Everybody Bugs Out by Leslie Margolis Read Free Book Online Page B

hoop was his so he got to practice whenever he wanted. After the game, Tobias pulled down a strange, flat-looking paddle from the wall and began swinging it around.
    â€œCareful, dude,” said Oliver.
    â€œWhat is that?” I asked.
    â€œA cricket bat,” said Tobias.
    â€œA what?”
    â€œIt’s a sport that’s really popular back in Jamaica. More popular than baseball, even,” Oliver explained.
    â€œI think I’ve heard of it,” I said, which was kinda true. “Do you play?”
    â€œOnly when I visit my relatives in Jamaica or in London, because no one plays here in Westlake.”
    â€œAre we going to figure out this science fair thing?” asked Tobias, setting down the bat. “Because I’ve only got an hour.”
    Oliver tossed him a book and then gave one to me. “You guys take a look at these and I’ll search online,” he said, opening up a laptop I hadn’t even noticed in one corner of the room.
    I flipped through the book, which listed all types of science fair projects. There was stuff on astronomy, stuff on earthquakes, stuff on the digestive system of cows … All kind of interesting but nothing that really jumped out at me to say, “This is the topic that’s going to propel you to Space Camp!” Not even the project on propellers.
    â€œHow about we do a project on recycling?” Oliver said a moment later.
    I looked up. “What do you mean?”
    â€œLike, what happens when we don’t do it? You know—the whole global warming thing. Maybe we could create a melting glacier?”
    â€œThat’s a good idea,” I said.
    â€œMonique is doing something on recycling,” said Tobias. “Jonathan’s group, too.”
    â€œBoth of them?” I asked.
    â€œYep, and that’s just in our class. All that environmental stuff is way too trendy. There’s going to be a million projects just like it.”
    â€œGood point,” I said, because it was. Maybe I’d judged Tobias too quickly. He wasn’t completely clueless.
    We continued to flip through the science fair project books in search of something original.
    Tobias suggested an ant farm and Oliver nixed the idea before I had a chance to. “My brother had one of those once and it broke and all the ants escaped. It was a mess!”
    A few minutes later, Oliver’s mom poked her head into the room. “I hate to interrupt, but I couldn’t help noticing how nice it is outside.”
    â€œMum, we’re trying to work,” said Oliver.
    â€œYou can work outside,” Clarice said. “And you may as well, since I already put some snacks out by the pool.”
    Once she was gone, Oliver stood up and stretched and said, “I’m sorry. She’s always on my case about getting fresh air.”
    â€œIt’s no biggie,” I said. “And it is pretty nice out.”
    We followed Oliver out to his backyard, which was huge, with a gazebo on one side and a big swimming pool on the other. The water looked sparkly and inviting even though it wasn’t quite warm enough to swim. I took a step closer so I could get a better look at the rock formation waterfall but then stepped back, having momentarily forgotten that whenever I get too close to the edge of a pool I imagine myself falling—or being pushed—in. Don’t know why, but I wasn’t taking any chances.
    Oliver sat down at a nearby table and we joined him. His mom had left us iced tea, lemonade, and a plate stacked high with three kinds of cookies: chocolate chip, ginger, and oatmeal raisin.
    Good choices I thought, except for the oatmeal raisin. Fruit and cookies just don’t belong together. I never understood Fig Newtons, either.
    Oliver picked up an empty glass and asked, “Which would you like?”
    Before I answered, Tobias blurted out, “Lemonade.” Oliver poured it for him.
    â€œWhat about you,