[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Benjy shrugged, "Maybe he's sick."
"Are you kidding?" said Mark. "If you were a germ, would you have the guts to
attack Jaworski?"
Ms. Panagopoulos was already in the classroom as the students of Fifth Grade
Seminar filed in. She addressed the three producers.
"I missed your show again this weekend. Can you believe it?"
"Gee, that's too bad," beamed Mark. At least something had gone right.
She shook her head. "I was tuned to the right station, and I heard you, Mark,
for about three seconds. And then I got nothing but static and white noise."
"There's a lot of that going around," said Ellen-Louise. Benjy glared at her.
The teacher slapped her desk. "What I can't understand is that my reception
is perfect now. It was justyour show. I'm beginning to think that I reallydo
hate this radio!"
"Maybe that's why the first guy returned it, " suggested Mark.
At that moment, the principal, Mr. Sword, came on the PA system with the
morning announcements.
144
He gave his usual pep talk on "Keep your washrooms clean," and then he said,
"Now I'd like to introduce you to a young man who has asked for the
opportunity to talk to you today. The staff and I are extremely proud of the
initiative this sixth-grader has shown lately. So please give your full
attention to Brad Jaworski."
It was as though the school building itself gasped. In every single
classroom, you could hear a pin drop as an all-too-familiar throat was cleared
over the speakers.
"It's me," came Brad's surly voice. "I didn't go out in the schoolyard
because I didn't want to be mobbed. Got it? I knew my stories were popular.
But until I met with everybody last week, I had no idea how famous I was
getting. Since everybody loves my writing so much, I expect to see a lot of
posters and signs and T-shirts and stuff. And pictures. Lots of pictures. Use
your imagination. Now, if you don't do these things, I'll know that you've
been snowing me about my stories, and you don't really like them at all. Then
I'll feel bad. I don't like to feel bad. Got it?"
Mr. Sword's voice was heard again. "Uh Brad, perhaps some people might
misunderstand the friendly nature of your message."
"Oh, no sir," said the Venice Menace. "I think everybody understands my
Page 72
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
message perfectly."
There was a long, audible sigh throughout the school. The three producers
exchanged looks of pure agony. The Pit rumbled.
145
"I've been hearing a lot about this Brad lately," said Ms. Panagopoulos. "I
haven't read any of his work yet, but he must really be someone to watch out
for."
"Oh, he is," said Benjy sadly.
The teacher snapped her fingers. "We need to do more creative writing."
"We need to do more creative hiding," came a voice from The Pit.
So she invented Writers' Round Table, and wroteLIST OF OBJECTIVES in large
letters on the blackboard, followed by the numbers one through twenty.
"Number one," she announced pleasantly. "Psycho-literary growth."
"This is where I stop paying attention," Mark whispered to Benjy. "Don't be
scared. I've figured out the seminar. We do the same stuff as everybody else
does in a regular class, only we have to call it by big, fancy, messed-up
names. Like 'Writers' Round Table' just means we have to do compositions
which is a bummer, but we always get that stuff anyway. So let her talk. Grab
a nap."
"I'm not worried about that," Benjy hissed. "I'm worried about Jaworksi. That
little speech was as plain as the nose on your face. Everybody who doesn't do
a poster or picture, or make a big deal about Fuzzy and Puffy gets his face
kicked in! And it doesn't help to have Mr. Sword acting like it's okay with
him!"
Mark nodded. "The teachers are probably so thrilled that Jaworski, king of
the straight-F report card, is finally interested in something, that they
don't notice
146
he's holding the whole school for ransom. ' "But what are we going to do?"
asked Benjy. "Take my advice," said Mark. "At recess we hit the art room and
start work on the biggest Fuzzy and Puffy poster you've ever seen!"
At recess, the line to get into the art room stretched down the hall and
around the corner past the music room.
"This is the craziest thing I've ever seen in my life!" said Ellen-Louise in
disgust. "I was worried about 'poor Brad,' but I'm not worried anymore! He
should be locked up for this! Bad enough he subjects everybody to his stupid
stories! But to terrify the whole school into forming the Fuzzy and Puffy Fan
Club !"
Mark pointed to a tall, slim girl a few places up the line. "Hey, isn't she
one of the Pit People? I can never recognize them on level ground."
Benjy watched the fortunate few from the front of the line scampering ofF
with their art supplies. He gawked at a group of boys from the other
fifth-grade class as they decided the wait would be too long, ripped off"
Page 73
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
their T-shirts, and wrote:I V FUZZY
fronts. Some sixth-grade girls who wore makeup were off in a corner applying
eyeliner whiskers to their cheeks.
"I can't believe this! "Benjy wailed, fingers wrapped in his curls. "Look at
this lineup! You'd think someone was giving away free money! I mean, come on!
Has the whole world gone nuts?"
147
"Benjy, calm down!" Mark hissed.
"It was our show, too! That's when it started, three miserable weeks ago,
when Mrs. Harris was so impressed by that story! Thanks a lot, Mrs. Harris!
You're a great teacher with a real eye for talent!"
Ellen-Louise grabbed him by the shoulders. "Shhh! Benjy! Everybody's staring
at you!" He looked at her helplessly. "All right," she went on, "This has gone
far enough. There's no reason for us to bust our heads over this. We've got
the best staff advisor in the world."
Benjy slapped his forehead. "Of course! Mr. Mor-enz! Why didn't I think of
it? "
Mark sighed with relief. "Our troubles are over!"
Speaking to Mr. Morenz was wonderful for Benjy. It felt so good to get the
whole story off his chest. Going back to the first day they'd seen Brad's name
on the sign-up sheet, all the way to the line of students in front of the art
room, the producers told it all. Mr. Morenz had his head buried in a copy
ofHave Laser, Will Travel , but he was listening, all right. Benjy could tell,
because he was nodding and saying "Mmm hmm," in all the right places. In
addition, the teacher's award plaques and trophies lined the gym wall. It made
Benjy feel more confident than ever.
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]