Secrets

chapter 11 Secrets The next morning I put on my hat. " How will you get past Mom and Dad without them asking any questions, Clyde?" Claudia asked. " Like this, " I said. I ran downstairs and grabbed a banana off the breakfast table. Then I raced out the front door.

Claudia ran after me. " It worked, " she said when she caught up. I grinned. Then I dashed to school and onto the playground. Some kids said, “ Nice hat, Clyde. " But most didn't seem to notice. Or care. Of course, Roz would have noticed. She would have knocked me down and taken my hat. Then, when she would have seen my monkey ears, she would have laughed. And laughed. And laughed. I'm glad Roz wasn't around.

But I still had to tell Principal Murphy the truth: Roz wasn't the purse thief. " I'll tell her at the end of the day, " I said to myself as I walked to my classroom. Miss Plum was happy to see I was walking, not running. But she asked why I was wearing the hat. I didn't know what to say. But Claudia did. “ Wearing the hat keeps Clyde from getting too excited and causing trouble, " she told Miss Plum.

Miss Plum grinned a little. Then she said I could keep the hat on . . . as long as I stayed calm and behaved. I said I would. I didn't want anyone to see my monkey ears. And I hoped if I stayed calm, they would shrink back to human size. But at the end of the school day, my ears were still super large. So I wore my hat as I walked with Claudia to the principal's office. Principal Murphy was sitting at her big desk. Next to the desk was her new purse.

I told Principal Murphy that Roz didn't steal her other purse. " But I saw her with the purse, " Principal Murphy said. " No, you didn't, " I said. " You saw a ghost with your purse. " " And Roz was dressed in a ghost costume! " Principal Murphy said. " There were two ghosts in the hallway yesterday, " I said. " It was the tall ghost, not Roz, who stole your purse. " " How do you know, Clyde?" Principal Murphy asked.

" I saw the whole thing, " I said. The principal looked at me like she thought I was making up a story. I knew she probably wouldn't believe me, unless someone caught the ghost thief. " But it really is true! " I said. " Roz didn't take your purse! " Principal Murphy leaned across her desk. She looked at me closely. Then she told me to take off my hat.