Dexter Doodle thought winning the talent show meant he could finally take a nap, maybe eat a sandwich without fear of being attacked by farm animals, and call it a day.
Ha. Ha. Ha.
The very next morning, Tina barged into his apartment, waving a flyer like it was a weapon.
"Dexter! Guess what?" she said, practically vibrating with excitement. "The mayor wants you to organize the Annual Town Parade! Because apparently, you're now famous for… well… chaos."
Dexter stared at her. "Organize a parade? Me? Do you know what happened yesterday? I got chased by flaming chickens, was assaulted by popcorn, and somehow won a talent show by accident!"
"Exactly!" Tina said. "You're perfect for this. The town loves a disaster. Just… don't set anything on fire… or at least not intentionally."
Dexter gulped. "Not intentionally… sure. That sounds totally safe."
The Parade of Doom Begins
Parade day arrived. Dexter was appointed Grand Parade Coordinator, which apparently meant:
Driving the parade floats
Directing marching bands
Managing townspeople, llamas, clowns, and someone who brought a unicycle army
The first float, shaped like a giant foam banana, was bigger than Dexter's apartment. And, of course, it immediately got stuck under a low-hanging tree branch. The mayor, who had climbed onto the float to wave at the crowd, was now dangling by his top hat.
"Uh… maybe we need more people on crowd control?" Dexter suggested nervously.
Before anyone could respond, a llama troupe—yes, llamas—decided that the parade route looked suspiciously like a snack path. They charged at the banana float, sending it rolling backward. Dexter, who had been riding it like a cowboy on a mechanical bull, ended up catapulted into a pile of juggling clowns.
Meanwhile, the marching band had started playing "Flight of the Bumblebee" at triple speed, causing one trombone player to spin so fast he knocked over the fire hydrant. Water sprayed everywhere, creating an impromptu slip-and-slide for parade-goers.
The townspeople screamed and laughed in equal measure. One kid rode by on a scooter with a bag of popcorn stuck to his helmet. Tina tried to corral a runaway unicycle army, but one unicycle spun so fast it launched a pie directly onto Dexter's face.
He wiped blueberry filling from his eyes. "Okay… so far, this is going… better than expected," he muttered sarcastically.
The Grand Finale (Or Disaster)
Just as Dexter thought he might survive, the foam banana float finally broke free from the tree branch… rolling downhill straight toward the crowd. The mayor, still clinging to his top hat, shouted, "Dexter, do something!"
Dexter did the only thing he could: he jumped onto the banana, riding it like a surfboard while yelling, "Hang on, everyone! I've got this!"
The crowd erupted in cheers. Llamas were bouncing. Trombone players were flying. Flaming chickens… well, they stayed backstage this time (a small miracle).
In the end, the banana float crashed perfectly into a giant pile of foam pillows, the mayor survived with only minor dignity loss, and Dexter—covered in popcorn, pie, and feathers—was once again hailed as a hero of absolute chaos.
Tina patted him on the back. "You know, you really do thrive in disaster."
Dexter groaned. "Thriving? I barely survived. But hey… maybe tomorrow will be… quieter?"
And with that, Dexter had no idea that the next day would make today look like a calm stroll through a library.