The kitchen phone rang. Evan answered it. It was the wrong number.
He hung up the phone. He and Andy stepped up to the counter. Andy was wearing pink jeans, a yellow sleeveless T-shirt, and bright orange high-tops.
Kermit had already poured out three glasses of orange soda. The soda was the same color as Andy’s high-tops, Evan noticed. They all drank the soda down quickly.
“I was really thirsty,” Kermit said. Evan didn’t pay any attention to the strange smile on Kermit’s face. After all, Kermit always had a strange smile on his face.
“This orange soda is very sweet,” Andy commented. She made a face. “Too sweet! It makes my teeth itch!”
Kermit laughed. “I think it’s good,” he said.
They set their glasses down in the sink and stepped out the back door. Evan found a red Frisbee on the back stoop. He flipped it to Andy.
Andy trotted across the backyard and flipped it back to Evan. “Let’s play keep-away from Kermit!” she cried.
“Hey—no way!” Kermit protested. “Toss it to me!”
Andy sent the Frisbee flying over Kermit’s head to Evan. Kermit made a wild grab for it, but it sailed out of his reach. It hit Evan’s hands, but Evan dropped it.
Andy started to laugh.
“What’s so funny?” Evan demanded.
Andy shrugged. “I don’t know.” She let out another giggle.
Evan flipped the Frisbee to Kermit. It bounced off Kermit’s chest.
This kid is a real klutz, Evan thought. It’s because he never plays sports. He never comes up out of his basement.
Andy uttered a high-pitched laugh.
Evan started to laugh, too.
Kermit picked up the Frisbee. He tried to toss it to Andy, but the Frisbee sailed way over her head. It hit the side of the garage and bounced off.
Evan and Andy both laughed harder.
Evan trotted over to the garage. He sent a sidearm toss toward Andy. She missed, and the Frisbee flew into the low hedges at the side of the yard.
Andy didn’t chase after it. She was laughing too hard.
Evan laughed even harder. Tears ran down his cheeks.
What’s happening to me? he wondered, suddenly feeling frightened.
Why can’t I stop laughing? What’s going on?
Kermit grinned at both of them. That grin!
Evan laughed even harder. So hard, his stomach hurt.
Something is wrong, Evan realized. Something is terribly wrong.
“K-Kermit—why are we l-laughing?” he stammered.
Andy wiped tears from her eyes. She held her sides and laughed some more.
“Why are we laughing?” Evan demanded.
“I gave you my laughing mixture,” Kermit told them. “I put it in the orange soda.”
Evan tossed back his head and laughed. Andy giggled so hard, she choked. But she kept on laughing.
This isn’t funny. This is scary, Evan thought. But he let out a shrill giggle.
“How—how long are we going to laugh like this, Kermit?” Evan managed to ask.
“Probably forever,” Kermit replied, flashing his famous toothy grin.
Evan took a deep breath and tried to hold it. But the laughter burst out of him so hard, his chest ached.
Laughing giddily, Andy made a grab for Kermit.
Kermit ducked out of her reach and went scampering toward the fence at the back of the yard.
Evan shook his head hard, trying to shake off the effect of the laughter potion. But it didn’t help. He laughed until tears rolled down his face.
