Read Online A Way Through the Sea by Robert Elmer - Free Book Online Page A

in time again, boys,” he observed in his big bass drum voice. They made it to their classroom on the second floor just as the bell rang.
    “No party,” whispered Henrik, as they slipped into their seats.
    No sooner had he sat down than Peter began daydreaming of going out on the boat the next day. He still couldn’t believe it—not having to talk his parents into anything. Incredible. The only bad part was not knowing if Henrik was going to be able to come. And what about Elise?
    Their teacher, Mr. Isaksen, began with math, but Peter was already far out to sea, dreaming. Maybe we’ll bring back enough fish to give Mom some extra, too. All the way out there on the water. Feeling the waves. And if I can steer the boat...
    When Peter looked up, everyone seemed to be staring at him. Even Henrik, sitting at the desk just across the aisle, was giving him a strange look.
    “The answer, Peter?” Mr. Isaksen crossed his arms and looked straight at Peter. Behind him, Annelise Kastrup giggled, and he could feel the back of his neck heating up, the way it always did when he embarrassed himself. Desperately, he tried to focus back on the real world, tried hard to think of the teacher’s question, but he was afraid to ask him to repeat it. Something about fish?
    “Umm... one hundred herring?” Peter blurted out before he knew what was happening. Stupid. Why did I say that? Everybody broke out laughing, except Mr. Isaksen. It only made him look even more serious, more stern.
    “That’s enough, class,” said the teacher. He hardly moved his lips, they were so tightly pressed together—kind of like he was doing a talking puppet routine. His look seemed to drill a hole in Peter. “You may think that was a clever answer, Mr. Andersen, but we are talking about fractions today. You will stay after school this afternoon, please, to brush up on the subject, since you obviously need the practice.”
    “Yes, sir,” said Peter, not looking up.
    Peter wanted to melt through the floor, and the back of his neck felt lobster red. Staying after school would only keep him from getting out to the boat and helping get it ready for the next day. He was in a daze all the rest of the morning until lunchtime, but luckily he wasn’t called on again.
    “Where were you during math today?” Henrik asked when they were eating their lunch in the small school auditorium. Elise usually ate with her friends Tina or Susan. “You looked like you were in outer space or something when Mr. Isaksen asked you that question.”
    Peter didn’t know what to say, really. Besides, Keld Poulsen and Jesper Jarl—the two people who gave him more pain than anyone else in the world—were sitting just down the bench from Peter and Henrik. Peter could tell as they scooted over close that they were coming in for the kill.
    “Hey, Andersen,” snickered Keld. “Where did you get the hundred herring from? That was a bird brained answer.”
    He and his sidekick Jesper were real good at making people feel dumb, like now. Peter knew his face was probably going to get red all over again, and then Jesper would chime in for the second punch. Jesper was just as little and skinny as Keld was big and beefy, and he always copied everything Keld did. Quite a team, thought Peter. Obnoxious. Just then Peter was wishing he and Henrik had skipped lunch and headed straight for the yard by the side of the building.
    “Not a bird brained answer, Keld,” said Jesper, sounding like the second half of a bad comedy team. “A pigeon  brained answer.” They were just warming up, daring Henrik or Peter to fight back.
    “Hey, who asked you, Jesper?”
    Surprised, Keld and Jesper whirled around on the bench to see who was challenging them. Peter knew the voice without looking up but couldn’t believe it. Elise! She had buzzed in at those two like a hornet, and when the stocky Keld stood up to face his attacker, they were practically nose to nose. But Elise wasn’t going to let