Free Go Jump in the Pool by Gordon Korman Page B

Scrimmage piloting a racing car was too much. They collapsed into gales of laughter.
    * * *
    After a few days things settled down at Macdonald Hall, and most of the boys concerned themselves solely with academic matters. With the number of available contests dwindling, Bruno racked his brain for another money-raising project and Boots continued to write glowing letters home.
    On Thursday morning, before breakfast, Boots opened the door of room 306 to admit the office messenger. There was a note for Bruno and an identical one for himself. They read:
You are invited to the Headmaster’s residence this afternoon at four o’clock to see photographs from the talent show. Cookies and milk will be served
. The signature was:
Mrs. Sturgeon
.
    “She has to be the nicest person in the world,” Boots remarked, but there was no reply. Bruno never got up for breakfast.
    When he got to the dining hall, Boots found that all the boys who had appeared in the talent show had received similar invitations, and all were as pleased as he was.
    At four that afternoon the cast of the talent show appeared on Mrs. Sturgeon’s doorstep. Butterfingers Rampulsky tried to make himself small behind Wilbur. He was not quite sure that he hadn’t been called to account for throwing the eggs at Miss Scrimmage. But Mrs. Sturgeon was all smiles as she bustled them into her living room.
    “Cookies and milk first,” she said brightly. “You’re all growing boys.”
    The boys ate happily, although they were quiet and a little shy at being invited to the Headmaster’s home socially.
    Mrs. Sturgeon produced a photo album from the drawer of a cabinet. “Gather around, boys, so everyone can see.” The pictures broke the ice and the boys were soon chattering and laughing easily.
    “Hey, there’s Bruno! Look at that stupid grin!”
    “Get a load of Hughie and Louie!”
    “Look, Butterfingers, there you are just before you —”
    “Don’t say it! I know what I did!”
    “Look at Hackenschleimer’s muscles!”
    “Wow! The Scrimmettes!”
    The picture of the Amazing Frederick with his head in the fishtank got a big cheer, as did the sight of Boots being sawed in half by Marvin the Magnificent. There was even a picture of Elmer Drimsdale, his face all scrunched up, with an owl swooping down on him. This brought more hilarity to the group. But the biggest cheer of all came from the picture of the Headmaster of Macdonald Hall being attacked by his door prize.
    Boots laughed until the tears ran down his cheeks. “That would win first prize in any photo contest,” he declared.
    Bruno looked thoughtful.

Chapter 9
Hold that Pose
    “Sir, we’d like to have a funny photo contest.”
    Mr. Sturgeon smiled thinly. “If you two boys exhibited this kind of creative thinking in class, you would undoubtedly be the finest students in the country.”
    “Thank you, sir,” said Bruno.
    “Actually, it wasn’t meant as a compliment,” the Headmaster replied. “However, before I give permission for this venture, I shall have to know all the details. For the talent show I was foolish enough to give you a free hand, and quite a few surprises cropped up.”
    “For us too, sir,” put in Boots.
    “I realize that you were not totally to blame. However — tell me about your funny photo contest.”
    “Everyone from both schools can enter,” Bruno began, “at fifty cents per picture. We’ll display the entries on the wall in the dining hall.”
    “Mark Davies has agreed to do the photo developing at cost price,” Boots continued. “And we’d like to ask Mr. Snow to judge the pictures and pick a winner and two runners-up.”
    “We decided on cash prizes,” added Bruno. “Twenty-five dollars for the winner, and ten each for the other two.”
    Mr. Sturgeon thought it over. It was fairly creative, it appeared harmless, and it seemed safe enough even for Miss Scrimmage. He knew that most of his boys had cameras, and fifty cents was very reasonable.
    “I shall