behind her back Wendy pinched Linda’s nose which made her open her mouth. As soon as she did I shoved in the chocolate.
“Now chew and swallow!” Wendy told her,putting one hand over Linda’s mouth so she couldn’t spit anything out.
Linda kept her eyes shut and we could see her chewing, then swallowing the candy. Wendy let go of her then and sang, “Blubber ate an ant … Blubber ate an ant …”
We all joined in, making a circle around Linda. Even Rochelle, who usually doesn’t pay any attention to the rest of us, was enjoying the show.
But after a minute Linda turned this awful greenish color, gave a big burp, then puked all over her desk and the floor. Wendy ran down the hall for Mrs. Horvath.
When Mrs. Horvath saw the mess she told the boys to get the custodian.
By then Linda was crying. “They made me eat an ant.”
“Try to stay calm,” Mrs. Horvath told her. “I’ll take you down to the nurse’s office.”
If you throw up in school you automatically get sent home for the rest of the day. So Linda didn’t come back to class that afternoon. Instead, Mr. Nichols came to see us.
“We seem to have a little problem, Mrs. Minish,” he said, pretending he was talking just to her but looking at all of us. “Linda Fischer said your class made her eat a chocolate-coveredant. In fact she claims they forced it down her throat, causing her to vomit.”
“Well … this comes as a surprise to me, Mr. Nichols,” Mrs. Minish said. “I just can’t believe my class would do such a thing.”
“Neither can I,” Mr. Nichols said. “Nevertheless …”
I wondered if something like this could go down on your permanent record card and keep you out of college.
“I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation, Mr. Nichols,” Mrs. Minish said. “Can anyone tell us what happened?”
Wendy raised her hand.
“Yes, Wendy?”
“I think I can explain,” Wendy said. “You see, Linda’s been on this diet and all she eats is cheese and celery … so naturally I knew better than to offer her a piece of my candy.” Wendy looked at Mrs. Minish.
“Go on,” Mrs. Minish said.
“Well … Linda just went crazy. I mean, she wanted my candy in the worst way … so I told her it was a chocolate-covered ant … I thought she wouldn’t want to eat it when she heard that.” Wendy paused and looked around.
“Yes …” Mr. Nichols said.
“But Linda didn’t believe me … so I told herhow my father goes all the way to New York to get these special chocolate-covered ants that my family loves and that they’re very fattening. But she still didn’t believe me so finally I gave her a piece of my candy and after she ate it I asked her how the ant tasted and that’s when she got sick all over the place.”
“So it wasn’t an ant?” Mr. Nichols asked.
“No, it was regular chocolate candy from Barricini’s.”
“I see.”
“Linda has a lot of imagination,” Wendy said.
Only Wendy could sit there telling lies to Mr. Nichols as if he were a regular person instead of the principal of our school.
“I knew there had to be an explanation,” Mrs. Minish said.
“Yes … well …” Mr. Nichols began. “Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.”
“Anytime,” Mrs. Minish told him, as he walked out of the room.
It was drizzling when me and Tracy stopped for our mail that afternoon. There was nothing for either one of us so we ran home.
“We’ve got to take the dogs to the vet today,” Tracy said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Not tomorrow,” I told her. “We’re going to a bar mitzvah.”
“Oh … I forgot about that.”
“See you Sunday.”
“Right.”
When my parents got home my father said he’d had a really rough day and would I mind scratching his back for a little while. I told him I’d love to and that my nails would soon be long enough to file. When Mom had finished showering she came into the living room carrying two Bloody Mary’s. She handed
“Now chew and swallow!” Wendy told her,putting one hand over Linda’s mouth so she couldn’t spit anything out.
Linda kept her eyes shut and we could see her chewing, then swallowing the candy. Wendy let go of her then and sang, “Blubber ate an ant … Blubber ate an ant …”
We all joined in, making a circle around Linda. Even Rochelle, who usually doesn’t pay any attention to the rest of us, was enjoying the show.
But after a minute Linda turned this awful greenish color, gave a big burp, then puked all over her desk and the floor. Wendy ran down the hall for Mrs. Horvath.
When Mrs. Horvath saw the mess she told the boys to get the custodian.
By then Linda was crying. “They made me eat an ant.”
“Try to stay calm,” Mrs. Horvath told her. “I’ll take you down to the nurse’s office.”
If you throw up in school you automatically get sent home for the rest of the day. So Linda didn’t come back to class that afternoon. Instead, Mr. Nichols came to see us.
“We seem to have a little problem, Mrs. Minish,” he said, pretending he was talking just to her but looking at all of us. “Linda Fischer said your class made her eat a chocolate-coveredant. In fact she claims they forced it down her throat, causing her to vomit.”
“Well … this comes as a surprise to me, Mr. Nichols,” Mrs. Minish said. “I just can’t believe my class would do such a thing.”
“Neither can I,” Mr. Nichols said. “Nevertheless …”
I wondered if something like this could go down on your permanent record card and keep you out of college.
“I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation, Mr. Nichols,” Mrs. Minish said. “Can anyone tell us what happened?”
Wendy raised her hand.
“Yes, Wendy?”
“I think I can explain,” Wendy said. “You see, Linda’s been on this diet and all she eats is cheese and celery … so naturally I knew better than to offer her a piece of my candy.” Wendy looked at Mrs. Minish.
“Go on,” Mrs. Minish said.
“Well … Linda just went crazy. I mean, she wanted my candy in the worst way … so I told her it was a chocolate-covered ant … I thought she wouldn’t want to eat it when she heard that.” Wendy paused and looked around.
“Yes …” Mr. Nichols said.
“But Linda didn’t believe me … so I told herhow my father goes all the way to New York to get these special chocolate-covered ants that my family loves and that they’re very fattening. But she still didn’t believe me so finally I gave her a piece of my candy and after she ate it I asked her how the ant tasted and that’s when she got sick all over the place.”
“So it wasn’t an ant?” Mr. Nichols asked.
“No, it was regular chocolate candy from Barricini’s.”
“I see.”
“Linda has a lot of imagination,” Wendy said.
Only Wendy could sit there telling lies to Mr. Nichols as if he were a regular person instead of the principal of our school.
“I knew there had to be an explanation,” Mrs. Minish said.
“Yes … well …” Mr. Nichols began. “Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.”
“Anytime,” Mrs. Minish told him, as he walked out of the room.
It was drizzling when me and Tracy stopped for our mail that afternoon. There was nothing for either one of us so we ran home.
“We’ve got to take the dogs to the vet today,” Tracy said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Not tomorrow,” I told her. “We’re going to a bar mitzvah.”
“Oh … I forgot about that.”
“See you Sunday.”
“Right.”
When my parents got home my father said he’d had a really rough day and would I mind scratching his back for a little while. I told him I’d love to and that my nails would soon be long enough to file. When Mom had finished showering she came into the living room carrying two Bloody Mary’s. She handed
Similar Books
