Philip and the Loser (9781619501522) Read Online Free PDF Page B

cheek.
    “ Hey! Watch.”
    “ Whoops! It’s okay now. Just that first
squeeze. Uh, oh, it keeps coming out.”
    Philip had no time to wipe the glue from his
cheek. He handed the short peg to Emery. “Here, rub the bottom of
the peg with the leaky glue. Quick, before it drips.”
    Emery obeyed. “Hurry up and stick it. The
glue won’t stop coming out. Stick it. Stick it and get another peg.
The glue’s getting on me.”
    Philip stuck the first peg down on the board
and quickly reached inside the bag for a second stick. He pulled
out one a little longer than the first one.
    Emery used his finger to wipe the glue from
the front of the tube before it fell onto the ground.
    “ Put your finger glue on the bottom of
the peg,” Philip ordered. “Come on!”
    Emery rubbed his finger on the bottom of the
second stick.
    “ Put the top back on and keep the glue
in.”
    Emery picked up the top and stuck it back
over the leaking glue. When he did, he found the cap stuck to the
glue he had on his finger and wouldn’t let go.
    Philip took a tissue he had in his pocket and
tried to wipe the glue from his cheek, but when he did, the thin
white paper stuck to his cheek.
    “ Hey,” said Emery. “We’re getting all
gluey. Where’d you put the second peg?”
    Philip looked around. He’d laid the second
stick on the picnic table, but now he didn’t see it there. He
looked around and saw the stick nestled against the trash can in
the corner of the garage where Philip had thrown yesterday’s cats.
He went to get it, continuing to scratch at his face to get the
tissue off. He picked up the peg and inspected it.
    “ Yuck! The glue grabbed a lot of junk
when it rolled away,” Philip reported. The glue on the bottom of
the stick had accumulated dirt, a piece of grass, and two scraps of
paper on its rolling trip to the trash can.
    Emery shook his hand, trying to get the tube
of glue unstuck from his finger. “This is harder than we thought.
The tube’s stuck to me. The cap’s stuck to me. The glue’s going
wild.”
    Philip rubbed at his gluey cheek as Emery
shook his gluey hand.
    Leon walked around the corner of the house
into the backyard. When he saw Philip and Emery rubbing and shaking
he asked, “What are ya doin’, guys? Hey, me too. Watch.” Suddenly,
Leon started shaking one hand in imitation of Emery and rubbing his
other hand against his cheek to copy Philip. Then for no apparent
reason, he started hopping three times on his left foot, then three
times on his right foot.
    “ What are you doing, Leon?” Philip
asked hotly.
    “ Yeah, cut it out,” Emery
ordered.
    “ I’m only doing what you’re doing. Rub
and shake,
woo hoo.”
    “ Nobody was jumping up and down, Leon,”
Emery said angrily
    “ Yes,” Philip agreed. “Nobody. And
no
woo hoo
ing. This is my property and
no
woo hoo
ing on it.”
    “ Right,” Emery barked. “This is his
property, and we don’t ever
woo hoo
here. Not
in this life or the next life. Umph!” The tube of glue finally came
unstuck.
    “ They’re the rules?” Leon
asked.
    “ Unbreakable rules,” said Philip,
pawing at his cheek.
    “ If I break the rules, do I turn into a
Kleebis?” Leon gave a loud
yuk yuk.
    “ And no laughing either,” Philip
barked.
    “ Nobody turns into a Kleebis. And don’t
even
say
the word Kleebis,” Emery
demanded.
    “ You stand still and don’t talk,” said
Philip. “The rules say so.”
    “ What are you doing here, Leon?” Emery
asked. “I thought you were supposed to study all day.”
    Leon didn’t say anything. He didn’t move. He
didn’t blink.
    Emery raised his voice. “Leon, I said what
are you doing here?”
    Leon remained absolutely still.
    “
Leon!”
screamed Emery.
“
What are you doing here?”
    Leon smiled. “Philip said to stand still and
don’t say anything. I did it good, right?”
    “ Leon,” Emery repeated very slowly.
“What are you doing here? I thought you were punished all weekend.
Answer me.”
    “