Finders Keepers by Andrea Spalding Read Free Book Online Page A

interested in my den. I’ll invite him over tomorrow.”
    With a faint sense of having resolved something, Danny had finally drifted off to sleep, but then the dreams started. Not ’the chase’ one, but dreams with twenty-foot-high principals and teachers all yelling at him. Even the lancepoint under his pillow hadn’t helped stop those.
    Now, being awake was worse. He had to go and see the principal for real. His stomach muscles clenched painfully. He groaned and curled up on his side.
    â€œYou’ll feel better when you’ve faced up to the situation, son,” said his father patting his feet clumsily. “Be a man. Explain to Mr. Hubner. He is trying to help.”
    Danny rolled over and gazed miserably at his father. “Oh yeah, and what about Mr. Berg?”
    â€œDanny, we all have teachers we don’t like, you just have to get along with them. Running away doesn’t solve anything, it just prolongs it.”
    Danny wished his father would shut up. He quit listening and tried to concentrate on how he was going to make himself get out of bed, face breakfast, walk out of the house and climb into the school bus.
    His father looked questioningly at Danny. “Well? Will that help?”
    Danny guiltily realized his father had finished talking and he didn’t have a clue about the question. He rubbed his eyes. “I’m still not awake Dad, run that by me again.”
    â€œWould a ride to school help?”
    Danny nodded, relieved. A ride would postpone the barrage of questions from the other kids until recess.
    They arrived at school early. The almost empty playground seemed endless. Danny, head down against the wind, concentrated on placing one foot in front of the other and counting how many steps it took to cross to the school door.
    â€œHey. Save it!” A distant yell from a group of early morning hockey players made him swing round.
    A puck shot over the ground towards him. He hopefully stuck out his foot but missed. The puck skittered past and plopped into a large puddle of dirty water.
    There was a chorus of derisive groans.
    â€œGee, might have known. Dummy Danny! Can’t you even stop a puck?” The pack of frustrated players charged over, elbowed Danny out of the way and started fishingfor the puck with their sticks.
    Danny ignored them and headed into the school. His stomach clenched again.
    Slowly and painfully Danny bent over, took off his boots and laced on his runners. Even his extra long glow-in-the-dark laces didn’t comfort him today. Carefully he stood upright and hung up his coat. He felt dead and disembodied so he concentrated on his feet. To the staccato accompaniment of his lace tips tapping on the polished floor, he watched his feet carry him down the corridor. He had never felt so small, so sick, so isolated. But no matter how slowly he walked, Mr. Hubner’s office appeared to be approaching at the speed of light.
    â€œCome in Danny,” boomed Mr. Hubner. “Let’s see if we can make some sense of all this.”
    Frozen but fascinated, Danny gazed earthward and watched his feet walk him through the principal’s door and lead his body to a chair. That was when he noticed an extra set of feet. He looked up. They belonged to Mr. Berg.
    Danny threw up.
    The next few minutes passed in a blur. Somehow he was propelled into the staff washroom and his head held over the toilet bowl. When he’d finished retching, burly but gentle hands wiped his face with a damp cloth. His shivering body was wrapped in a blanket and he was led to a chair in the sick room.
    â€œFeel better?” asked a voice he knew only too well.
    Danny nodded, though his thoughts were in turmoil. He still felt scared and shaky but Mr. Berg… Mr. Berg had helped him. Danny looked up and for the first time in weeks, met his teacher’s eyes. “Thanks,” he said.
    Mr. Berg drew up another chair and sat down opposite him. “Danny,