Chapter 11

"You know, if we were an anime, the fans would say we were total crack." asserted

Hardcase.

"You haven't been watching anime without me, have you?" retorted Steetch, narrowing his eyes dangerously. It had absolutely no effect, Noone started stuttering and sweating. Actualy, it was a good thing they were not anime, because it would be a real pain writing in the chibi. Oh yeah, oops sorry.

"No, I am just saying." Hardcase just said. "So I had a great idea for your sub..."

"Don't keep me in suspense. tell me already!" spoiled Steetch.

"Ok, here it is. Build the Yellow Submarine, and sell subscriptions to the end of summer party on it. What would be the maximum fun occupancy?"

"Well, if I used a mixture of nitrous oxide, and made sure the crew had regular

Oxygen..." teased Steetch. "That would cut down on the cost of intoxicants."

"We are underage, so no drugs or alcohol." Hardcase said millitantly.

"So your idea of a low level of laughing gas just makes a lot of sense." she continued brightly. "Do you think we could sell spots on the maiden cruise of

'The Big Yellow Scoobus'?"

"I think I could build it big enough to hold fifty or sixty people, if I had the money selling subscriptions would bring. That means a thousand bucks a head, about.

Should we auction off the spots, have a raffle, or what?"

"If we have a raffle, we could get a cross-section of partyers, and not just the rich kids. We would sell sixhundred tickets at onehundred bucks each.The rich kids could up their chances by buying additional tickets, but everyone who could cough up a benjamin would have at least a hope of comming, and it wouldn't put it out of anyones reach, really. Well, too much." Hardcase monologued.

"I'll start the student phone-tree" offered Freaky. He knew a large cross-section of the students, since he helped so many of them find lost items. Also, he could just ask Axorie for anyone's phone number, or if there was anyone he had missed and should call, or if he should not call anyone. There were a few that she was certain should not be on a submarine with them.

A few days later, and all the money had come in, 600 raffle tickets sold to 348 students. Some had bought one, trusting to luck- some had bought several, trusting to the odds, and anyone who really wanted to go bought at least 10, knowing that even odds were the best. Two people bought 15 tickets each, spending 1,500 to make certain they didn't miss the party event of the summer.

All the kids who were just going to the beach party were jealous, because the

Under the Sea party was sure to be a knockout. Only if Steetch got the air/nitrous mix wrong!

Uh, yeah.

So, now to turn sixty-thousand bucks into a submersible.

And it had to be yellow! And it had to hold sixtythree people, and provide life-support for at least a day, too, of course. And be yellow. Portholes would be nice.

Someplace to sit. "Do I want this Merit Badge or Not!" Steetch asked himself in leu of a peptalk. Suddenly Steetch's eyes started to glaze over, and he started to mutter to himself. "hm, that could work ... I could kiss that Badge goodbye though...