Read Online Under a Bear Moon by Carrie S. Masek - Free Book Online Page A

Greg moved slower and yawned more than he had before the break. He dozed off in biology and fell asleep over his lunch. Lynda cornered Greg by his locker after school and demanded an explanation. He assured her winter sleepiness was a family trait, a reaction to shorter days and reduced sunlight. He claimed his father spent most of the winter napping.
* * * *
    GREG'S EYES drifted shut while Mr. Pullman droned about the Endangered Species Act. Lynda shoved her el-bow into Greg's ribs, and his head jerked up. With his eyes open, he made a decent imitation of someone listening, but Lynda wasn't fooled. Neither was Mr. Pullman.
    He strode over to their lab station and glared at Greg. “Ursek. Explain to the class what an endangered species is.”
    Greg yawned, causing half the class to break into giggles.
    “An endangered species?” He began slowly and yawn-ed again before continuing. “An endangered species is a species of plant or animal that is becoming rare due to Man's interference. Sometimes the endangered creature has been hunted to the brink of extinction. Sometimes it's endangered because its habitat is being destroyed. We don't always know why its numbers are decreasing, but in any case, things are done to protect it, both the individual members of the species, and their habitat, so they can thrive and become more numerous.” Greg started to add some-thing, but it was lost in another yawn.
    Lynda grinned. She could tell Greg's father was a professor. Even half asleep, Greg tended to pontificate.
    “All right, Ursek. I see you can listen with your eyes closed.” While the class snickered, Mr. Pullman returned to the front of the room. “Next week, each team will research a species that is threatened by its proximity to man. It doesn't have to be officially endangered, but you must show how human interference is causing its numbers to decline. Your presentations are due Friday. Questions?”
    The class bell rang before he finished speaking. Any questions were lost in the clamor of scraping stools and rustling papers.
    Lynda was halfway to the door when she heard Greg call her name.
    She stopped and turned back to him. “Yeah?”
    “Want to have lunch together? We could work on the assignment.”
    The hesitation in his voice made her stomach flutter. “Sure.”
    Greg smiled. Standing, he slung his backpack over his shoulder and hurried to join her.
    Pushing through the lunchroom's double doors, Lynda led him into tuna-scented chaos. She dodged elementary school students running for lunch recess and chose a table near a bank of tall windows. She gazed longingly at the deserted courtyard, then shivered as an icy draft curled around her ankles. With a wind-chill of twenty below, it was too cold to eat outside.
    “How about the brown bear?” Greg asked while he took out his lunch.
    Lynda blinked and looked away from the window. “What? Oh, the assignment. I didn't know bears were endangered. Aren't there tons of them in Alaska?”
    “Yeah, and more in Siberia and the Ural mountains. But they used to roam over the whole European continent.” Greg's eyes brightened and his expression became more animated. “The report can compare conditions in Western Europe, where bears are rare, to conditions in Russia, where they're numerous. My dad has lots of articles and books on the subject.”
    “Cool.” Lynda opened her lunch bag and took out a container of yogurt.
    Greg smiled, yawned, and took a bite of his sandwich. Lynda wondered what had happened to his appetite. He used to bring three sandwiches every day. Now, he was making do with just one.
    “If you're free, we could go through Dad's books this afternoon,” Greg suggested. “We could collect the information and get together over the weekend to write it up.”
    “Sounds great. Want to meet in front of school at three-thirty?”
    “I'll be there.” Yawning, Greg lay his head on the table. The deep rhythm of his breathing told Lynda he'd fallen asleep.
    He