Ferbert Flembuzzle's
Most Exotic Zoo

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“Today is going to be the best day of my life,” Sophia announced on the first day of school, “but I’m a little nervous.”

 

She and Ferbert sat at the breakfast table in the kitchen with Sophia shoveling spoonful after spoonful of cereal into her mouth and Ferbert reading the paper while eating toast.

 

“What could a girl as amazing as you be nervous about?” Ferbert’s stomach twisted in knots as he thought about the past that Sophia had forgotten.

 

“I’ve never played with other kids. What if they don’t like me?”

 

Ferbert stopped eating and looked at his daughter with a loving smile. “Sophia, those other kids would be fools not to like you. Just remember that, sometimes, people don’t see amazing things right away and often need a little time.” He looked at his watch. “Oh, speaking of time, we need to get you out the door!”

 

She shoved the last two scoops of cereal into her mouth and slurped down the milk before jumping up from the table, grabbing her backpack, and running for the front door. She was halfway through the door when she froze.

 

“I forgot something,” she announced as she turned around and ran toward Ferbert. Sophia jumped into his arms and hugged him, and he pulled her in tightly and returned the hug.

 

“Thank you so much, Dad,” she gushed.

 

“You’d best get going if you’re going to get to school on time.” Ferbert loosened his hug. “No matter how things go today, remember that I love you.”

 

“How could I ever forget?” Sophia turned and ran out the door.

 

She sprinted the whole way to school and arrived ten minutes before class was to begin. Kids ran around the field and played on the playground. At the far end of the field, a girl who looked to be Sophia’s age tried to climb a tree without much success. Sophia ran to the young girl.

 

“Do you need some help?” she asked. “I’m really good at climbing trees.”

 

The girl was smaller than Sophia, and her short, strawberry blonde hair extended just below her jaw with a slight curl at the ends. She turned around with tears rushing from her eyes, over her freckled cheeks, and to the edges of her quivering lips.

 

“One of the big kids threw my backpack in the tree,” she whimpered, “but I can’t climb trees.”

 

“I’ll help.” Sophia didn’t wait and started climbing, swinging and jumping from branch to branch until she reached a baby blue backpack tangled in the branches. She carefully freed it of the tree’s grasp and threw it over her shoulder, climbed down as easily as she climbed up, and handed the backpack to the young girl.

 

“That was amazing!” the girl screamed with delight.

 

“Nothing to it,” Sophia smiled.

 

“I’m Bailey Cottonwood. What’s your name?”

 

“I’m Sophia Fl—” A loud, ringing bell interrupted her.

 

“That means class is about to start,” Bailey said. “Let’s hurry so we can sit together.” She grabbed Sophia by the hand and the two ran to their classroom. Bailey moved through the halls as if she had lived in the school her whole life and Sophia struggled to keep up. When they entered the room, Bailey looked around until she found two empty desks next to one another. “Hah, right up front. It’ll be perfect!” Bailey exclaimed.

 

As they took their seats, Sophia felt as though she was going to burst with joy. Class hadn’t even started and she already had a friend. She had not expected it to be so easy.

 

When everyone was seated, a woman wearing a plain dress with her hair pulled back in a bun walked to the front of the classroom. She planted her feet in front of Sophia and cleared her throat.

 

“I’m Mrs. Blantly, and I’ll be your teacher this year,” she announced. “Each day, I will call role. When I call your name, please say here and raise your hand.” Mrs. Blantly put on her reading glasses, looked at her clipboard, and started calling out names in alphabetical order.

 

“Theodore Abbott?”

 

“Here,” a dark-haired boy with thick glasses called.

 

“Gretchen Braunstein?”

 

“Here.”

 

“Bailey Cottonwood?”

 

“Here.”

 

Sophia sat up in her chair as the teacher neared her part of the alphabet.

 

“Garrett Dalton.”

 

“Here.”

 

“Samantha Farber?”

 

“Here.”

 

Sophia listened intently for her name with her hand at the ready to announce her presence.

 

“Tommy Gladhill?”

 

Sophia’s name wasn’t called when it should have been. She continued listening carefully as other students’ names were called.

 

When the teacher was finished, she looked up from her clipboard and asked, “Is there anyone whose name I didn’t call?” Sophia raised her hand, and Mrs. Blantly smiled. “What’s your name?”

 

Sitting up tall and proud she announced, “Sophia.”

 

The woman took a quick glance at her clipboard and then looked back at the girl. “There is no Sophia on my list. What is your last name?”

 

Sophia sat up even taller and confidently announced, “Flembuzzle.”

 

The room went perfectly still and silent. Mrs. Blantly froze, and her face grew pale. Her expression was confused, frightened, and angry all at the same time. Sophia looked around the room to discover everyone glaring at her with the same expression as the teacher.

 

Sophia slumped down in her chair. “Mrs. Blantly,” she asked. “Did I do something wrong? What’s the matter?”

 

The woman, however, didn’t move or respond. Sophia turned toward her new friend, hoping to get some kind of answer, but Bailey was already collecting her school supplies and moving to a different seat. Sophia reached out and touched her arm.

 

“Don’t touch me!” Bailey barked as she pulled away.

 

“But I thought we were friends?” Sophia pleaded.

 

The smaller girl stopped in her tracks, turned around, and glared at Sophia. “I will never be friends with a Flembuzzle. No one will ever be friends with you.”

 

Tears pooled in Sophia’s eyes and then rolled down her cheeks. She looked back to Mrs. Blantly. What was happening? Why had Bailey changed so quickly and why was Mrs. Blantly so upset?

 

Mrs. Blantly took a deep breath and commanded, “Sophia, go to the principal’s office.”

 

“What did I do?” Sophia quivered.

 

“Just go!”