7 TIGHT SCRAPE

CHAPTER 7 TIGHT SCRAPE Alexander's brain was spinning as he sat down. Just play it cool, he thought. I can't let Ms. Vanderpants know that I know that she knows about monsters! At least, not until I figure out what's in the UPSTAIRS BASEMENT! A few minutes later, Ms. Vanderpants staggered into the room. "Oh. Good morning, Alexander," she said, setting down her now-empty bucket.

亚历山大坐了下来，脑子里一阵晕眩。 淡定一点，他想。 我不能让范德帕斯女士知道我知道她知道怪物的事！至少在我搞清楚楼上的地下室里有什么之前！几分钟后。 范德培斯摇摇晃晃地走进房间。 “哦。“早上好，亚历山大。”她说着，放下已经空了的水桶。

Alexander's jaw dropped. He had never seen his principal so... messy. She still had a tightly coiled braid on top of her head, but stray hairs were sticking up. Her sleeve was ripped. And there were long scratches on her hand. "Ms. Vanderpants!" Alexander said. "What happened?" She began wrapping a bandage around her scratched-up hand. "I had a breakfast mishap." She stopped wrapping. Then she took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. "Alexander," she said. "This has to end. Now." She looked into Alexander's eyes.

亚历山大的下巴掉了下来。他从未见过他的校长如此…… 混乱。她头顶上的辫子依然盘绕得很紧，但零散的头发已经竖起来了。 她的袖子破了。她的手上有长长的抓痕。 “Vanderpants女士!”亚历山大说。 “发生什么事了?”她开始用绷带包扎她那只抓伤的手。 “我的早餐出了点问题。” 她停止了包装。然后她摘下眼镜揉了揉眼睛。 “亚历山大，”她说。“这必须结束。 现在。”她看着亚历山大的眼睛。

Alexander shivered. Without her glasses, Ms. Vanderpants's eyes seemed dark and cold, like a shark's. "I've had my eye on you since the day you moved to Stermont," she continued. "I know you've been battling monsters, and RING RING! Alexander jumped, both from the phone ringing and from the fact that Ms. Vanderpants knew about the S.S.M.P. "Excuse me," she told Alexander. "This call is important." Ms. Vanderpants turned to answer the phone, and Alexander's eyes widened.

亚历山大颤抖。戴上眼镜后，她的妻子。 范德帕斯的眼睛又黑又冷，像鲨鱼的眼睛。 “从你搬到斯特蒙特的那天起，我就一直关注着你，”她接着说。 “我知道你一直在和怪物搏斗，叮叮铃！”亚历山大吓了一跳，一方面是因为电话响了，另一方面是因为她知道了。 范德帕斯知道S.S.M.P.的事 “对不起，”她对亚历山大说。 “这通电话很重要。”Ms。 范德培斯转身去接电话，亚历山大的眼睛睁大了。

Jacket ripped to shreds Strange bumpy vest underneath- armor? Alexander pretended to read while he listened to the call. "This is unacceptable," she said into the phone. "I will take care of him myself. My plan can't fall apart now!" WHAM! She slammed the phone down so hard it cracked. "Morty C. Mingus is stuck at the airport. I'm going to pick him up," Ms. Vanderpants said. She leaned over Alexander's desk. "We will finish our discussion later. But now, I need your help."

夹克被撕成碎片下面是奇怪的凹凸不平的背心——盔甲？ 亚历山大一边听电话一边假装在看书。 “这是不可接受的，”她对着电话说。 “我会亲自照顾他的。 我的计划现在不能泡汤了！”哇!她把电话砰地一声摔碎了。 莫蒂·c·明格斯被困在机场。 我要去接他。” Vanderpants说。她靠在亚历山大的书桌上。 “我们稍后再讨论。 但现在，我需要你的帮助。”

Alexander swallowed. Ms. Vanderpants gave him a clipboard. "Here are the things I need you to do today." Alexander looked at the list, and then up at his principal. She was already heading toward the door. "I hope I can count on you for everyone's sake." Principal Vanderpants swept out the door, leaving Alexander alone in the silent office.

亚历山大吞下。范德帕斯女士给了他一个剪贴板。 “这些是我今天需要你做的事情。” 亚历山大看了看名单，然后抬头看了看校长。 她已经朝门口走去了。 “为了大家着想，我希望我能指望你。” 范德帕斯校长扫地出门，把亚历山大一个人留在寂静的办公室里。