11 Ch11-King of the School

Chapter 11 King of the School I was feeling great when I walked into the school store the next morning. I was bop- ping along with the iPod I bought on eBay with all the money I earned selling poems. It was the last day of April. I sold so many poems that I had more money than I could spend.

Pencils for everyone! I announced. I'm buying! Most of the kids in my class were in the store. I showed the guys my iPod. That's cool! said Neil the nude kid. I'm glad you like it, I said. After all, you paid for it. Where did you get that, Arlo? asked Andrea. You always say you don't have any money. None of your beeswax, I told her. The bell rang and it was time to go to class. The girls went running off, and all the boys gathered around me. I need one more poem, A.J., Michael said.

Me too, said Ryan. One at a time, guys, I said as I pulled some poems out of my notebook. There are plenty to go around. I gave them all poems and they gave me their lunch money. My pockets were so stuffed with coins that it was hard to walk! Man, I was gonna miss National

Poetry Month. Well, we did it! Miss Daisy said as she collected our poems. The students at Ella Mentry School wrote a thousand poems! This afternoon we're going to have an assembly with a real live poet! Isn't that exciting? Yes! yelled all the girls. No! yelled all the boys. All morning I wasn't thinking about the assembly, or math, or social studies. I was thinking about what I would buy next with the money I earned selling poems. Maybe I'd get a new skateboard or some cool posters for my room. It was hard to enjoy my lunch in the

vomitorium that afternoon. Ryan and Michael and the other guys were staring at my food the whole time. I felt a little bad taking their lunch money, so I gave them some of my cookies. Line up in single file, Miss Daisy said when we got back from lunch. We walked to the all-purpose room for the assembly. Andrea and her annoying

friends sat in the row behind me. After the whole school had arrived, Mr. Klutz got up on the stage. Wow, a thousand poems! he said. You know, Ms. Coco tells me we have a very talented poet right here at Ella Mentry School. Will you please come up on stage, A.J.? Everybody turned and looked at me. Then they started clapping and cheering. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to do. I thought I was gonna die. Get up there, dumbhead! said Ryan. Michael and Neil the nude kid pushed me out of my seat. I walked up onto the stage. Ms. Coco came up there too. She