My school librarian, Ms. Flea, turned into a fly on the fourth day of fifth grade. I don’t know why I swallowed the fly. Perhaps I’ll die. Either that or I’ll become a bookworm. Instead, I just kept shushing everybody.
“Stop being the talking police, Henry. It’s irritating,” snapped Fern.
So, I did the only thing a librarian eating boy could do, I handed her a book titled, Be Quiet. And she handed me a book called, Shut Your Face. The book wars continued until Fern crossed the line and chucked one at me.
“Hey, Missy. Watch how you’re handling that book.” I couldn’t believe what I’d said. It’s like when you get older, and you talk like your mum or dad, and you’re completely mortified. Fern was mortified, too.
“Freak,” she said. “Who are you anyway? Get a life.”
A life? Gulp. All I wished for in that moment was for the children to gather in an attentive pile on the floor as I read them book after book. Oh, my. What’s happening to me? I really need to get Ms. Flea out of me.
So, I swallowed a spider to catch the fly.
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