Read Online Flying Feet by Patricia Reilly Giff - Free Book Online Page A

looked under his desk at his feet. His mother had cut out the front of his sneakers.
    Band-Aids were stuck on his toes.
    Too bad he couldn’t invent an Instant Stop-Scratches Pill.
    WHAM!
    Outside there was an explosion of noise.
    “A UFO has crashed!” someone screeched.
    “Nonsense,” said Ms. Katz.
    Charlie stood up. He could see Jake the Sweeper’s truck. A huge pile of stuff had fallen off the back.
    Jake jumped up and down. He pulled at his hair.
    The end-of-the-day bell rang.
    Some kids headed for home. But almost everyone headed for the stairs. They were going to the Afternoon Center.
    There’d be snack, and climbing in the gym, and a bunch of other things to do.
    Charlie limped down the hall as fast as he could. He had to get outside.
    He wanted to see what had happened to Jake’s truck.
    Sumiko walked next to him.
    Her ponytail bounced. Her sneakers slapped on the floor.
    She had great feet for running, Charlie thought.
    “Your invention was a good try,” she said.
    Charlie swallowed.
    His brother, Larry, didn’t think it was a good try. Charlie had to give Larry his allowance. Maybe for the rest of his life.
    It was because of Larry’s ripped WISHBONE shirt.
    Someone clapped.
    It was Mrs. Farelli, the art teacher.
    She was tough. Almost as tough as Zelda A. Zigzag, the school’s first principal.
    Was she calling him?
    “Charles,” she shouted. “And Sumiko.”
    Charlie looked at the door.
    He was almost there.
    Lucky Sumiko. She dashed outside.
    Mrs. Farelli clapped her hands. “I’ve been looking for someone from the Afternoon Center,” she said. “Anyone.”
    Charlie took turtle steps to the Art Room.
    “I have a great idea,” Mrs. Farelli said. “Your brother, Larry, would have loved this. Too bad he’s not here anymore.”
    Charlie looked up at her.
    He was getting a little sick of Larry.
    Mrs. Farelli rushed on. “We’re going to have a Come as a Character Day,” she said.
    The hall was empty. Everyone must be scarfing up cheese poppers in the lunchroom.
    “Isn’t that grand, Charles?”
    Charlie could see Sumiko’s ponytail around the edge of the door.
    She was hiding at the end of the hall.
    She had come back to wait for him.
    “We’ll dress as book characters,” Mrs. Farelli said. “We’ll tell everyone a tiny part of each story.”
    Mrs. Farelli drew herself up. She squinched one eye shut. “Yo-ho-ho. I’m a pirate from
Treasure Island,
” she boomed. “And this is how my story begins.…”
    She unsquinched her eye. “Know what I mean?”
    Charlie gulped.
    “It’ll be a blast,” Mrs. Farelli said. “We’ll invite the parents to come next Monday. And Mr.Randolph, the principal, of course. And maybe Zelda Zigzag.”
    She tapped his arm. “You could ask your brother, Larry. He loves to read.”
    Larry again! “I don’t think—”
    Mrs. Farelli tilted her head. “You might even be Peter Rabbit.”

    Charlie could see himself with long paper ears. He’d have a round cotton tail.
    Larry would be laughing his sides out.
    What could be more horrible?
    “Get all your friends,” she said. “Meet me in the art room tomorrow afternoon.”
    He gave a half nod.
    “We do things together at the Zelda A. Zigzag School,” she said.
    Charlie limped out of the art room.
    Sumiko was right outside the door.
    Charlie hopped down the hall on one foot. The one with three Band-Aids. His toes hurt.
    Sumiko began to laugh. “You really look like Peter Rabbit!” she said.
    “I think I need a snack,” Charlie said.
    They headed for the lunchroom.

O utside, Charlie looked back at the yellow brick school.
    He could see Habib across the yard. He was juggling two golf balls. Almost juggling.
    They kept rolling away from him.
    Mitchell was watching, laughing.
    Charlie stopped. “Hey, guys.”
    “It’s Charlie Flying Feet,” said Habib.

    “I don’t want to think about that,” Charlie said.
    “Think about cheese poppers.” Mitchell handed one to him and one to Sumiko.