Free Summer School! What Genius Thought That Up? by Henry Winkler Page B

time we’ve spent together, you’re still surprised that there are eleven reasons on my list of ten. It’s me, Hank. You know I can’t count!

CHAPTER 18
    â€œDAD, LET’S SAY I only get a B-plus on my Einstein report. Could I still go to the luau and the sleepover?”
    I was standing in our living room. He was sitting in his chair, doing a crossword puzzle. He didn’t answer.
    So I went into begging mode and ran through my list, each and every item. I begged so hard that a rock would have felt sorry for me.
    When the first eleven reasons didn’t work, I even added a twelfth. I told him it would make Cheerio so happy to see me at the luau. I figured maybe my dad could say no to me but not to our family dog, for heaven’s sake.
    And you know what?
    Nothing worked.
    You heard me. Nothing. Nada.
    All Stan the Man said was, “The requirement was an A, Hank. You can do it if you try.”
    Thanks, Dad. No pressure there.

CHAPTER 19
    THE NEXT MORNING, Frankie was full of energy as his dad walked us to school. Too full of energy, if you ask me. He was making me more nervous than I already was.
    â€œSo what time is your report?” he asked with a mouthful of chocolate donut.
    â€œI don’t know, sometime after lunch.”
    â€œYou can’t be late, Zip. We go on first in the talent show.”
    â€œMy dad promised he’d be there when school lets out. If Mr. Rock gives him good news, I’ll be at the talent show.”
    â€œAnd if not?” Frankie stuffed the rest of his donut into his mouth all at once. “Maybe we should have had a backup plan.”
    â€œThanks for the confidence,” I said.
    â€œYou’re right, my man. It’s all about confidence. You’ll be there. Won’t he, Ashweena?”
    Ashley wasn’t listening. She was busy hopping over puddles made by the street-cleaning truck to make sure she didn’t get her costume dirty. Frankie and I were carrying our costumes in grocery bags. His mom was going to bring everyone’s sleeping bags later. Ashley was wearing her costume. She had worked hard on it, and she wanted to show off her colorful rhinestone work.
    We headed down one block east on 78th Street where our school is. The Junior Explorers were already gathering in front. Most of the kids were dressed in their luau costumes. Nick McKelty was wearing these horrible purple and orange flowered swimming trunks and flip-flops as big as the Brooklyn Bridge. I don’t mean to gross you out, but his toenails were as long and as snaggly as his front teeth.
    Miss Cell Phone Joelle was there, too, wearing a bright pink leotard with weird, brightly colored shapes painted all over it. I’m no leotard expert, but if those are the kind she designs, I’m not seeing a million dollars in her future.
    I could see her checking out Ashley’s costume as we walked up. “Eeuuww, rhinestones,” she said to Ashley. “That is so a year-and-a-half ago!”
    I wanted to tell her what I thought of her stupid outfit, but my friend Ashley Wong has quite a mouth on her, and she can take care of herself.
    â€œI’m so sorry about your leotard,” Ashley said to her. “It looks like you must have spilled paint on it.”
    â€œI made this design myself,” Joelle said. “For your information, these are birds of paradise, a native Hawaiian bird.”
    â€œFor your information, the birds of paradise in Hawaii are flowers, not actual birdies, Miss Bird Brain,” Ashley said.
    That’s my Ashweena. She shoots, she scores!
    Emily and Robert were waiting on the front steps with the other Junior Explorers. Emily had insisted that my mom walk them to school early so Bruce the Gecko could get used to the environment. She didn’t want him to stress out—she was concerned about his mental state. If you ask me, she should be concerned about her own mental state, which I would describe as totally