Free Wayside School Is Falling Down by Louis Sachar

way, but Deedee stamped on her foot; then Ron’s elbow jammed her in the stomach.
    “Umph!” she grunted, as she fell and rolled down three steps.
    Deedee and Ron didn’t even stop to say they were sorry.
    Allison slowly stood up. Fortunately she wasn’t hurt, but her windbreaker was torn.
    She thought Ron and Deedee were silly. They race up the stairs, and then when they get to Mrs. Jewls’s room they’re too pooped to learn anything.
    Allison thought all the kids in Mrs. Jewls’s class were silly, even Rondi, and Rondi was her best friend. Then there was Jason, who was always pestering her. That was because Jason hated her. Or else he loved her. Allison wasn’t sure which.
    When she got to class, Deedee and Ron were sitting with their heads flat on their desks and their tongues hanging out.
    “You could have said you were sorry,” Allison said as she walked past them. She sat up straight in her chair, folded her hands on her desk, and waited as everyone else wandered in.
    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. Allison rolled her eyes.
    “It makes him feel important,” Jason explained. “Where should I put him?”
    “How about on top of the coat closet?” suggested Mrs. Jewls.
    Jason had to stand on a chair on his tiptoes. He held the bowl at the very bottom as he tried to nudge it over the edge of the closet.
    Suddenly the chair toppled over. “Aaaaaahh-gulp!” yelled Jason as he fell on the floor. He was holding the bowl upside down above his wet face.
    Mrs. Jewls hurried to the back of the room. “Quick, somebody fill the bowl with water,” she said. “Where’s Shark?”
    Jason made a face. “I swallowed him.”
    The class went crazy.
    What a show-off, thought Allison.

    Mrs. Jewls rang her cowbell and told everyone to settle down. “You have a bad case of the sillies this morning,” she said.
    She took roll. “Who’s absent?” she asked.
    “Allison,” said Rondi.
    “Very funny, Rondi,” said Allison.
    “Anybody besides Allison?” asked Mrs. Jewls.
    “I’m here, Mrs. Jewls,” said Allison. She sat behind Eric Fry, so she thought Mrs. Jewls couldn’t see her. Eric Fry was the biggest kid in the class.
    “Just Allison,” said Mrs. Jewls. She marked it on her green roll card. “Dameon, will you please take the roll card to the office.”
    Allison stood up. “I’m not absent,” she said.
    Dameon took the roll card and walked out the door.
    “Mrs. Jewls, did you just mark me absent?” asked Allison.
    Mrs. Jewls didn’t answer her.
    Allison marched to her desk. “Mrs. Jewls, did you mark me absent?” she asked again.
    Mrs. Jewls looked up. “Terrence, what are you whispering about?”
    “Nothing,” mumbled Terrence.
    “If you can say it to Jenny, you can say it to me,” said Mrs. Jewls.
    “Get off my case, Buzzard Face!” said Terrence.
    “Terrence!” exclaimed Mrs. Jewls. “Go write your name on the blackboard under the word DISCIPLINE.”
    “But that’s what I said to Jenny,” Terrence protested.
    “Mrs. Jewls, what about me?” Allison demanded.
    Mrs. Jewls ignored her.
    Allison screamed as loud as she could.
    Mrs. Jewls didn’t hear her.
    Allison faced the class. “Can’t anybody see me?” she asked.
    Nobody answered her.
    “Rondi?” shouted Allison. “Dana? Jason?
    “This isn’t funny,” said Allison. “I know you’re all just pretending.” She stood right in front of Jason, leaned over his desk, and stared him straight in the eye. “I know you can see me,” she said. “You’re trying not to laugh.”
    He stared right through her.
    She stuck out her tongue at him.
    He leaned forward, causing Allison’s tongue to lick his nose.
    “Yuck!” she exclaimed, then wiped her tongue on her sleeve.
    Mrs. Jewls began the morning lesson.
    “Have you gone crazy?” shouted