Calling All Birdbrains Read Online Free PDF Page A

said. “You sure he’s a good-luck charm?”
    I perched Lippy on Sherman’s shoulder. The bird dug his claws through Sherman’s shirt.
    â€œThat’s even more good luck!” I said.
    Sherman turned and walked off smiling, with Lippy squawking on his shoulder.
    â€œMore good luck for ME!” I said softly.
    With that bad-luck bird gone, I could feel the good luck flowing back to me.
    I pumped my fists into the air. I did a little celebration dance.
    Across the lawn, Sherman tripped over a garden hose and fell flat on his perfectly tanned face.

Chapter 16
T IME TO S TART A CKING
    Saturday afternoon in the Student Center, I planned to study with Feenman and Crench. Don’t get the wrong idea. It’s not like we do schoolwork on a Saturday afternoon. We were going to study some new bubble gum flavors.
    You know. Serious stuff.
    I wandered into the game room and saw Sherman at the Ping-Pong table. Sharonda Davis, April-May’s friend, was at the other end. Sharonda and Sherman were slamming the ball back and forth over the net at each other. They were grunting and sweatingand running from side to side.
    â€œNo way Sherman can win,” I told myself. He had Bad-Luck Lippy on his shoulder. That meant he couldn’t win at Ping-Pong if he used a tennis racket for a paddle!

    I watched the battle for a while. They both worked up a sweat. Sharonda slammed the ball so hard, it cracked and flew off the table.
    Finally, she threw down her paddle, muttering to herself. “I don’t believe it…. I don’t believe you beat me again, Sherman.”
    Sherman came over to me, a big sixty-five-tooth smile on his face. “Thanks, Bernie,” he said. “You were right about Lippy.”
    â€œExcuse me?” My mouth dropped open. “What do you mean?”
    â€œI won twelve straight games,” Sherman said. He petted Lippy’s bald head. “Thanks to my lucky parrot.”

    Weird . Sharonda is a champion Ping-Pong player.
    â€œGotta hurry,” Sherman said. He pulled out a leopard-skin handkerchief and wiped the sweat off his forehead. “I’m meeting April-May.”
    Huh? He was meeting MY girlfriend?
    â€œWe’re going to have a picnic at Pooper’s Pond,” Sherman said.

    I said. I was too choked up to talk.
    I followed him out of the Student Center. April-May was waiting for him. Her blue eyes flashed, and she gave him a big smile.
    She wrapped her arm in his. “Shermie, you’re so cute with that adorable parrot on your shoulder,” she gushed.
    Shermie?? Adorable parrot??

    I couldn’t stop ack ing.
    Arm in arm, they started to walk away. Suddenly, Sherman stopped. He bent down and picked something up from the grass.
    â€œCheck it out, April-May,” he said. “I just found a twenty-dollar bill!”

    Sherman? Suddenly lucky?
    â€œCalm down, Big B. This can’t be happening,” I told myself. “Wait till the all-night Uno tournament tonight. We’ll see who’s lucky!”

Chapter 17
“U RRRRRRP ,” C RENCH R EPLIED
    Sherman won every game that night. He took every dime I had.
    And the whole night, that stupid parrot on his shoulder kept squawking:

    Finally, I handed my wallet to Sherman. “Keep it,” I said. “I don’t have anything left to put into it.”
    â€œThanks, Bernie,” Sherman replied, slapping me on the back. “I couldn’t have done it without you!” Then he laughed for about ten minutes.
    What a sore winner!
    I staggered back to the dorm. I could still hear that parrot squawking and crowing.
    I trudged into Feenman and Crench’s room and dropped weakly onto the edge of their bunk bed. “Root beer,” I moaned. “Bring me gallons of Foamy Root Beer. I love Foamy Root Beer.”
    Feenman pulled some cans out from their hiding place under his mountain of dirty clothes. The three of us drank silently for a while, wiping