I've lived my whole life on Normal Street.
There's a lake at one end,
and a forest of shady trees at the other.
But what lies in between
is anything but normal.
[whirring]
Ranger grew up in his family bakery,
which made him immune to most temptations.
But when it came to Grandpa's specialty,
the rare and wondrous Chocolate Singularity Cake,
a cake so dark and dense with chocolate,
that it actually absorbs light.
Everyone has a breaking point.
I may have topped myself.
You want a taste?
Really? Can I?
Oh, never mind.
[sighs] Well, gotta get to Gortimer's.
Well, you have a good time at the camp out.
But be careful. They're sayin' there's a 10 percent chance of rain.
I'm feelin' lucky.
[sighs]
[crashing]
Dad, I've told you a million times
that rack can't take any weight.
I was planning on replacing it next week.
Well, planning won't replace pot racks.
Whoa. Is everyone okay?
Yeah, the rack came loose.
It was my fault.
She's been tellin' me to replace it.
Dad, you've got two hours to make a three hour replacement cake,
and two cakes and a pie after that.
Honey, call Tanya and Jose,
tell them that their orders are gonna be late and--
I guess we've gotta give 'em the cake for free.
Okay, where's Ranger? We're gonna need his help.
Look, this is my fault.
He doesn't need to be dragged into this.
Are you sure? All right.
[fly buzzing]
[gasping]
[coughing]
Why are you guys setting up so early?
Uh, it needs to air out.
[sighs] I swallowed a bug.
Gross. You okay?
Yeah, I guess so.
Can help us out with the tent?
Oh, uh...
give me a second.
I gotta go wash my hands.
Sure.
Hey.
That fly really likes you.
[sighs] Yeah.
How did it go at the bakery?
Why? What have you heard?
Nothing. Why would we have heard anything?
[scoffs] No reason.
I thought you said your Grandpa was gonna make his famous cake.
Um... hey!
You guys forgot to put the groundcover under the tent.
- We don't need it. - Of course, you do.
There's a 10 percent chance of rain.
This tent is sticky.
Mel: What are you doing? Stop messing around.
I told you, I'm stuck.
Anchor him, Gortimer.
Wait, what? Guys, I don't think this is a good idea.
[grunting]
I thought you just washed your hands.
I did. I told you I did.
Why would I lie?
So... what do you guys want to do now?
And they were never seen again.
Good one, Gortimer.
Thanks. Oh.
I've got a story that actually happened
a long time ago on Normal Street.
It's called "The Rat Who Squeaked."
Once there lived a little boy who loved a toy rat,
and it squeaked.
The boy took the rat everywhere,
and everywhere he went, kids made fun of him.
One day, the meanest kid in school
grabbed the rat and threw it down the storm drain.
That night, the mean kid was trying to fall asleep,
and he heard something.
Squeak, squeak, squeak.
It grew louder.
Squeak, squeak, squeak!
The next day, he heard the squeak everywhere,
at school, in the library, at the park.
Finally, as the sun was setting,
the mean kid knew what he had to do.
He reached in as far as he could,
and was certain it was only inches away,
but he slipped and fell into the drain,
and was never seen again.
And to this day, if you walk past the storm drain
just as the sun is setting,
you can hear sound echoing from deep inside.
Squeak. Squeak. Squeak.
I need some air.
It wasn't that scary, was it?
No, it was fine. I just--
You've been acting kind of strange.
Oh.
What is it?
Oh.
That's a lot of bugs.
What do they want?
[thunder cracking]
[thunder rumbling]
Must be the rain. They're taking shelter.
After following us all the way from my house?
You know, it must be nice to be part of a swarm.
You don't have to be responsible for anything.
You can just buzz along, doing your bug thing.
No wonder they're so happy.
Look at 'em?
They look happy?
How can you tell?
Because they're bugs.
Weren't you listening to anything I said?
What are you saying, that bugs have it better?
You'd hate being a bug.
You're the least bug-like person I know.
Insects are cold and unfeeling.
- Feelings are overrated. - Mel: You don't believe that.
