Read Online Flunked by Jen Calonita - Free Book Online

your darkest moment in a thousand-word essay that must be finished before the end of the class. Start now.” She snaps her fingers and the torches brighten. She uses the opportunity to go to the mirror behind her desk. I watch her examine her face and then reach for one of the purple bottles on her desk. She begins applying lotion to her cheeks.
    Thump! Thump! Thump! THUMPThump! Thump!
    The Evil Queen’s hand slips, and lotion gets all over the bodice of her dress. She emits a low growl. “What is that racket? Miri! ” she yells. Aldo flies off Professor Harlow’s shoulder and dives over people’s heads. “ Miri! Where are you? ”
    The mirror in front of Harlow begins to glow green, then orange, then purple. “Harlow, we’ve been over this,” a voice inside the mirror says with a sigh. “Only Headmistress Flora can demand my appearance.”
    â€œWell, I’m demanding it anyway,” Professor Harlow seethes. “What is that God-awful noise interrupting my group’s therapy session?”
    â€œI’m surprised you haven’t dismissed class already,” Miri says, sounding anything but nervous at Harlow’s tone. “Didn’t you get the memo from Flora this morning?”
    â€œWhat memo?” Harlow yells over the continuing banging, which only seems to grow louder by the minute. Harlow’s head whips around to the class. “ Write! ”
    We all look down at our papers. I grab a quill and my ink.
    â€œPsst.” I look over at Maxine. She offers me a quill. “Use this.”
    I hold mine up. “Thanks, but mine works fine.”
    â€œOops!” I hear Miri sing. “I was supposed to give you the memo. Just like you were supposed to tell me about the meeting in Flora’s office yesterday.”
    Maxine shakes her head and her lazy eye does a quick bounce. Her thick-rimmed glasses match the color of her light brown hair. “Use this. There’s a message in it from a friend.” She passes the quill over as Harlow and Miri argue. “Write with it. You’ll see.”
    What does she mean the quill has a message in it? I look at it, wondering if there is a secret compartment, but I don’t see one. I dip the quill in the ink and nothing happens. Then I try putting the quill to paper. That’s when things get weird. I know what I want to write, but instead, different words come out.
    Hey G! It’s me! K! Cool quill, huh? Sorry I didn’t warn you about Jocelyn. I’m not feeling great. Going to skip the next class and lie down for a while. Can you give me some peace and quiet? I’ll give you the grand tour of FTRS later! I promise!
    After the words appear, the ink slowly disappears again, leaving a blank page.
    That. Is. So. Cool. I write her back.
    Feel better! We’ll hang out later. —G
    The words appear, then disappear. Amazing. “Psst.” I pass Maxine the quill. She grabs it when Harlow isn’t looking.
    â€œI have never seen this memo before!” Harlow is yelling. “Flora canceled today’s classes to paint the castle? That’s ridiculous!”
    â€œWhat’s ridiculous is that we haven’t done it already,” Miri tells her. “The princesses have agreed to Royal Day happening in less than two weeks, and there is a lot to prepare before their arrival.”
    â€œI’m not canceling classes for a paint session!” Harlow says incredulously. “They’ll have to paint around us!”
    We put our heads back down to write, but the banging only gets louder. It’s hard to concentrate. I see the mer-boy’s water quill fly out of his hand at the hammering, which must be amplified in his tank. Then there is a knock at the door.
    â€œâ€™Scuse me, ma’am?” A peasant in paint-splattered clothes and a cap stands in the doorway with a brush and a bucket. The smell of the paint hits my nose almost instantly. “We