2 NOODLING AROUND

CHAPTER 2 NOODLING AROUND Alexander stepped into the empty lobby of Stermont Elementary. It's weird to be early, for once, he thought. He took the escalator to the second floor, where he noticed someone moving in the distance. Two someones. MR. HOARSELY School secretary, janitor, nurse, bus driver, and gym teacher Former S.S.M.P. member, and a HUGE fraidy-cat Only grown-up who can see monsters? MS. UNDERPANTS Principal by day... Boss-monster by night? Alexander's teacher (one-on-one!)

Good, Alexander thought. Ms. Vanderpants is not in her office! Alexander crouched low on the escalator to the next floor. Then he ran up the rest of the escalators all the way to floor thirteen. He jogged down the hallway, pausing at a heavy stone door. There's that scratching sound again! he thought. What is Ms. Vanderpants hiding in there? He ran down the hall to the principal's office, which was also his classroom. He stepped inside. Nothing seemed out of place. There was still a greenish-blue folder sitting on her desk.

Perfect! he thought. Maybe she hasn't noticed I took the wrong folder! Bluish-green folder: Principal Vanderpants's list Greenish-blue folder: Alexander's homework Alexander switched the folders and looked back at the door. No sign of his principal. Spy time! he thought. He glanced around the room. Books Potted cactus Big fancy desk Weird white bucket File cabinet Silver bell

The file cabinet in the corner, thought Alexander. It is probably full of secrets! He checked over his shoulder, took a breath, and then tugged on a drawer. KER-CLICK. It was unlocked. But there were no files inside. Instead, the drawer was filled with long flat boxes. Alexander picked one up. "Spaghetti?" he said, in a half whisper. He tried the other drawers. The whole cabinet was full of uncooked spaghetti. Alexander shook a box. He opened it and gave it a sniff. "Good morning, Alexander," said a voice from the doorway.

"Ack!" Alexander jumped. "If you snoop around, you may not be happy with what you find," Ms. Vanderpants said with a frown. "Now clean up so we can get to work." "Um, Ms. Vanderpants?" he asked. "Why do you have all this spaghetti?" Ms. Vanderpants looked at Alexander over the top of her glasses. "It's for a special project I've been cooking up." She glanced down at the greenish-blue folder near Alexander's feet. "I'm glad to see you remembered your homework." "Actually—" Alexander began. Ms. Vanderpants flipped through the folder. Is this a joke, Mr. Bopp? You didn't complete one problem!"

Alexander wanted to say "sorry I didn't do my homework, but I was busy saving Stermont from a monster attack that YOU set up!" But instead he just mumbled, "Sorry." "Alexander," she said. "I chose you for this one- on-one class for a reason. I'm counting on you to finish your work, so I can give you extra challenges. Do you understand?" "Uh, yeah," Alexander said as he sat down. Actually, no, he thought. "Very well," said Ms. Vanderpants. "Finish your homework this morning. Then, after lunch, come straight back here to do all of today's classwork. No recess." Alexander's eyebrows and lips tightened into stiff, straight lines, like sticks of uncooked spaghetti.