No, you're more like a puppy. Fun, loyal,
a little impulsive.
Do me, Mel. I was thinking I was a--
- Prairie dog. - Bald eagle.
Prairie dog?
Sure. Resourceful, strong,
not afraid of getting into dark underground places.
Team player.
Yeah. Prairie dog.
What would Mel be?
Lion.
For obvious reasons.
[knocking]
Hey, campers.
Those look great, Mom.
Well, I did my best,
I just hope Ranger likes it.
Grew up with his Grandpa's cookin'.
Does he, um-- Does he still make that cake?
What was it called, it was, uh-- hang on.
It was a chocolate-- chocolate something?
Who wants to play a game?
Mel: Truth or dare?
Truth.
Do you think it's possible for a human to turn into a bug?
Hey! It's my turn to ask, Ranger.
Easiest question ever.
No.
But, you know, before when I swallowed that bug,
what about that?
You'll just digest it like everything else.
So, Gortimer, my question was,
if your house was on fire and you could only save one thing,
what would it be?
My comic books.
Gortimer! What about your mom?
What about Gardner?
You said one thing.
I would save my mom, who would, uh--
happen to be carrying Gardner at the same time.
Nice.
All right, Ranger, truth or dare?
- Dare. - You always pick dare.
You always pick truth,
and we already know everything about each other.
Okay, then I dare you to answer one question truthfully.
Now you're just abusing the rules.
I second that dare.
What's the worst thing you've ever done?
Wow. What a question.
I know. The duct tape experiment.
Not the water park?
That was pretty bad.
I hear they're re-opening in Spring.
Did they ever give his swimsuit back?
- I think they burned it. - [buzzing]
Probably for the best.
I can still see a little green in your hair.
Yours, too.
- Took forever to grow back. - [buzzing louder]
Wait. Did you guys hear that?
Quit stalling. Truth.
Um... what Gortimer said, about the water park.
Ha! I knew it.
All right. My turn.
[thunder rumbling]
[loud thunder clap]
Wah wah wah wah. Wah wah wah wah!
[insects buzzing]
I'm hungry.
Should we, uh, wake him up?
Yes. It's going on nine and a half hours.
[zipper unzipping]
Morning, bug boy.
Your little friends are still at the...
window.
What?
It's weird. Stop.
I don't know what you're talking about.
Okay. We get it.
I don't understand.
Your eyes. You're a bug. We get it.
Oh. Cool.
You mean you're not, like, trying to do that?
No.
Close your eyes.
Now open them.
I guess that's just how they are now.
Well, maybe let's eat breakfast.
I'll get cereal for us.
Honey Crunch, please.
You guys want to hang out today?
We are hanging out.
Not you. The bugs.
Oh. Great. He's talkin' to bugs now.
[loud crunching]
I'm sorry, but can you please put on sunglasses?
That eye thing is just so disturbing.
[whispering] What is going on?
[whispering] How would I know?
[whispering] You know everything.
You know I can hear you guys, right?
That's impossible.
What's going on?
How would I know.
You know everything.
[loud crunching]
Ahh. Nothing beats honey.
[buzzing]
[knocking]
Come in.
Hey, guys. Uh, Ranger, it's your grandpa.
Thank you, Ms. Fuller.
Mm-hm.
Hello?
- Hey, bud. How are ya? - Fine.
Uh, look, I hate to call you
when you're camped out with your friends,
but, uh, we need you to go to the bakery and help out your mom and dad.
I thought you were working today.
Uh, that's the thing, bud.
So yesterday, I made a really big dumb mistake,
and, uh, might have cost us some business.
So I thought it might be a good idea
to take a break from the bakery for a while,
'cause I seem to be doing more harm than good.
Okay.
Okay. Again, uh,
sorry to take you away from your friends.
Okay. Goodbye.
[phone beeps]
Is everything okay?
Yes. Well, gotta go to the bakery now.
He's gonna return the cereal, isn't he?
I don't know, Mom.
The bugs are gone.
Interesting.
Mel: That's strange.
The bakery's the other way.
He did keep saying he was turning into a bug.
That's not possible.
