't healed. I don't want him to work hard.

Sue Ellen, how does it feel to be back at Lakewood?

Great! Look what I found.

It's a llama. It's part of a postcard that was in my journal.

"Diary doomed but llama lives."

Binky, I'm running a piece on what it's like to be back. Any thoughts?

-No comment.

-Can I take a picture?

No pictures either! I'm having a bad hair day.

I like this new couch. So springy.

BINKY GASPS FOR BREATH

Binky, are you OK?

SNIFFLING

I appreciate your dedication, Binky, but shouldn't you be in school?

I can't go back there. I can't.

I keep on seeing flames and smoke and...

It's OK, Binky. I know how you feel.

-You do?

-Sure I do.

When I saw my first fire, I had trouble sleeping.

After a time I didn't feel scared.

-Why not?

-I did what we're doing - talking about it.

Don't you feel better now you've told someone how you feel?

Yeah... But I still don't want to go back to school.

I'll let them know where you are.

You can do the rounds with me. After that we'll see how you feel. Good?

-Can I operate the crusher?

-Only if you join the union.

Cake in the middle of math class? This has never happened before.

Not even a quiz on the ingredients.

Can I have a slice for Mr Morris?

Mr Morris isn't in today. He's not coming back.

Not coming back? Yes, he's retiring.

Have two slices. Save you the trip for seconds.

Careful with that one. My zydeco records are in it.

Hey, it's Buster. Come on in.

There's a couple of cream sodas in the fridge.

-Are you going on a vacation?

-You could say that - a long vacation.

-I'm moving in with my daughter in New Mexico.

-Don't you like it here?

Sure, but it's time to move on. I've always had itchy feet.

-There's a powder for that.

-Just a figure of speech.

It means you don't like to stay in one place too long.

I love living here, but I'm going to need someone to look after me.

I could do that. I'd look after you.

I appreciate it, but my daughter's better suited. There is something.

Her name's Beatrice.

My daughter never cared for it.

-I'd like to know she was in good hands.

-Wow! This is beautiful!

I'll take really good care of her.

Bring her when you visit me in New Mexico.

Roswell's down there, amigo. That's the capital of alien sightings.

PHONE RINGS 'Do you read me?

-'Come in, Arthur.'

-Hey, Buster.

-What are you doing?

-Waiting for my dad. He's catering a birthday.

-It's 9.30. How much cake can those people eat?

-He'll be fine.

-Why are you still awake?

-I was thinking about Mr Morris.

I miss him. He'd still be here if it wasn't for that stupid fire.

But you two might not be friends. You met because of that fire.

That's true. You wanna hear me play Clementine?

Phew! He's home.

Oh. You probably want to say hi to him. Well, good night.

..Wait, Buster. Why don't you play Clementine for me?

HE PLAYS "MY DARLING CLEMENTINE"

'This Friday, it will be one month since April 9th.

'So much has happened since then.

'I never want to see another fire,

'but I also never want to lose this feeling - that each day is special,

'that my friends are the best friends in the world

'and that if we stick together we can make it through anything.'