Zarnok Goes to School

Zarnok wasn't like the other kids on his planet, Glorp. While they loved playing in the purple goo puddles and collecting sparkly space rocks, Zarnok dreamed of Earth. He had seen pictures of schools in a discarded Earthling comic book, and they looked amazing!

One day, Zarnok packed a bag with his favorite space snacks (glow worms and fizzing moon cheese), put on his coolest human disguise (a yellow jacket, blue shorts, and big sunglasses), and hopped onto his rocket-powered scooter. "Time for school!" he beeped, zooming toward the nearest Earth school.

At Harmony Elementary, the kids were lining up for class. Zarnok tried to blend in. He watched as a girl with pigtails dropped her pencil. "Can I help?" Zarnok asked, trying to sound like a regular Earth kid. But his voice came out as a series of squeaks and whistles. The girl stared, her eyes wide.

Suddenly, a small Earth boy with bright red hair approached. "Cool glasses!" he said, grinning. "I'm Max. Are you new here?"

Zarnok gulped. This was it. "Uh, yes. I'm... Zack," he said, making up a name. "I just moved here from... far away."

Max didn't seem to notice anything strange. "Awesome! Come on, Zack. Mrs. Davis is really fun. We're learning about planets today!"

Zarnok, or Zack, smiled. He followed Max into the classroom, his three hearts thumping with excitement. Learning about planets? This was going to be even better than he imagined! During recess, Zarnok showed Max some Glorpian games. The other kids gathered around, curious about the strange kid with the squeaky voice. By the end of the day, Zarnok, the alien, had made his first Earthling friends, all while learning about the solar system!