duties…” Jeffery said, as though there has been no interruption. “I wash trays and help hand out food to all the students and such. They gave me this uniform to show that I work here.” He stood up to display his white chef’s apron over the black and orange colored t-shirt with a picture of the school mascot, Growly the Tiger on it.

“That’s neat, Jeffery!” Chris exclaimed “I wonder if I could help out?”

“Sure, I can talk to the lunch ladies, and then me and Kit can get you on with us,” replied Jeffery, smiling and throwing an arm around Chris to hug him. “You’re just like me and your brother, Chris. You always want to help out others as well. I like that about you, cuz!”

“Aww, thanks cousin!” Chris replied shyly, blushing slightly to Jeffery’s compliment. “There’s one problem though, sadly I can’t cook, not yet any way.” Chris hung head, looking a bit ashamed.

“Oh, don’t worry about that, little brother.” Kit said, comforting Chris. “They won’t let you help with the cooking until they show you what to do first.”

Chris’ head shot back up in excitement. “Hey!” he exclaimed, his blue eyes ablaze with eagerness. “Maybe Daddy Bear can teach me, he made us a real good breakfast this morning!”

Jeffery suddenly spat out a mouthful of chocolate milk he has been drinking, accidentally spraying Kit in the face.

Chris burst out laughing at the expression on Kit’s face as he got a blasted in the face with chocolate milk

“Sorry—Uncle Baloo cooked breakfast?” Jeffery asked, shocked. “Are we talking about the same Uncle Baloo, whose idea of cooking pizzas was to fly through a volcano? The same Uncle Baloo who sliced bread, meat and cheese for a sandwich with the Sea Duck’s propeller?”

“He did WHAT?” Chris exclaimed in surprise.

“Heh, yeah,” Kit chuckled, wiping his furry face clean with a napkin. “Papa Bear and I did some pretty crazy stuff, and we’ll probably do some more later on. Heh, with Papa Bear, I don’t doubt that one bit.” He then turned to Jeffery. “Yeah, Papa Bear surprised us all, even Mom, with a big delicious country-style breakfast, he said he learned it from the navy.”  

“Wow…” Jeffery said in awe.

“Anyway, Chris, there’s no reason to worry, we’ll work on getting you on the cafeteria helping team later on.” Kit promised, smiling and hugging his brother with one arm.

“Thanks you two, you both are the best.” Chris said as the three of them hugged.

“Okay, before they call me back to work and before I have to run again.”Jeffery said. “We need to get our act sorted out. Kit, do you have any ideas of what tricks you want to do yet?” he asked, looking hopeful

“I’m still not sure, Jeff, this seems all sudden for me.” Kit said with an expression that suggests that he was thinking and rapping his brain. “I think I would like to do at least five tricks, it’s a thirty-minute performance, according to the flyer on the bulletin board,  so we could do a few small ones but with a big finish, like the wand trick your Mom did last night, that was pretty awesome.”

“Sure, that would be great, Kit.” Jeffery said. “So here’s what I was thinking now that you have a few things in mind. Me, you and Chris walk out onstage and introduce ourselves and then proceed to do a few small tricks, you can do so many in a small amount of time if you’re really good, like one after the other.”

“Onstage?” Chris gulped, feeling his stomach do a back flip at the thought of being up onstage in front of the whole school. “Is it too late to back out?” he asked nervously.

“Yes, it is,” Jeffery said firmly but slyly at the same time. “Don’t worry, cuz, we’ll be there with you to help you out, and I think you did great at the show last night.”

“Really?” Chris asked, giving Jeffery a hopeful look. “You really think I can do this?”

“No, I don’t think, cuz…” Jeffery said, giving Chris another hug. “I know you can do this.”

“But Jeff,” Kit interrupted them. “I’m not good at this yet, there’s no way I can do it that fast. Maybe with a months’ practice but a week? You’ve got to be kidding me!”

“No worries, Kit, Mom and me will have you sawing me and Chris in half and doing any other tricks you have in mind in no time.” Jeffery assured him with a smile.

“Now let’s not get carried the way…” Chris muttered, looking slightly nervous at the idea of being sawed in half by his own brother.