- Great. - Actually.
- Maybe. - Uh-oh.
There is some evidence that concerns me.
One, his hands remained highly sticky
immediately after he washed them.
Two, a swarm of bugs keeps following him around.
Three, he woke up with larger eyes.
And four, he can't stop eating honey flavored cereal.
And five, he said he was turning into a bug.
Somehow, I trust that the least.
Should we follow him?
Absolutely.
Just to be safe, let's grab some bug repellent.
Ranger: See, humans, they just don't get it.
Us bugs, we can eat whatever we want, whenever we want,
and nobody cares.
You want to know what else they're obsessed with?
Responsibility.
Funny, right?
I think there's something else going on.
Every time we ask Ranger if he's hiding something,
he starts acting--
Like an insect.
Wait.
Look.
Honey Crunch.
He left a trail.
So, do you think it's possible
Ranger's undergoing some sort of
metamorphosis?
Well, if he is, this should help.
He really spilled a lot of cereal.
Ranger!
[insects buzzing]
Ranger: Like, last night, I couldn't sleep.
I was so worried.
But today, it's a whole new ball of wax.
Or maybe should I say beeswax.
Get it? Beeswax.
Oh, man.
Ranger. It's us.
Oh, hey.
Gortimer: We want to talk to you.
I'm busy.
We're coming up.
I wouldn't do that if I were you.
Or what?
Or, uh-- I don't know.
I just want to be alone with my new friends.
Who? Bugs?
Don't say it like that.
[insects buzzing]
Whoa.
Ranger, what's going on?
You've been acting really weird.
Maybe humans are the weird ones.
Ever think about that?
Maybe it's bugs, like me and my friends,
who are the, uh--
non-weird ones.
This has gone too far.
Just come back down with us.
I'm not going anywhere.
Don't you get it?
I told you guys. I'm a bug now.
Why? Because you accidentally swallowed a bug?
Last time I ate chicken, I didn't turn into a chicken the next day.
My real friends understand.
We're your real friends.
Believe what you want to believe.
All right, you asked for it.
Repel.
Stop! Wh-- What are you doing?
Okay.
It's just us now.
Please tell us what's going on.
Ever since we saw you yesterday,
you've been saying and doing a lot of really
bizarre things.
No, I'm not. Maybe.
And this morning, when your eyes were so big,
you weren't acting like yourself at all.
And now, well, you're talking to bugs,
and saying you're a bug,
so you can see why we're a little concerned.
Did something happen yesterday?
No.
When-- when I asked you how it went with, uh--
Grandpa and the Singularity Cake,
you said, "What have you heard?"
What did that mean?
Just tell us. It can't be that bad.
But it might be.
Take off your sunglasses.
So...
It's okay.
Yesterday, Grandpa made the Chocolate Singularity Cake,
and after he left, I ate a piece.
Oh.
But that's not all.
Right after I ate some,
I accidentally destroyed the whole cake.
I mean, that-- that's-- that's bad.
Really bad, but not-- not insanely bad.
I don't see why it made you so crazy.
That's just it. Grandpa got blamed for it.
But it was my fault.
And now Grandpa can't work at the bakery anymore.
Oh.
Grandpa's always been really nice to me, you know?
He's the best.
But when I saw that he was gonna get in trouble,
and not me,
I was...
relieved.
Ranger, it's okay.
You were panicking.
You're only human.
Yeah. Not a bug.
What was that about?
[sighs] I guess the guilt made me, you know, buggy.
I'm scared about what they'll think of me after I tell them.
They'll be angry, and they should be.
But that doesn't mean they don't love you.
When you do something wrong,
really, really wrong,
you feel guilty.
And if you try to run from it,
guilt can eat away at you.
It can even change you.
Ranger, where were you? We were swamped.
Honey, what's wrong?
Can we have a family meeting?
It wasn't easy for Ranger to admit what he did
to the people who loved him most.
But it wasn't as bad as he thought it would be, either.
We all make mistakes,
and Ranger is no exception.
He's only human.
[sighs]
And we like him that way.
♪ And we like him that way.