Punished! Read Online Free PDF Page B

answer me.
    “If you’re not mad, we could anger round together this weekend.”
    Benedict turned his back toward me.
    I decided to shut up before I drove him from the room. This was awful. If my best friend hated me, how would strangers treat me? I thought about what my life would be like if I didn’t find the final palindrome. I’d never be able to talk to anyone again. People would just groan at me and stop listening. Everyone would hate me. They wouldn’t take anything I said seriously. I’d have to live someplace where nobody spoke English. They wouldn’t understand me, but at least they wouldn’t hate me.
    The day dragged on. As it got close to three-thirty, I decided all I could do was go to the library and give Professor Wordsworth what I had. Maybe he’d give me more time, or a different task. Either way, it was my only hope.
    I glanced at the clock again. One minute to go.
    “Well, Logan,” Mr. Vernack said, walking over to my desk. “You’ve been extremely quiet these last few days. I’d like you to join the discussion. We don’t want Ms. Glott to think you don’t like our lessons.” He pointed to the chalkboard. “Please pick one of those words and use it in a sentence.”
    I stared at the list on the board.
Device, conduct, example, satellite, protest.
It didn’t matter which word I picked. Any one of them would doom me when it turned into a pun. Whatever I said, Mr. Vernack would get angry. My best chance was to keep my mouth shut.
    “I want an answer from you right now,” he said. “Or you can stay after class.”
    After class! Oh no!
If he kept me after, I’d never get to the library on time. I had to say something. But Mr. Vernack was so angry now that I knew he’d make me stay if I said a pun.
    I was doomed either way. I sat there with my mouth open.
    “MY PANTS!” Benedict screamed. “My pants are on fire.” He leaped from his desk and ran toward the front of the room.Then he started jumping up and down and slapping at his legs with both hands.
    Everyone stared at him.
    He kept slapping for a moment, then glanced down and said, “Wait. My mistake. Never mind.”
    As Benedict walked back toward his seat, he grinned at me. Right then, the bell rang. Everyone started to rush out.
    “Okay, okay, class dismissed,” Mr. Vernack said. “Except for . . .”
    I held my breath.
    “Benedict,” he said.
    I guess imaginary burning pants were a lot worse than not answering a teacher. I slipped away and ran out of the building. “Thanks, Benedict,” I said to myself as I raced down the school steps and headed for the sidewalk. What a pal I had. I owed him a lot.
    But I was still in trouble. I reached the library and went down to the reference section.
    The professor was sitting there, reading.
    “I have a problem,” I said. I pulled the rubber bands from my pocket, one brown and the other six bright yellow, and held out my hand to show him.
    “So I see,” he said.
    “Can I get more time?” I asked.
    He shook his head. “No. Sorry.”
    “I’ve looked everywhere,” I said. “It’s not fair. It’s just not fair.”
    He stared at me calmly, and then said, “You still have a few minutes. Maybe the answer is right under your nose.”
    “Lip?” I asked. “
Lip pil
?” I said, trying to make a palindrome out of it.
    “That was just a figure of speech,” he said. He leaned forward until his face was only inches from mine. “Maybe the answer is right in front of you.” He reached out with one finger and touched the end of my nose.
    I took a step away. Then I froze as the answer sank in. Of course.
    “Professor Robert Wordsworth,” I said, remembering the day he’d told me his name.
    He smiled.
    I stretched out the rubber band. “And I’ll bet your friends call you . . . ,” I said as I slipped the rubber band over his hand.
    “Bob!”
we said together.
    What a simply wonderful palindrome.
    The rubber band on his wrist glowed yellow.
    Behind me, the clock ticked. I