Flower Feud Read Online Free PDF Page B

how organized you need to be to perform the experiments. And when everything is just right, you get the exact result you’re looking for.
    “Totally. I mean, they’re only the key to understandingchemistry!” he said with a smile. “I heard Ms. Studdert is going to use cabbage juice as the neutral.”
    “Nice choice,” I said.
    “I have an idea!” said Albert excitedly. “Let’s take turns testing the solutions and keep them secret from each other so we can guess which is which.”
    “That’s a great idea,” I said. “It will definitely make the lab more interesting.” I smiled at him. That was why Albert was the best lab partner ever. He just got it.
    We walked into the lab room together. Our teacher, Ms. Studdert, is one of my favorites. She’s young and pretty and makes science fun. There’s just one thing I don’t like about science class: Bob the Bully. Make that
two
things I don’t like: Bob and his obnoxious lab partner and best friend, Matt. The two of them are disruptive and annoying. You’d think that Bob’s broken leg would slow him down a bit. But maybe his cast was itching him or something, because that day he was being even more annoying than ever. If that’s even possible.
    Ms. Studdert, wearing a crisply starched white lab coat, stood in front of the room. She clasped her hands together, hardly able to contain her enthusiasm.
    “Today we’re going to do one of my favorite seventh-grade science experiments ever — acids and bases!” she said with a grin.
    Albert and I smiled at each other. The rest of the class looked bored. Bob gasped loudly like he was crazy excited. “How thrilling!” he cried.
    Matt laughed.
    Ms. Studdert gave Bob a warning look, and held up a red cabbage, neatly cut in half. “We’re going to make cabbage water today and then we’re going to …”
    “Have a party!” cried Bob.
    Albert and I exchanged disgusted glances. Leave it to Bob to try to ruin the best experiment of the school year. I turned around and glared at him. He stuck out his tongue at me. So immature. I faced the front of the room and shook my head. Bob would still be irritating if he were at least funny. But his jokes are always so lame.
    “Robert,” said Ms. Studdert in a warning tone. Her normally kind face had a harsh expression on it. “Please keep your comments to yourself.”
    “Sure, Ms. St-St-Studdert!” he replied.
    Matt snorted with laughter.
    I spun around in my seat, my mouth open in shock. The room began to buzz. Had Bob really just made fun of a
teacher?
This was shocking, even for Bob. I’m no expert, but that screamed instant detention to me.
    Apparently, Ms. Studdert was taken aback, too. She stared at him in disbelief.
    “Robert, that’s it,” she said sternly. “You will report to detention immediately after school today.”
    Yes!
I thought, smiling to myself. Bob would finally learn his lesson.
    “Oh man,” Bob groaned, and Matt said, “Tough break, dude.”
    “And that’s not all,” Ms. Studdert went on, “you and Matt together are a bad combination. New partners for you both. Right now.”
    Oh no!
Albert and I exchanged nervous glances. We both dropped our eyes to our notebooks, willing ourselves invisible. Because when teachers split up the bad students, you know who they reassign them to. The good ones. It was like we had targets on our backs.
    There was silence, during which I assume Ms. Studdert was scanning the room, deciding who to torture. Iwas concentrating on my blank notebook page with all my power.
Say someone else’s name,
I chanted silently.
Please.
    “Albert,” she finally said. “You will be Matt’s new partner. Matt, please go join Albert.”
    My eyes flew to Albert’s face. He looked as stricken as I felt.
    I knew what was coming next, but I still hoped against hope that somehow I was mistaken.
    “Del, you’ll have to move to the back of the room to join Bob, if you don’t mind.”
    I do mind!
I wanted to scream, but I knew I