Free How to Outrun a Crocodile When Your Shoes Are Untied by Jess Keating Page A

Grandpa, and B) it was no secret that I wasn’t brave like them so why bother trying to hide it in the first place?
    But he didn’t do that either.
    â€œEveryone’s good at different things,” he said simply. A grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Daz is good at eating things, for example. I saw him eat a whole pie once, just because he was bored ,” he said, starting to laugh. “It was strawberry rhubarb, and he puked right after.”
    I giggled. “That is so my brother,” I said.
    â€œYep,” he said. “I bet you’re not as bad as you think, that’s all. You’re probably seeing yourself from a skewed perspective.”
    Now it was my turn to give him a “say what?” face.
    â€œYou know, like when you’re too close to something, it’s hard to tell what it is. Like this.” He dug around in his backpack and pulled out a book on microscopes.
    â€œEw,” I said, leaning away. A bright green image of twisty bacteria was on the cover.
    â€œSee?” He opened the book and showed me a picture of a buggy-eyed monster with long, white fangs. “Can you tell what this is?”
    I examined the picture. “Um. Something I don’t want to ever see again? Whatever it is, it’s terrifying.”
    Kevin smiled. “It’s a flea,” he said.
    â€œNo way!” I said, grabbing the book. “It looks like something out of a monster movie.” I shuddered and handed it back.
    â€œExactly. Because your perspective was different. Up close, it looks really scary. But it’s only a flea.”
    I raised my eyebrows. “And this has to do with me…how?” I crossed my fingers that this wasn’t Kevin’s way of telling me I was a monster up close.
    â€œI bet your perspective on yourself is messed up,” he explained. “It’s hard to see the truth from a weird perspective. Maybe you just need to find a new one?”
    I chewed on that while he straightened up and turned his attention back to his textbook. The quiet atmosphere of the library got louder somehow as I stared at my open notebook. I hadn’t written anything yet, but I almost felt like I could actually tackle math for once. Something about being around Kevin made me feel stronger.
    â€œSo what exactly are you having a problem with in class?” He shoved his chair closer to the table and opened his notebook to a fresh page and wrote my name at the top. He used one n , which made a teeny blip go off in my stomach. Most people assume it has two.
    I exhaled with a whoosh . “Pretty much everything after…” I flipped back in my textbook, stopping at the unit about decimals. “Here.” I pointed to the page.
    â€œThat’s the first chapter after the introduction.” He stared at me, biting his thumbnail.
    â€œYes. Yes, it is,” I said, trying to hold back a grim smile. “Didn’t Mr. V tell you? I’m a lost cause. The only reason I managed to pass the rest of the tests was because Liv helped me study, and we worked together on every project. And trust me, I did not pull my weight on them either. Seriously, all this stuff”—I tapped my textbook—“is a mystery, wrapped in an enigma, covered in a riddle. My brain doesn’t get it.” I leaned back, crossing my arms. I knew there was no way that I could learn everything in time, even with Captain Einstein helping me. I waited for him to sigh with exasperation and tell me it wasn’t worth it, that there wasn’t enough time.
    â€œLet’s start at the beginning then,” he said calmly. He swiped his dark hair out of his eyes and took out some practice tests from his backpack, leafing through them.
    I gaped at him. “Seriously? You don’t mind going through all this math? It’s so nice outside. You could be doing anything!”
    He laughed. “Hey. Remember that time I needed your help