“We better pack up this invention stand before my dad gets home!”

“Ok let’s go, but don’t forget the Cheatos!
“Hey slow down Hannah! You really need to add that electric motor to my bike too!”

“No Gus, you need to work off the 3 bags of Cheetos you eat every day!”
Hannah and Gus raced up to the front door of Hannah’s house.

“Oh thank goodness we’re home!” said Gus.

“I don’t get it we never sell anything,” said Hannah as the two friends ran down to the basement

“ Gus, grab the key.” Gus reached up to the edge of the doorframe, when his greasy fingers slipped from the doorframe leaving an orange streak above.

“Hannah, I can’t reach it!”

“Ok, get on my shoulders” said Hannah. Gus bent down with unpleasant ripping sound coming from his pants. Hannah looked down having an awkward picture in her face - a large pink bottom with TUESDAY written on it. “ Um Gus… its Friday,” said Hannah like she was one of those bratty girls who thinks they know everything.

“ What?” replied Gus, breathlessly.

“ Your underpants, they say Tuesday.”

“Hey how did you know that?” said Gus in a confused tone.

“ Well, Gus you kind of ripped your pants.”

“Oh no, I told mom to lay out the Tuesday ones for me! Well, Hannah you know my mom; she NEVER wears her glasses!”

“Gus, the letters are HUGE!”

“Oh well, I don’t want to talk about it anymore. Do you have any duck tape? I forgot my house key.” Replied Gus.

“ Yeah, there should be some in the lab, if we can ever get the key down!”
Gus and Hannah struggle to grab the key and finally make it in to the lab.
Hannah grabs the duck tape and tosses it to Gus. She starts to clean up the messy lab while Gus struggles to tape his pants back together.
While cleaning Hannah pushed aside an 8 foot rolling filing cabinet. She quickly swiped out her newest invention hoping to repair the door that Gus had broken off the Age Vision Viewer. They both knew her dad would be home from work soon.
Hannah and her dad shared a lot of special qualities. They are both scientists, Hannah even looks exactly like her dad but they don’t seem to get along well. Hannah knew that if her dad saw her invention he would just take over the whole thing.
Suddenly, Hannah heard the key to the lab door struggling in the doorknob to get in. Gus dropped his Cheetos, Hannah could hear her heart pounding. She quickly slid the Age Vision Viewer into the hiding place. Just as the door cracked open Hannah shoved her invention into the filing cabinet. Gus dove to the floor hoping to blend in with the carpet. Hannah leaned against the filing cabinet with a smile, trying to hide her nerves.
“…hey… dad!” Hannah said in a sneaky voice.

“ What are you doing down here Hannah? And Gus what are you doing on the floor?”

“Um…. well. ….you see Mr. Arthur, I was just trying to clean up the dust on your floor. Yep, that floor is dusty! Dusty, dusty, dusty.”
Mr. Arthur stared at Gus with a puzzled look. He noticed Cheetoes were spilled all over the floor and the hot pink duck tape that covered Gus’s pants.
“Um Gus?... Never mind. “Hannah first of all, what are you doing down here, and second why does Gus have my duck tape on his pants?”
“Dad it doesn’t matter! Gus and I were just cleaning your lab, maybe we could earn a little money?”
“Just get out of here Hannah!” I’ve had a long day at work and I’m tired, so please Hannah, go help your mom prepare dinner.
Gus and Hannah ran in to the kitchen.
“ Hannah! Hey sweaty!” said Hannah’s mom. “Well, hello Gus, will you be eating dinner with us tonight?”
“ Well, it depends….. what’s for dinner?”, replied Gus.
“Steak and potatoes.” She said replied.
“Oh! Well you can count me in!” said Gus with a watering mouth.
After everyone ate dinner and Gus had gone back home, Hannah was getting ready for bed when she heard a rock hit her window. She rushed over to the old window in curiosity. As she was struggling to open the heavy window she peaked out to see Gus in the back yard.
“Gus what are you doing?” “Do you ever go home?”
“ Hannah you know if we don’t finish the Age Vision Viewer soon we won’t be able to enter it into that super old man genius science fair.” Said Gus.
“I know Gus but if my dad catches us down in his lab, I will be dead!”
“Oh come on Hannah! It will be ok just climb down the fire ladder I hung you’re your window!”
“Gus you’re crazy! You hung a firer ladder from my window!”
Hannah climbed down the ladder to meet Gus in the backyard. They snuck down to the lab and quietly unlocked the door. When the door creped opened they overheard Mr. Arthur on the phone with his boss.
“It’s perfect Jimmy!” he said to his boss
“ It’s my new invention, called the Age Vision Viewer. All you do is walk through, punch in the age you want to see your self as and then boom! It will show you what you look like, and your body condition! I just have a few things to finish up and it will be ready!”
Gus softly whispered to Hannah, “ oh no!” He stole your invention Hannah! What are you going to do?”
“Shhhhh!” said Hannah with an irritated tone.
They continued to eaves drop on Mr. Arthur’s conversation.
“So you like it?” “Great, does that mean I can keep my job?” Ok! Wonderful! See you tomorrow, bye!”
Hannah and Gus rushed back to Hannah’s room.
“ Gus I think you should go home”
Gus could tell Hannah was upset, confused, and mad.
“Hannah you have to do something!” said Gus.
“ Gus you just don’t understand!” “Did you hear him on the phone?” “ If I don’t let him have my invention then he might lose his job. I would rather have my dad keep his job than me enter the crazy old person science fair and possibly win a big prize and a part time job as a kid scientist. Even though its what I really, really want! I guess it’s just not possible to be a scientist at the age of 12.
“No Hannah, you can’t give up!” said Gus. “We have been working on this way too long to give up now!”
“Gus you really have been such a good friend to help me all the time like this but we just have to let him have it, ok?”
“Fine Hannah, but I really think you should do something.”
Gus trudged out of Hannah’s bedroom, knowing in his head that he will do whatever it takes to get Hannah’s invention back for her.

