Wayside School Beneath the Cloud of Doom (Wayside School 4)

He stared at the clock. Sometimes, it seemed the hands didn’t move at all. Other times, he’d blink, and it would be half an hour later.

Time didn’t always make sense at Wayside School.

For lunch, Miss Mush made pepper-only pizza. Stephen ate his slice, but did not remember eating it. His only clue was that he was very thirsty and his tongue and lips burned.

He returned to his seat in Mrs. Jewls’s class. He stared at the clock.

Jenny was late coming back from lunch. “Sorry, Mrs. Jewls,” she said. “I can’t find my skateboard.”

“Oh, no!” Stephen shouted.

“Are you all right, Stephen?” Mrs. Jewls asked him.

“Why did he have to pick me?” Stephen moaned.

“If you didn’t want to do it, why’d you raise your hand?” asked Mac.

“Everyone else had their hands raised,” Stephen explained. “I mean, I guess I was excited about it at the time, but now . . .”

“You have cold feet,” said Mrs. Jewls.

“Yes!” exclaimed Stephen. He wondered how Mrs. Jewls knew that. His feet felt like two blocks of ice. No wonder she was a teacher! But what did his frozen feet have to do with ringing the gong?

“Breathe,” said Mrs. Jewls.

Stephen took a breath.

Mrs. Jewls’s class always had music on Friday afternoons. “I’m sorry, we don’t have musical instruments today,” she announced. “They were sent out to be cleaned, and we haven’t gotten them back yet.”

What if the gong was being washed too? Would he have to bang it on a different day?

“Breathe,” said Kathy.

Stephen took a breath.

“So just use what you were born with!” said Mrs. Jewls. “And a one, and a two . . .”

Dana loudly blew her nose. Ron twiddled his lips. Mac puffed out his cheek and popped it with a flick of a finger. Calvin and Bebe whistled. Joe stood on his head and sang “Jingle Bells.”

Paul pulled Leslie’s pigtails. She shrieked, squealed, or squawked, depending on the pull.

“Stop the music!” Mrs. Jewls suddenly shouted, and the room became instantly quiet.

“Stephen, you’re late,” she told him. “I’m sorry. I was so carried away by the music, I didn’t notice the time.”

“Time?” said Stephen.

“Now, Stephen!” said Mrs. Jewls.

He remained frozen in his chair.

Mrs. Jewls asked Jason and Rondi to help.

They moved to either side of Stephen and slowly lifted him to a standing position. “It’s time, buddy,” said Jason.

“Time,” Stephen repeated.

He took one step, then stopped.