Read Online In a Flash by Eric Walters - Free Book Online Page A

it’ll end.”
    â€œYou do?” He sounded surprised.
    â€œYeah.” I looked at my watch. “In thirteen minutes Oswald is going to use the bullhorn to tell everybody that the dance is over, and everybody will go back to school.”
    â€œThat’s good to know,” he said. “And do you know how it’s going to end for
you
?”
    â€œI’m going back to school with everybody else.”
    â€œAre you?”
    His question sent a shiver up my spine. I had to stay calm.
    â€œWhy wouldn’t I go back to school?”
    â€œHave you thought about the possibility of a suspension?” he asked.
    I swallowed hard. “I thought about it, and I don’t think you
can
suspend me.”
    â€œI can suspend anybody I want.”
    â€œIf you have a reason to suspend them, and I don’t think you have a reason.”
    He gestured at the crowd all around us.
    I looked at the crowd and noticed thatwhile most people were still dancing, some had pulled off their earbuds and were listening to us instead of music. Great, an audience.
    â€œYou know that I banned iPods, and I cancelled the school dance,” he said.
    â€œThis isn’t a school dance,” I said. “This isn’t school property, right?”
    â€œNo, it’s not,” he agreed.
    â€œAnd as far as I can tell, we’re free to leave school property at lunch. We’re also free to use our iPods or cell phones or wear anything we want when we’re not on school property. I’m not asking anybody to cut class. I just invited them to join me for lunch. I’m not doing anything wrong. At least nothing that could get me suspended.” I paused. “Can I ask you a question?”
    â€œOf course.”
    â€œYou cancelled the school dance because there were behavior problems, right?”
    â€œThat was the reason.”
    â€œFights, alcohol and bad behavior,” I said.
    â€œThose were the reasons.”
    â€œLook around. None of that happened here today.” I gestured to Oswald who was still filming. “You can even look at the tape if you want. Just because something bad happened before doesn’t mean it will happen again. Don’t you think we deserve a chance?”
    â€œI was willing to give you a chance, Ian. I thought you could be a real leader at this school,” he said.
    â€œThat’s what I’m trying to do,” I said. “Isn’t this leadership?” I asked, gesturing to the crowd. “And, if you let us have our dance, I’ll try my best to make sure it happens the way it’s supposed to happen.”
    Julia’s suspension would be over by then. I’d ask her to help supervise. Maybe I’d even ask her if she wanted to come to the dance with...no, I wasn’t ready for that—not yet. But there would be other dances.
    Mr. Roberts didn’t answer right away. He looked like he was thinking. That was a good thing.
    â€œI’ll make sure the dance works. You have my word on it,” I said reassuringly, almost pleading.
    Slowly he nodded his head. “I guess you really don’t leave me much choice,” Mr. Roberts said.
    â€œYou mean you’ll let us have a dance?”
    â€œWe’ll talk...after school. But, first things first.”
    He reached into his suit pocket and pulled out an iPod! He put the buds in his ears, pushed Play and started to dance.
    Eric Walters is one of Canada’s most successful writers for young readers with more than fifty novels to his credit. He is the only three-time winner of both the Silver Birch and the Red Maple Awards of the Ontario Library Association and has won numerous other children’s choice awards. He tours across North America and has spoken to over a million children. For more information on Eric Walters, or to arrange a visit to your school, please visit www.ericwalters.net.