Libby was not your average kid. While other children collected stickers or Pokémon cards, Libby had a strange fascination with bugs—especially lice. She didn’t want to have lice herself, of course, but she found them oddly fascinating. Their tiny claws, their ability to hide in hair, their resilience—it was like they were tiny ninjas. Her best friend Katrina, on the other hand, had an entirely different reason to care about lice. She was doing a science project on parasites, and she wanted live samples for her presentation. Of course, you can’t exactly go to a pet store and ask for head lice. So naturally, she turned to Libby. “I need help,” Katrina said one afternoon, sliding into the cafeteria bench beside Libby. “I need actual lice for my project, and I have no idea where to find them.” Libby’s eyes lit up like she’d just been handed the greatest mission ever. “Leave it to me,” she whispered with a mischievous grin. Over the next week, Libby transformed into a lice detective. She checked the lost and found bin at school, visited the nurse’s office more than was necessary, and even started hanging out near the younger kids who seemed to scratch their heads a lot. Finally, success. With a carefully sealed container and a huge smile, Libby presented Katrina with her prize: three tiny lice. “You actually found them,” Katrina said, amazed. “You’re incredible.” Libby beamed. “Told you. Lice are my specialty.” Katrina aced her project, and while most kids would have found the whole thing disgusting, for Libby and Katrina, it was just another weird, wonderful adventure.
