Jasper John Dooley, Star of the Week Read Online Free PDF Page B

Jasper had been in that chair before. It made him nervous because his feet didn’t touch the ground. “Earl can’t sit,” he said. “His legs don’t bend. Can I just stand with him?”
    Mrs. Kinoshita let him. She asked, “So, Jasper John Dooley, what happened out there?”
    The words rushed out of Jasper. “It wasn’t me it was Earl the girls wanted us to be babies and he got mad. He doesn’t know when he’s being mean because he doesn’t have a heart are you going to take away my star?”
    Mrs. Kinoshita noticed the star then, shining on his chest. “Are you the Star of the Week, Jasper?”
    Jasper nodded. He was surprised she didn’t know. She was the principal.
    Mrs. Kinoshita smiled, showing the friendly bit of green again. “Jasper, if you’re the Star of the Week, nobody can take that away from you.”
    â€œNot even the principal?”
    â€œNot even me.”
    Jasper felt much, much better then.
    â€œSo Earl is a bit of a troublemaker?” Mrs. Kinoshita asked, folding her hands on her desk.
    â€œHe’s jealous,” Jasper said. “He wants to be the Star, too, but I’m the Star this week.”
    â€œI understand,” Mrs. Kinoshita said. “Did you know I once had two little boys?”
    â€œWhat happened to them?” Jasper asked.
    â€œThey grew up. But when they were small? Oh, my goodness. They squabbled all the time. You used to be an only child, didn’t you?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œYou must miss that now.”
    â€œI do!” Jasper cried. “If I was still an only child, I wouldn’t be here in your office!”
    Mrs. Kinoshita got up from her desk and opened her file cabinet. She rooted around for a minute. “That’s funny. I don’t have any record of Earl being registered at our school.”
    â€œHe’s not.”
    â€œWell, that’s not allowed, Jasper. I’m afraid Earl can’t go back to the classroom with you. I suggest he stay here with me for the rest of the day and you pick him up when it’s time to go home. How does that sound?”
    â€œJust a minute, Mrs. Kinoshita. Earl is saying something.” Jasper leaned closer to his brother. He was starting to be able to understand Earl’s grumbles and growls. “Earl says his legs hurt from standing all the time. Can he lie down in the sickroom?”
    â€œCertainly. I’ll take him over in a minute. You can go now, Jasper. The bell has already rung.”
    â€œThank you, Mrs. Kinoshita,” Jasper said. He whispered, “I don’t think his legs really hurt. He just feels bad because he got in trouble.”
    Mrs. Kinoshita nodded. She knew how kids felt. “And congratulations on being the Star this week, Jasper,” she said.
    After he left the office, Jasper took his time going back to his classroom, just in case math was happening there. He stopped to look at all the art on the walls. He drank from the water fountain. By the time he walked in the door, a big commotion was going on. It didn’t seem to be about math.
    Ms. Tosh asked, “Is Ori with you, Jasper?”
    â€œNo,” Jasper said.
    â€œLeon? Go get Mrs. Kinoshita. Hurry.”
    â€œI was just talking to Mrs. Kinoshita,” Jasper said.
    â€œI told her,” Isabel said. “I told Ms. Tosh what you did with Earl.”
    Ms. Tosh didn’t seem to care what Jasper and Earl had done. “Ori is missing,” she said. “Nobody has seen him since lunch.”
    â€œHe wasn’t playing babies with us!” Zoë cried. “He said he would!”
    â€œHe didn’t,” Jasper said.
    â€œHe did, too!”
    Jasper went over to the Book Nook and pulled all the pillows away. Ori sat up blinking. “You didn’t want to play babies, did you?” Jasper asked.
    Ms. Tosh put a hand over her heart. She said, “Oh, Jasper, you really are a