The Iguana Surprise Barbecue

Starring Justin, Val, Alice, Sofia

Justin, Val, Alice, and Sofia travel to Florida for a beachside barbecue, but when Justin opens the hot grill, a huge iguana leaps onto his face. After Val's super soaker spray fails to loosen the lizard and Alice's laughter freezes the chaos, Sofia's calming song helps Justin find his courage to gently remove the creature. The friends salvage their soggy chicken, dubbing it "Iguana Surprise," and enjoy a starlit dinner filled with laughter about their wild adventure.

The sun felt like a sizzling lamp on the Florida sand. Justin puffed his chest and boasted, “My chicken will be the best — even the seagulls will clap!” He swaggered to the grill, about to open the lid, already imagining applause.

He lifted the hot lid with a clang. WHOOSH! A green flash shot out. The iguana landed right on Justin's face, its scaly toes gripping his cheeks. "Get it off! Get it off!" Justin yelled, spinning in circles.

Val clutched her silver wavy necklace, her curls bouncing. "I have an idea!" she squeaked, spotting the super soaker by the cooler. But Justin was running toward the pool, blinded by the lizard's swinging tail.

Val aimed the plastic gun with shaky hands. SPLOOSH! Water sprayed Justin's beard and sunglasses - causing them to fly off his squealing face, but the iguana only squeezed tighter and hissed. Justin slipped on the wet sand with a loud thud.

Alice sat in her high chair and giggled, her round cheeks shaking like jelly. The high, silly sound made the iguana freeze. Sofia grabbed her tiara and began to sing a soft, wiggly song, dancing in her pink dress.

Justin stopped spinning. He felt the drumbeat of Sofia's dance in his chest and took a deep breath. The iguana's claws loosened, one by one, until Justin could gently lift it onto a nearby palm trunk.

The chicken was soggy, but Justin poked the coals back to life. "We're calling this Iguana Surprise," he grinned, placing the meat back on the grill. Smoke curled up into the pink sunset sky.

They sat around the picnic table, juice dripping down their chins. Justin's wet shirt hung on a chair, and the super soaker lay empty in the sand. Four friends laughed until their bellies hurt, watching the stars come out over the ocean.