A Midsummer Night's Dork by Carol Gorman

Author:Carol Gorman
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781453296134
Publisher: Open Road Media

Chapter Ten

Jerry sat on his bedroom floor, and Melissa sat next to him, scowling, her arms folded across her chest. Jerry held two objects: an empty soda can and a blown-up balloon. The room smelled of the mousse that was still holding Melissa’s hair up in small points all over her head.

“I don’t see why Mom won’t let me wear my hair this way to school,” she muttered.

It wasn’t a time for tact.

“Because, Melissa, it looks really stupid,” he said.

“It does not! Zoey thinks it’s cool, and she’s from Hollywood No offense, Jerry, but Mom and Dad and you wouldn’t know, because you’re not cool, like Zoey.”

“I think Zoey was teasing you,” Jerry said. He placed the soda can on its side on the hardwood floor and touched it with his finger, making sure it didn’t roll. “It’s the only explanation. Now, come on, I’ll show you a science trick.”

“I don’t want to see it.”

“Well, I’m going to show you anyway.” Jerry was hoping he could pull Melissa out of her sullen mood. He held the balloon up to his head and rubbed it hard on his hair.

Melissa refused to watch.

“I’m rubbing it on my hair,” he told her.

“So?”

He brought the balloon down next to the can, and slowly moved the balloon away. The can started to roll after it.

“Look, Missy,” Jerry said. “The can’s following the balloon.”

Melissa didn’t turn her head, but he saw that she watched from the corner of her eye.

“See?” Jerry said. “This is pretty cool.”

“How does it work?” Melissa asked, in spite of herself.

“Rubbing the balloon on my hair loaded it with electrons, which are sub-atomic particles that have a negative charge. Then the electrons on the balloon attracted the protons in the soda can and pulled it along, like a magnet. Isn’t it cool?”

Melissa sighed loudly. “Whatever.”

“Jerry, can I talk to you?”

“Sure, Cinnamon.”

The early-morning sunshine beamed through the branches of the oak overhead. Jerry leaned against it, waiting for Brenda. The school grounds were fast filling up with students arriving for school.

Cinnamon stopped in front of Jerry. She wore a fire-engine red sweater that made Jerry’s eyes hurt. He wondered if she wanted to be noticed today.

He answered himself in his head. Of course she did! Was there ever a day in Cinnamon’s whole life when she didn’t want to be noticed?

“You know that girl, Elena somebody?” Cinnamon asked.

Oh-oh. He knew what was coming. And he knew why Cinnamon had chosen to wear this particular sweater today.

“Yeah, Elena Charles.”

“Well, I get the feeling …” Cinnamon glanced over her shoulder, looking uncomfortable. Then she looked over the other shoulder, turned back to Jerry, and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Well, this is just for your ears. But it seems like Sandy’s kind of—well, as hard as it is to believe…”

“Yes?”

“Well, it seems like Sandy’s actually—kind of—interested in her.”

Jerry was curious. “That’s hard to believe?”

“Well, yeah,” Cinnamon said, frowning. “I mean, she’s cool and everything, but …”

“Yeah?”

Cinnamon was plainly looking for the right words. “Well, you’ve seen her, haven’t you?”

“Yeah, she’s nice.

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