Read Online 52 - How I Learned to Fly by R.L. Stine - (ebook by Undead) - Free Book Online
Authors: R.L. Stine - (ebook by Undead)
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second lap—and won the race.
“Nice going, Jackie,” Wilson clapped me on the shoulder. “I knew I could
count on you—to lose!” he hooted.
“That wasn’t fair—” I started.
“Hey—what’s their problem?” he interrupted me, pointing to the crowd
of kids.
The quiet crowd.
No cheers.
No clapping.
They stared at us in stunned silence.
I turned to Mr. Grossman. His jaw hung open. He gaped at us—speechless.
I slowly walked over to Ray and Ethan, staring into their unsmiling faces.
“So, guys. What did you think?”
“Why didn’t you tell us you could fly?” Ray’s face broke out into a wide
grin.
“I—I wanted to surprise you!” I said, relieved.
“Awesome! Totally awesome!” Ethan shouted. “Can you teach us how?”
“I’m sorry. I can’t,” I apologized. I told them the whole story—about how I
found the book and lost it—as we headed back into school.
“Our basketball team will win every game now!” Ray exclaimed. “Forget about
slam dunks! You’ll be the first player ever to do a fly-dunk!”
Ray and Ethan were really excited about my flying.
But, later, as I walked to my classroom, I could feel the stares from the
other kids. Hear their whispers. Everyone was talking about me. Some shrank back
as I approached.
They were afraid of me!
That afternoon, I walked through the halls with my head down. I couldn’t
stand all the whispers, all the stares.
“Jack!” The school nurse darted from her office and snatched me out of the
hall. “There are some people here who want to meet you.”
Two men and two women stood stiffly in the nurse’s office. One man and one
woman were dressed in business suits. The other two wore khaki pants and
T-shirts. They smiled warmly at me.
“These people are scientists from the university,” the nurse started to
explain. “They’ve heard about your… uh… special talent. And they want to
examine you and Wilson.”
I took a step back.
One of the men moved toward me. “If you really can fly, think of how useful
you can be to our government—perhaps as a secret weapon against our enemies.”
I swallowed hard.
The woman in the khaki pants stuck out her hand. “Come with us, Jack.” She
shot a nervous glance at the others. “Nothing bad will happen to you.”
The others peered at me over their eyeglasses. They nodded eagerly in
agreement.
“We just want to look you over. You know. Do a few experiments on you. In our
lab.”
24
“NO! I don’t want to be a lab specimen. I don’t want to be a secret weapon!”
I shouted at them.
Startled by my cries, the scientists leaped back—and I bolted from the
room.
“Jack, come back!” the school nurse called after me.
I raced frantically through the halls. Smashing into kids. Shoving them out
of my way.
“Jack, we won’t hurt you!” I heard one of the scientists call.
With my head down, I charged ahead, zigzagging through the crowded halls.
Elbowing the kids who got in my way.
“Hey, watch it!” Angry voices trailed me as I burst through the school doors
and jumped down the steps.
I ran all the way home. I didn’t stop. I didn’t glance back. I ran hard—even though my lungs felt as if they were about to burst.
I opened my front door with a bang. Then slammed it shut and leaned against it, gasping for breath.
“Jack?” Dad called from the living room.
Why was Dad home in the middle of the afternoon?
I walked in to the living room—and found both my parents waiting for me.
Dad stood with his hands shoved deep into his pants pockets. “Jack, our phone
has been ringing all afternoon,” he said sternly. “We heard about you. About
what you did in school today.”
I glanced over at Mom. She gave a solemn nod.
“You are in a lot of trouble.” Dad sounded really angry now.
I gulped. “Why? What—what are you going to do?”
25
“What do you think we should do, Jack?” Dad paced back and forth in front of
me.
“Nice going, Jackie,” Wilson clapped me on the shoulder. “I knew I could
count on you—to lose!” he hooted.
“That wasn’t fair—” I started.
“Hey—what’s their problem?” he interrupted me, pointing to the crowd
of kids.
The quiet crowd.
No cheers.
No clapping.
They stared at us in stunned silence.
I turned to Mr. Grossman. His jaw hung open. He gaped at us—speechless.
I slowly walked over to Ray and Ethan, staring into their unsmiling faces.
“So, guys. What did you think?”
“Why didn’t you tell us you could fly?” Ray’s face broke out into a wide
grin.
“I—I wanted to surprise you!” I said, relieved.
“Awesome! Totally awesome!” Ethan shouted. “Can you teach us how?”
“I’m sorry. I can’t,” I apologized. I told them the whole story—about how I
found the book and lost it—as we headed back into school.
“Our basketball team will win every game now!” Ray exclaimed. “Forget about
slam dunks! You’ll be the first player ever to do a fly-dunk!”
Ray and Ethan were really excited about my flying.
But, later, as I walked to my classroom, I could feel the stares from the
other kids. Hear their whispers. Everyone was talking about me. Some shrank back
as I approached.
They were afraid of me!
That afternoon, I walked through the halls with my head down. I couldn’t
stand all the whispers, all the stares.
“Jack!” The school nurse darted from her office and snatched me out of the
hall. “There are some people here who want to meet you.”
Two men and two women stood stiffly in the nurse’s office. One man and one
woman were dressed in business suits. The other two wore khaki pants and
T-shirts. They smiled warmly at me.
“These people are scientists from the university,” the nurse started to
explain. “They’ve heard about your… uh… special talent. And they want to
examine you and Wilson.”
I took a step back.
One of the men moved toward me. “If you really can fly, think of how useful
you can be to our government—perhaps as a secret weapon against our enemies.”
I swallowed hard.
The woman in the khaki pants stuck out her hand. “Come with us, Jack.” She
shot a nervous glance at the others. “Nothing bad will happen to you.”
The others peered at me over their eyeglasses. They nodded eagerly in
agreement.
“We just want to look you over. You know. Do a few experiments on you. In our
lab.”
24
“NO! I don’t want to be a lab specimen. I don’t want to be a secret weapon!”
I shouted at them.
Startled by my cries, the scientists leaped back—and I bolted from the
room.
“Jack, come back!” the school nurse called after me.
I raced frantically through the halls. Smashing into kids. Shoving them out
of my way.
“Jack, we won’t hurt you!” I heard one of the scientists call.
With my head down, I charged ahead, zigzagging through the crowded halls.
Elbowing the kids who got in my way.
“Hey, watch it!” Angry voices trailed me as I burst through the school doors
and jumped down the steps.
I ran all the way home. I didn’t stop. I didn’t glance back. I ran hard—even though my lungs felt as if they were about to burst.
I opened my front door with a bang. Then slammed it shut and leaned against it, gasping for breath.
“Jack?” Dad called from the living room.
Why was Dad home in the middle of the afternoon?
I walked in to the living room—and found both my parents waiting for me.
Dad stood with his hands shoved deep into his pants pockets. “Jack, our phone
has been ringing all afternoon,” he said sternly. “We heard about you. About
what you did in school today.”
I glanced over at Mom. She gave a solemn nod.
“You are in a lot of trouble.” Dad sounded really angry now.
I gulped. “Why? What—what are you going to do?”
25
“What do you think we should do, Jack?” Dad paced back and forth in front of
me.
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