 “Just trust me like I trust in your talents and see it in your heart, cuz. I know you can do it. We’re cousin, buddies, pals and a great magic team!” Jeffery added, placing his hand in the center of the table, followed by Chris

“We’ll be the best there is and you will make a wonderful magician, big brother!” Chris said comfortingly

“Heh Heh…yeah…thanks Jeff, Chris.” Kit laughed lightly, placing his hand on his brothers and cousin’s. Kit’s laugh was much like the one he did after Baloo said: ‘We’re buddies, pals, a team.’

“Jeffery Lee Cunningham, there you are! Your break is over, sweetie.” the Cafeteria manager called out to Jeffery, who wanted nothing more than to stay with his cousins. But duties calls, of course.

“I’m sorry, cousins, I have to get back to work.” Jeffery said, placing his blue dishwashing gloves back on his hands. “I’ll talk to you more during our thirty-minute free period after sixth period before we head home for practice.” Jeffery added before departing from the table. “Kit, Chris, you keep out of trouble and just to let you know, I’m not done with surprises yet but I’ll wait to tell you about them on the way home for practice today.” Jeffery smiled

“We will!!” Kit and Chris exclaimed in unison. “And you as well,” they added

“I will guys, thanks.” Jeffery said as he ran around the corner back to the dishwashing room, where he immediately got sprayed with water by Oscar as a joke. He may be a shy kid, but he will prank his friends when he gets the chance. “Oscar!” Jeffery laughed “I’m soaked, thanks a lot.” Jeffery stuck out his tongue mischievously.

“Sorry Jeffery!” Oscar said, looking a bit ashamed, but he was joking to cheer Jeffery up after he had heard about what happened earlier as the two cubs went back to the work.

Kit and Chris finished their lunch as the bell rang, signaling the start fifth period, ending the lunch break.

Later that period Kit and Chris met back up with Jeffery for free period to discuss the magic show plans a bit more as Jeffery told them a bit more of his extra curricular activities he mentioned. He was also Growly, the school mascot and in the school band as the lead drummer when he’s not playing Growly.

As school ended in the mid afternoon, they headed to Jeffery’s home for their first magician training session, but Jeffery stopped by the local magic shop on the way home and bought a new wand.

“Well,” said Jeffery, looking slightly disappointed as he came out of the shop, holding a new wand. “It’s not like the one Granddaddy gave me, but it’ll have to do. Alright, let’s go to my house, cousins.”

“Okay, Jeff, lead the way.” Kit said, grinning.

They walked a few blocks down the street and then Jeffery turned right and walked up to his house. Chris stared up at Jeffery’s house for the first time.

Jeffery’s house was really a rundown boarding house building between the flower shop and the bakery. Though the building has recently been painted and the windows looked brand new.

“He lives in this old building?” Chris whispered to Kit.

“You should’ve seen it when they first moved in.” Kit said. “Since then, they repainted it—I helped—and replaced the broken windows with new ones. And then Wildcat mowed the lawn—Aunt Melissa wasn’t too happy about her flower bed being destroyed by his crazy mower.”

Chris laughed as they followed Jeffery into the house where the delicious smell of freshly baked cookies reached their nasals.

“Mom! We’re home!” Jeffery shouted, throwing his backpack into an armchair.

“Oh good, did you get that special order I asked you to pick up after school?” Melissa asked, coming out of the kitchen with a tray of cookies.

“D’oh!” Jeffery exclaimed, clapping a hand to his forehead. “I’m sorry, Mom, I forgot when I went to the magic shop to buy a new wand.”

Melissa set the tray down on the carpet table and looked up, frowning in puzzlement.

“Why would you need to buy a new wand, Jeffery dear?” she asked curiously.

Kit and Chris noticed that Jeffery looked suddenly nervous and sweaty as he pulled his broken wand out of his pocket and showed it to his Mom.

Melissa gasped; her mouth fell open and her eyes were wide with shock.

“Oh, Jeffery…” she groaned despairingly, taking the two halves of what used to be one whole wand from him and examining it, “What happened? It looks like someone clipped it in half with a tree limb clipper.”

“I-I’m sorry, Mom,” Jeffery whimpered, feeling the sudden urge to cry because of her reaction. He