Free Cosmic Boy Versus Mezmo Head! by Tony Abbott Page B

again. It hurt more and still wouldn’t move. “Sean, it’s stuck on my head. Do something!”
    Sean chewed his lip. “Well, I could sing the Cosmic Boy theme song and you could fly around. I don’t remember all of it, though.”
    â€œCut it out!” Jeff yelled, pulling again. “This is serious!”
    But Sean sang what he knew.
    No evil ploy,
No scheme or trick,
Can stop the Boy
Known as Cosmic!
Space Ahoy! Cosmic Boy!
    â€œI can’t remember the rest,” said Sean.
    â€œThanks a lot.” Jeff gave his friend a nasty look. The gray plastic helmet felt strange on his head. But it was really on tight now. “I can’t go to school like this.”
    Sean started toward school. “It looks okay. Sort of. Straighten your antennas, though. They’re bent.”
    Jeff slumped along behind Sean. “Maybe I’ll be lucky, and no one will say anything.”
    â€œHey, everybody, look at Jeff!” shouted Mike Mazur when Jeff and Sean walked into the main hall of W. Reid Elementary School. “He’s got a toy space helmet on his head!”
    Running up the hall behind Mike were Liz Duffey and Sean’s sister, Holly.
    Liz raised her eyebrows when she saw Jeff. “You must be the new kid. Welcome to Earth!”
    Jeff smiled a fake smile under his helmet. “Sean jammed it on my head and now I can’t take it off without taking off my ears, too. And now my head is itchy.”
    â€œDo you get cable on that thing?” asked Mike.
    â€œNot funny,” said Jeff.
    Mike examined the gray plastic blinking helmet closely. “You know, it’s amazing when you think about it. The brain is this big mushy thing sitting right there behind your forehead.”
    Sean nodded. “It’s a lot neater that way. If your brain were on the outside, stuff would get stuck to it all the time.”
    â€œEspecially in all those wrinkles,” said Mike.
    â€œIt would probably hurt to iron them, though,” Jeff said.
    â€œBut at least they’d look neat,” said Sean.
    â€œSTOP IT!” cried Liz, slapping her hands over her ears. “You guys are shorting out my brain!”
    Brrrrng! The morning bell rang.
    â€œThank you!” said Liz, heading off down the hall.
    Jeff followed his friends to his classroom. Zzzz! went his helmet. His forehead blinked. His antennas twirled. He got some strange looks, even from the kindergartners.
    â€œMaybe you could wear a turban or something,” said Mike. “Maybe a chef’s hat.”
    â€œThey don’t make hats that big,” said Sean, heading for his classroom. “See you at tryouts, Cosmic Boy!” He and Mike went into their classroom across the hall.
    Jeff shook his head and turned to Holly and Liz. “This isn’t going to work. Everybody’s going to ask me dumb questions.”
    â€œThat’s because you look super smart, Jeff,” said Holly as they swung into their room. “By the way, do you know what’s for lunch today?”
    â€œNo!” Jeff slumped into his seat in front of Holly and next to Liz. The other kids in the class giggled at him. His lights flickered. His head itched.
    â€œPlay tryouts are next period, Jeff,” a boy said.
    Jeff tried to smile. “I’m starting early.”
    Mrs. Carbonese, their white-haired teacher, looked up from her desk. “We’re not landing planes here, Jeff. Please stop blinking.”
    â€œYes, Mrs. Carbonese.” Jeff tried to turn off the lights just as the PA system crackled to life.
    â€œAhem!” boomed the voice of Principal Bell. “As you know, this morning we are holding tryouts for The Wizard of Oz, delightfully updated for our modern times. Mrs. Carbonese will direct and my accordion and I will provide the music!”
    Mrs. Carbonese smiled shyly at the class.
    â€œDancing astronauts, musical aliens,” the principal went on. “There are parts for