Free Why Pick on Me by Louis Sachar Page B

Justin.
    Everyone laughed. But it was more than just a joke. They believed it too.
    As he walked away, he almost bumped into Heather. Heather was playing hopscotch with Gina. “Yuck, don’t let him touch you,” said Gina.
    After school he caught up with Nick and Stuart.
    “So what do you want to do today?” he asked.
    Stuart and Nick looked at each other.
    “We can go to my house,” Marvin suggested.
    “Uh …” said Stuart.
    Gina and Heather came toward them. Heather made a face at Marvin.
    “Who’s your best friend?” asked Gina. “It’s for the survey.”
    “Nick,” said Stuart.
    “Stuart,” said Nick.
    Marvin couldn’t believe it. Stuart and Nick would be fighting all the time if it wasn’t for him. How could they be best friends?
    “Who’s your best friend, Marvin?” asked Gina.
    Marvin looked at Nick and Stuart. “I don’t have a best friend,” he said.
    He waited for Gina and Heather to leave.
    “I don’t pick my nose,” he said.
    “We know that,” said Stuart.
    “But if I said you were my best friend,” explained Nick, “everyone would think I picked my nose too.”
    “You were supposed to tell the truth for the survey,” said Marvin.

    “I did,” said Nick.
    “You’re still our friend,” said Stuart. “Just not our best friend.”
    “That’s right,” said Nick.
    “You can’t have more than one best friend,” said Stuart.
    Marvin walked home alone.
    He lived in a two-story gray house. There was a white fence around the house. Next to the gate was one red post.
    Marvin tapped the red post as he walked through the gate.
    He had an older brother, Jacob, who was eleven, and a younger sister, Linzy, who was four.
    They were both in the kitchen.
    “Marvin!” exclaimed Linzy. “Do you want to play Mommy-Daddy?”
    “No,” muttered Marvin.
    Linzy always wanted to play Mommy-Daddy. The worst part was that Linzy always insisted on being the Daddy. That meant Marvin had to be the Mommy.
    “Hiya, Mar,” said Jacob.
    Marvin grunted.
    “What’s wrong?” asked Jacob.
    Marvin shrugged. He couldn’t tell his big brother that the other kids said he picked his nose. It was so childish. Jacob was cool.
    “You want to do something?” Marvin asked him.
    “Can’t,” said Jacob. “Nate and I are going to ride our bikes down Suicide Hill.”
    “Cool,” said Marvin. He opened the refrigerator.
    “Do you want to play Doggie?” asked Linzy.

    “No.”
    Doggie was worse than Mommy-Daddy. Linzy would throw a ball, and Marvin would have to fetch it.
    He shut the refrigerator. There was nothing good to eat.
    “Where’s Nick and Stuart?” asked Jacob.
    Marvin shrugged. “I don’t know,” he said. “And I don’t care!”
    He had better things to do. Lots of things.
    “Okay, Linzy,” he said. “Let’s play Mommy-Daddy.”
    “Okay,” said Linzy. “But I get to be the Daddy.”

4

    It got worse and worse.…
    He did poorly in school. He always used to be one of the first persons done. Now there were times when he didn’t even finish.
    He didn’t care.
    Stuart and Nick had told him that he was still their friend—just not their best friend. But even that wasn’t true.
    “Why don’t I see Stuart around anymore?” his mother asked.
    “I hate him!” said Marvin.
    “How about Nick?”
    “I hate him too!”
    Every day after school, he and Linzy played Mommy-Daddy or Doggie. Except when Linzy had friends over.
    He thought about challenging Clarence to a fight. If Marvin won, then he didn’t pick his nose. If Clarence won, then he did pick his nose.
    But Clarence was the toughest kid in his class. There was no way Marvin could win.
    “Look out! Here comes Marvin!” shouted Amanda as Marvin entered the lunchroom. “Don’t let him touch you!”
    He sat down at one of the tables.
    Travis and Clarence came toward him.
    “I have to ask you my survey question,” said Travis, “I’ve already asked everyone else.”
    “What?” asked Marvin.
    “What’s your