The next day Hannah woke up to a rainy summer morning. She slowly got out of bed and walked to her closet to pick out her clothes for the day. Hannah walked down the stairs to eat some breakfast. As she passed the large window at the top of the staircase she noticed Gus lying on a bean bag asleep in their tree house with the TV on and a bag of cheetoes spilled all over his lap. Hannah tried to open the window but worried that if she did all the rain would get in the house. She thought for a second and then decided that she would mop up all the water later. First she ran back to her room to get two raincoats and two pairs of rain boots for she and Gus. Hannah soon made it back to the window. She hit the latch, grabbed the swing rope and swung over to the tree house.
“Gus!” Hannah yelled in Gus’s ear but he did not wake up.
“Gus!” she tried again but he still did not wake up.
Hannah grabbed the blow horn placed on the table in the tree house and blew it very loudly in Gus’s ear, and he finally woke up.
“What! What!” “What’s going on?”
Hannah looked up to see what was playing on the TV, a man who looked just like her dad was speaking on the science channel.
“Gus, turn up the volume!” “Quick!”
Gus reached for the remote and turned up the volume.
“I can’t believe it!” Hannah said in shock.
“My dad is on the science channel talking about his new invention.” “My invention.”
“Hannah…” Gus said
Hannah cut Gus off.
“Gus I know what you’re going to say.” “Now I’m ready to do something about it!” “Right now!”
“Yes!” that’s what I like to hear.” “Now let’s get a move on down to that TV station before it’s too late.”
Gus and Hannah rushed down to the garage where their bikes were. Hannah quickly attached an extra electric motor to Gus’s bike too and then they were off.

Soon they reached the television station. They parked their bikes at the curbside of the parking lot. When they reached the door there was a large guard.
“Please, please let us in!”
“Um come on Hannah!” Let’s go! We’ll never get in.”
Hannah and Gus turned away and headed back towards their bikes.
“Gus why did you do that?”
“Because I have an idea.”
“What!”
“Okay, here’s what were going to do.”
Gus bent down and took off his shoe. All of a sudden Hannah could smell something so gross it felt like she was going to pass out. Gus pulled a black sock from his foot. The sock was wet from all his foot sweat.
“Oh no!” I think I know what you are planning.
The two kids ran back over to the door where the big security guard was.
“Hey what are you kids doing over here? I thought I told you to leave!” said the security guard.
Gus pulled the sock out of his pocket, leaped up as high as he could, and stuffed the sock up the large mans mouth.
“Hannah, quick, get the door!”
They entered the TV studio seeing people with clipboards and makeup chairs every where.
“This way, said Hannah”
“I remember when they did a behind the scenes exclusive tour on TV.” I’m pretty sure the stage is this way.’’
Gus struggled to keep up with Hannah. He thought to himself… (I think I’ve dropped some pounds from all the running I’ve been doing the past couple of days.)
“There he is!” Hannah shouted.
She looked out and she could not believe it! Her dad was talking about her own invention on national TV.
Come on Gus let’s see if there are any extra seats in the studio audience.

They got some seats and sat down trying not to interrupt, but just as she sat down and looked back up at the stage she saw her Dads eyes meet hers. Hannah could see the guilt on his face. But then she noticed something. He was not saying anything! He did not know how to answer the questions about HER invention.
“Hannah, help him.” said Gus.
Hannah thought… of course I could help him. The answer to the question is easy!
“Um Mr. Arthur could you please answer the question?” said the show host.
“ Could you repeat the question please?”
“Yes, does your invention have any effect on people after they go through the machine, such as side effects, etcetera.”
Mr. Arthur struggled to answer the question.
“How about we see what the audience thinks.” said Mr. Arthur
Hannah threw her hand in the air as quick as lighting.
“Yes, young girl in the pink.” Mr. Arthur was addressing Hannah to answer the question!
Oh no, thought Hannah to her self, if this is going to happen it will happen the right way! I’m going to get credit for my invention. I used to feel bad for my dad and I did not want to destroy his career but he has taken it way to far. Now I have my chance to prove to the world, 12 year olds can be scientists.
Hannah marched on stage and answered the question perfectly.
“Wow!” said Mr. Arthur’s boss. “It looks like this girl knows your invention better than you do.”
“Cut to commercial!” screamed the director of the show.
“Would you like to explain why this random girl in the studio audience knows more about this invention than you do!”
“She’s not a random girl!” “She’s my daughter!” said Mr. Arthur.
The audience was in shock.
Mr. Arthur turned to Hannah, “I’m so sorry honey, I should have never taken your invention. I love you so much and I was just trying to keep my job so I can provide for you and you mother. “
Hannah threw herself into her dad’s arms. “I’m sorry too dad. I got really mad at you and now everything is ruined. They will probably never get to use my invention now.
Not necessarily, interrupted Mr. Arthur’s boss. “Get out there kid and finish the show!” “Hurry!”
As Hannah stood there and looked into the big black camera talking about her invention she knew that it was the beginning of her dream that she has always had!
After the show, Hannah’s dad’s boss came and talked to Hannah.
“ Hannah we would like you to work for the rest of the summer as your dad’s partner.” he said. “When school starts back up you can work part time.” Also, we are going to be selling your inventions all over the world. All I need is for you and your parents to sign this form and you will be on your way.”
“Thank you so much!” replied Hannah, with a huge smile on her face. Now she was sure that her dream would soon be in action.