CHAPTER 2

They say that sometimes when it's so quiet you can hear a pin drop and it'll sound like a blaring horn of a train.

This was indeed true.

The pin in Keesha's hair dropped to the ground with a clang. The Walkerville class sat closer to the back while the Third Street gang sat in the front. They didn't speak to one another or to each other. They just stared. Well, with the exceptions of the awkward introductions but after that, silence. The only audible sound was Ms. Frizzle humming above the roar of the bus as it chugged down the street in the direction of Third Street School. However, when Keesha's pin dropped, Spinelli was quick to return it to her.

And if that wasn't the straw that broke the camel's back.

The two groups meshed together immediately. Ralphie, Carlos, and TJ took a liking to each other, Wanda and Spinelli had a mutual love of being fierce, Arnold and Gus both had a fear factor they were glad to share, D.A., Gretchen, and Keesha were all exceptionally intelligent girls, Phoebe and Mikey both had huge hearts, and Tim and Vince bonded after Tim sketched Vince in an epic basketball pose. They were bonding very quickly, as their personalities were diverse but could be matched into so many different friendships. Tim and Spinelli both enjoyed art and Carlos and Gretchen had a sense of humor that they both enjoyed. So when the bus screeched to a halt in front of the deserted playground, a dark despair filled their hearts.

"I guess it's time to say goodbye," Wanda sadly stated.

"Yeah...guess so…" Mikey replied.

"Who said anything about goodbyes?" Ms. Frizzle asked with extra pep in her step. "We are going to march in there and demand a field trip!" she declared. The bus erupted in cheers until Keesha hollered.

"Hold it!"

"Ms. Frizzle, can we talk in private?" she requested. "Now."

Keesha made her way to the front.

Keesha whispered.

Ms. Frizzle whispered back.

Keesha whispered some more.

So did Ms. Frizzle.

Keesha whispered again.

Ms. Frizzle snorted and then whispered more.

And then their huddle closed.

Keesha cleared her throat. "Who's up for a field trip?" The bus erupted into cheers yet again.

However, a snitch was lurking. A snitch with a blue shirt and gross hair. He chuckled evilly and then dashed into the building. His shoes clicked as he breezed down the hallway, the flaps of his backpack soaring behind him.

"Ms. Finster! Ms. Finster! Ms. Finster!"

He ran faster as he made a right turn onto the hallway the classroom was in.

"Good morning, miscreants, welcome to a new da-"

"MS. FINSTER!"

Ms. Finster slowly turned to the doorway, staring at the panting snitch. "What is it, Randall? I haven't even been able to sit down at my-"

"-no time for sitting!" Randall said, grabbing her hand and sprinting down the hallway with her.

"Randall, what has gotten into you?" Ms. Finster demanded.

They turned the corner and there was Spinelli, Mikey, TJ, Vince, Gus, and Gretchen and eight more kids and an adult Ms. Finster had never seen before.

"This is what I was trying to tell you! They're trying to sneak off on an unauthorized field trip with this strange adult!" Randall sneered.

Ms. Frizzle chuckled. "I'm flattered you think so," Ms. Frizzle said.

"Listen here, I don't know who you are but no one insults the Friz like that!" Wanda growled, slowly moving forward.

"It's not worth it, Wan," Spinelli told her, holding her back.

"Excuse me, but who are you?" Ms. Finster demanded.

"My name is Valerie Frizzle. I am from Walkerville Elementary in the next town over. I ran into your students in a haste to get to school and I couldn't resist myself from giving them a ride. If it isn't too much trouble, I'd love to take them on a field trip," Ms. Frizzle explained.

"Oh no you don't! I know all about you and your vanishing class. You disappear for the entire school day and then return in a puff of smoke like magic!" The Walkerville class looked away in nervousness. However, Ms. Frizzle remained calm.

"You see, I take my students on wonderful field trips to learn about science in our school bus. I'm sure it's not too much trouble if yours tag along."

