My Hairiest Adventure Read Online Free PDF Page A

hear the rest of it. I kept silently going over and over my own book
report.
    A few minutes later, when Miss Shindling announced, “Larry, you’re next!” I
almost didn’t hear her.
    I took a deep breath and climbed to my feet. Stay cool, Larry, I told
myself. You’ve practiced and practiced your report. There’s nothing to be
nervous about.
    Clearing my throat loudly, I started up the aisle to the front of the room. I
was halfway up the aisle when Howie stuck out his foot.
    I saw his big grin—but I didn’t see his foot.
    “Oh!” I cried out in surprise as I stumbled over it—and went sprawling on
the floor.
    The classroom exploded with laughter.
    My heart pounding, I started to pull myself up.
    But I stopped when I saw my hands.
    Both of them were bristling with thick, black hair.

 
 
10
     
     
    “Larry, are you okay?” I heard Miss Shindling call from her desk.
    “Uh…” I was too stunned to answer.
    “Larry, are you hurt?”
    “Uh… well…” I couldn’t speak at all. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t
think.
    Crouched on the floor, I stared in horror at my hairy hands.
    Above me, I could hear kids still laughing about how Howie had tripped me. I
glanced up to see the kid next to Howie slapping him a high-five.
    Ha-ha. Very funny.
    Usually, I’d be totally embarrassed. But I didn’t have time to be
embarrassed. I was too scared.
    Had anyone seen my hairy hands?
    Still down on the floor, I glanced quickly around the room.
    No one was pointing in horror or crying out.
    Maybe no one had caught a glimpse of them yet.
    Quickly, I jammed both hands deep into my jeans pockets.
    When I was sure that both hands were completely hidden, I climbed slowly to
my feet.
    “Look! Larry is blushing!” someone called from the back row. The room
exploded with more laughter.
    Of course, that made me blush even redder. But blushing wasn’t exactly my
biggest problem.
    There was no way I could stand in front of the class with these two
hairy hands. I’d rather die!
    Without even thinking about it, I started hurrying back up the aisle to the
classroom door. With my hands jammed into my jeans, it wasn’t easy to walk fast.
    “Larry—what’s wrong?” Miss Shindling called from the front of the room.
“Where are you going?”
    “Uh… I’ll be right back,” I managed to choke out.
    “Are you sure you’re okay?” the teacher asked.
    “Yeah. Fine,” I mumbled. “Be right back. Really.”
    I knew everyone was staring at me. But I didn’t care. I just had to get out
of there. I had to figure out what to do about my hands.
    As I reached the door, I heard Miss Shindling scold Howie. “You could have
hurt Larry. You shouldn’t trip people, Howie. I’ve warned you before.”
    “But, Miss Shindling—it was an accident,” Howie lied.
    I slipped out the door. Into the long, empty hall.
    I checked to make sure no one was around to see me. Then I pulled my hands
from my pockets.
    I had a dim hope that maybe my hands would be back to normal. But that hope
vanished as soon as I raised them to the light.
    Thick, black hair—nearly an inch high!—covered both hands. How could it
grow so fast? I wondered.
    The backs of my hands were hairy. And my palms were hairy, too. Hair poked up
from the knuckles of my fingers. And clumps of black hair grew in the space between my fingers.
    I rubbed my hands together, as if trying to rub the ugly hair away. But of
course it didn’t come off.
    “Nooooooo. Please—noooooo!” I moaned out loud without realizing it.
    What could I do?
    I couldn’t go back to class with these hairy monster hands. They would make
everyone sick !
    I would be embarrassed for the rest of my life. Whenever anyone would see me
coming, they’d say, “Here comes Hairy Larry Boyd. Remember that day the black
hair grew all over his hands?”
    I’ll run home, I decided. I’ll get away from here.
    No. How could I leave school in the middle of the morning? Miss Shindling was waiting for me to