Young Scrooge by R. L. Stine Read Free Book Online Page A

home!” I demanded. “I don’t belong here.” I grabbed for his arm, but my hand went right through the sleeve of his robe. “You can’t do this to me. I’m not going to move until you take me home. Do you hear me?”
    â€œGood luck in your new school, Scroogeman,” he said softly. “You’ll need it.”
    Then he vanished in an explosion of cold air.
    And I was left standing there in that dark hall, in my jeans and blue polo shirt, the only kid not dressed in gray or black. The only guy in the school with short hair. The only guy here who didn’t know anyone at all.
    â€œI DON’T BELONG HERE!” I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs.
    Would anyone care?
    A tall, skinny boy in a wrinkled gray shirt tucked into his overalls stepped beside me. He swept back the straight brown hair that had fallen over his forehead. He had little round brown eyes and a long nose that came down almost to his lips.
    He looked a lot like a bird. If I’d been back home, I’d have offered him a worm. Ha-ha.
    He squinted at me for a long moment. “Are you the new boy?”
    I nodded. “I guess.”
    â€œYou’re Scroogeman?” he asked, still studying me.
    I nodded again. “I guess.”
    â€œI’m Benjamin Cooke,” he said. “Mr. Dulwich asked me to watch for you.”
    â€œWho is Mr. Dulwich?” I asked.
    â€œOur teacher,” he said. He squeezed the sleeve of my polo shirt. “Your shirt is the color of the sky,” he said softly.
    â€œSo what?” I said.
    â€œDid your mother dye it that color when she wove it for you?” he asked.
    I started to tell him my mom bought it at Walmart. But another boy walked up to us. He was big and red-faced and blond and bounced as he walked. He had a black tie knotted at the stiff white collar of his white dress shirt. He grinned at me. “New boy?”
    â€œWatch out for Prescott,” Benjamin whispered in my ear. He took a step back.
    â€œYeah. I’m new,” I said. “You’re Prescott?”
    â€œWe don’t like new kids,” he said. “I already don’t like you . Why are you wearing a circus costume?”
    â€œWhy are you wearing that ?” I said, pointing to his heavy brown suit jacket and vest. “Do you have a monkey at home waiting to get his suit back?”
    I thought it was pretty funny, but Benjamin and Prescott didn’t laugh. Prescott’s face turned red and he clenched his fists. “No one makes a monkey out of me,” he said through gritted teeth.
    I decided I’d better not get him steamed. It was my first day, after all. “I was making a joke,” I said.
    â€œYour mother made a joke,” Prescott said. “I’m staring at it.”
    Benjamin laughed at that one. I decided to play it cool. I didn’t say anything about his mother.
    Some kids had gathered across the hall to watch us. I spotted a very hot-looking girl with long, wavy blond hair down the back of her gray dress. I flashed her a thumbs-up. She turned her head away.
    â€œWhat are those ?” Prescott asked. I realized he was staring down at my sneakers. “Why are you wearing cloth on your feet? Are you an elf who lives in the forest?”
    â€œThose are Air Jordans,” I said.
    He scowled at me. “Elf Jordans? You think you’re a forest elf?”
    â€œNo. Air Jordans,” I repeated.
    â€œWhat kind of cobbler would make shoes out of cloth?” Prescott asked Benjamin.
    Benjamin shrugged. “Maybe a blind cobbler?”
    They both thought that was a riot. They tossed back their heads and laughed.
    â€œThat’s not funny,” I said. “These sneakers cost my mom a lot of money.”
    â€œI’ll show you what’s funny,” Prescott said, winking at Benjamin. “Let me test those elf shoes.”
    He raised his big boot and tromped his heel down as hard as he could on the