The Magical Ms. Plum Read Online Free PDF Page B

and climbed back up the hill. Skidded down it again, waving his arms for balance, trying to hold his feet close together.
    Up and down, up and down, up and down—Brad practiced until the bell called him in to class.

    On the bus, Carlos pretended to be reading his book, but really he was listening to Jeremy behind him, making jokes. Jeremy was like the funniest kid in school now. Carlos grumpily propped his cheek against his fist. Everyone was getting something cool from the supply closet but him. Darma still got glue in her hair, but she and Mindy and Tashala were best
friends. Eric was learning how to debate. Jovi stood taller and spoke louder in class
.
    It wasn’t fair. He did everything right. He was the best student. He was nice … mostly. He raised his hand the fastest, every time!
    Ms. Plum just didn’t like him. She liked all the other kids, but not him
.
    “… to get to the other side!” Jeremy said, finishing his joke. And the kids around him burst into laughter
.
    Carlos didn’t laugh. He bent closer over his book and scowled
.
    They all thought they were so smart. He’d show them
.
    The next day at recess, he waited till everyone left the classroom. When he was sure he was alone, Carlos sneaked a look in Darma’s desk. There was a nice pile of pink bubble gum. He took one
.
    Then he peeked in Mindy’s desk. There was a note
.
    “Eric likes you! I just know it!” It was signed by Lucy
.
    When Darma and Mindy came in from recess, he was afraid they would somehow know that he had snooped. But they didn’t
.
    So, when no one else was around, Carlos
started peeking in other kids’ desks and going through the pockets of their coats and looking in their book bags. Lucy had a note from her mom saying she needed to go to the doctor for a rash. Tashala had a picture of a horse in her desk, with horse names written all over it. Eric had Brad’s Game Boy, even though Carlos knew he’d told Brad that he’d left it at his house
.
    Carlos never tattled on anybody, but he liked looking at the other kids’ stuff and knowing things that they didn’t know he knew. He felt smarter than ever
.

Emiko looked a little like Hip-Hop, the toad. She was squat and sturdy and wore thick glasses that made her eyes look bulgy. But even though some kids teased her, she was always smiling, because whatever you said, she took it as a compliment.
    “Your eyes look like a frog’s,” Becky Oh said, feeling mean one day early in the school year.
    “Thank you!” said Emiko. “Frog eyes are so sparkly.”
    Everything was good for Emiko.
    A freezing cold day was as fun as a snocone.
    A dark, damp day smelled cozy.
    A bad grade on a paper was marked in a pretty red.
    Ms. Plum said Emiko saw the world through rose-colored glasses.
    “Her glasses look regular-colored to me,” said Tashala.
    “It means she sees everything like it’s better than it really is,” said Carlos.
    “I think that would be kind of nice,” said Nadia.
    “But it could be dangerous,” Lucy said.
    “Can I try your glasses on?” asked Darma. But wearing Emiko’s glasses only made things blurry and gave Darma a headache.
    When Ms. Plum asked Emiko to go to the closet for more pink paper for making valentines, everyone knew Emiko would get a cute animal.
    “Something soft and fuzzy,” Jeremy predicted.
    “A pretty one,” agreed Jovi.
    “A bunny.”
    “A puppy.”
    “A-a-an alligator?” said Brad.
    Because that’s what Emiko brought out of the closet. A very cross-looking alligator straining at a leash made of rope.
    “Isn’t he darling!” cried Emiko.
    “Tell me, since when is a scaly old alligator darling?”
    “Alligator?” said Emiko. “What alligator?”
    “Uh, there. On that leash in your hand,” Eric pointed out.
    Emiko looked down. “You mean my poodle?”
    “Poodle!” Mindy threw up her hands. “You think that’s a poodle?”
    Emiko smiled happily. “I’ve always wanted a poodle just like this, with fluffy white fur and