Against Medical Advice by James Patterson Read Free Book Online Page A

require a break in order to get through the school day or need a place to go when they get to be too much to handle in a regular classroom. The teachers have started sending me here for time-outs a lot, ever since my behavior in class got out of control.
    Everything about middle school has made me worse. Just changing classes puts me under unbelievable pressure. I can’t work the combination on my locker very well, so I’m always late for my next period. When I finally do get the door open, I usually forget to lock it again. Already I’ve had my jacket, books, and several lunches stolen. Feeling anxious between classes makes me worry all the time, and that’s made my tics go off the charts.
    This is the main reason one of my teachers sent me to the Resource Room again today.
    There aren’t that many of us in the school who come here, and everybody knows who we are. I’m not the only sixth grader, but I’m the only one who comes because his body is like a Mexican jumping bean.
    The trouble with the Resource Room is that it isn’t what it’s supposed to be — a rest. It’s not really Mr. Jansen’s fault. He can’t do much to keep kids like us under control. We’re already on medicines for that, and he probably figures that we come to this room when our medicines aren’t working. What chance does he have?
    So I’m not surprised when, without any warning, Phillip bursts out of his chair and begins to run around the room, screaming his lungs out and knocking things off other kids’ desks and the blackboard railing. Phillip is the most out-of-control kid in the entire school. He never stops moving and can’t be quieted down no matter what people say to him. So Phillip and I have a lot in common.
    On his second lap around the classroom, Phillip suddenly cuts into a row of desks and slides to a stop within a few inches of a boy named Danny. You never know what Danny is going to do either. He can be as still as a rock, just staring into space, or he can get as wild and crazy as Phillip.
    Phillip approaches Danny and reaches for his head, grabbing a fistful of curly red hair. Before Danny knows what’s happening, he’s being dragged out of his chair headfirst. Even though he’s way off balance, he manages to get to his feet and kick Phillip in the leg. He follows that by grabbing Phillip’s arm and sinking his teeth into Phillip’s wrist.
    Phillip retaliates with a kick of his own that misses Danny and makes a desk go flying. Both kids are about the same size, so this fight could go on for a while, unless the teacher gets them to stop.
    “Hey, you two!” Mr. Jansen yells, making his way into the fight. He reaches Danny just in time to stop him from pushing his hand into Phillip’s face. The teacher separates them by grabbing their shirt collars.
    “Knock it off right now or you’re going to Mr. Arno’s office.”
    The threat of being sent to see Mr. Arno scares just about everybody in the school. Mr. Arno is the vice principal and is in charge of discipline. He’s a big man with a floppy mustache and an expression like that of a snarling wolf. When he talks, he sounds like he’s barking at you.
    Phillip doesn’t tune in to what Mr. Jansen is saying, so he continues to fight until his shirt is almost torn off his back.
    Danny is more in touch with reality. He stops fighting, which calms Phillip down. In a few seconds, Phillip stomps back to his seat.
    Mr. Jansen shakes a finger at both of them. “Don’t make me talk to you again. This is a rest period.
All you have to do is be quiet!
”
    For a while things are peaceful, but Danny is still upset. Phillip has really hurt him this time, and he’s angry.
    All of a sudden, Danny lets out a howl and launches himself like a missile at Phillip. He knocks both Phillip and his desk backward.
    “That’s it!”
Mr. Jansen hollers, charging out of his seat again.
    I want to help calm things down, mainly for Danny’s sake — he didn’t do anything to deserve