10 It Hurts So Much!

CHAPTER TEN IT HURTS SO MUCH! "WHAT IS GOING on out here?" Principal Shelton called as she went out to the main office. "I stepped on a tack!" Simon exclaimed. "It hurts so much!" I leaned back in the chair and looked out the doorway. Mrs. B. and Rosie knelt in front of Simon as he held his foot up for them to see. I could see the thumbtack top on the bottom of his flip-flop. It sure looked like there was a thumbtack stuck all the way in. But I knew that wasn't true. I knew the top of it was just glued there. Simon

had clipped off the pointy part with the nail clippers back in the boys' bathroom. "Aaa-oooh!" Simon groaned some more in pain— and Principal Shelton leaned down to look at his foot too. Now was my chance. I didn't have much time. I unzipped my backpack and pulled out the mason jar full of Skittles.

Rosie and I had emptied the jar the day before when we were done with our after-school snack of raspberry jam on toast. We got the rest of the jam out by running hot water into the jar. While we did that, Simon ran to the grocery store and bought a bunch of Skittles. He dropped them off at my house before going to soccer practice. Rosie and I filled the jar up almost to

the top—just like the jar in Principal Shelton's office. Then we put it in my backpack. I looked out to the main office. Rosie, Mrs. B., and Principal Shelton were huddled around Simon. He groaned again and yelled, "No, don't touch it!" I traded our jar for the jar on Principal Shelton's desk. I put her jar into my backpack and zipped it shut. Then I started unwrapping the toilet paper from my calves and ankles. "Okay, okay," I heard Principal Shelton say. "We won't touch it. Go see the school nurse. Rosie, you go with him." I leaned back and peeked out the door. I saw Rosie help Simon up from his chair. He sort of walked- hopped-limped out of the office.

He's a pretty good actor. Principal Shelton came back to the office. "What is this? Bizarro day?" she muttered to herself as she returned. "I've got mummies walking the hallway. Students stepping on sharp objects.

What's next?" She sat down at her desk and looked across it at me. "It's time to call your parents, Molly." That was okay with me. I had Principal Shelton's jar of Skittles in my backpack. Now, all I had to do was count them. ONLY TWO MORE CHAPTERS TO GO! HOW ARE YOU FEELING?