The conversation among the family completely stopped when the food arrived. Once Ally got her plate of spaghetti and meatballs, she became all business-those meatballs were doomed, Ally was on the attack Everyone was enjoying their din-din when it happened. I was chomping on a piece of carrot when all of a sudden, a gigantic meatball came rolling across the table directly at me, slinging red spaghetti sauce every which way-left, right, up, all over the place-and it was headed right toward me. I didn't know what to do. Should I go to the right, to the left? Should I hide behind a glass? What should I-and then the meatball hit me directly in the stomach-splat That meatball hit me so hard, I fell over backward. Whew I think I am okay, but-egad -I am a meatball mess, just look at me I am covered in red spaghetti sauce and pieces of meatball. My pretty white-and-gray fur will never be the same. I will forever be stained spaghetti-sauce-red on my stomach. Oh, this can't be All the while I am thinking about the terrible situation I am in, the family is howling with laughter. How dare they laugh at my embarrassing predicament I am stained forever, and they are laughing. Oh, this evening has turned out to be a disaster. Just as I am thinking about my future as a spaghetti-sauce-stained gerbil, Kayla picks me up and gently puts me in her hand.