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

mom,” Quinn said. “But her dad used to have a Siamese cat.” Quinn pointed at Neally’s sandwich. “What’s that?”
    â€œPita bread. See how it opens, like a pocket? You can stuff anything in it.” Neally held the sandwich up to her nose. “Dad went for tuna salad today. What was your grandpa’s cat named?”
    â€œJade. She lived to be eighteen, which is old for a cat. After Jade died, Grandma bought a little statue of a Siamese cat. Grandpa put it up on the mantle, next to the other statues.”
    â€œWhat other statues?” Neally asked.
    â€œMy grandpa has this really cool collection.” Quinn fingered his own peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich, which seemed dull compared to Neally’s. He wondered if she would offer him a bite if he asked to try the pita bread.
    â€œSwap-o-rama!” Sam put half of his turkey and Swiss cheese sandwich on Quinn’s desk and took halfof Quinn’s sandwich. “Tell her about the fat naked guys.” Sam crammed almost the entire half of Quinn’s sandwich into his mouth.
    Neally’s raised her eyebrows. “Yes, do tell.”
    â€œThey’re not naked, they’re Buddhas.” Quinn fake-punched Sam in the shoulder. “Buddhas aren’t naked, they just don’t wear shirts.”
    â€œOnly diapers,” Sam said, “so you can see their fat naked bellies.”

    â€œLoincloths,” Quinn insisted. “They wear loincloths.”
    â€œQuinn’s Grandpa Lee is from China,” Sam said to Neally.
    â€œNo, my Grandpa Lee’s parents were from China. I’ve told you a giga-billion times: Grandpa Lee was born in Ohio.”
    â€œOhio, China; same diff.” Sam took a sheet of paper and a pencil from his desk and drew a picture of a broadly grinning, bald, fat man sitting cross-legged with a towel around his waist.
    â€œThat’s the Laughing Buddha!” Neally exclaimed.
    â€œYeah,” Quinn said. “How’d you know that?”
    â€œMy parents hang pictures of the world’s greatleaders on our living room wall. We’ve got books about them too. Statues or pictures of the Buddha often show him smiling or laughing. I looked it up, and ...”
    â€œOooooh, Sam’s drawing evil devil comics.” Matt Barker had crept up behind Sam’s desk. “The devil has many disguises,” he said, sounding like a Halloween goblin.
    â€œIt isn’t a devil,” Neally said coolly. “Haven’t you ever seen a Buddha?”
    â€œIf it’s not God then it’s an idol, or a devil,” Matt insisted. “Not only that, it’s a fat devil. It’s the fattest Satan ever.” Matt grabbed Sam’s pencil and drew horns on the Buddha’s head.
    â€œHorns should taper at the end, be pointier,” Sam said. “Like this.” Matt gave Sam the pencil, and Sam corrected Matt’s additions to his picture.
    â€œYo, Sam.” Matt acted like Quinn and Neally were invisible. “You owe us a buddy lunch. We’re gonna play with Tay’s new GameBox.”
    Matt returned to his desk, passing by Teena Freeman, who was spinning her hair with one hand and dancing a carrot stick across her desk with her other hand.
    â€œA hush falls over the crowd as Famous Carrot Diver approaches the ten meter board.” Teena spoke barely above a whisper. “Suddenly, in an obvious attempt to influence the judges, Famous Apple Diver insists ongoing first.” Teena walked an apple slice up her arm to her shoulder and dropped the slice into her open carton of milk.
    â€œWhat a pathetic retard,” Matt sneered.
    Neally glared at Matt.
    â€œâ€™Scuse me,” Matt said. “I mean, what a mentally challenged individual.”
    â€œCut it out, Matt,” Quinn mumbled.
    â€œYeah, I’ll cut it out. I’ll cut out half my brain and then I’ll be like her.” Matt pointed at Teena,