Pennybaker School Is Headed for Disaster by Jennifer Brown

Author:Jennifer Brown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

TRICK #16

OUT OF NOWHERE, A PLAN IS HATCHED

By Tuesday, it was very clear that my best option was just to keep my head down and do my schoolwork. Everyone was mad at me, including Grandma Jo, whom Mom caught sneaking in after a full evening of jumping off things and walking on the edges of other things.

“Some alibi you make,” Grandma Jo had huffed as she carried her knee pads to her room. “You couldn’ta made up something?”

“Sorry,” I’d said—something I felt like I was saying all the time these days. Which was weird, because, other than just not liking Mrs. Heirmauser’s head, I hadn’t done anything to be sorry for. And I wasn’t entirely sure I needed to be sorry about that, either.

Somehow I made it through another day, even though I was still sitting at the uneven desk in Facts After the Fact class.

“So, Thomas Fallgrout,” Mr. Faboo said, leaning over my desk. “Have you decided on the subject for your Nationwide History Day project?”

Thunk. “I was sort of thinking Louis XIV,” I said, and then wanted to pull my tongue out and impale it on a rusty fork. Impaled on rusty eating utensils. But my mouth wouldn’t quit talking. “I thought maybe I could research the history of the necktie. I could call it ‘Louis XIV’s Necktie Adventure.’”

He pursed his lips and squished them around on his face from one side to the other. “Been done.”

“Really?”

He nodded. “Twice, actually, two years ago. The first one was clearly superior, but then again Angus Mack’s unique gift was fashion design. He could tell you the difference between lawn cloth and lampas without batting an eye. He was a clear favorite for the project. Besides, there really is nothing interesting about Louis XIV, who, quite coincidentally, was—”

“The first to wear a necktie for fashion, I know,” I finished for him.

“Have you considered something a little more unique? For example …” He swept to one side and gestured toward a red-haired boy in the front row. The boy was sweating profusely as he wrestled with two long, squeaking balloons. “Harvey Hinkle over there is working on Henry Maar. The Sultan of balloons.” Harvey Hinkle gave the balloons another twist and one popped. A girl squealed. Harvey’s shoulders slumped.

“How about Harry Houdini? Since my gift is magic and all.”

Mr. Faboo leaned over me again. “Think outside the history book, Thomas Fallgrout.”

He started to walk away, and in a panic I blurted out, “The history of the cheese puff!” I could see Wesley’s back stiffen. Thunk-thunk.

Mr. Faboo stopped walking and turned. “Intriguing.” He stroked his chin. “Edward Wilson at the Flakall Corporation. Yes, yes. Where would we be without his delicious invention? Brilliant, Thomas Fallgrout! With that kind of thinking, you could have a real future in history.”

Working out that sentence made my brain hiccup, but it sounded like it was probably a compliment.

“Carry on!”

Thunk.

As soon as Mr. Faboo’s back was turned, Wesley spun around in his chair.

“That was my idea,” he hissed.

“So? You gave it to me,” I whispered back.

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