Read Online EllRay Jakes Is Magic by Sally Warner - Free Book Online Page A

too small. So I’ll have to step aside,” I tell him again.
    I like saying “step aside.” It sounds better than “quit.”
    “No one’s going to be stepping
anywhere
at this point, except onto the auditorium stage this Friday afternoon,” the principal says, a that’s-that look settling on his hairy face. “And you’re our show’s only magic act,” he adds. “Don’t worry, EllRay. You’ll do fine. Just relax.”
    Whenever someone tells you to “just relax,” exactly the opposite happens.
    So far, Hump Day isn’t going so great.
    “I
won’t
do fine,” I say, not backing down. “I’ll do
awful.
And I can’t relax! I’ll be a flop. Everyone will laugh at me, or boo me off the stage. And I’ll never live it down, ever—for three more years. Even
my dad
understands,” I add, bringing out my best ammunition. Because I think the only thing that really counts with teachers and principals is kids’ parents.

    And that’s messed up.
    “Your dad,” the principal says, echoing my words.
    “Dr. Warren Jakes,” I remind him.
    They’ve talked before. The principal looks like he’s getting a headache.
    He sighs. “Well, EllRay, I understand what you’re saying, and I’m sorry,” he says. “I’d like to let you off the hook, believe me. But the program is already being printed up, and your name’s on it.”
    That’s no reason at all! Programs are just pieces of paper, and I’m a
person.
“You could make an announcement saying sorry, but there’s no time for my magic act,” I say, almost begging, as a couple of sixth-graders shove past me.
    DO. NOT. CRY , I tell myself, making it an order.
    “Tell you what,” the principal says. “When I introduce your act, I will explain about the tricks being meant for smaller venues. And then you can goahead and do them.”
    Venues
? Now, I don’t know
what
he’s saying—except that he’s not gonna let me out of this stupid talent show.
    “And rest easy,” the principal assures me. “No one is going to boo. Not at
my
school.”
    His
students.
His
school. What is up with this guy?
    “I really don’t wanna do it,” I say, my voice barely there. “Please don’t make me.”
    “What was that?” the principal says, cupping a big hand behind one of his ears as he leans over to get down to my shrimpy level. “I didn’t hear that last part.”
    “Nothing,” I mumble. “It was nothing.”
    I’m
nothing. He’s not even
trying
to understand. And he thinks he’s such a great principal, saying hi to everyone!
    “Then you’d better run along to class,” he tells me. “And don’t worry about Friday, EllRay. You’ll do
great.
”

15
SOME VERY GOOD ADVICE
    “Okay,” Fiona says, taking charge for once, even though she is usually the shyest kid in our class. It is Thursday lunch, which is the deadline to hand in our pages for Ms. Sanchez’s wedding shower book. We are all huddled around the girls’ picnic table. “Who goes first?” she asks.
    “Here’s mine,” Kry says, putting a piece of paper on Fiona’s sweater, which she has spread on the table to keep our pages clean.
    “What’s your wedding advice?” Cynthia asks. Kry is the only girl Cynthia looks up to. I guess that’s why she asked.
    “It says,
‘Play outside with your husband every day,’
” Kry reports. “But what I wrote about why I like Ms. Sanchez is private.”
    Good, I think—because I feel the same way.
    “I’ll go next,” Heather says, eager to get it overwith. “My advice is,
‘Don’t ever cut your hair short. My mom says that men love long hair.’
”
    Huh. I never knew ladies had official ideas about stuff like that.
    “Next?” Fiona asks.
    Kevin clears his throat. “Here’s my advice,” he says. “
‘Save up. Don’t spend all your money.’
My dad helped me with that one,” he adds, making a face.
    Ms. Sanchez and that guy she’s marrying—okay,
Mr. Timberlake
, but the one who runs a sporting goods store, not the famous one—both have