Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger (Wayside School 3)

It is impossible to describe, in words, exactly what Miss Nogard heard when she listened to Mavis’s brain.

Babies don’t think in words.

Miss Nogard heard pure love. And trust. And faith. With no words to get in the way.

It was a love so strong that it dissolved away all the bitterness that had been caked around her heart.

She opened her eyes.

“Are you all right, Miss Nogard?” asked Stephen.

All the children were very worried about her.

Miss Nogard smiled at Louis, who was still holding her. “I’m fine,” she said, then took a couple of steps to steady herself. “In fact, I think I’m better than I’ve been in a long time.” She laughed, then hugged Stephen.

“You should feel very proud of your class,” she told Mrs. Jewls. “They are bright, well behaved, and just a pleasure to teach.”

“We are?” asked Maurecia.

Miss Nogard fluffed Maurecia’s hair. “Yes, you are,” she said.

Maurecia smiled up at her.

“I know,” said Mrs. Jewls. “As I told my obstetrician—”

“Your what?” asked Joy.

“Obstetrician,” said Mrs. Jewls. “That’s the doctor who helped me have my baby. Then, once a baby is born, she gets a new doctor. That doctor is called a pediatrician. That’s different from a podiatrist, who is a doctor who takes care of people’s feet. There are many different kinds of doctors. There’s also a—”

Todd raised his hand. “Mrs. Jewls, you’re starting to get a little boring,” he said.

Mrs. Jewls made Todd write his name on the blackboard under the word DISCIPLINE.

“Hey, Louis!” shouted Mac. “Ask Miss Nogard out on a date!”

Everyone looked at Louis.

Miss Nogard looked at him too.

“Do it, Louis!” said Leslie.

“I really would like to get to know you better, Miss Nogard,” he said.

“Ooooh,” said Paul and Leslie.

“Way to go, Louis!” cheered D.J.

“Call me Wendy,” said Wendy Nogard.

“Ooooh,” said Bebe and Calvin.

“Okay, Wendy,” said Louis. “And you can call me Louis.”

“I already do,” said Wendy. She smiled at him.

He smiled back. “So what do you say?” he asked. “Would you like to go out sometime?”

Miss Nogard hesitated.