7 Ch7-K-i-s-s-i-n-g

Chapter 7 K-i-s-s-i-n-g Me and Ryan and Michael were sitting around the playground at recess. Michael was looking through the script for the play that Mr. Hynde gave me. "Did you read this, A.J.?" Michael asked. "Nah," I said, "reading is boring." "Well, you might want to read this,"

Michael said. "It says here that the beast has to kiss Beauty." "What?! Let me see that!" I grabbed the script. He was right! It said it right there on the last page. Beauty and the beast kiss. "Oooooh!" Ryan said. "A.J. and Andrea are in love!"

"Shut up!" I said. "I thought I just had to lock her in a dungeon." "First you lock her in a dungeon," Michael said. "In the end you fall in love and you've got to kiss her." "That's disgusting!" I said. "I wouldn't kiss Andrea if they paid me a million dollars." "You're gonna have to," Michael said. "And nobody's gonna pay you a dime." Then Michael and Ryan started singing: "A.J. and Andrea sitting in a tree k-i-s-s-i-n-g! First comes love, then comes marriage. Then comes A.J. with a baby carriage!"

If those guys weren't my best friends, I would really hate them. "I won't do it!" I said. "I'll run away someplace where they'll never find me." Michael and Ryan sang the dumb kiss- ing song again, so I left. I was really mad. I didn't exactly know where to run to. I figured I'd go to the boys' room and hang out in there for a while. But on the way to the boys' room, I passed the music room. The door was closed, but there's a little window in the door. I stood on my tiptoes and looked inside. Mr. Hynde was in there. I put my ear against the door. I could hear a drum machine, and Mr. Hynde

was rapping, too. I couldn't make out the words. I opened the door. "Yo, Beast!" Mr. Hynde said. "You the man! How's it hangin', brother?" "Okay, I guess," I said. "What are you doing?" 'Layin' down some beats," Mr. Hynde said. "I'm workin' on my own CD." "Cool!" I said. "Are you gonna be a famous rapper?" "Word up, cuz," Mr. Hynde said. "Maybe someday I'll be a star and you can say I used to be your music teacher. Hey, you want my autograph? Once I get famous, I might not sign 'em anymore." "No thanks," I said.

"What's the matter, Beast?" said Mr. Hynde. "You bummed out 'cause you can't watch TV?" "No, I've got a problem, Mr. Hynde." "Be straight!" he said. "You can tell me," "I don't want to be the beast." "Why not, dude?" Mr. Hynde asked. "The beast is the man! The beast rules!" "I don't want to kiss Andrea Young," I admitted. "Ohhhh," Mr. Hynde said "Kissin' is gross, eh? 'Fraid you'll get cooties?" "Well, yeah." "Let me clue you, brother," said Mr. Hynde. "Kissin' girls is fly. Someday all you're gonna wanna do is kiss girls.