Read The Ooze for Free Online Page B

managed to reach the school before the first bell.
    â€œHey, Brains!” someone yelled.
    I turned and spotted Eric leaning against the bigoak tree in front of school. “Oooooh,” I moaned. I had forgotten about Eric.
    â€œYou’re lucky I didn’t find you after school yesterday,” he growled.
    â€œYeah,” I muttered, and kept walking.
    Eric circled around me and blocked my way. He shoved a piece of paper into my hands.
    â€œWhat’s this?” I asked.
    â€œMy math homework,” he said. “It’s due this afternoon.”
    â€œDo you want me to help you with it?” I asked.
    â€œNoooo,” Eric crooned. “I want you to do it. And I want it done by lunch!” Then he strutted up the school steps.
    I stared down at the paper.
    â€œAnd do yourself a favor, Sterner,” he called back to me.
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œDo it right,” he snarled. “No funny stuff like yesterday. This is your last chance!”
    I glanced down at the paper again. I felt my head start to hurt.
    Numbers. Lots of them. With math you have to expect that.
    But the paper also had tons of strange little symbols on it. They looked familiar. But none of them made any sense to me.
    I had to find Colin right away. He knew what was going on. He would help me.
    I ran up the front steps, through the double doors, and down the hall. If I reached Miss Scott’s room before the final bell rang, I could explain everything to Colin. Then he would do Eric’s homework for me! I knew he would!
    â€œReady for tomorrow?” someone called. Alix trotted up beside me with a big grin on her face.
    â€œTomorrow?” I asked. “What’s tomorrow?”
    â€œAs if you didn’t know,” she teased. “I bet you have been studying for the Science Bowl nonstop. Admit it, Al. You don’t want everyone around here to say your sister is smarter than you are.”
    â€œI guess not,” I mumbled. “I guess not.”
    The bell rang as soon as we walked through the door. Miss Scott started the class immediately.
    No time to talk to Colin.
    Now what was I going to do?
    Eric was expecting his math homework at lunch. And I wouldn’t be able to talk to Colin before then.
    I guess I’ll have to try it by myself, I thought. I stared down at the assignment. Studying it as hard as I could.
    What did that little cross mean? And what was that line with the dot above and below it?
    I could feel Eric’s hot breath on the back of my neck. I’ll never figure this out. Never. He’s going to kill me.
    The hours until lunch passed so quickly—I could hardly believe it when the bell rang. “I’ll be waitingright outside the door for my homework, Brains!” Eric growled.
    I carefully returned my books to my backpack. I gathered all my pens together and put a rubber band around them. I organized my pencils, then I brushed the pink fuzz off my big eraser.
    How long would Eric wait for me? Would he give up and go to lunch? Or would he guard the door until I got there?
    â€œAl?” Miss Scott asked. “Aren’t you hungry?”
    I glanced around the room. All the other kids were gone. “Not especially,” I said. “Do you know where the sponge is? I want to wash the top of my desk.”
    â€œLater, Al,” Miss Scott said. “Go to lunch now, even if you aren’t hungry. It’s an order. Go to lunch.”
    When I stood up, my legs started to tremble. But I had no choice. I had to walk out that door.
    â€œHand it over!” Eric barked the second I stepped into the hall.
    â€œI didn’t . . . ” I mumbled. “I couldn’t.”
    â€œWrong answer, Alvin.” Before I could say another word, he lunged at me.
    He grabbed the back of my shirt, but I jerked free. I took off toward the cafeteria. When I reached the double doors, I spun right and ran down another hall.
    A group of fifth graders