Hopping Mad Read Online Free PDF Page B

…
take
them.”
    Something about the way she said it told Frank she was lying.
    â€œDid you touch them?”
    â€œIt wasn’t my fault! They were being kept imprisoned! I was going to take them outside, but then Mr. Willis came running in and yelled at me, and I turned around to grab them off the counter where I had put them, and they were gone!” Melissa had started crying. This time, Frank believed her.
    â€œThey must have hopped off the counter, into the open vent!” said Joe.
    â€œI just wanted them to be free!” said Melissa.
    â€œYou’re going to have to tell Principal Butler,” said Frank.
    â€œBut I didn’t bring them to the talent show. Adam said he did it!” Melissa didn’t want to get in trouble.
    Frank and Joe explained their theory: The frogs had escaped into the system of vents. When they reached the auditorium, they had broken the grates and fallen through.
    â€œOh no!” said Melissa. “It
is
all my fault.”
    Together, Melissa, Todd, Frank, and Joe headed to Principal Butler’s office. When they arrived, Principal Butler was just about to call Adam’s parents. Adam and Mina were sitting in the office with her.
    Melissa, Frank, and Joe explained what had happened.
    â€œI’m sorry, Principal Butler! I just love frogs so much,” Melissa cried.
    Principal Butler pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and thought for a second.
    â€œI believe you, Melissa. Since this was an accident, and the only performance you ruined was your own, I’m not going to call your parents. Instead, you will be volunteering with Mr. Willis for the rest of the school year. Your job will be to take care of the frogs.”
    â€œReally? Oh, wow!” Melissa said. Frank and Joe had never seen her this excited—even when her Tasty, Tasty Treats Ice Cream commercial was aired for the first time!
    â€œAs for you, Mr. Ackerman, you will explain yourself right now.”
    Adam looked down at his shoes and said nothing. Mina jumped in.
    â€œHe just didn’t want anyone to know that he couldn’t have thrown the frogs, because he was singing to me! I got so scared to perform, I hid inthe janitor’s closet. Adam came and sang to me, like he used to when I was little and scared of the dark.”
    Even Principal Butler smiled at what Mina had to say. It seemed no one believed Adam’s denial. The big, bad bully, singing to his sister? No wonder he would rather have confessed to a crime he didn’t commit!
    â€œThat’s not true!” Adam yelled. “I don’t sing!Never! And if you tell anyone, I’m totally going to get you!”

    Adam stomped out of Principal Butler’s office. Principal Butler stood up from behind her desk.
    â€œWell, now that all of that is cleared up, let’s get the talent show back on!”
    â€œYay!” Everyone cheered.
    The rest of the talent show went smoothly. Melissa and Todd got to perform their number—without any frogs this time. They were great, as usual. Then the boys were up. With all of the crime solving, they’d almost forgotten they were going to perform! Everyone loved their sword fighting, and they got a big round of applause when they finished. There were a few more acts after them, and then finally, it was time to vote.
    Everyone was given a little slip of paper with all the acts listed. It was hard to vote for just one, butboth Frank and Joe knew who their favorite was—Cissy! It would be wrong to vote for themselves, and Cissy deserved it the most. Her juggling was so incredible.
    It seemed like Frank and Joe weren’t the only ones who loved Cissy’s act. When the votes were counted, she was in first place!
    â€œWow!” she screamed. This was the first time in years that anyone other than Melissa and Todd had gotten first place. Cissy couldn’t stop thanking everyone all the way to the winner’s platform. “This is