"Whee!" Scarlett giggled, her tiny toes digging into the warm sand. Dad had said this Deserted Island was just pretend, hidden in the middle of the library, but Scarlett wasn't so sure. The air smelled salty, like the crackers Dad sometimes ate, and the sand felt real between her fingers. Plus, there was a funny little creature bouncing a bright blue ball right in front of her!
"What are you?" Scarlett asked, tilting her head. The creature looked like a big, bouncy jellybean with three eyes and antennas that wiggled like worms. It stopped bouncing the ball and blinked, its eyes spinning like tops.
"Glorg from Planet Zorp," it said in a squeaky voice. "Me help homework?"
Scarlett gasped. "You know about homework?" She pulled out her picture book from her bag, the one with the funny bird Dad called a "puffin." "Teacher said to color it!"
"Me good at colors!" Glorg bounced excitedly, grabbing a handful of sand. It squeezed the sand, and it magically turned into a rainbow of crayons! "Pick color! Any color!"
Scarlett pointed to a bright pink crayon. "This one for the beak!"
Just then, Dad came around a palm tree, his binoculars drooping. "Scarlett, where did you disappear to? I was looking for birds!" He spotted Glorg and his eyes widened. "Is that… a talking jellybean?"
"He's Glorg!" Scarlett explained. "He's helping me with homework!"
Dad chuckled. "Well, that's a new kind of homework helper!" He peered at Glorg. "Say, Glorg, you wouldn't happen to know anything about bird migration patterns, would you? I need to finish my birdwatching journal."
Glorg tilted his head. "Birds?" He puffed up like a balloon and suddenly, feathers sprouted all over him! He flapped his newfound wings, sending sand flying everywhere. "Me bird now! Tweet tweet!"
Dad stared in amazement. "Well, I'll be! You really are something else, Glorg."
Scarlett giggled as Glorg, still in his bird form, began drawing in Dad's journal with a twig, chirping about different types of birds. She happily colored her puffin pink, then orange, then purple.
"Homework more fun with friends," Glorg chirped, nudging Scarlett with his wing.
"You're right, Glorg," Scarlett agreed. "Especially when your friends are from outer space!"
After a while, it was time to go. They said goodbye to Glorg, who promised to visit again soon. As they walked out of the library, Dad carrying a very interesting-looking bird journal, Scarlett smiled.
"That was the best homework time ever," she declared.
"It was pretty amazing," Dad agreed. "But next time, maybe we'll find a homework helper who's a little less...feathery." He sneezed, and a single blue feather drifted out of his nose.
Scarlett giggled. Homework was definitely more fun with a little help from her new friend Glorg!
