Free Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney Page B

them.]
    Mom took a look at Rowley's big toe, and she seemed pretty concerned. I think

    Mom's sensitive about Rowley getting injured in our house after the tinfoil ball
    incident, so she drove him right home.
    I was just glad she didn't ask us how it happened.
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    As soon as Mom and Rowley walked out the door, I knew I'd better start working
    on Manny.
    Manny saw me put that dumbbell under the pillow, and I knew he would tell Mom
    what I did. So I came up with an idea to keep him from snitching.
    I packed some bags and told Manny I was gonna run away from home so I didn't
    have to face Mom for what I did.
    Then I walked out the door and acted like I was leaving for good.
    [Image: A cartoon of a boy leaving the house as his brother looks at him.]
    "Good-bye, good-bye, good-bye!"
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    I got that idea from Rodrick. He used to pull the same kind of thing on me when
    HE did something bad and he knew I was gonna tell on HIM. He would act like he
    was running away, and then five minutes later, he would just walk back inside.
    And by that time, I was ready to forgive him for whatever he did.
    [Image: A cartoon of a boy crying loudly and the other looking at him.]

    So after I told Manny I was leaving home, I shut the door and waited outside for a
    few minutes. And when I opened the door, I expected to find him crying in the
    foyer. But Manny wasn't where I left him. I started walking around the house
    looking for him, and guess where he was?
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    Down in the basement, eating my candy.
    [Image: A cartoon of a eating up the chocolates as the elder brother watches him.]
    "Gobble smack"
    Anyway, if letting Manny eat my candy is the price I have to pay to keep him
    quiet, I can live with it.
    Saturday
    After I woke up this morning, I went down to the kitchen. But one look at Mom's
    face told me that Manny sold me out.
    [Image: A cartoon of a boy and his mother and the baby brother in the kitchen.]
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    Manny told Mom everything. He even told her about our horror movies. Don't
    even ask me how he knew about THAT.
    Mom made me call Rowley to apologize, but then she made me talk to his parents
    and apologize to THEM, too. So I don't think I'm going to get invited back over to
    Rowley's house any time soon.

    Then Mom got on the phone with Mrs. Jefferson. Mrs. Jefferson said Rowley's big
    toe was broken, and that he had to stay off it for a week.
    Then Mrs. Jefferson said Rowley is "heartbroken," because this means he'll have to
    miss the Talent Show tryouts. And he's been practicing his magic act with Scotty
    Douglas all week.
    [Image: A cartoon of two ladies in conversation on the phone.]
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    So Mom told Mrs. Jefferson that I would be HAPPY to fill in for Rowley at the
    tryouts. I started tugging at Mom's sleeve to let her know this was a TERRIBLE
    idea, but of course she just ignored me.
    After Mom got off the phone, I told her the last thing I needed at school is to be
    onstage doing magic tricks with a kid who was in pull-ups a year ago.
    But Mom made me go through with it anyway. She took me down to Scotty's
    house and explained the situation to his mother. So now there was no getting out of
    it.
    [Image: A cartoon of a mother and son going to meet anther mother and son, who
    are waiting for them.]
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    Mrs. Douglas invited me inside, and me and Scotty went up to his room to start
    practicing. Well, the first thing I found out was that Rowley and Scotty were not
    equal partners in this act. Rowley was actually Scotty's ASSISTANT.

    I told Scotty there was no WAY I was gonna be a magician's assistant to a
    first-grader. But Scotty said it was HIS magic set, and he started throwing a big
    tantrum.
    [Image: A cartoon of a small child on the bed with his game as his brother stands
    near.]
    So I just went along with the idea to keep Scotty quiet, because believe me, I did
    not need any more trouble.
    Then Scotty handed me this shirt that was covered with all these sparkly sequins,
    and he told me that it was my costume.
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    It