Read Online Dog Gone by Carole Poustie - Free Book Online Page A

than me. I’d heard her telling Gran about someone in her class. A boy. This morning she even washed everyone’s breakfast dishes and offered to walk to school early with me, to help with the posters. I’m always suspicious when my sister offers to help.
    As we walked in through the school gate, Molly quickly disappeared and I headed to my classroom. Would Brody Callahan be at school today? Half of me hoped he’d been attacked by the ghost, so he couldn’t bully me anymore.
    No such luck. I rounded the corner of the building and saw Brody standing in line.
    He looked up and ordered me over.
    The horrible grin was still stuck to his face. ‘Worked out a plan, have you?’
    â€˜Yes,’ I lied.
    â€˜Better be good, nerd. What is it?’
    â€˜You’ll see.’
    Miss Beech was wearing all black today, which made her look even more like a witch. A drip still hung from the end of her nose. I hoped she wasn’t intending to come around and mark our work. It’d be just my luck for her snotty dribble to splat on me.
    Before we’d had a chance to sit down at our tables, Miss Beech announced we would start with the maths test. My stomach did a double somersault. Brody gave me a kick under the table as I got my pencils out. I was determined not to look at him.
    â€˜Hey, Milly – got a stiff neck today?’ he said, in a voice just loud enough for the others at nearby tables to hear.
    Some of them laughed and Miss Beech looked over and scowled. ‘Get your pencils out for the maths test without talking,’ she fired. ‘And, Ish, there’s to be no talking during the test. Is that understood? Anyone who talks gets zero because I’ll assume they’re cheating. They’ll have a lot of explaining to do to their parents.’
    Why was she picking on me? It was going to be a long day.
    The maths test was easy, and it was hard to make deliberate mistakes. It was on fractions, which I was good at. Last year I’d had trouble with them, and Dad had spent ages with me, going over ways to work them out.
    If only Dad were here now.
    I looked at my watch for about the hundredth time. The morning dragged so slowly it felt like Miss Beech had cast a spell on the clock.
    â€˜Hey, nerd – got spare knickers in your lunchbox?’ Brody sneered behind his hand.
    â€˜Shut up, airhead.’
    â€˜Mind your language, frilly boy. Wouldn’t want something nasty to happen to that bit of junk of yours, now would you?’
    Brody kept saying mean things to me all morning whenever he thought Miss Beech wasn’t looking. I still wouldn’t look at him, and I’d noticed the others sitting nearby had stopped paying attention to what he said, which I could tell really annoyed him.
    The pile of maths tests sat on the end of Miss Beech’s desk. Every time I glanced at them, I felt a fresh surge of dread. I hadn’t been able to eat anything at snack time and now there were only minutes to go till the lunch bell. My heart was beginning to beat like crazy. Brody’s test had been collected last of all – he’d been given a couple of extra minutes to finish. At least this meant I wouldn’t have to sort through the whole pile to find it. I wouldn’t have to go looking for the tests either.
    I was packing up, ready for the lunch break, when Brody gave me another kick under the table.
    â€˜Any wrong answers, no rod?’ Brody’s whole face smirked as he spoke.
    I felt like punching him.
    â€˜Don’t forget, everyone,’ Miss Beech announced, ‘the teachers versus students basketball match will take place on the lower courts, so anyone playing should go and get changed immediately.’
    The lunch bell went. Miss Beech picked up the maths tests, then walked into the office at the back of the classroom. I tried to see what she was doing with them, but too many people were in the way. She came out again and closed the door