Everyone laughed. Allison rolled her eyes.
“It makes him feel important,” Jason explained. “Where should I put him?”
“How about on top of the coat closet?” suggested Mrs. Jewls.
Jason had to stand on a chair on his tiptoes. He held the bowl at the very bottom as he tried to nudge it over the edge of the closet.
Suddenly the chair toppled over. “Aaaaaahh-gulp!” yelled Jason as he fell on the floor. He was holding the bowl upside down above his wet face.
Mrs. Jewls hurried to the back of the room. “Quick, somebody fill the bowl with water,” she said. “Where’s Shark?”
Jason made a face. “I swallowed him.”
The class went crazy.
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What a show-off, thought Allison.
Mrs. Jewls rang her cowbell and told everyone to settle down. “You have a bad case of the sillies this morning,” she said.
She took roll. “Who’s absent?” she asked.
“Allison,” said Rondi.
“Very funny, Rondi,” said Allison.
“Anybody besides Allison?” asked Mrs. Jewls.
“I’m here, Mrs. Jewls,” said Allison. She sat behind Eric Fry, so she thought Mrs. Jewls couldn’t see her. Eric Fry was the biggest kid in the class.
“Just Allison,” said Mrs. Jewls. She marked it on her green roll card. “Dameon, will you please take the roll card to the office.”
Allison stood up. “I’m not absent,” she said.
Dameon took the roll card and walked out the door.
“Mrs. Jewls, did you just mark me absent?” asked Allison.
Mrs. Jewls didn’t answer her.
Allison marched to her desk. “Mrs. Jewls, did you mark me absent?” she asked again.
Mrs. Jewls looked up. “Terrence, what are you whispering about?”
“Nothing,” mumbled Terrence.
“If you can say it to Jenny, you can say it to me,” said Mrs. Jewls.
“Get off my case, Buzzard Face!” said Terrence.
“Terrence!” exclaimed Mrs. Jewls. “Go write your name on the blackboard under the word DISCIPLINE.”
“But that’s what I said to Jenny,” Terrence protested.
“Mrs. Jewls, what about me?” Allison demanded.
Mrs. Jewls ignored her.