My Hairiest Adventure Read Online Free PDF

return and give my book
report.
    I stood frozen, my back against the tile wall, gazing at the hideous hands.
    And I suddenly realized that I wasn’t alone in the hallway.
    I glanced up—and gasped when I saw Mr. Fosburg, the principal.
    He was carrying a stack of textbooks. But he had stopped a few feet away from
me.
    And he was staring in shock at my hairy hands.

 
 
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    I swung my hands down and tucked them behind my back.
    But it was too late. Mr. Fosburg had already seen them. His blue eyes
narrowed as he studied me.
    I shuddered.
    What was he going to say? What was he going to do now?
    “Is it too cold in the building?” the principal asked.
    “Huh?” I replied. What was he asking?
    I leaned back against my hands, pressing them against the wall. Even through
my shirt, I could feel the prickly hair all over them.
    “Should I have the furnace turned up, Larry?” Mr. Fosburg asked. “Is it too
cold? Is that why you’re wearing gloves to class?”
    “G-gloves?” I stammered.
    He thought I was wearing gloves!
    “Yes. I… uh… was a little cold,” I told him, starting to feel a little better. “That’s why I went to my locker. For
gloves.”
    He stared at me thoughtfully. Then he turned and headed the other way,
balancing the stack of textbooks in both hands. “I’ll talk to the custodian
about it,” he called back.
    I breathed a sigh of relief as he disappeared around the corner. That had
been a close call.
    But he had given me a good idea. Gloves.
    I hurried to my locker. Turning the dial on the combination lock felt strange
with my hairy fingers. But I opened the locker easily and pulled my black
leather gloves from the pockets of my parka.
    A few seconds later, I stepped back into the classroom. Lily stood at the
front of the class, giving her book report. She glanced at me curiously as I
slid back into my seat.
    When Lily finished, Miss Shindling called me to the front of the room. “Are
you okay now, Larry?” she asked.
    “Yes,” I replied. “My… uh… hands were cold.” I climbed out of my
seat and stepped quickly to the front of the room.
    Some kids started to giggle and point at my gloves. But I didn’t care.
    At least no one could see my hands with the ugly black fur sprouting all over
them.
    I took a deep breath and started my report. “The book I read is by Bruce
Coville,” I began.
    “And I would recommend it to anyone who likes funny science fiction stories….”
     
    After school, I hurried to my locker. I kept my head down and tried to avoid
everyone.
    I had worn the gloves all day. They were hot and uncomfortable. And they
seemed to grow tighter and tighter.
    I wondered if the black hair on my hands was growing. But I was afraid to
take off the gloves to check it out.
    I tugged on my parka and slung my backpack over one shoulder. I have to get
out of here and think, I told myself.
    A few steps from the front exit, I heard Lily calling my name. I turned and
saw her chasing after me. She was wearing an oversized yellow sweater pulled
down over bright green tights.
    I kept walking. “Catch you later!” I called back to her. “I’m in a hurry.”
    But she came running up and stepped in front of me. “Aren’t you coming to
band practice?” she asked.
    I was so upset about my hairy hands that I’d completely forgotten.
    “It’s at my house again this afternoon—remember?” Lily continued, walking
backwards as I made my way to the doors.
    “I—I can’t,” I stammered. “I don’t feel very well.”
    That was the truth.
    She stared hard at me. “What’s your problem, Larry? How come you’ve been so
weird all day?”
    “I just don’t feel well,” I insisted. “Sorry about the practice. Can we do it
tomorrow?”
    “I guess,” she replied. She said something else, but I didn’t hear it. I
pushed open the door and hurried out of the school.
    I ran all the way home. The sun beamed down on the snow, making it gleam like
silver. It was