Read Online This Can't Be Happening at Macdonald Hall by Gordon Korman - Free Book Online Page A

books?”
    â€œBooks?” sobbed Elmer. “What’s the point? I’ve been expelled!”
    Bruno’s normally ruddy face turned chalk-white. “
What?
They can’t do this to you! You’re innocent! You didn’t do anything!”
    â€œI know that,” said Elmer, “but Mr. Sturgeon didn’t believe me. He expelled me. My mother is going to kill me!”
    â€œBut you were scanning the skies!” Bruno howled. “The crab nebula, remember?”
    Elmer didn’t answer. He took his suitcase from the closet, opened his dresser drawers and began to pack. Bruno stalked up and down the room like a madman.
    â€œYou don’t have to pretend you’re upset just to make me feel better,” said Elmer sadly. “I know you hate me and will be glad to be rid of me.”
    â€œWhat do you mean
hate
you?” Bruno cried. “I’m
crazy
about you! I love your ants! I love your goldfish and your plants! I’m absolutely
wild
about your experiments! I’m a Drimsdologist! My world is the Elmer Drimsdale world!” On that note, he ran wildly out of the room.
    * * *
    â€œI have been expelled, Melvin,” George announced bitterly. “I leave immediately.”
    â€œExpelled?” Boots echoed. “Leave? Why?”
    â€œElmer Drimsdale and I are being blamed for whatever happened at Miss Scrimmage’s last night,” said George. He began to pack his medicines into a large leather chest marked
Health Care
. “We’ve both been expelled and —” He turned around to find he was talking to an empty room.
    Boots tore across the campus towards the Faculty Building. He didn’t know what he was going to say to Mr. Sturgeon; he only knew he could not allow George to be expelled for something he hadn’t done. He ran blindly, his mind in a turmoil. Just at the foot of the cement walk he collided heavily with another running figure.
    â€œBruno, we can’t let it happen!”
    â€œYou too, eh?” Bruno replied. “What are we going to do?”
    â€œWhat
can
we do?” asked Boots. “Besides confess, that is.”
    â€œConfess nothing!” countered Bruno. “If The Fish is ready to expel Elmer and George, he’ll be ready to
hang
us! Listen — we don’t have to say
we
did it; we just have to say that Elmer and George
didn’t
. We’re their roommates, after all. What better alibi could they have?”
    â€œHe’ll never believe us,” Boots said dejectedly. “it was the stupidest thing we’ve ever done.”
    â€œWell, it was
your
idea,” muttered Bruno. “C’mon.”
    The oak doors had never been heavier. The echoes of their footsteps on the marble floor sounded like a death march in some great tomb. The desks in the outer office had never seemed so high, nor the white walls so desolate.
    The office was deserted, but Mr. Sturgeon’s door was open a crack. Boots knocked lightly. “It’s Melvin O’Neal, sir. Bruno and I would like to talk to you.”
    A muffled sound escaped from the inner office. It sounded very much like a chuckle, and the words, “Right on time.” Then the Headmaster called out, “Come on in, boys.”
    On their way in, Bruno and Boots exchanged puzzled looks. What was going on?
    Mr. Sturgeon did not speak until the two were seated uncomfortably on the hard wooden bench. Finally he said, “Why are you two boys together?”
    â€œUh — we aren’t exactly together, sir,” said Bruno. “We just ran into each other on the way over here.”
    â€œVery well. Now, what brings you here?”
    â€œSir,” Bruno began, “you can’t expel Elmer Drimsdale.”
    â€œAnd George,” added Boots fervently. “You can’t expel him either … sir.”
    â€œHow odd,” said Mr. Sturgeon. “I was under the impression that
I
was Headmaster of