The Zebra and the Oxpecker

I’m having a really, really great day. There’s cheesy bread on the menu for lunch. My best friend, Ari, and I saved a worm at recess. (We love animals.) And our teacher, Mr. Chen, just announced that we’re taking a class trip to the zoo next week!

“I can’t wait!” I whisper to Ari. 

“Willa, pay attention,” Mr. Chen tells me. “Before our trip, we’re going to work on an animal project. You’ll be working with partners.”

I reach for Ari’s hand and we smile at each other. We’re going to be partners, obviously. Ari is exactly like me. We both like purple. We both like sour candy. And last year, we were always partners. Now we get to work on an animal project together!

See what I mean about it being a really, really great day?

“Your projects are going to be about animals that help each other,” Mr. Chen explains. “Many of these animals are very different. Here’s an example.”

Mr. Chen opens a book to a picture of a badger and a coyote. I hear a loud howl. It’s Cody pretending to be a coyote. Everyone laughs . . . except me. 

Cody is a total class clown. He’s in the theater club and loves it when everyone is watching him. I’m the complete opposite. I really, really don’t like being in front of people. 

Mr. Chen pulls out Popsicle sticks with our names on them. Uh-oh. That means he’s picking random partners. My heart starts to race as Mr. Chen calls out pairs. I hear him call my name.

“Willa and . . .” he says.

Please say Ari, I think. I cross my fingers. Ari does too. 

“. . . Cody,” Mr. Chen says. “Your project will be about zebras and birds.”

Ari and I stare at each other, devastated. Cody lets out another howl. My really, really great day has turned into a complete disaster!

“Howdy, partner!” Cody waves at me. He grabs two laptops from the cart and hands one to me.

“Hi,” I say glumly. I read an article about birds and zebras and jot down some notes.

I start working on our poster as Cody plays a video of an oxpecker.

“Listen to the sound they make,” he says to me. He flaps his arms and imitates the bird sounds. “Squawk!”

I’m about to tell Cody to leave me alone and let me focus when Mr. Chen makes an announcement.

“At the end of the week, each group will give a presentation about their animals,” he says.

Oh no. I thought being partners with Cody was bad. But this is worse. Much worse. I really, really don’t like giving presentations. My heart is racing again.

Cody’s already reaching for a pencil and the posterboard. “Maybe for the presentation—”

“Stop!” I yell, snatching the poster from him. “Just stop trying to help. I can do it on my own!”

Cody’s bright smile vanishes. It’s weird to see him not smiling. The bell rings, and Cody walks away, looking at the ground.

After school, I walk to the buses with Ari. I feel really, really bad. I didn’t mean to hurt Cody’s feelings. 

“My partner, Ricardo, is an amazing artist,” Ari says. “He’s drawing cool scenes for our project. How’s yours going?”

“Terrible,” I say. “I wish you were my partner.”

“Me too, Willa. But Cody loves performing,” Ari replies. “I bet he could help you do a great presentation.”

Ari gets on her bus and I get on mine. I see Cody sitting by himself. He still looks sad.

I take a deep breath and walk up to him. “I’m really, really sorry. I was upset that I wasn’t partners with Ari. Then I got nervous.” 

“You did?” he asks. “Why?”

“I really, really don’t like talking in front of people,” I say.

“I have an idea that might help you with that,” Cody says. “I was trying to tell you about it earlier.”

“You do?” I say, looking up.

“Come over to my house tomorrow and I’ll show you,” he says.

When I get to Cody’s house, he runs out the door flapping his arms in an awesome bird costume. He’s wearing a feather boa, swimming flippers, and a paper beak.

“Squawk! Hi, Willa!” he says. “I’m an oxpecker!”

“You look amazing!” I say, giggling.

Then Cody holds out a striped shirt, a pair of ears, and a tail.

“Is that . . . for me?” I gulp. 

“Yep!” Cody says. “I was thinking we could do a play for our presentation. In theater club, we dress up when we perform. Pretending to be another person—or animal—helps when I get nervous.”

“You get nervous too?” I ask. 

“Everyone gets nervous,” he says. 

“I was nervous about doing research for this project. That’s why I’m glad you’re my partner.”

“You are?” I ask, surprised.

“Sure, you’re the best researcher in our class,” he says. 

“And you’re the best performer,” I reply. I glance at my notes about zebras and oxpeckers helping each other, then smile nervously. “Let’s give it a try!”

We spend the rest of the week working on our project. By the time Friday comes around, we’re ready! 

I put on my zebra costume. Cody puts on his bird costume. I’m really, really nervous. My heart is racing faster than a galloping zebra. 

“You can do it. Just pretend we’re at my house,” Cody whispers. I take a deep breath and we begin.

“For our presentation, we’re performing a play,” Cody announces. 

Cody jumps around pretending to be a bird. I gallop in circles like a zebra. 

“I’m hungry! Squawk!” Cody says.

“I’m so itchy! Get these bugs off me!” I say. 

“Squawk! I’d love to. Yum, yum!” Cody says, pecking me with his beak. The class bursts into applause.

Cody turns to me. “You were spectacular!”

“That was the best project ever!” I say. “Thanks for helping me practice.”

“Thanks for helping with the research,” he says. “Hey, next week when we go to the zoo, want to look at zebras and oxpeckers together?”

“That would be great,” I reply with a smile. “Really, really great. After all, what’s a zebra without its oxpecker?”

“Squawk!” Cody says.