with the side of his hand above the
boards like the cutting edge of a knife.
Suddenly he let out a bloodcurdling yell. "ELAAA-NEEE!" Then he lunged toward the boards, bringing the side of his hand down on them in
a gigantic chop that broke them straight down the middle.
"Wow," she whispered, but the sound was lost in
deafening applause.
"Did you see that?" Beth asked, jabbing her in the
ribs with an elbow.
Mr. Hayashida held up his hand for silence as Brian prepared
for his next feat. This time he went to the side of the stage and returned with
another brick, which he placed across the top of the two columns where the
boards had been. Then he bowed again and assumed the same position as before.
"He can't really do that," Katie whispered. "It
has to be an optical illusion."
"ELAAA-NEEE!" he yelled again as his hand
came crashing down on the brick, splintering it into a thousand pieces.
The crowd went crazy as Brian bowed to everybody and the
demonstration ended. Melanie left the auditorium with the others, feeling
totally confused. She had seen The Karate Kid , and she knew how much
hard work and discipline it took to become good. So why was it that Brian could
do something so special some of the time and yet he acted like a total moron
the rest of the time?
Maybe I'm being too hard on him, she thought. Maybe I should
give him more of a chance. Just then she heard a commotion in the hallway
behind her. Turning, she saw the crowd parting and Brian Olsen rushing forward.
He was out of breath, but he was coming straight toward her with a big grin on
his face.
"Brian, what is it?" she demanded.
"Here," he said, thrusting something into her hand.
"It's for you. I want you to have it."
Several kids had stopped to see what was going on, and he
stood there, panting heavily and waiting for her response. Melanie frowned.
What was he talking about? What did he want her to have? Looking down, she opened
her hand.
"A piece of brick?" she shrieked.
"That's right," Brian said proudly. "That was
really your name that I was shouting when I was up there on the stage, and I
broke it just for you."
CHAPTER 12
Melanie sat in her next class trying to get the ring of
laughter out of her ears. She had been absolutely mortified that everyone who
had stopped in the hall to hear Brian give her the piece of brick had broken up
laughing, and she had muttered a fast "Thank you" to Brian and gotten
out of there as quickly as she could.
Now, sitting in Family Living class, she knew that there was
no way in the world that she could ride home with him in the van today. How
could she possibly face someone who had yelled her name when he smashed a brick
with his bare hands in front of the entire school and then said he did it for
her? Besides, she was determined to go along with Garrett when he photographed
the rehearsal of the drama club.
But how could she get out of riding home in the van? She
played the upcoming scene in her mind and saw herself hovering over Jeffy to
keep from having to talk to Brian. Jeffy! Why hadn't she thought of him
before? He just might be her out.
When Family Living class ended, she raced through the
crowded halls to the school office and slid to a stop beside Miss Simone's
desk.
"Could I use the phone? Please?" she begged. "I
have to call my mother. It's an emergency."
Miss Simone looked up from her electric typewriter and
regarded Melanie solemnly. "An emergency?" she said in a calm voice. "Perhaps
I can help you? Do you need to see the nurse?"
"Oh, no," Melanie assured her. "It's nothing
like that. It's just that my mom is expecting me to ride home with her after
school, and, well . . . something's come up . . ." Her voice trailed off
as she realized that what she was saying wouldn't sound like much of an
emergency to Miss Simone. "It's really important. Honest," she added,
putting as much sincerity into her voice as she could.
Miss Simone sighed as if to say that she had heard the same
story a million times
boards like the cutting edge of a knife.
Suddenly he let out a bloodcurdling yell. "ELAAA-NEEE!" Then he lunged toward the boards, bringing the side of his hand down on them in
a gigantic chop that broke them straight down the middle.
"Wow," she whispered, but the sound was lost in
deafening applause.
"Did you see that?" Beth asked, jabbing her in the
ribs with an elbow.
Mr. Hayashida held up his hand for silence as Brian prepared
for his next feat. This time he went to the side of the stage and returned with
another brick, which he placed across the top of the two columns where the
boards had been. Then he bowed again and assumed the same position as before.
"He can't really do that," Katie whispered. "It
has to be an optical illusion."
"ELAAA-NEEE!" he yelled again as his hand
came crashing down on the brick, splintering it into a thousand pieces.
The crowd went crazy as Brian bowed to everybody and the
demonstration ended. Melanie left the auditorium with the others, feeling
totally confused. She had seen The Karate Kid , and she knew how much
hard work and discipline it took to become good. So why was it that Brian could
do something so special some of the time and yet he acted like a total moron
the rest of the time?
Maybe I'm being too hard on him, she thought. Maybe I should
give him more of a chance. Just then she heard a commotion in the hallway
behind her. Turning, she saw the crowd parting and Brian Olsen rushing forward.
He was out of breath, but he was coming straight toward her with a big grin on
his face.
"Brian, what is it?" she demanded.
"Here," he said, thrusting something into her hand.
"It's for you. I want you to have it."
Several kids had stopped to see what was going on, and he
stood there, panting heavily and waiting for her response. Melanie frowned.
What was he talking about? What did he want her to have? Looking down, she opened
her hand.
"A piece of brick?" she shrieked.
"That's right," Brian said proudly. "That was
really your name that I was shouting when I was up there on the stage, and I
broke it just for you."
CHAPTER 12
Melanie sat in her next class trying to get the ring of
laughter out of her ears. She had been absolutely mortified that everyone who
had stopped in the hall to hear Brian give her the piece of brick had broken up
laughing, and she had muttered a fast "Thank you" to Brian and gotten
out of there as quickly as she could.
Now, sitting in Family Living class, she knew that there was
no way in the world that she could ride home with him in the van today. How
could she possibly face someone who had yelled her name when he smashed a brick
with his bare hands in front of the entire school and then said he did it for
her? Besides, she was determined to go along with Garrett when he photographed
the rehearsal of the drama club.
But how could she get out of riding home in the van? She
played the upcoming scene in her mind and saw herself hovering over Jeffy to
keep from having to talk to Brian. Jeffy! Why hadn't she thought of him
before? He just might be her out.
When Family Living class ended, she raced through the
crowded halls to the school office and slid to a stop beside Miss Simone's
desk.
"Could I use the phone? Please?" she begged. "I
have to call my mother. It's an emergency."
Miss Simone looked up from her electric typewriter and
regarded Melanie solemnly. "An emergency?" she said in a calm voice. "Perhaps
I can help you? Do you need to see the nurse?"
"Oh, no," Melanie assured her. "It's nothing
like that. It's just that my mom is expecting me to ride home with her after
school, and, well . . . something's come up . . ." Her voice trailed off
as she realized that what she was saying wouldn't sound like much of an
emergency to Miss Simone. "It's really important. Honest," she added,
putting as much sincerity into her voice as she could.
Miss Simone sighed as if to say that she had heard the same
story a million times
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