The Skinwalker's Apprentice Read Online Free PDF Page B

Principal wanted to hear.
    Without another word he had yelled at Emerald, “GET TO MY OFFICE! YOU KNOW THE WAY!”
    The entire school had erupted in applause. Emerald was humiliated.
    “Some birthday,” she muttered to herself as she walked through the double doors, her face steaming.
    Seneka did manage to fling a wad of mud at Missy’s back as she followed closely behind Principal Grossman and Emerald, still complaining. Missy had spun around and given Seneka eyes like daggers; Missy didn’t feel quite so comfortable picking on Seneka since Seneka had no problem being just as venomous as she was.
    “That should’ve been a brick,” muttered Seneka under her breath, as Mr. Grossman shut the door, leaving a seething Missy outside with the rest of the school.
    The next twenty minutes seemed like the longest of Emerald’s life as they both sat there in silence waiting for Nora to arrive. Finally the phone rang.
    “Hello … yes? Oh, I see. This really is an urgent matter. I insist … I see. Well, if that’s what you want, sure, but you should know … SHE CAN’T BE TRUSTED … of course … of course. I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean … of course. Very well. Goodbye.”
    A flustered Principal hung the phone up and looked at Emerald bitterly.
    “Well, it seems your Aunt Nora cannot bring herself to leave work and has asked me to send you home with whatever punishment I see fit.” He smiled deviously. “Let’s see,” he tapped his chin as he looked up at his ceiling fan. Emerald knew he was thinking of the cruelest punishment he could.
    Don’t suspend me, don’t suspend me, please, don’t suspend me , chanted Emerald in her head. If she was suspended, she would probably miss too much of her schoolwork to make up, which meant she wouldn’t graduate. Emerald’s grades were good enough, but her behavior up until that point had her passing by the skin of her teeth. If just one thing went wrong, she’d miss her chance to graduate and would have to go to summer school, which also meant she’d miss her final summer with her friends, who were all going off to college without her.
    Anything but that , she wished silently. There was nothing on the planet that could be worse than spending her entire summer under Mr. Grossman’s watch, and nothing more humiliating than not graduating.
    “First, you will be required to clean up the mess you made, tomorrow first thing in the morning.”
    She knew that one was coming and didn’t mind it. It wouldn’t be the first Saturday she spent at school as punishment. And as for the smell, she could just enchant her nose at home. Simple.
    “Secondly, you will work AFTER school helping Sheryl with her filing or typing or whatever she needs help with. You owe it to her after what you put her through.”
    A total drag but also not too bad. Sheryl was the complete opposite of Principal Grossman, and if Emerald could help right the wrong she’d done that afternoon in any way, it would be by helping her.
    “And since you seem to have a problem with tardiness—let’s see, you’ve been late eleven of the fifteen days of school so far?—you will be on probation for your attendance. If you are late just ONE more time this year … ”
    No, thought Emerald, her pulse quickening. Don’t … say … those … words.
    “You will be required to complete summer school.”
    Emerald heard the words come out in slow motion and watched as sweat dripped from Principal Grossman’s lip and fall with an echoing thud on his desk. Emerald felt the wind being knocked out of her as a cruel smile spread across her principal’s face. She swallowed hard.
    “Isn’t that a little extreme, Principal Grossman? It’s only October. What if I’m sick?”
    “Should’ve thought of that before your little prank,” he smiled contently.
    She knew he was doing it to get under her skin now. Principal Grossman had had it out for Emerald since she was a freshman. He had tried to institute a ban on dying hair