Free Wayside School Is Falling Down by Louis Sachar Page A

Allison. She ran out of the room and down to the class on the twenty-ninth story. “Come quick,” she said. “There’s something wrong with Mrs. Jewls’s class.”
    No one heard her.
    She slammed the door, then continued down the stairs to the class on the twenty-eighth floor. No one saw her there, either.
    Tears streamed down her cheeks. Is the whole school playing a joke on me? she wondered. “It’s not funny!” she shouted as loud as she could.
    She continued down the stairs, screaming anything that came to her head, hoping that someone, somewhere, would notice her.
    “Fish for sale! Fresh fish! Fat fish! Get your fresh, fat fish!”
    A tall, skinny lady with very short hair stepped out of one of the classrooms. “Sh!” she whispered. “This is a school, not a fish market!”
    “You can hear me?” asked Allison. She was so happy, she wanted to hug her.
    “Yes, I can hear you,” the woman said sternly. “My whole class can hear you. You’re making it impossible for us to get any work done.”
    “I’m sorry,” said Allison. “But something’s wrong in Mrs. Jewls’s class.”
    “You’d better come in here,” said the teacher.
    Allison followed the teacher into her classroom.
    “What’s your name?” the teacher asked her.
    “Allison.”
    “Boys and girls, this is Allison,” the teacher announced to her students. “She’ll be joining our class.”
    “What?” said Allison. “But—”
    “My name is Miss Zarves,” said the teacher. “Welcome to the nineteenth story.”

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    Chapter 19 (second)
    A Wonderful Teacher
    Allison was still on the nineteenth story.
    The desks were arranged in clusters of four. Allison sat at a cluster with a girl named Virginia, a boy named Nick, and a boy named Ray.
    But Virginia looked old enough to be her mother. And Nick looked like he should be in high school. Ray was a couple of years younger than Allison.
    “Miss Zarves is a wonderful teacher,” said Virginia in a singsong voice. “She’s the nicest teacher I ever had.”
    “She’s the only teacher you ever had,” said Nick.
    “So? She’s still nice,” said Virginia. “I’ve always gotten all A’s.”
    “Aren’t you a little old to be going to school?” Allison asked her.
    “You’re never too old to learn,” said Virginia.
    “No one ever leaves Miss Zarves’s class,” said Nick. “How long have you been here, Virginia?”
    Virginia thought a moment. “Thirty-two wonderful years.”
    “I’ve been here nine years,” said Nick.
    “But she always gives us good grades,” said Virginia.
    “That’s true,” Nick agreed. “I’ve gotten all A’s since I’ve been here too.”
    “Me too,” said Ray. “And sometimes I answer all the problems wrong on purpose!”
    “Where were you before you came here?” Allison asked him.
    “I went to, um, I was …” Ray shook his head. “That’s funny—I don’t remember.”
    “I don’t remember where I came from either,” said Virginia.
    “Well, I do!” said Allison. “I was in …” But suddenly she couldn’t remember either. Then it came to her. “Mrs. Jewls’s class! And Rondi was in the class, and Jason, and Dana, and Todd …”
    She named every member of the class, including all three Erics. She didn’t want to forget where she came from. If I forget where I came from, I might never get back, she thought.
    “Did you say there was a girl named Bebe Gunn?” asked Ray.
    “Yes,” said Allison. “Bebe’s a very good artist.”
    “My last name is Gunn, too,” said Ray. “I wonder if we’re related.”
    “Ray, no talking please,” said Miss Zarves. “Now, everyone please take out a pencil and some paper. I want you to write all the numbers from zero to a million in alphabetical order.”
    “From zero to a million?” asked Allison. She couldn’t believe it.
    “Don’t worry,” said Virginia. “If you run out of paper, Miss Zarves has more in the closet.”
    Allison stared at her in horror. “But it will take