I used to love playing practical jokes, but last April Fools’ Day put an end to my tricks forever.
I had risen that morning with a mischievous grin on my face. Sneaking into the kitchen, I tiptoed past the table to the freezer where I had secretly planted my sister’s cereal bowl that now had milk, cereal, and spoon frozen in one solid chunk. I quickly took it out and laid it on the table—ready for a big payoff when she picked up her spoon and lifted the whole frozen bowl. Then I cooked myself some eggs and innocently sat down.
When my sister came in, she hurried past the table and went straight for the refrigerator to take out some eggs.
“Aren’t you going to have cereal like you always do?” I asked innocuously.
“No, I am going to poach some eggs,” she said, ruining my trick.
Frustrated, I shook the salt onto my eggs and watched helplessly as the cover of the salt shaker plummeted onto my eggs, along with about a quarter-cup of salt.
“Ha ha,” I said to my sister, who looked very satisfied.
But that was okay; I had other tricks to play, and at school my shirt would do the job. It was a T-shirt with a big emoji smiley on it; when I squeezed a little button from my pocket, the emoji squirted water at whoever was standing in front of me. I knew exactly who to use this prank on.
My friend Cameron got on the school bus and immediately noticed my new T-shirt. “Look at the emoji very closely,” I said. “It’s really cool.”
Cameron put his face right in front of the emoji. I knew my cue. I squeezed the button and water splashed upward—right into my face. Cameron laughed and laughed, cackling, “April Fools!” relentlessly.
I knew I had been beaten. It was time for me to hang up my bag of tricks.
Questions
Which detail from the text tells you that the narrator and her sister are equally mischievous?
“That was okay; I had other tricks to play, and at school my shirt would do the job.”
“I had risen that morning with a mischievous grin on my face.”
“I squeezed the button and water splashed upward—right into my face.”
“Ha ha,” I said to my sister, who looked very satisfied.
