Eager Beaver

Chapter Eight - Cooper's Party

A little while later, I couldn't know how long, I awoke with an almighty yawn - stretching my hand high into the air. Blinking, I saw that Wubbie had tumbled down from his position snuggled under my cheek - rolling a short distance across the floor towards Laurie, who was rubbing at his eyes as he himself rose drowsily from sleep. It was silly, but I felt a sudden pang of unease that the toy had left my grasp - scooping up the stuffed wolf cub again and cuddling it reassuringly under my arm.

Laurie gave me a contented smile, crawling over to cradle his head in my lap again. "Do you like him yet?"

"Hmm?"

"Wubbie." he clarified, holding up his own stuffie and smushing its face into Wubbie's as if to imitate a clumsy kind of kiss. "Fuzzie always helps me sleep."

I sighed, gently prying Laurie off of me so I could get to my knees "Yeah. Wubbie helped me too." I conceded. It was kind of true. Despite my extensive collection, I hadn't slept with a stuffed animal in years - but the feel of the wolf cub's fur against my skin had left me feeling as peaceful and empty headed as a baby in a rocking cradle. I looked around, taking in the sight of toddlers laid out haphazardly across the room like shipwrecked sailors littered on a beach. Some of them were nursing on pacifiers, some clutching blankies, some cuddling stuffies just like me and Laurie. I felt my heady sense of satisfaction deflate a little, tarnished by a nagging feeling of self consciousness. Had I really just been taking a nap alongside all these babies? Had I really enjoyed it so much?

Just then, Mrs Warren passed by, tip-toeing softly through the nap pads to awake the snoozing tots one by one. Pawing around my own pad, I found my Beaver bucket hat abandoned on the floor and pushed it purposefully back atop my freshly tangled mess of hair, rising to my feet and trying to salvage some officious sense of boy scout composure.

"Mrs Warren?" I peeped, avoiding the urge to tug on her arm "Mrs Warren!" I repeated, a little louder - the tone of my high pitched treble a little too close to the sound of one of her toddler charges.

"Yes, sweetie?" she finally responded.

"Is there something I can help with?" I asked, shifting from foot to foot. "Since I'm um, s'posed to be helping."

"That's alright, Cooper." Mrs Warren chuckled. "Why don't you go and sit on the carpet? Criss-cross applesauce, just like the other children."

I blushed, peering over my shoulder to see that a small group of little kids were already sitting expectantly on the rug. "Isn't there anything I can do?" I insisted, feeling even more embarassed. The other Beaver scouts were still nowhere to be found. It was as if they'd disappeared, leaving me and Laurie all but enrolled in daycare! Was this all some kind of elaborate prank? But no. Alex wouldn't do that. Beavers was sacred to her - not an excuse to pull silly hijinks. So where on earth had she gone?

"There's going to be a very special surprise." Mrs Warren said cryptically, taking me by the hand along with another toddler boy she had just awoken - the same kid who'd watched us blowing bubbles - and leading the pair of us over to the carpet. I had no choice but to tag along, lowering down onto crossed legs as the boy sat down beside me.

"What kind of surprise?" I asked, a little curious.

"Don't you worry, sweetie. Just show Huey how to wait patiently like a big boy, okay?"

I grumbled, but acquiesced - wondering just what Mrs Warren could be planning. I looked hopefully over at Laurie talking to her, the two of them whispering in indecipherable low voices, but to my frustration he didn't come over to join us on the rug - the teacher instead escorting him over the classroom door and sending him out into the hall. I was now all alone, with just a bunch of chattering toddlers for company.