Finders Keepers by Andrea Spalding Read Free Book Online Page B

you and I have to talk.”
    Danny nodded.
    â€œYou threw up because you were scared?”
    â€œI dunno.” Danny shifted uncomfortably. “I guess so. I couldn’t help it though,” he added anxiously.
    Mr. Berg nodded. “You ran away because you werescared of the mental arithmetic test, and the Social Studies project,” he continued.
    Danny looked at his feet again.
    â€œSo, what are you going to do about it?”
    Danny eyes widened and flew up with amazement. “About what?”
    â€œWhat are you going to do about being scared of me and school?”
    Danny hunched resentfully back into the blanket. What could he do about anything?
    Mr. Berg got up and and paced around the room. Danny watched surreptitiously. Somehow Mr. Berg trying to be nice was almost worse than Mr. Berg yelling in class. It made him feel guilty.
    Mr. Berg took a deep breath and swung around. “Look Danny, there’s no need to be scared. I yell and tease everyone don’t I? Do I treat you any differently than the other students?”
    Danny shook his head but he wasn’t sure. He didn’t know how many times Mr. Berg yelled at the other kids, only the times he yelled at him.
    â€œAnd I only yell when you do dumb things, right?” Danny huddled miserably on the chair, hope fading. Everything he did at school someone called dumb.
    Mr. Berg patted him on the shoulder. “So come on Danny, face things with courage. You’re a real bright kid in some ways. You know plenty, you’ve got some great ideas and can express them well when you’re talking. If you concentrate on your handwriting, spelling and math there is no reason why you shouldn’t be in the top group. Lots of people panic in math. No big deal. Just make sure you practise your tables so that they become second nature. As for the socials project, you’ve got six weeks to do it. Even a grade 2 could produce it in that time. Pull yourself together and work steadily, and you and I will get along just fine.”
    Danny tuned out. Here was just the same old stuff. “Pull yourself together, concentrate, practice your tables and learn your spellings!” He’d heard it all before. Why did no oneunderstand that he tried to learn all those things and it still didn’t make a difference?
    Danny switched over to fantasy.
    Astronaut Daniel Budzynski of the Canadian Moon Base comes back to visit his school. “You’re our hero,” the kids yell as he strides across the school grounds. Then they cheer as he towers over Mr. Berg saying, “And I still don’t know my multiplication tables.”
    Danny came back to the present with a jolt to find Mr. Berg towering thoughtfully over him.
    â€œDo you find it difficult to tell me if you don’t understand things?”
    Danny almost laughed. Did he find it difficult? He found it impossible! What kid is going to admit he doesn’t understand, to a teacher who then uses the problem as an example of how not to do things? Danny would rather die.
    â€œWell, do you?” insisted Mr. Berg.
    â€œYou go too fast in math,” mumbled Danny desperately screwing his courage to the sticking place. “I don’t get it.”
    â€œWell in future come and see me at recess and I’ll go over it with you. OK?”
    â€œOK,” Danny agreed uncomfortably. He’d give that a try. Being dumped on at recess was better than being dumped on in class.
    The morning buzzer interrupted them. It was instantly followed by the dull roar of feet pounding through the hallways.
    Mr. Hubner appeared at the office door. “All finished?” he asked brightly. “Think you can handle class, Danny?”
    Danny stood up with a small sigh. He dragged off the blanket, folded it carefully and handed it to Mr. Berg. “Thanks” he said. “I’ll try.” And straightening his shoulders and stepping out like an astronaut, he walked