فصل ششم

Chapter 6

Jeff Fishkin was hopelessly lost. He clutched his hall pass as he looked down the long empty corridor. The school seemed so big to him.

He was on his way to see the new counselor. She was supposed to help him “adjust to his new environment.” Now he not only didn’t know how to get to her office, he had no idea how to get back to Mrs. Ebbel’s class either.

The floor was slippery. It had started raining during recess and the kids had tracked water and mud inside with them.

A teacher carrying a stack of papers stepped out of a door and Jeff hurried up to her. “Can you tell me where the counselor’s office is, please?” he asked. His voice trembled.

The teacher first checked to make sure he had a hall pass. Then she said: “The counselor’s office … let’s see. Go down this hall to the end, turn right, and it’s the third door on your left.” “Thank you very much,” said Jeff. He started to go.

“No, wait,” said the teacher. “That’s not right, she’s in the new office in the other wing. Turn around and go back the way you just came, then turn left at the end of the hall and it’s the second door on your right.” “Thank you,” Jeff said again.

He walked to the end of the hall, turned right, counted to the second door on his left, and pushed it open.

A girl with red hair and a freckled face was washing her hands at the sink. When she saw Jeff, her mouth dropped open. “What are you doing in here?” she asked.

“Huh?” Jeff uttered.

“Get out of here!” she yelled. “This is the girls’ bathroom!” Jeff froze. He covered his face with his hands, then dashed out the door.

“THERE’S A BOY IN THE GIRLS’ BATHROOM!” the girl screamed after him.

He raced down the hall. Suddenly his feet slipped out from under him. He waved his arms wildly as he tried to keep his balance, then flopped down on the floor.

“Oh no, no, no, oh no, no, no,” he groaned. “What have I done? Oh, why didn’t I just read the sign on the door? This is the worst day of my whole life!” Suddenly he realized he was no longer holding the hall pass. He stood up and frantically looked around. “Don’t tell me I dropped it in the girls’ bathroom.” He heard someone coming and hurried off in the opposite direction. He rounded the corner, then spotted what looked like some kind of storage room. It was cluttered with boxes.

He ducked inside and closed the door behind him.

“Hello,” said a voice.

He spun around.

A woman stepped down off a yellow ladder. “You must be Jeff,” she said. “I’m Carla Davis.” She smiled and held out her hand. “I’m so glad you’ve come. I was afraid you might get lost.”