Numbers Read Online Free PDF Page B

Knack
    Numbers was sitting at his desk doodling in his math textbook when he felt someone hovering over him. It was Mr. Greenstein, his sixth-grade math teacher.
    “Come with me,” Mr. Greenstein ordered, looking over his bifocals.
    Some of the children snickered and oohed, believing Numbers was in trouble. Jarvis looked at him with an expression that asked, What happened? Numbers gestured with his shoulders and hands to let him know he didn’t know what was going on.
    “Children, stay in your seats, complete your assignments, and remain quiet! I’ll be right back.” Then Mr. Greenstein led Numbers out of the classroom. Numbersknew once the teacher left the classroom his fellow classmates would go bonkers. He followed Mr. Greenstein through the school corridors, wondering what he had been caught doing.
    Mr. Greenstein and Numbers walked down the stairs to the principal’s office. Numbers felt his heart race a little. He knew he was in trouble for sure, he just didn’t know why.
    When he followed his teacher into the office he saw Principal Gordon Mathews sitting behind his desk wearing a navy suit with a blue striped tie. Then he noticed the person sitting across from his principal: his mother. Numbers almost stopped breathing.
    Oh, damn,
he thought.
The last thing I need is for Mom to lay those heavy hands of hers on me.
Numbers looked at his mother, trying to read her thoughts, but her expression gave away nothing.
    “Have a seat, young man,” Mr. Mathews said; it came out more like a command than a polite suggestion.
    Numbers took a seat by his mother, who smiled at him wryly.
    “Do you know why we brought you in here?” Mr. Mathews asked.
    Numbers shook his head. Mr. Greenstein stood over his shoulder like a sentry assigned to make sure he wouldn’t bolt out of the room.
    “Well, it has come to my attention that you may have falsified your tests.” However respectful Mr. Mathews was attempting to sound, there was no nice way to call a person a cheat.
    “Dee, you can tell me.” His mother looked him square in the eyes. “It’s okay if you made a mistake. Did you cheat on your math test?”
    Is this what this is all about?
Numbers breathed a sigh of relief, trying to regain his normal breathing pattern.
They think I cheated on my math test.
    “No, Mommy, I didn’t cheat.”
    “If you didn’t cheat, young man, how do you account for gettinga hundred on your last three math tests?” the principal asked in a condescending manner.
    Numbers shrugged. “I don’t know, but I didn’t cheat!” He spoke with a little more confidence now.
    “Well, there must be some explanation, because Mr. Greenstein informs me that the highest grade you ever scored previously on one of his tests was a seventy-seven. So either you’re a genius all of a sudden, or you’re a cheat,” Mr. Mathews stated bluntly.
    Jenny took offense at the principal’s accusations. She believed her son when he said he didn’t cheat—plus, she knew that he knew the consequences of lying to her would be far worse than anything the principal could ever do.
    “Hold it now, Mr. Mathews. If my son said he didn’t cheat, he didn’t cheat!” she shot back. “If you don’t believe him, Mr. Greenstein, you can give him some more problems to solve right here and now and we can settle it.” Jenny felt confident her son wasn’t lying but hoped she hadn’t put her foot in her mouth.
    Numbers was a bit nervous being put on the spot, but what could he do? It was time to put up or shut up.
    “Well, Mr. Greenstein?” Mr. Mathews looked to him for affirmation.
    “I guess we can have him answer a few questions,” Mr. Greenstein replied, taking a pencil from behind his ear and walking over to the principal’s desk. He began writing problems on a sheet of paper.
    Numbers stole a look at his mother and couldn’t help but smile a little inside. It felt good to have his mother standing up for him. He could see how his sudden abilities in math were