Joe was next in line. He had forgotten his lunch.
"And what would you like, Joe?" asked Miss Mush.
"What do you have?" Joe asked.
"Potato salad," said Miss Mush.
"Anything else?" asked Joe.
"No, just potato salad," said Miss Mush.
Mrs. Jewls had made Miss Mush throw away the rest of the Mushroom Surprise, and she made Miss Mush promise never to make it again.
"Okay, I'll have potato salad," said Joe.
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Miss Mush smiled. She scooped a large glop of potato salad out of the vat and plopped it on Joe's paper plate.
Sharie was next in line. She had also forgotten her lunch.
"And what would you like, Sharie?" asked Miss Mush.
"What do you have?" asked Sharie.
"Potato salad."
"What else is there?" asked Sharie.
"Nothing," said Miss Mush.
"Okay," said Sharie. "I'll have that."
"Potato salad?" asked Miss Mush.
"No, nothing," said Sharie.
Joe was the only one who ordered the potato salad. Everyone else ordered nothing.
He slid his paper plate over to the cash register and paid for his lunch. Then he went to the ketchup and mustard table.
He looked at the grayish-white mound on his plate. He thought it needed more color. He squirted squiggly lines of yellow mustard all over it. Then he added several dollops of red ketchup.
"That's very pretty, Joe," said Bebe. "I didn't know you were such a good artist."
"Thanks," said Joe. He looked for a place to sit.
"Hey, Joe! Over here!" called John.
Joe sat next to him. "Hi, pal," he said.
"Hi, good buddy," replied John.
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They were best friends.
John had brought his lunch. He looked at Joe's potato salad covered with yellow squiggles and red polka dots. "That's very colorful," he said.
"Thanks," said Joe.
They both stared at it.
"I wonder what it tastes like," said John.
"Who knows?" said Joe.
"There's plenty more potato salad!" called Miss Mush. "Who wants seconds?"
Nobody wanted seconds of potato salad. Several kids went back for seconds of nothing, but soon Miss Mush ran out of nothing.
Finally Joe picked up his plastic fork and stuck it into the glop.
"What does it feel like?" asked John.
"Lumpy and gooey," said Joe. He dragged his fork over the mound, swirling the mustard and ketchup together. "Kind of spongy, too." The colors mixed with the potato salad. It turned a pale orange.
"It looks like a face," said John.
Joe laughed. He shaped it so it would look even more like a face. He piled up some potato salad in the center, giving it a nose.
John had a plastic spoon. He dug out two holes for the eyes, then made eyebrows.
"That's good," said Joe. He gave it a big smiling mouth.
John made long, pointy ears.
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They both laughed at their creation.
"I wonder what it tastes like," said John.
"Who knows?" said Joe.
They stared at it.
"It kind of looks familiar," said John. "Like somebody I know."
"Who?" asked Joe.
"I'm not sure," said John.
Joe noticed it, too. "It does look familiar," he agreed.
"I've seen that face somewhere before," said John.
"Me too," said Joe.
The smile on the potato salad abruptly turned into a frown.
"Wow, did you see that?" asked Joe.
John's eyes filled with terror! "I-I just figured out who it looks like," he whispered.
"Who?" asked Joe.
"Mrs. Gorf."
The potato salad laughed.
"Ha! Ha! Ha!" said Mrs. Gorf. "Now I'll get you! You think you're so cute, don't you! Well, you won't get away from me this time!"
She wiggled her ears, first her right one, then her left.
"Quick, Joe!" said John. "Eat her!"
The two boys dug their plastic utensils into the potato salad and shoveled it into their mouths as fast as they could.
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Joe swallowed the final mouthful. "Whew!" said John. "That was close." Joe rubbed his belly and sighed. They both stared at the empty plate. "You know, Joe," said John, "that didn't taste too bad."
"It was pretty good," Joe agreed. They went back for seconds.