Read Online Teacher's Pet by Laurie Halse Anderson - Free Book Online

from the doorway. “Oh, no, you don‘t!” He closes the door just before the rabbit leaps to freedom. He picks her up. “Got one!”
    â€œA mouse ran over my foot!” screams Zoe.
    This is crazy. I stick two fingers in my mouth and whistle long and hard. It sounds like a referee’s whistle in the middle of a game.
    Everybody freezes and looks at me. I love whistling like that.
    I take a deep breath. “Calm down, everybody.”
    â€œBut what about...” Brenna starts.
    â€œGood idea, Maggie,” Mr. Carlson interrupts. “I’ll take Scout outside. He needs a walk, and it will be easier to capture the runaways without him. It’s OK, Scout, forward.”
    Scout glances once at the guinea pig scurrying under the blackboard, but he leads Mr. Carlson out to the hall. David gets the door for them, then grabs a box and goes out into the hall himself, in search of hamsters.
    â€œHow are you going to find them?” asks Sunita.
    David waggles his eyebrows. “I’ll listen for the screams,” he says.

    It takes almost half an hour to round up the animals. The hardest to catch are the mice. They can squeeze into the tiniest places. David finds every single hamster, even the one that caused a little excitement in the chorus room. By the time Mr. Carlson comes back, everything is calm. Most of the animals are in their cages, and a few are in the box that I’m going to carry back to Dr. Mac’s Place.
    â€œWe found all of them!” I say triumphantly.
    â€œThank goodness,” Mr. Carlson says with a big sigh. “I was pacing back and forth on the soccer field, trying to figure out how to explain this to the principal. Lie down, Scout.”
    Scout looks under the desk suspiciously, as if he expects the rabbit to pounce on him, but the rabbit is safely in her cage, exhausted by the excitement. He settles down with a groan. Poor Scout. What a day.
    â€œCan I check his paw?” I ask Mr. Carlson.
    â€œPlease,” he says. He bends over and slips off Scout’s harness.
    I kneel and gently pet Scout before unwrapping and examining the reinjured paw. The dog looks up at me, his eyes a little sad. What does he think of the changes he’s been through? He was with his foster family, and then he went to the school for training, then he met Mr. Carlson and started coming here. I’m sure he can sense that Mr. Carlson isn’t 100 percent comfortable and confident yet. Does Scout think he’s not a good guide dog?
    I scratch between Scout’s ears and rub his neck. He smiles and pants a little.
    â€œHang in there,” I whisper. “Don’t give up on Mr. Carlson. He’s trying.”
    â€œHow is the paw?” Mr. Carlson asks.
    â€œThe cut didn’t reopen, but it’s tender and swollen,” I report. I rewrap the bandage. “Can you let Scout take it easy this afternoon?”
    Mr. Carlson nods. “I was going to work on lesson plans for the rest of the day anyway. Scout can be a couch potato.”
    â€œThat’s just what he needs.”
    â€œWe had better get going,” Sunita says. “The late bus leaves in a few minutes.”
    â€œThanks for your help,” Mr. Carlson says.
    â€œWe’re sorry—” I start.
    â€œDon’t worry about it,” Mr. Carlson says. “I’m a middle-school teacher, remember? We’re trained to expect the unexpected. I appreciate all your help.”
    He still seems a bit uneasy. I think that this bothered him more than he wants to let on.
    â€œDo you still want us to come back?” Brenna asks as she picks up her backpack.
    â€œI’m counting on you,” Mr. Carlson assures her.
    I put on my backpack and pick up the covered box of animals. I am so ready to go home. As the others file out the door, I pause.
    My quiz is lying on top of a pile of papers. I had forgotten about it with all the excitement.
    The sight of it makes me