Read Online Go Jump in the Pool by Gordon Korman - Free Book Online

days. Common arthritis does not develop so rapidly.”
    “Don’t worry,” Boots put in sarcastically. “Bruno is buying some lottery tickets. We’re going to win two hundred thousand.”
    “Oh,” said Chris. “Well, that’s different.”
    “According to the odds,” said Elmer, “I calculate that we have a better chance of being stung to death by bees than of winning first prize in the lottery.”
    “Given a choice,” said Bruno, “I’d rather win the money. By the way, why is it that not one of you is down on his knees to me for that glorious show last night? It was my idea, after all.”
    All the boys began chattering at once.
    “Boy, those Scrimmettes!”
    “Elmer stole the show!”
    “The rabbit stole the show!”
    “
I
stole the show!”
    “The Scrimmettes!”
    “Face it, Miss Scrimmage stole the show!”
    “What about the Amazing Frederick’s mother?”
    “And when the door prize exploded in The Fish’s face …”
    “But the
Scrimmettes
!”
    “Yes,” said Boots soberly. “The Scrimmettes. Bruno, we haven’t heard the end of that.”
    “It
was
memorable,” Bruno agreed with a smile.
    “
I’ll
never forget it,” seconded Wilbur Hackenschleimer from the depths of a chicken pot pie.
    Bruno ignored him. “Chris,” he said, “we need posters.”
    “You know, I
do
go to school here,” Chris protested.
    “You and a lot of others could end up going to school elsewhere if this campaign doesn’t work,” Bruno reminded him. “How about this:
Win a Contest for Macdonald Hall
?”
    “Fine,” Chris agreed. “Now, what are you talking about?”
    “Contests,” Bruno repeated. “Every cereal box, every candy bar, every magazine has them. There’s money and prizes out there, and Macdonald Hall is ready to claim its share. Every single kid at this school will be entering contests. Whatever we win will go into the pool fund.”
    “What about Scrimmage’s?” asked Mark.
    “Them too,” Bruno agreed. “Eight posters — six for us and two for them.” He slapped one of the two buckets which formed the table’s centrepiece. “Grab one, Boots. We’ve got to take the money to The Fish for banking.”
    “To his house?” Boots asked nervously.
    “Well, he’s not at the office. Besides, it’s better at his house. Mrs. Sturgeon will be there and she’d never let him kill us.”
    “If it hadn’t been for her and her camera,” mourned Butterfingers Rampulsky, “I wouldn’t have chucked four eggs at Miss Scrimmage.”
    This incited more laughter.
    Bruno and Boots hoisted their buckets and started out of the cafeteria building. Not two steps from the door, Boots let out an unearthly howl and collapsed in his tracks, pointing wordlessly towards the sky.
    “What? What? What?” asked Bruno, trying to follow the wildly pointing finger. Then he saw it. At the very top of the flagpole, its brown feathers stirring in the light breeze, was Miss Scrimmage’s hat.
    When their laughter had died down, Bruno finally managed to say, “We can’t just leave it up there. It’ll upset The Fish. Boots, you go up and get it down.”
    “Me? Why me? It was your precious Elmer Drimsdale who conjured up the owl that put it there! Let him go up and get it!”
    “Don’t argue with me,” Bruno said. “We’ve got a chance to make some points with Miss Scrimmage. Now get up there and rescue that hat!”
    Thoroughly defeated, Boots walked up to the flagpole and began to climb. A small crowd of Macdonald Hall boys started gathering on the lawn, while across the road, on a grassy hill, a group of girls was forming a cheering section.
    When Boots was about three-quarters of the way to the top and the tip of the flag was tickling his face, a sudden gust of wind lifted the hat from the pole and carried it soaring through the air. It settled down gently onto the highway where it was immediately run over by a wedding procession consisting of approximately thirty beribboned cars, horns honking. The crowd