Read Online We Dine With Cannibals by C. Alexander London - Free Book Online Page B

Oliver whispered at Celia.
    â€œI think it has something to do with feet.” She shrugged.
    â€œI see you have a lizard,” said Mr. McNulty.
    â€œOh yeah, I have to watch her until—um,” Oliver started to answer, trying to explain why he had a large beaded lizard on his back, but the bell interrupted him.
    â€œLadies and gentlemen, please take your seats so I can take the attendance!” Mr. McNulty called out. His voice boomed around the room, and all the kids sat down.
    Oliver and Celia shuffled in. There were noseats together. Celia sat in the back corner, which meant that Oliver had to take the last seat, way up front. He hated sitting in the front. Teachers called on you more and other kids thought you were a suck-up.
    â€œHey,” a red-faced boy in a baseball jersey next to Oliver whispered. “What’s with the lizard?”
    Beverly flicked her tongue at the boy.
    â€œWell, I have to look after her until Sir Edmu—,” he started to answer, but Mr. McNulty interrupted.
    â€œWelcome to the sixth grade!” he said. “I am your homeroom teacher, Mr. McNulty. We’ll start the roll call. Please raise your hand when I call your name and announce in a loud, clear voice one thing you learned over the summer. Ready? Angstura, Greg.”
    â€œPresent!” The boy next to Oliver raised his hand and said, “I mean … um … I learned how to throw a curveball.”
    â€œExcellent!” Mr. McNulty said. “Bessemer, Jill.”
    A girl toward the back of the room raised her hand and told everyone how she had learned how to do her own makeup. One of the boys said he’dlearned how to beat every video game he owned. The girl right next to Celia talked about reading over thirty books. One by one, the sixth graders answered.
    â€œHey,” Greg Angstura whispered to Oliver. “Can I touch your lizard?”
    â€œI wouldn’t,” Oliver whispered back. “She’s kind of, you know, like … poisonous.”
    â€œYeah, right,” Greg said.
    â€œNavel, Celia.”
    â€œHere!” Celia said.
    â€œAnd?” Mr. McNulty asked.
    â€œAnd what?”
    â€œWhat did you learn this summer? One thing.”
    â€œI dunno. Nothing, I guess.”
    â€œNothing? Did you do anything special this summer?” Mr. McNulty was not going to let Celia off the hook. She didn’t like all those eyes looking at her.
    â€œI’m going to pet it,” Greg whispered to Oliver.
    â€œDon’t do it!” Oliver whispered back.
    â€œI dunno,” Celia said. “Just normal stuff. We went to Tibet. We fell out of a plane. We watched
Love at 30,000 Feet.
Some witches and some explorerstried to kill us. Then we went to South America and our father’s boss tried to kill us to protect some mops or something. Corey Brandt has a new show.”
    The class laughed, although Celia wasn’t sure why. Corey Brandt’s new show was really good. At least four girls had Corey Brandt’s picture on their notebooks.
    â€œCelia,” Mr. McNulty said. “You should write short stories when we get to that in English class. But for now, why don’t you just tell me one thing you actually learned this summer, okay? No make-believe.”
    The class laughed again. Celia was getting annoyed.
    â€œI guess I learned never to trust adults,” she said, looking right at her teacher.
    Mr. McNulty’s smile froze on his face. He blinked a lot.
    â€œFine,” he said at last. “We’ll just have to work on that. Navel, Oliver.”
    â€œ
Hiss
!” Oliver said, and the class gasped.
    It wasn’t Oliver who hissed.
    It was Beverly.
    And the next thing anyone knew, the giant lizard had jumped from Oliver’s back and landed on Greg Angstura’s face.
    â€œAhhh!” Greg Angstura screamed.
    â€œAhhh!” Oliver screamed.
    â€œOh crud.” Celia groaned and rushed forward to