Wayside School Is Falling Down (12 page)

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Chapter 19 (third)

Forever is Never

Allison was still stuck on the nineteenth story.

Fourteen two-minute breaks had passed.

“It’s dictionary time,” said Miss Zarves.

Everybody got out a dictionary. Allison found a dictionary in her desk, too.

“What are we supposed to do with it?” she asked.

“Memorize it,” said Nick.

“But that’s impossible!” said Allison.

“No, it’s easy,” Virginia assured her. “You memorize one word at a time, until you get a whole page. Then you go on to the next page.”

“How many words have you memorized?” asked Allison.

“I’m almost finished with the B’s,” Virginia said proudly. “And I’ve only been doing it for thirty-two years!”

Allison opened her dictionary.
Mrs. Jewls’s class!
she suddenly remembered. She sighed with relief. For the last six days she’d been trying to remember where she came from.

In her mind she went through everybody in her former class. She didn’t want to forget again. As she thought about each person, tears filled her eyes. She missed them very much. Even Jason. They were all so wonderful in their own special ways.

When the two-minute break came, she talked to Mark again. He was the only person in the class who still seemed to have a brain.

“How did we get here?” she asked.

“Maybe we’re dead,” said Mark. “Maybe we died and went to—”

“This isn’t Heaven!” said Allison.

“That wasn’t what I was going to say,” said Mark.

Allison felt a chill run up her spine. She looked at Miss Zarves. Miss Zarves smiled back at her.

“But she seems so nice,” said Allison. “Could someone as nice as her really be the devil?”

“I don’t know,” said Mark. “She always gives good grades.”

“What would happen if we didn’t do our work?” asked Allison.

“We have to do our work,” said Mark.

“Why?” asked Allison. “What’s Miss Zarves going to do to us—keep us after school?”

“I don’t know,” said Mark. “Teachers can always find new ways to punish you. They’re experts at it.”

“Your two minutes are up, boys and girls,” announced Miss Zarves. “Everyone back to work.”

Allison returned to her seat. She tried to figure it all out, but she had so much busy work to do, she didn’t have time to think.

That’s her plan! Allison suddenly realized. She shivered as it all came together for her. Miss Zarves assigns us lots of busy work so we don’t have time to think. She makes us memorize stupid things so that we don’t think about the important things. And then she gives us good grades to keep us happy.

Miss Zarves walked around the room. “Very good, Virginia,” she said. “You are doing so well. Excellent, Ray! Good job, Nick.” She stopped when she got to Allison. “Allison, why aren’t you working?”

Allison looked at her. She knew Mark was right. Teachers are experts at finding ways to punish you. And if Miss Zarves was the devil, who knew what she might have up her sleeve? Still, Allison had to take a chance. If she wanted to get back to Mrs. Jewls’s class, she had to act as if she were in Mrs. Jewls’s class.

She took off her shoes and socks, sat on the floor, and sucked her toes.

“Allison, what are you doing?” asked Miss Zarves.

Allison took her toe out of her mouth. “Get off my case, Buzzard Face,” she said.

Miss Zarves was furious. “Return to your desk, young lady!” she ordered.

Allison returned to her desk. But instead of sitting at it, she climbed on top of it and sang a song.

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“I got one sock!

Lookin’ for the other.

One sock!

Lookin’ for its brother.

When I find that sock!

I’ll tell you what I’ll do.

I’ll put it on my foot,

and I’ll stick it in my shoe!”

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Mark Miller smiled at her and silently clapped his hands. Everyone else looked at her like she was crazy.

“Your socks are on the floor, next to your shoes,” Miss Zarves said coldly. “I’ll give you ten seconds to put them on your feet. Ten … nine … eight … seven …”

Allison climbed down from her desk. She picked up her socks and put them on her ears. “How’s this?” she asked.

“Six … five … four …”

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“Albert Einstein didn’t wear socks,” said Allison. “Why should I?”

“Three … two …”

Allison closed her eyes.

“One!”

She felt something slam down on her foot. Something else jammed into her stomach. “Umph!” she grunted as she fell and rolled down three steps.

“Are you all right?” asked Deedee.

“Huh?” said Allison. She was on the stairs, somewhere between the eighteenth and twentieth stories.

“Sorry,” said Ron. “I didn’t see you. Deedee and I were racing up the stairs, and then you suddenly appeared.”

“You knocked off her shoes and socks!” exclaimed Deedee.

“Oh, I ripped your windbreaker, too,” said Ron. “I’m sorry.”

“That’s okay,” said Allison. She picked up her shoes and socks. “Race you up the stairs!”

All three ran up to Mrs. Jewls’s room. When they got there, they were so pooped, they sat with their heads flat on their desks and their tongues hanging out.

“Hi, Allison,” said Rondi.

Allison raised her head. “Hi, Rondi,” she said happily. “What did I miss while I was absent?”

“When were you absent?” asked Rondi. “Hey, how come you’re not wearing your shoes and socks?”

Allison hung her socks from her ears. “What do you think?” she asked. “It’s the new look!”

Rondi laughed.

“Allison,” said Mrs. Jewls, “you seem to have a bad case of the sillies this morning.”

Allison giggled.

Jason entered the room carrying a glass bowl with a goldfish swimming inside it. “Look what I brought!” he said.

“What’s the name of your goldfish?” asked Mrs. Jewls.

“Shark!” said Jason.

Everyone laughed.

“It makes him feel important,” Jason explained. “Where should I put him?”

“How about on top of the coat closet?” suggested Mrs. Jewls.