[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

home!"
Mark flushed. "I forgot to take him home. He's still at Our Animal Friends."
Benjy looked up in horror. "But you were supposed to teach him hownot to say
'this parrot is a rip-off!"
Mark shrugged. "It's been a week. Maybe he forgot on his own."
Benjy leaped to his feet. "You jerk! If that parrot doesn't say something
normal, nobody'll buy him, and we'll be stuck with him forever!"
"Well, it's too late to do anything now," said Ellen-Louise reasonably.
"No it's not!" cried Benjy. "The Mascot of the Week doesn't come on till
eleven forty-five!" He clamped his hands down on Mark's shoulders, wheeled him
around, and pushed him toward the door. "Get over to the store, get the bird,
and get back here. Play him a tape over and over again until he starts talking
properly!"
Breathlessly, Mark ran out the door.
Page 37
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Benjy was sweating as Murph sat Brad Jaworski down at the guest broadcast
desk and positioned the microphone. Mouth level for Brad would have missed the
top of Benjys head by at least two inches.
This was stupid, Benjy told himself. Eldridge Kes-tenbaum would never be
terrified of aguest . Of course not.
"Fifteen seconds, guys," warned Murph as he trotted back to the control room.
On the air, Mr. White-head's taped voice was raving about Our Animal Friends.
Benjy wasn't listening to the commercial. In his mind, he was practicing
saying "Jaworski' over and over again.
Jaworski, Jaworski, Jaworski, Jaworski&
He looked to the control room. Where was Mark with the parrot? That coward
Havermayer had taken off on them just so he wouldn't have to be in the studio
at the same time as Brad Jaworski! Ellen-Louise was there, sitting at a small
desk, absently making changes in her script. Sure, what did she care that Mark
had turned traitor, the Mascot of the Week was missing, and the most dangerous
kid in Centennial Park School was sitting four feet away from Benjy! And Mr.
Morenz was readingWaterworld Aqua: Book 2 . He had fin-ishedBook 1 during Mrs.
Appleton's junior kindergarten rhythm band.
Jaworski, Jaworski, Jaworski, Jaworski&
The commercial ended, and the ONAIR light popped on in the studio. Benjy
faced the microphone and panicked. Remembering only his constant practice, he
blurted out, "Our next guest is Jaworski  "
"That'sBradl" roared the big boy in outrage.
Benjy let out an audible gasp. He didn't want to leave dead air, but the only
sentence forming in his mind was "Please don't hit me. ' After all his
planning, he had offended the Venice Menace. He stammered out, "Take it away,
Brad, " and slumped back in his seat.
Brad shot him a dirty look and turned his attention to the microphone. "I've
written a story called 'The Adventures of Fuzzy and Puffy,' " he said
defiantly. "Got it?"
"Fuzzy and Puffy?" Murph repeated in the control room. "Isn't this the tough
guy everyone's so afraid of?"
' 'Fuzzy and Puffy,' " read Brad, " 'were two kittens who were the best
friends in the whole world. Fuzzy was called Fuzzy because he was fuzzier than
Puffy. Puffy was called Puffy because he was puffier than Fuzzy.' Got it?"
Benjy's jaw dropped.This was the writing of Brad Jaworski? Fuzzy and Puffy?
Kittens? Even Ellen-Louise looked away from her script and stared into the
studio. In the waiting room, there was a stampede for the little window in the
door. Many pairs of eyes peered through at the guest broadcast desk.
' 'One day,' ' continued the Venice Menace, ' 'Puffy came across Fuzzy
playing with a ball of yarn. "Where did you get that?" asked Puffy. "Sister
Agnes Claire gave it to me," said Fuzzy. "It looks like fun," said Puffy. "It
sure is," said Fuzzy. "Can I play with it, too?" asked Puffy. "No," said
Fuzzy. "Why not?" asked Puffy. "Because it's mine," said Fuzzy.
"I've got an idea," said Puffy. "Why don't we break it right down the middle
Page 38
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
so we'll each have a nice little ball of yarn to play with?"
"Forget it," said Fuzzy. "This ismy ball of yarn. Sister Agnes Claire gave it
tome , so tough darts on you! Got it?"
"Come on!" said Puffy. "Quit being such a jerk and fork over some of that
yarn!"
"No way, pig face! It's mine!" said Fuzzy. "Now, beat it!"'"
By this time, Benjy's mouth was open wide enough to catch a baseball. All
eyes were on the boy in the skull-and-crossbones jacket. In the waiting room,
there was a battle royal for gawking space at the window.
' 'So Puffy said, "Fuzzy, you stupid moron, give me that yarn or start
writing your will!"
"Go chase a sick mouse," said Fuzzy.
"All right, you traitor, that does it!" roared Puffy. "I'm going to bust your
head into a billion pieces and
78
sell your guts to a violin string factory, you mangy hunk of stale dog food!"
' 'And then Fuzzy pushed the ball of yarn toward Puffy, and said, "Here, you
can have it. I'm bored with it now."
' 'And Puffy said, "I don't want it, either. I don't want anything that will
interfere with our friendship, because we're the best friends in the whole
world." And they went off together to share some catnip. The End.' "
Brad sat back, folded his arms in front of him, and stuck his jaw out.
Benjy was speechless, but the broadcaster in him couldn't leave dead air, and
what that person was saying appalled even him. He was heaping praise on the
author of "The Adventures of Fuzzy and Puffy."
"Brad, that was just fantastic! No wonder your teacher wanted you to read it
on the air! Exciting! Heartwarming! A lesson for us all! Wow!"
In the waiting room, hysteria reigned. It was the biggest laugh of the school
year that the Venice Menace had just read on the air the dumbest story of all
time. From the five-year-old rhythm band members to other sixth-graders from
Brad's class, they laughed. Some of the older boys, who had been terrified of
Brad for years, were doubled over with mirth, tears streaming down their
cheeks. Through the roar, the names "Fuzzy' and "Puffy" were being crowed from
joyful throats.
Then the door opened, and Brad emerged from the
79
studio. The laughter and jeers died instantly, as though someone had pulled
the plug.
Brad looked over at the group and issued his challenge. "Well? How'd you like
it?"
Page 39
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
There was a breathless silence. The boy who had laughed the loudest spoke up.
"I loved it! It was just great! You're a really good writer!" [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]