Basketballs and Guinea Pigs

There are 5 or 6 little neighborhood boys (one might be a girl) who are constantly playing outside together. Everywhere they go, they carry a ball of some sort; today it was a basketball.
Anyway, they don't know my name but they know that I'm Mr. Haag's wife, and they know Mr. Haag because their big brothers were in his class last year, they think. They are nice enough to wave at me if they see me outside and they are happy to sell me cookie dough for their school fundraiser (and I'm happy to buy, though I've never actually received any cookie dough). It's a reciprocal relationship.

Today the doorbell rang and when I opened the door, there stood the lot of them, bouncing and bouncing and bouncing the basketball. They stood there for a second looking confusedly at me, like they didn't remember that they were the ones who initiated the contact. The one wearing the blue shirt pulls something out from behind his back and holds it up to me as he says, "Hey, do you want this?"
That something is squirming.
Because I've been teaching for 9 years and because I taught 7th graders for 5 of them, I didn't jump back or squeal or do anything girlie, but it did take me a second to recognize that the boy in the blue shirt was holding a guinea pig.
Me: Is that a guinea pig?
Boy in Blue: Uh. I think so.
(Boy in Blue passes the flailing, terrified rodent to me around the bouncing basketball. I take it and hold it close, petting its back because I feel sad for it.(Ok. So I am girlie))
Me: Is it yours?
All of the boys: yes!
Boy in Blue: But I don't want it anymore. Do you want it?
Me: Why don't you want it?
Boy Who Needs a Haircut: My dad and I really want it, but my mom said no.
Red Headed Freckled Boy: See, I told you it was a bad idea to go door to door to give it away!
Me: But look how sweet he is. Are you sure you don't want him?
Boy in Blue: Yes.
Me: How long have you had him?
All: (Say different numbers at the same time.)
Red Headed Freckled Boy: No. You've had him for 2 days.
Me: Does he have a name?
Boy in Blue: No.
Me: You didn't name him? Do you have a cage for him?
All: Yes.
Boy Who Might be a Girl: But you dug that cage out of the trash.
(All nod)
(Basketball continues bouncing and boys blink at me)
Me: I don't think I can keep him because I have two kitties who might eat him.
Red Headed Freckled Boy: Oh yeah!
Boy Who Might be a Girl: I have two dogs!
(All nod)
Me: I'll tell you what. Let's wait until Mr. Haag gets home and we'll see what he says, but I'm pretty sure he'll say no because of the cats (Rich is a good scapegoat). Look how calm your guinea pig is.
Boy Who Needs a Haircut: (to the Boy in Blue) He never acts like that when you hold him.
Me: All you have to do is make sure to hold him real close and hold his feet so that he knows you won't drop him. Also, don't make any loud noises because that makes him nervous.
(Basketball stops bouncing. Boy in Blue smirks and looks at his friends who are wide-eyed. I pass the guinea pig back to him. Boy in Blue is already heading towards the next house. Basketball resumes bouncing.)
Red Headed Freckled Boy calls after him: Hey! You forgot to say thank you.
All boys turn and yell: Thank you!
I close the door.

My thoughts:
1. Those kids are hysterical!
2. I wonder if their parents know they are giving away the family pet, or even worse, a little sister's pet.
3. I need to wash my hands

Already the boys have forgotten about the guinea pig. They are currently riding bikes, playing with a remote control car and yes, bouncing that basketball. I hope the guinea pig made it home.