or something so nobody could get in.
At least I’m glad they finally got it open. It was beginning to smell pretty bad. You could smell it from the driveway. Now it just smells like paste.
I can’t wait until my parents get home and put an end to all this craziness. Their trial is next week. They have to be found innocent.
I mean, if they stole an elephant I’d know about it, wouldn’t I? Where could you hide an elephant?
“Look, he’s reading,” said Robbie.
“I didn’t know he knew how to read,” laughed Curtis.
Bradley looked up. He was surrounded by Jeff and his gang.
“He can’t read,” said Brian. “He just looks at the pictures!”
They all laughed.
“Whatcha readin’?” asked Russell.
Bradley closed the book and slowly stood on the concrete steps.
“Chicken Chalkers,” said Dan.
Andy bounced a basketball.
Bradley glanced behind him. Doug was blocking the door to the auditorium. “What’s the matter, Brad-ley?” he asked.
“Hey, Chalkers, what’s the name of your book?” asked Robbie.
He looked at his book, then stared defiantly at Robbie.
“Let me see it,” said Robbie.
Bradley clutched it against his chest. No matter what, he wasn’t going to let them harm Carla’s book.
“Aw, c’mon, Bradley, be a pal,” said Robbie. “I just want to see it.”
Curtis chuckled.
Robbie stepped up toward him. “You can’t read anyway,” he said. “Give it to me and I’ll read it to you.” He reached out and rested his hand on the book.
Bradley jerked it away.
“Uh-oh, I think he’s getting angry,” said Brian.
“I just want to see it,” said Robbie. Again, he reached for the book.
Bradley held it under his left arm and against his chest. He made his right hand into a fist.
Robbie backed away. “Jeff,” he called.
“C’mon, Jeff, teach him a lesson,” said Dan.
Jeff stepped between Andy and Russell.
“All right!” said Curtis.
“Hold on,” said Andy. “Let’m get off the steps.”
The boys backed up. Bradley, clutching his book, walked down the concrete steps to where Jeff was waiting.
“Do you want me to hold your book, Bradley?” said Andy.
Bradley glanced at him.
“Don’t worry,” he said sincerely. “I won’t hurt it.”
Bradley handed Andy the book, then looked back at Jeff.
They stood on a patch of grass and dirt and faced each other. The bruise around Jeff’s eye had turned brown with a greenish tint. Jeff raised his fists.
The other boys formed a circle around them.
“C’mon, get’m, Jeff,” urged Brian.
“Give him another black eye,” said Russell.
Bradley readied himself. He raised his fists in the air, then lowered them. He had an idea.
“Hello, Jeff,” he said.
Robbie snickered.
Jeff stared at him, wide-eyed. “Hello, Bradley,” he replied.
Bradley smiled. He held out his hand.
Jeff smiled too. It was his first honest smile in a long time. He shook his best friend’s hand.
The other boys were dumbfounded. No one said a word.
Andy finally broke the ice. “Do you like to play basketball, Bradley?” he asked.
Bradley looked at him, bewildered. “I’m not very good,” he said.
“So? None of us are,” said Jeff, patting him on the back.
“Now we’ll have even teams!” said Robbie.
33 .
Bradley was
terrible!
He dribbled with two hands. He passed the ball to people who weren’t on his team. But, worst of all, whenever anyone passed the ball to him, he said “thank you.”
He never shot at the basket. He didn’t dare. Finally, after his team was losing 28 to 6 anyway, everyone told him to try a shot.
He looked around for someone to pass to.
Jeff sat down so Bradley wouldn’t pass it to him. “Just shoot,” he said.
The rest of his team sat down too. “Shoot it!” they said.
Everybody on the other team sat down too. “Shoot the ball!”
Bradley faced the basket. His tongue slipped out the corner of his mouth as he carefully aimed, then threw the ball high in the air. It hit the
At least I’m glad they finally got it open. It was beginning to smell pretty bad. You could smell it from the driveway. Now it just smells like paste.
I can’t wait until my parents get home and put an end to all this craziness. Their trial is next week. They have to be found innocent.
I mean, if they stole an elephant I’d know about it, wouldn’t I? Where could you hide an elephant?
“Look, he’s reading,” said Robbie.
“I didn’t know he knew how to read,” laughed Curtis.
Bradley looked up. He was surrounded by Jeff and his gang.
“He can’t read,” said Brian. “He just looks at the pictures!”
They all laughed.
“Whatcha readin’?” asked Russell.
Bradley closed the book and slowly stood on the concrete steps.
“Chicken Chalkers,” said Dan.
Andy bounced a basketball.
Bradley glanced behind him. Doug was blocking the door to the auditorium. “What’s the matter, Brad-ley?” he asked.
“Hey, Chalkers, what’s the name of your book?” asked Robbie.
He looked at his book, then stared defiantly at Robbie.
“Let me see it,” said Robbie.
Bradley clutched it against his chest. No matter what, he wasn’t going to let them harm Carla’s book.
“Aw, c’mon, Bradley, be a pal,” said Robbie. “I just want to see it.”
Curtis chuckled.
Robbie stepped up toward him. “You can’t read anyway,” he said. “Give it to me and I’ll read it to you.” He reached out and rested his hand on the book.
Bradley jerked it away.
“Uh-oh, I think he’s getting angry,” said Brian.
“I just want to see it,” said Robbie. Again, he reached for the book.
Bradley held it under his left arm and against his chest. He made his right hand into a fist.
Robbie backed away. “Jeff,” he called.
“C’mon, Jeff, teach him a lesson,” said Dan.
Jeff stepped between Andy and Russell.
“All right!” said Curtis.
“Hold on,” said Andy. “Let’m get off the steps.”
The boys backed up. Bradley, clutching his book, walked down the concrete steps to where Jeff was waiting.
“Do you want me to hold your book, Bradley?” said Andy.
Bradley glanced at him.
“Don’t worry,” he said sincerely. “I won’t hurt it.”
Bradley handed Andy the book, then looked back at Jeff.
They stood on a patch of grass and dirt and faced each other. The bruise around Jeff’s eye had turned brown with a greenish tint. Jeff raised his fists.
The other boys formed a circle around them.
“C’mon, get’m, Jeff,” urged Brian.
“Give him another black eye,” said Russell.
Bradley readied himself. He raised his fists in the air, then lowered them. He had an idea.
“Hello, Jeff,” he said.
Robbie snickered.
Jeff stared at him, wide-eyed. “Hello, Bradley,” he replied.
Bradley smiled. He held out his hand.
Jeff smiled too. It was his first honest smile in a long time. He shook his best friend’s hand.
The other boys were dumbfounded. No one said a word.
Andy finally broke the ice. “Do you like to play basketball, Bradley?” he asked.
Bradley looked at him, bewildered. “I’m not very good,” he said.
“So? None of us are,” said Jeff, patting him on the back.
“Now we’ll have even teams!” said Robbie.
33 .
Bradley was
terrible!
He dribbled with two hands. He passed the ball to people who weren’t on his team. But, worst of all, whenever anyone passed the ball to him, he said “thank you.”
He never shot at the basket. He didn’t dare. Finally, after his team was losing 28 to 6 anyway, everyone told him to try a shot.
He looked around for someone to pass to.
Jeff sat down so Bradley wouldn’t pass it to him. “Just shoot,” he said.
The rest of his team sat down too. “Shoot it!” they said.
Everybody on the other team sat down too. “Shoot the ball!”
Bradley faced the basket. His tongue slipped out the corner of his mouth as he carefully aimed, then threw the ball high in the air. It hit the
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