Triple Trouble Read Online Free PDF Page A

reliving that moment had drilled it into my skull. Phew. Right now I was thankful that my sister had been so totally annoying! I repeated what Emma said.
    Everyone at the table murmured approvingly and applauded me. Awesome! I did a little bow, like I thought Emma would do.
    This was working out just fine. Actually, it was agood thing they had mistakenly called me in because Emma was so stressed and well, messy, today. In her sweats and with her unwashed look, she wasn’t really representing.
    â€œEmma, to what do you owe your math success?” somebody asked.
    I caught Principal Patel’s eye. Okay, Payton. Think like Emma.
    â€œWell, I have great advanced-math teachers, and I’m able to take advanced courses online too,” I said. Everyone nodded, so I went on, encouraged. “And of course, I couldn’t do it with my fabulous twin sister, Payton!”
    â€œAh, two skilled mathematicians in one family?” a woman said.
    Wait, uh, no. Let’s not go there.
    â€œWell!” I said brightly. “I should probably get to my . . .” Second period . . . Emma had . . . um . . . some class.
    â€œOh, I’ll write you an excuse,” Principal Patel said. “We have time for a few more questions.”
    â€œMs. Mills, what is an asymptote?” the woman asked me.
    Um. Uh. Er. I broke out into a sweat so cold I probably looked as unwashed as Emma. Um. Uh. Whatshould I do? I didn’t want to embarrass the principal. So I did the first thing that came to mind.
    I sneezed. I did the biggest, grossest fake sneeze that I could possibly fake.
    â€œExcuse me!” I gasped. “The answer is . . . achoo!”
    I held my arm up to my mouth and sneezed harder. Then I went into a cough-choking-gag noise.
    â€œEmma! Are you okay?” the principal asked.
    â€œWater!” I gasped, and pointed to the hallway.
    â€œGoodness, well, perhaps you should go to the water fountain,” one of the woman said authoritatively. “Thank you for sharing your accomplishments with us, Emma.”
    I backed out of the room and fled down the hall before they could stop me. I didn’t stop until I had fast-walked up the stairs and into the empty hallway. I leaned against a locker to catch my breath.
    Whew. Emma might have academic awards, but I deserved an Academy Award for that performance!

Six
    ALSO BACK TO CLASS
    I slid the note into my tote bag as I walked quickly to my science class. The note I’d gotten from the principal’s office. All it said was:
    Please report to Classroom B13 at 10:43.
    Mrs. Burkle
    I assumed Payton had gotten the same note. Last time we’d had a special meeting with Mrs. Burkle, we’d ended up going off to Hollywood. I didn’t know what to expect this time, but I hoped it didn’t add to myworkload. I couldn’t worry about it now. Right now I needed to focus, and my focus was 100 percent science. I pushed open the door to my science class. Everyone looked at me as I walked in.
    â€œÂ . . . are called metamorphic rocks.” Dr. Perkins stopped her lecture and looked at me. “Emma, I’ll take your pass, and you may have a seat.”
    I handed her my pass and tried to head unobtrusively to my usual seat in the second row. Except someone was in it. Someone had stolen my prime seat. I scanned the room, ignoring Jazmine’s smirk. The only empty seat was in the back, behind Cashmere.
    I hated sitting in the back. Plus Cashmere had really big hair that was hard to see over. But I sat down and listened to Dr. Perkins.
    â€œWhat are metamorphic rocks with mineral crystals arranged in parallel layers called?” Dr. Perkins asked.
    My science teacher hadn’t even finished the question before my hand shot up. Jazmine James raised her hand at least three milliseconds after mine, but since she was sitting in the prime seat in front-row center, the teacher must have