The Mighty Quinn by Robyn Parnell Read Free Book Online Page A

out of the room during the first minute of Introduction to Scabs.”
    â€œIntroduction to scabs?!” Tay slapped his thigh. “That’s it; I’m going to nursing school.”
    â€œYou have made a positive impression on Mr. Taylor Denton the Third,” Sam said. “Congratulations, Ms. Standwell.”
    â€œYou’re welcome. Taylor Denton the ...?”
    â€œThe Third,” Quinn and Sam chimed in.
    â€œThat means there’s two more Taylor Dentons?” Neally didn’t wait for Tay’s reply. “Any clones in your families?” she asked Sam and Quinn.
    â€œNothin’ but clones in mine.” Sam grinned.
    â€œYou mean clowns,” Tay chortled.
    â€œThere are red-headed Washingtons in Sam’s familyall the way back to infinity,” Quinn explained.
    â€œDid you know that the world is full of clones?” Sam asked. “My dad says identical twins are clones. It’s not like cloning is anything new in nature. Now, in the Andrews-Lee family ...”
    â€œAndrews-Lee? I like that name,” Neally said.
    â€œSo does Matt Barker,” Tay snickered.
    â€œYeah, he loves my last name.” Quinn looked as if he had swallowed a slug. “Matt likes everything about me.”
    Tay mimicked Matt’s voice. “Quinn Andrews- Leeeeeeeeeeeee!”

    â€œLet me guess: that’s supposed to be Matt, teasing someone? How original. Remember,” Neally stuck her tongue out, “Thith ith mithier than the thord.”
    â€œYou might want to try that again,” Tay said dryly.
    â€œâ€˜The tongue is mightier than the sword.’ It’s something mom told me, but I looked it up and found out she’d fudged it. It’s really, ‘The pen is mightier than the sword.’ You still get it, right?”
    â€œRight.” Quinn smacked his palm to his forehead. “When Matt comes after me with his ninja sword I’ll raise my magic ballpoint pen ...”
    â€œOr stick your tongue out,” Sam offered.
    â€œAnd he’ll run away, screaming like a kindergartener.”
    â€œBRRAAAMP!” Sam mimicked the end-of-recess buzzer. “Mr. Andrews-Lee gets it not.”
    â€œIt means if you practice ... if you learn what to say or not say, you won’t have to do the same things Matt does. You won’t even want to. You’ll find a better way to express, to handle ...” Neally’s mouth dropped into a tight line, and she jabbed her fingers in the dirt. “Argh! I can’t say it, but I know what I mean.” She stood up and swatted the dirt off of the back of her jeans.

10
THE BEST PEANUT BUTTER AND STRAWBERRY JAM SANDWICH EVER

    When Ms. Blakeman’s class returned from the cafeteria she announced that the special privileges for the-first-day-back-from-vacation would continue: it was buddy lunch day. The students immediately began scooting their desks into semicircles and calling across the room to their friends. Neally’s father pulled a chair up to the teacher’s desk, and he and Ms. Blakeman began to grade papers.
    Quinn asked Tay and Sam to buddy up, but Tay said he was joining Matt and Josh. Sam scooted his desk closer to Quinn’s, and invited Neally to do the same.
    â€œWhy don’t we ask Teena?” Neally suggested.
    â€œWhat—no!” Sam shushed Neally. “She won’t come, anyway. She likes to eat alone.”
    Neally turned to glance at Teena, who was pullingplastic bags out of a crumpled paper sack and humming to herself. “Would you two like to come over to my house after school?” Neally asked Quinn and Sam. “I asked my dad; it’s okay.” Neally reached into her lunch bag and took out a sandwich that looked like a Frisbee cut in half. “I have two Siamese cats, Yin and Yang.”
    Sam’s eyes widened. “My sisters love cats. But we can’t have any; my dad’s allergic.”
    â€œSo’s my