It was Friday afternoon in room 26 of Longfellow School. I was spinning on my hamster wheel, trying to stay calm. Fridays are always exciting for me.

Every Friday afternoon, I get to go home for the weekend with a different classmate pet. Of course, Mrs. Brisbane Knew whose turn it was to bring me home. She plans my visit with the parents. But sometimes she forgets to tell me. Who would it be this week?

Would it be lower-your-voice-A.J., whose whole family likes to talk loudly? Or would I go to Speak-Up-sayeh's house, where everyone speaks quietly? "Mrs. Brisbane, who is taking Humphrey home?" Heidi hopper asked. "Raise-your-Hand-Heidi," Mrs.Brisbane told her. Heidi forgets to raise her hand a lot. Mandy Payne said, "I am!" She forgot to raise her hand, too!

Then Mandy said. " That clock must be stuck. It's taking forever to get to the end of the day." Don`t-Complain about a lot of things. Ever since she got her own hamster, named winkly, she doesn't complain as much. "I can`t wait!" I shouted. My friends giggled, even though all they heard me say was "SQUEAK-SQUEAK-SQUEAK!" just then, the clock hand moved and the bell rang.

The end of the day had finally come! My friend Og the frog splashed loudly in his tank. He`s a classroom pet, too. He doesn`t go home with students on the weekend because he doesn`t have to eat everyday, like I do. "I'll tell you all about my back, " I squeaked. "Boling-Boling-Boling!" he replied, hopping up and down. He makes a funny sound because he`s a funny frog.

Soon Mandy`s mom arrived to pick us up. "Humphwee!" a tiny voice shouted. It was Mandy`s little brother. "Hi, Bwian." Mandy`s two younger sisters, Pammy and Tammy rushed up to my cage. the girls are twins, but they don`t look anything alike."I`m going to take care of you, Humphrey," Pammy said.

"No, I`m going to take care of you,Humphrey," Tammy said. "You`re both wrong,"Mandy said "I`m going to take care of Humphrey, because he`s my classroom pet."

When we got to their house, Mandy put me on a table in the living room next to Winky`s cage! "Hi, Humphrey!" when Winky was born, one of his eyes did`nt open, so he always looks like he`s winking. "Hi, Winky!" I replied. "How are things going?" "Everything is hamster-iffic with me," he squeaked. "Same with me," I said.

Winky is the only one I Know who can understand my squeaks, because he`s a hamster, too. "Glad you could visit, Humph," Winky said. "Wait until you see my wheels." I looked closely at Winky. He had four paws, just like me. I didn`t see any wheels. "What wheels?" I asked. "On my car," he said. "The Paynes got me my very own car." I had a lovely big cage, a wheel for spinning and a hamster ball. But I didn`t have a car.

" Look at them. I think they`re talking, " Mandy squealed. Tammy, Pammy and Bwian- I men Brian- all giggled. I wonder what they are talking about?" Mandy said. "Oh, I know! Humphrey wants to see Winky`s car" Mandy put a hamster-sized car on the floor. It was bright blue and it had four wheels. In the middle was a bigger wheel, like the wheel I spin on. This was one really wheely car!

"It`s wonderful!"I said. "Watch this!" Mandy put winky in the big wheel and he started spinning. As the wheel spun, the car began to roll. Mandy took me out of my cage and held me in her hand so I could watch.

"GO, WINKY!"

I squeaked.