Lone Bean by Chudney Ross Read Free Book Online Page A

enough.”
    â€œBut, Ms. Sullivan . . . ,” I groaned as I dropped my head onto my cold desk. Then she called on Stanley, who was raising his hand.
    â€œIt’s true,” he said timidly. “Tanisha started it. She was throwing crayons. One hit me too.”
    â€œI wasn’t throwin’ nothing,” Tanisha growled.
    I turned around in my seat and gave Stanley a big thank-you smile. It was supercool of him to have my back, even though Tanisha would definitely clobber him after school.
    â€œThank you, Stanley,” Ms. Sullivan said. “Looks like Bean and Tanisha will both be in detention during recess.”
    â€œBut,” I said, “that’s not fair. She started it.”
    Ms. Sullivan ignored me and said, “Everyone please get back to work.”
    The room settled down, but I couldn’t do my math problems, because Tanisha was glaring at me from across the room with fire in her eyes.
    The rest of the morning was awful. All I could think about was detention, as I watched the hands of the clock move. Finally, the bell rang and everyone jumped out of their seats, like they always do before Ms. Sullivan could even say, “Recess!”
    â€œOkay, ladies,” Ms. Sullivan said to me and Tanisha. “Stay in your seats while I take the rest of the class to the playground.”
    I stood up, though, and walked toward her. “I can’t stay in for recess because . . . um . . .” I stopped for a second and tried to think of a good excuse. Then I remembered Gabrielle’s asthma. “The doctor said I need fresh air or . . . um . . . my lungs will explode and then I’ll puff up like a balloon and maybe even die.”
    â€œBean, when you break the rules, you must pay the consequences,” Ms. Sullivan said to me, like she didn’t even care about my lung problem. “Sit down, because you are staying in for recess.”
    And just like that, she left the room and so did all the kids and I was left all alone with Terrible Tanisha. I hoped Ms. Sullivan would come back soon. I’m not a scaredy-cat, but Tanisha is c-r-a-z-y CRAZY!
    â€œI’m gonna make you wish my name never came out your mouth,” Tanisha said. She circled my chair and poked me with her pencil.
    â€œYou started it.”
    â€œI’m gonna make your life miserable,” she said. She shoved me to the floor. But just as her fist flew at my head, the classroom door swung open.
    â€œWhat is going on in here?” bellowed Ms. Sullivan.
    I kept my mouth shut, because I knew that if I tattled again, Tanisha was gonna kill me for sure.
    â€œBean, answer me,” she said, like she knew Tanisha had knocked me down.
    â€œI fell,” I said.
    â€œAre you sure?”
    â€œYes, ma’am.”
    â€œAll right, then,” said Ms. Sullivan said as she sat at her desk. “Get back in your seats. I want you to write I will not throw crayons twenty-five times.”
    I didn’t want to get in any more trouble, so I moved quickly. I pulled out a paper and started writing in my squiggly, not-so-great handwriting. I will not throw crayons. I will not throw crayons. Tanisha started writing too, but every time Ms. Sullivan looked away, Tanisha stared at me with an I’m-going-to-kill-you kinda look.
    â€œI have to use the bathroom, but I’m going to leave the door open and I don’t want any more trouble. Do you understand?”
    â€œYes, Ms. Sullivan,” I said, wishing she wouldn’t leave us alone again.
    Just as she stepped out of sight, another crayon came flying through the air and hit me in the back of my head.
    I will not throw crayons. I will not throw crayons. I kept writing.
    Tanisha got up from her seat and started moving around the room. I tried to focus on writing, but I couldn’t help but sneak a peek. I spotted Tanisha squirting paste onto Stanley’s chair. When I looked again, she was chomping on a huge piece of