Read Online The Homework Machine by Dan Gutman - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Dan Gutman
Ads: Link
recess. We get there and heâs all whispering and stuff. Like weâre spies. He says we may have a rat. A leak. He wanted to know who spilled the beans. Well, it sure wasnât me, I knew that.
Nobody admitted it. Judy got all freaked out like she was gonna cry or something. She is so emotional! Brenton said one of those weird things he always says that makes no sense to anybody but him.
Snik said we should all be cool about it and remember that we made a pact not to tell
anybody
. He said that if anybody asks any of us about Belch, we should deny everything. Just say none of us knew anything about it.
I figured it was nothing. Kids pass around dumb rumors about other kids all the time. But this time the rumor was true.
MISS RASMUSSEN, FIFTH-GRADE TEACHER
After thinking it over for a long time, I decided to split up the kids in D Squad. I didnât like the way they were always whispering to each other. Itâs good when a group of kids bonds together, but when they form their own little secret society that excludes everyone else, itâs usually a sign of trouble. I suspected something was going on.
I told the class it would be a good learning experience if they changed seats every so often and got to work with other students. I put Sam, Judy, Kelsey, and Brenton in separate groups, one in each corner of the classroom.
KELSEY DONNELLY, GRADE 5
We were constantly having these stupid meetings. It seemed like we had a meeting every day. This time it was Judy who said we had to have one. It was right after Miss Rasmussen changed our seats around and Judy was freaking out, as usual. She was starting to get pimples on her face over this. We met at Brentonâs house after school because Judy didnât want us to be seen together at recess. She was all worried.
JUDY DOUGLAS, GRADE 5
Teachers donât just move everybodyâs desk around for no reason. Usually itâs because of a behavior problem. Or maybe they find out that some kid has bad eyesight or hearing and they need to sit closer to the front of the room. But none of that was going on.
None of the other groups were split up the way we were, with each of them stuck in a different corner. Miss Rasmussen did it on purpose. I was sure. She probably figured it all out. She probably knew about Belch. Everything I had worked so hard for was gone. My face was breaking out. I felt like my life was over.
KELSEY DONNELLY, GRADE 5
The phone rang one day when I was home alone. I picked it up and it was that Milner guy! He says he really wants to talk to me. The guy was like a stalker or something. I have no idea how he got my number. I hung up on him.
Chapter 7
March
RONNIE TEOTWAWKI, GRADE 5
When Miss Rasmussen switched everybodyâs seat around, I was put at the same table as our genius-in-residence, Brenton Damagatchi. So I figured this was perfect! If any of those D Squad jerks was going to spill the beans, it would be him. He couldnât tell a lie to save his life. This would be my chance to get the truth out of him.
I tried to get all buddy-buddy with him first, making like I was his friend. I offered him gum. I asked him if he wanted to hang out after school. I asked him if he wanted to take a hike in the Canyon sometime. I asked him if he wanted to play ball or something.
Nothing. I couldnât get him to crack. He alwayshad an excuse. Whatever he was hiding, he wasnât saying.
Finally, I just said to him that I knew what he was up to and heâd better let me in on it or I was going to tell everybody. And he says, and what exactly am I up to? I didnât have anything to say, so I just shut up. He had me. That got me mad.
SAM DAWKINS, GRADE 5
Well, I lost again. My dad attacks with his queen and rook at the same time, and itâs like there are intersecting laser beams shooting all over the board. My pieces were all locked up and in each otherâs way.
So I bring my chessboard into class and we all try to think
Nobody admitted it. Judy got all freaked out like she was gonna cry or something. She is so emotional! Brenton said one of those weird things he always says that makes no sense to anybody but him.
Snik said we should all be cool about it and remember that we made a pact not to tell
anybody
. He said that if anybody asks any of us about Belch, we should deny everything. Just say none of us knew anything about it.
I figured it was nothing. Kids pass around dumb rumors about other kids all the time. But this time the rumor was true.
MISS RASMUSSEN, FIFTH-GRADE TEACHER
After thinking it over for a long time, I decided to split up the kids in D Squad. I didnât like the way they were always whispering to each other. Itâs good when a group of kids bonds together, but when they form their own little secret society that excludes everyone else, itâs usually a sign of trouble. I suspected something was going on.
I told the class it would be a good learning experience if they changed seats every so often and got to work with other students. I put Sam, Judy, Kelsey, and Brenton in separate groups, one in each corner of the classroom.
KELSEY DONNELLY, GRADE 5
We were constantly having these stupid meetings. It seemed like we had a meeting every day. This time it was Judy who said we had to have one. It was right after Miss Rasmussen changed our seats around and Judy was freaking out, as usual. She was starting to get pimples on her face over this. We met at Brentonâs house after school because Judy didnât want us to be seen together at recess. She was all worried.
JUDY DOUGLAS, GRADE 5
Teachers donât just move everybodyâs desk around for no reason. Usually itâs because of a behavior problem. Or maybe they find out that some kid has bad eyesight or hearing and they need to sit closer to the front of the room. But none of that was going on.
None of the other groups were split up the way we were, with each of them stuck in a different corner. Miss Rasmussen did it on purpose. I was sure. She probably figured it all out. She probably knew about Belch. Everything I had worked so hard for was gone. My face was breaking out. I felt like my life was over.
KELSEY DONNELLY, GRADE 5
The phone rang one day when I was home alone. I picked it up and it was that Milner guy! He says he really wants to talk to me. The guy was like a stalker or something. I have no idea how he got my number. I hung up on him.
Chapter 7
March
RONNIE TEOTWAWKI, GRADE 5
When Miss Rasmussen switched everybodyâs seat around, I was put at the same table as our genius-in-residence, Brenton Damagatchi. So I figured this was perfect! If any of those D Squad jerks was going to spill the beans, it would be him. He couldnât tell a lie to save his life. This would be my chance to get the truth out of him.
I tried to get all buddy-buddy with him first, making like I was his friend. I offered him gum. I asked him if he wanted to hang out after school. I asked him if he wanted to take a hike in the Canyon sometime. I asked him if he wanted to play ball or something.
Nothing. I couldnât get him to crack. He alwayshad an excuse. Whatever he was hiding, he wasnât saying.
Finally, I just said to him that I knew what he was up to and heâd better let me in on it or I was going to tell everybody. And he says, and what exactly am I up to? I didnât have anything to say, so I just shut up. He had me. That got me mad.
SAM DAWKINS, GRADE 5
Well, I lost again. My dad attacks with his queen and rook at the same time, and itâs like there are intersecting laser beams shooting all over the board. My pieces were all locked up and in each otherâs way.
So I bring my chessboard into class and we all try to think
Similar Books
