Read Online The Invisible Harry by Marthe Jocelyn - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Marthe Jocelyn
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liar, Billie Stoner, and you’re teaching your brat sister to be just like you.”
“She is not,” Jane shouted, going right up to Alyssa and shaking her fist. “She’s the smartest and the bravest and the telling-truthest of anybody.”
“Yeah, and she needs a six-year-old to stick up for her,” Alyssa sneered, pushing Jane out of the way. She clutched her wimple and clomped down the stairs in her medieval footwear, which was actually her mother’s beach sandals.
Megan and Emma and Max rustled after her in their paper tabards, bearing lances and shields.
It was those sandals that gave me my next good idea. Jane and I were the only ones left.
“You go ahead, Jane,” I said. “I have to get my hood on. Hey, and thanks for yelling at Alyssa. That almost makes up for being such a dodo the rest of the time.” She beamed with happiness and headed off obediently.
I fished one of Alyssa’s prized platform shoes from under her desk. It was made ofsomething that looked like blue rubber corduroy.
I dangled it in the air, just above nose level for a frisky puppy.
“Here you go, Harry,” I said, with heartfelt encouragement. He tugged it out of my fingers at once.
“Have a good chew.”
I closed the door carefully behind me.
The pageant was a huge success. At least the audience thought so; they especially liked the jousting match and the mummers’ dance. Mr. Donaldson was proud of us, and only two costumes (Nick’s and Emma’s) got torn and only one shield (Sarah’s) got sat on and crushed. Jane kept waving at me and cheering, and my dad stood in the back, winking whenever I looked at him.
Right at the end, I got the giggles, thinking about Alyssa’s shoe. Afterward, while the teachers were pouring out cider and serving a“medieval feast” of ginger cookies and Fig Newtons and almonds and raisin mix, I raced upstairs to check the damage.
The floor beside Alyssa’s desk was awash with shreds of blue rubber. I hoped poor Harry hadn’t swallowed any of that stuff; it was probably toxic. He’d abandoned the shoe carcass, still intact except for its skin, and moved on to the wastepaper basket, which now had tooth marks all around the rim.
I heard noises in the stairwell.
“Harry! Here, boy!” I held out the cookie I’d snatched from the feast.
He pounced on me in delight, eating greedily.
“You were hungry, weren’t you, Harry? That shoe just didn’t satisfy.”
I felt his warm tongue and watched my fingers disappear at the same instant.
“Uh-oh, no more of that,” I said, scooping him up and tucking him, wriggling, under one arm. “We have a mission.”
Leaving my clothes till later, I collected my backpack full of potion ingredients and got through the door just as Hubert and Charley reached the top of the stairs. Together they were dressed as a dragon (killed during the pageant by fearless knights). Hubert was the back half.
“C’mon, Hubert. Remove thy tail,” I said. “Bring the gum and meet me you-know-where.”
“Oooooh,” teased Charley, clasping the dragon’s head under his arm. “Sounds nasty!”
Hubert flushed, but he obeyed.
The stairs were filling up with kids as everyone headed up to change. I passed Alyssa, holding my breath.
Less than a minute later, a violent scream shook the walls, and everyone stood still in alarm. Except me, of course. I knew the source, and I was biting my lip not to laugh out loud as I bounded for the exit.
Escape was not quite so easy.
In the main hall, my father and Mr. Donaldson were still chatting away like babysitters on a park bench.
“Billie, great show!” My father applauded. “I’ll tell you what. I’m going to ask Mr. Donaldson here for permission to take my daughter out to lunch.”
Mr. Donaldson smiled and actually ruffled my hair!
“Uh, Dad, I don’t know, it’s not …” Harry was really starting to struggle in my arms.
“Oh, come on, sweetie, I never get to hang out around the school. I’ll take you to
“She is not,” Jane shouted, going right up to Alyssa and shaking her fist. “She’s the smartest and the bravest and the telling-truthest of anybody.”
“Yeah, and she needs a six-year-old to stick up for her,” Alyssa sneered, pushing Jane out of the way. She clutched her wimple and clomped down the stairs in her medieval footwear, which was actually her mother’s beach sandals.
Megan and Emma and Max rustled after her in their paper tabards, bearing lances and shields.
It was those sandals that gave me my next good idea. Jane and I were the only ones left.
“You go ahead, Jane,” I said. “I have to get my hood on. Hey, and thanks for yelling at Alyssa. That almost makes up for being such a dodo the rest of the time.” She beamed with happiness and headed off obediently.
I fished one of Alyssa’s prized platform shoes from under her desk. It was made ofsomething that looked like blue rubber corduroy.
I dangled it in the air, just above nose level for a frisky puppy.
“Here you go, Harry,” I said, with heartfelt encouragement. He tugged it out of my fingers at once.
“Have a good chew.”
I closed the door carefully behind me.
The pageant was a huge success. At least the audience thought so; they especially liked the jousting match and the mummers’ dance. Mr. Donaldson was proud of us, and only two costumes (Nick’s and Emma’s) got torn and only one shield (Sarah’s) got sat on and crushed. Jane kept waving at me and cheering, and my dad stood in the back, winking whenever I looked at him.
Right at the end, I got the giggles, thinking about Alyssa’s shoe. Afterward, while the teachers were pouring out cider and serving a“medieval feast” of ginger cookies and Fig Newtons and almonds and raisin mix, I raced upstairs to check the damage.
The floor beside Alyssa’s desk was awash with shreds of blue rubber. I hoped poor Harry hadn’t swallowed any of that stuff; it was probably toxic. He’d abandoned the shoe carcass, still intact except for its skin, and moved on to the wastepaper basket, which now had tooth marks all around the rim.
I heard noises in the stairwell.
“Harry! Here, boy!” I held out the cookie I’d snatched from the feast.
He pounced on me in delight, eating greedily.
“You were hungry, weren’t you, Harry? That shoe just didn’t satisfy.”
I felt his warm tongue and watched my fingers disappear at the same instant.
“Uh-oh, no more of that,” I said, scooping him up and tucking him, wriggling, under one arm. “We have a mission.”
Leaving my clothes till later, I collected my backpack full of potion ingredients and got through the door just as Hubert and Charley reached the top of the stairs. Together they were dressed as a dragon (killed during the pageant by fearless knights). Hubert was the back half.
“C’mon, Hubert. Remove thy tail,” I said. “Bring the gum and meet me you-know-where.”
“Oooooh,” teased Charley, clasping the dragon’s head under his arm. “Sounds nasty!”
Hubert flushed, but he obeyed.
The stairs were filling up with kids as everyone headed up to change. I passed Alyssa, holding my breath.
Less than a minute later, a violent scream shook the walls, and everyone stood still in alarm. Except me, of course. I knew the source, and I was biting my lip not to laugh out loud as I bounded for the exit.
Escape was not quite so easy.
In the main hall, my father and Mr. Donaldson were still chatting away like babysitters on a park bench.
“Billie, great show!” My father applauded. “I’ll tell you what. I’m going to ask Mr. Donaldson here for permission to take my daughter out to lunch.”
Mr. Donaldson smiled and actually ruffled my hair!
“Uh, Dad, I don’t know, it’s not …” Harry was really starting to struggle in my arms.
“Oh, come on, sweetie, I never get to hang out around the school. I’ll take you to
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