"Oh no you don't!" Ms. Finster repeated. "Unauthorized field trips will not be tolerated." Ms. Finster argued.

"I gave out permission slips at the beginning of the year for my students. And I emailed your students' parents. Surely this should not hold us back."

"Oh no you don't!" Ms. Finster said for the third time. "You're technically trespassing and not allowed to be here without a visitor's pass. I'm going to have to ask you and your students to leave the premises or else I'll have to get the principal and security involved," Ms. Finster said, crossing her arms. Randall chuckled from behind her leg. TJ shot him a glare.

"You see, this is what I mean, you guys! Why is Ms. Finster such a lousy person? What makes her that way?" he angrily asked.

"Why I oughta-"

"We went over this already, TJ. It's because of her deoxyribonucleic acid," Gretchen responded.

"Yeah, her deoxy-tectonic acid, yeah, yeah. I still think there's more to it. I mean, what about Randall? He's a scumbag, too!"

"Hey!"

"There's no need for profanity insanity, TJ. Why don't we scope out the area for ourselves?" Ms. Frizzle asked with a smirk.

"Oh no! I know that look!" Arnold said.

"What? What's wrong with that look?" Gus asked.

Ms. Frizzle pulled out her Mega Magnifier and zoomed into Ms. Finster's hair and then did the same for Randall. "The perfect place for the investigation!" she declared.

"What investigation? What are you planning, Frizzle?" Finster demanded. Ms. Frizzle placed the Mega Magnifier back in her purse and snapped her fingers. As she did, a bright flash of light that faded as quickly as it appeared changed her dress. It became blue with double helix swirls on her sleeves, hem, and torso. Her earrings and the little ornaments on her shoes became a cell.

"Class, I have an appetition for an investigation!" she beamed. "Liz, go warm up the bus."

"Oh, no. I know what 'warm up the bus' means, too!"

"Me too!" Carlos added.

"Me three!" Phoebe excitedly squealed.

"What? What does it mean?" Gus impatiently asked.

Arnold gripped his shirt by the collar. "It means…"

"FIELD TRIP!"

The Frizzle class quickly ran out of the hallway, going back in the direction they came to board the bus.

"Let's go!" TJ said, quickly chasing after them.

"Yeah, I don't know about you guys, but they seem pretty excited. I'm not missing this," Vince said, following TJ. The gang left, only Gretchen remaining. Finster gave her a look.

"Sorry, Ms. Finster, but I cannot miss this!"

She ran off too.

"No! You hooligans get back here!" Ms. Finster shouted. Then she turned on Frizzle. "You're going to pay for this!"

"Pay for what? Educating your students? I think I should get payed," Ms. Frizzle replied and then chuckled, chasing after the group of students that had just run out. Ms. Finster chased after her, shouting, Randall following Ms. Finster.

Ms. Frizzle quickly slipped into the driver's seat, Liz jumping from the dashboard onto her shoulder.

"Seatbelts, everyone!"

The clicks of seatbelts filled the bus, alongside the quiet purr of the engine. "Now, for our pros, you know what to expect, but for our newcomers, and Arnold, if you feel the need to vomit at any time, please use the barf bags provided in front of you and dispose of them in the glowing red bin at the back of the bus. Thank you." Ms. Frizzle pressed a blue button on the dashboard and the back of the seats opened a compartment and thrust out a barf bag for each of the Third Street kids and Arnold.

"Uh, why is she giving us barf bags?" Gus asked Arnold.

"Trust us, you're gonna need it!" D.A. excitedly told the six newcomers.

"It's gonna be wild!" Wanda said, cheering as she imagined she was on a rollercoaster, her hands in the air.

Ms. Frizzle gripped the red lever in front of her.

"Bus, do your stuff!"

She cranked it down.

Ms. Finster and Randall exited the school just in time to see the bus that was originally on the street, parked on the playground. They watched it as it honked, echoing, and then ascended into the air before swirling into a giant yellow vortex. They couldn't believe it. Flashes of color beamed before their eyes as the vortex slowed to a stop and the bus was gone.