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Authors: Henry Winkler
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was talking about, but heâd find out soon enough.
CHAPTER 18
AT MY SCHOOL, when you come in late from a dentist appointment, the first thing you have to do is check in with Mrs. Crock at the attendance office, which is just outside Principal Loveâs office.
Mrs. Crock is a really nice person, but she takes a long time to fill out a late pass. She types one word on her computer, then takes a bite of the salad that is always sitting in a little plastic bowl next to her.
âHi, Hank. I assume you have a note from your dentist,â she said, smiling at me and showing a bit of radish between her teeth. Or maybe it was tomato. Whatever it was, it definitely had come from her salad bowl.
âHere it is,â I said, pulling the note out of my back pocket along with some light blue lint and a green Tic Tac.
While I waited for her to finish the pass, I noticed a big piece of poster board on the wall. It was the sign-up sheet for the Parade of Athletes. A whole bunch of kids had already signed up. Joelle Adwin had signed up to do a gymnastics demonstration. A third-grader named Christopher Hook had signed up for trampoline. Frankie and Ashley were going to demonstrate soccer dribbling and passing. Funny, they hadnât asked me. Sarah Stern, a really sweet girl in Emilyâs class, was doing karate. Sam Chin had signed up for Ping-Pong. And Nick McKelty had the unbelievable nerve to sign up for advanced soccer drills. The only thing he was advanced at was tripping over his own big feet.
Finally, Mrs. Crock finished, but just as I was leaving the office, Principal Love appeared. He has this mole on his cheek that is shaped like the Statue of Libertyâand both he and the Statue of Liberty mole were giving me a nasty look. Iâm not kidding, I think the mole was frowning at me.
âLate again, I see,â Principal Love said.
âOh no, sir, not late. I was at the dentistâs.â I tried to slide out the door so I could get to recess. Principal Love is not known for his short conversations.
âAh, oral hygiene. One of my favorite topics.â
Please donât say any more, Principal Love. Iâm begging you.
âLike I always say, good oral hygiene is what makes a man a man and a tooth a tooth,â he said. I could tell he was gearing up to repeat himself, like he always does.
This time he surprised me, though. He didnât repeat himself.
âIs that a Ping-Pong paddle youâre holding?â he asked.
Before I even got a chance to say yes, he cleared his throat and went on.
âI donât mean to brag, but I am proud of the fact that I earned a merit badge in table tennis at Boy Scout Camp in Minnesota.â
My foot was tapping. It felt like there was a train engine in it.
âSir, I am really fascinated by your summer in Minnesota, and I canât wait to hear more about it. But itâs just that, right now, Iâve got toââ
âOf course youâve got to get to class. Education comes first at PS 87. Like I always say, education comes first at PS 87.â Bingo, there it was. The repeat!
As I slipped out of the office and scooted down the hall, I could hear him talking to Mrs. Crock.
âHave I ever told you about my superior skill with a Ping-Pong paddle?â I heard him ask.
âMany times, Principal Love,â I heard her say with a sigh.
I ran out the double doors into the September sun that was heating up the school yard, looking around for Frankie and Ashley. They were waiting in line for a turn on the handball court.
âHey, Zip,â Frankie said. âHowâd it go with Dr. C? Did he do that close breathing thing again?â
âYeah, but this time I tried to hold my breath as long as I could. Listen, Frankie, did you know that Dr. Crumbworthy is a Ping-Pong player?â
Iâll be honest. I was fishing around to see what his reaction would be when I mentioned the game. Obviously, he didnât
CHAPTER 18
AT MY SCHOOL, when you come in late from a dentist appointment, the first thing you have to do is check in with Mrs. Crock at the attendance office, which is just outside Principal Loveâs office.
Mrs. Crock is a really nice person, but she takes a long time to fill out a late pass. She types one word on her computer, then takes a bite of the salad that is always sitting in a little plastic bowl next to her.
âHi, Hank. I assume you have a note from your dentist,â she said, smiling at me and showing a bit of radish between her teeth. Or maybe it was tomato. Whatever it was, it definitely had come from her salad bowl.
âHere it is,â I said, pulling the note out of my back pocket along with some light blue lint and a green Tic Tac.
While I waited for her to finish the pass, I noticed a big piece of poster board on the wall. It was the sign-up sheet for the Parade of Athletes. A whole bunch of kids had already signed up. Joelle Adwin had signed up to do a gymnastics demonstration. A third-grader named Christopher Hook had signed up for trampoline. Frankie and Ashley were going to demonstrate soccer dribbling and passing. Funny, they hadnât asked me. Sarah Stern, a really sweet girl in Emilyâs class, was doing karate. Sam Chin had signed up for Ping-Pong. And Nick McKelty had the unbelievable nerve to sign up for advanced soccer drills. The only thing he was advanced at was tripping over his own big feet.
Finally, Mrs. Crock finished, but just as I was leaving the office, Principal Love appeared. He has this mole on his cheek that is shaped like the Statue of Libertyâand both he and the Statue of Liberty mole were giving me a nasty look. Iâm not kidding, I think the mole was frowning at me.
âLate again, I see,â Principal Love said.
âOh no, sir, not late. I was at the dentistâs.â I tried to slide out the door so I could get to recess. Principal Love is not known for his short conversations.
âAh, oral hygiene. One of my favorite topics.â
Please donât say any more, Principal Love. Iâm begging you.
âLike I always say, good oral hygiene is what makes a man a man and a tooth a tooth,â he said. I could tell he was gearing up to repeat himself, like he always does.
This time he surprised me, though. He didnât repeat himself.
âIs that a Ping-Pong paddle youâre holding?â he asked.
Before I even got a chance to say yes, he cleared his throat and went on.
âI donât mean to brag, but I am proud of the fact that I earned a merit badge in table tennis at Boy Scout Camp in Minnesota.â
My foot was tapping. It felt like there was a train engine in it.
âSir, I am really fascinated by your summer in Minnesota, and I canât wait to hear more about it. But itâs just that, right now, Iâve got toââ
âOf course youâve got to get to class. Education comes first at PS 87. Like I always say, education comes first at PS 87.â Bingo, there it was. The repeat!
As I slipped out of the office and scooted down the hall, I could hear him talking to Mrs. Crock.
âHave I ever told you about my superior skill with a Ping-Pong paddle?â I heard him ask.
âMany times, Principal Love,â I heard her say with a sigh.
I ran out the double doors into the September sun that was heating up the school yard, looking around for Frankie and Ashley. They were waiting in line for a turn on the handball court.
âHey, Zip,â Frankie said. âHowâd it go with Dr. C? Did he do that close breathing thing again?â
âYeah, but this time I tried to hold my breath as long as I could. Listen, Frankie, did you know that Dr. Crumbworthy is a Ping-Pong player?â
Iâll be honest. I was fishing around to see what his reaction would be when I mentioned the game. Obviously, he didnât
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