never leave. It might be too late for me to get in on the next game."
"What?" I asked my brain-dead brother.
"You know how it is when somebody gets hurt. We just pick up the game and move it to a new location."
"Excuse me, earth to planet Jury! Was I with a Jury pod-person when Mr. C. came, fully prepared to kick you out if you hadn't been able to prove you were up here?"
"And don't think I'm not more than a little annoyed that somebody organized a game without me."
Jury was having a conversation, but it wasn't with me. He shoved all of his junk into his backpack, and without so much as a "see you later" was off looking for a game.
Chapter 8
Thursday night was serious study time for us. Mama cleaned up the kitchen after hearing Jury's little speech, which she called a tirade: "This is a conspiracy. The best shows on television always come on on Thursday night, the one night that everybody knows is reserved to study for the stupid Friday test." He goes through it at least once a month.
"I'll do the dishes tonight," she said, interrupting Jury. "You guys go study."
I went upstairs to study at our desk. I don't know what our parents were thinking about when they bought only one desk. But it turned out okay; I don't believe I've ever seen Jury studying there. When he studies upstairs, he usually sits on his bed, but most of the time he studies in front of the television. Angela says we're lucky that Mama'll let us do that; Mrs. Collins
won't let Angela. My mother says she was a fairly good student and she studied in front of the television, so she doesn't sweat us.
The night went fast. I reread the five chapters that made up the unit and listened to the tape while I was going to sleep. In fact, I must have fallen asleep because I don't remember turning it off.
It seemed like I was asleep for about an hour when I heard Jury's alarm. Since he got his new alarm clock-radio for Christmas, I'm up as soon as I hear the music turn on. Otherwise, I have an early morning attitude because I get angry listening to him hit the snooze bar over and over again.
I was dressed and finished with breakfast by the time Jury came downstairs. He's definitely not a morning person, but neither am I. One thing we agree on, we leave each other alone in the morning. Our mother leaves soon after Jury's alarm. She's a morning person. Since she started her latest diet, she exercises to a video in the morning. It uses a lot of old music from her generation and that's what I have to deal with if I come down too early.
By the time I got downstairs on test day, she was gone. She left us a note on the refrigerator: "Good Luck on the test!! Love, Mama." She likes
exclamation points. I thought the note was nice of her.
"How lame can you get?" Jury asked when he came down and saw the note. But he doesn't fool me.
I've got the best teacher in the world. Right after the bell for the late math kids rang, Miss Hoffer made an announcement. "I know everybody is a little concerned about their science test today. Instead of social studies, why don't you take out your library books or your journal, whichever you prefer. If you haven't studied, and I know all of you have, you can study for the test, but I'd prefer to see you doing something more relaxing."
Jury's hand shot up.
"No, Jury, you cannot talk or play games in here or outside. You can read or you can write in your journal." Everybody started laughing. Even Jury laughed, so that must have been what he was going to ask.
I'm rereading one of my favorite books,
Bunnicula
by Deborah and James Howe. It's the first chapter book I ever finished. I've read it once each year since the first time I read it at the end of fourth grade. Plus, I think it's a really funny story.
I was lost in the story when I heard Ms. Hennessey's voice. I don't know how long she'd been in the room, but Miss Hoffer hadn't left yet so I figured it wasn't very long. They were talking about something really quiet. Just before Miss
"What?" I asked my brain-dead brother.
"You know how it is when somebody gets hurt. We just pick up the game and move it to a new location."
"Excuse me, earth to planet Jury! Was I with a Jury pod-person when Mr. C. came, fully prepared to kick you out if you hadn't been able to prove you were up here?"
"And don't think I'm not more than a little annoyed that somebody organized a game without me."
Jury was having a conversation, but it wasn't with me. He shoved all of his junk into his backpack, and without so much as a "see you later" was off looking for a game.
Chapter 8
Thursday night was serious study time for us. Mama cleaned up the kitchen after hearing Jury's little speech, which she called a tirade: "This is a conspiracy. The best shows on television always come on on Thursday night, the one night that everybody knows is reserved to study for the stupid Friday test." He goes through it at least once a month.
"I'll do the dishes tonight," she said, interrupting Jury. "You guys go study."
I went upstairs to study at our desk. I don't know what our parents were thinking about when they bought only one desk. But it turned out okay; I don't believe I've ever seen Jury studying there. When he studies upstairs, he usually sits on his bed, but most of the time he studies in front of the television. Angela says we're lucky that Mama'll let us do that; Mrs. Collins
won't let Angela. My mother says she was a fairly good student and she studied in front of the television, so she doesn't sweat us.
The night went fast. I reread the five chapters that made up the unit and listened to the tape while I was going to sleep. In fact, I must have fallen asleep because I don't remember turning it off.
It seemed like I was asleep for about an hour when I heard Jury's alarm. Since he got his new alarm clock-radio for Christmas, I'm up as soon as I hear the music turn on. Otherwise, I have an early morning attitude because I get angry listening to him hit the snooze bar over and over again.
I was dressed and finished with breakfast by the time Jury came downstairs. He's definitely not a morning person, but neither am I. One thing we agree on, we leave each other alone in the morning. Our mother leaves soon after Jury's alarm. She's a morning person. Since she started her latest diet, she exercises to a video in the morning. It uses a lot of old music from her generation and that's what I have to deal with if I come down too early.
By the time I got downstairs on test day, she was gone. She left us a note on the refrigerator: "Good Luck on the test!! Love, Mama." She likes
exclamation points. I thought the note was nice of her.
"How lame can you get?" Jury asked when he came down and saw the note. But he doesn't fool me.
I've got the best teacher in the world. Right after the bell for the late math kids rang, Miss Hoffer made an announcement. "I know everybody is a little concerned about their science test today. Instead of social studies, why don't you take out your library books or your journal, whichever you prefer. If you haven't studied, and I know all of you have, you can study for the test, but I'd prefer to see you doing something more relaxing."
Jury's hand shot up.
"No, Jury, you cannot talk or play games in here or outside. You can read or you can write in your journal." Everybody started laughing. Even Jury laughed, so that must have been what he was going to ask.
I'm rereading one of my favorite books,
Bunnicula
by Deborah and James Howe. It's the first chapter book I ever finished. I've read it once each year since the first time I read it at the end of fourth grade. Plus, I think it's a really funny story.
I was lost in the story when I heard Ms. Hennessey's voice. I don't know how long she'd been in the room, but Miss Hoffer hadn't left yet so I figured it wasn't very long. They were talking about something really quiet. Just before Miss
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