Read Summer School! What Genius Thought That Up? for Free Online Page B

because it’s where everyone in our apartment building stores their stuff. A couple weeks ago, I forgot to turn on the light before I went in, and I nearly jumped out of my sneakers! There were two creepy red eyes glowing at me from behind the couch. With the light on, I realized it was the same old stuffed moose head that has been hanging there as long as I can remember. Welcome to Hank’s brain. Sometimes it doesn’t remember what it already knows.
    While I was waiting in the clubhouse for Frankie and Ashley, I started pacing around in a circle like I do when I’m working on a problem. I paced double fast, because I had two problems to work out. First, there was good old Einstein, whoever he is. And then there was the going to the luau disaster—or should I say, the NOT going to the luau disaster.
    It’s a good thing Frankie and Ashley arrived right away, or I would have worn a hole in the concrete floor.
    â€œTalk to me, Zip,” Frankie said, coming in and flopping down on Mrs. Park’s old couch with the stuffing coming out of the arms. “What’s wrong?”
    â€œWhat makes you think something’s wrong?”
    â€œYou’re doing the circle walk,” Ashley said. “You don’t do the circle walk when nothing’s wrong.”
    I opened my mouth and it all came pouring out like ketchup when you’ve tapped too hard on the bottom of the bottle.
    â€œOkay, first I have to do a report on Albert Einstein, whoever he is. And if I don’t get an A, I can’t go to the luau, which would totally suck because—were you guys really not going to invite me to be part of the Magik 3 trick at the talent show?”
    Frankie got up from the couch and grabbed me by the shoulders.
    â€œZip, I want you to take your arms, put them around you, and hold on to yourself,” he said. “You’re freaking out.”
    â€œBut you guys didn’t tell me there was a talent show.”
    â€œOkay, maybe that was wrong,” Frankie said. “We should have told you.”
    â€œAnd how come you didn’t invite me?”
    â€œYou’re always invited,” he said. “That’s why it’s called Magik 3, dumbo.”
    An instant silence fell over the room. The only thing you could hear was the swish-swishing of the washing machine in the laundry room down the hall. Ashley shot Frankie a look, and he understood immediately.
    â€œI take back the dumbo part,” he said. “You’re not dumb, my man. It’s just an expression. I lost my head.”
    I really knew Frankie didn’t mean to call me dumb, but if you’re a guy like me who’s always at the bottom of the class, and you feel bad about yourself sometimes, you do get extra sensitive. Know what I mean? Good. Frankie does too.
    â€œSo if I’m part of Magik 3, how come we walked all the way home from school together and no one mentioned a talent show?” I asked.
    â€œWe didn’t want to rub it in,” Ashley said. “Because we didn’t know if you could come or not. The talent show is supposed to be just for Junior Explorers.”
    â€œBut we don’t care about that lame rule, right?” Frankie said. “We’re Magik 3. I say we just give Principal Love the word that we can’t do the act without you. And zengawii , you’re there. No problemo.”
    I felt better. Until I felt worse. I had forgotten about my father.
    â€œWhoops, problemo,” I said. “The crossword-puzzle whiz who runs my life says I can’t go unless I get an A on my Einstein report.”
    â€œOuch,” Frankie said. “Yup, that sounds like Stan the Man.”
    â€œThere’s only one solution, Hank,” Ashley said, twirling her ponytail around her index finger like she does when she’s thinking up a plan. “You’ll just have to get an A.”
    â€œIf I could just point out one tiny, itsy-bitsy wrinkle,” I