Erasable Chapter One
If Ellie had known her summer was going to start like this, she would not have wished so hard for it to hurry up and get here. So many dreary days trapped in school, stealing glances at the clock while her teacher Mr. Pinchpenny droned on and on and on. So many long afternoons, enduring the slow creep of hours till three o'clock and freedom. So many weeks of waiting and waiting for school to end and summer vacation to begin. And here it was at last -- not the first day of summer that she had dreamed of for months, but the first day of summer school.
It's so unfair, Ellie thought to herself, scowling as she trudged slowly toward the school.
She stooped to pick up a large stick from the ground. Thin pieces of bark came off in her hands as she swung the stick back and forth in front of her slowly moving feet.
"It's all that Mr. Pinchpenny's doing," she muttered.
Her brows drew together into a dark V that pointed down at her jutting lower lip.
"He could have passed me in math if he really wanted to. He's just a mean old crab who has it in for me," she growled to herself.
Ellie punctuated these thoughts with sharp smacks of the stick on anything within reach as she neared the school -- fence posts, trees, even a poor lone violet pushing up through Mrs. Crockett's lawn. Mrs. Crockett's cozy little house nestled into the grassy slope alongside George Washington Elementary School -- Ellie's summer prison. And now, despite taking the shortest, slowest, draggingest steps in the history of the world, Ellie had arrived at school.
She stood in front of the brick building where she would be spending so many summer hours. Thick green grass carpeted the lawn in front of the school. Birds twittered and chirped in the oak trees that lined the curving path leading up to the door. Two leafy maple trees offered welcoming shade at the school entrance. Beyond the friendly trees loomed the heavy door that was about to slam shut behind her, locking Ellie inside away from summer freedom.
With a deep sigh, she tossed her stick to the ground and started up the path toward the school entrance.
At least I'll have Mrs. Stone for my teacher, Ellie thought. She's the nicest teacher in the school.
Still dragging her feet, Ellie entered the building. The familiar smells of school wafted up her nose. It was a not unpleasant mix of floor wax, crayons, old books, finger paint from the kindergarten room, and just a hint of boys' sneakers. She wrinkled her nose at that and hurried on, joining the other children on their way to various classrooms.
Arriving at Mrs. Stone's room, Ellie took a deep breath. The door was open, and she walked in. Most of the other children were already there, talking and laughing in little groups by the desks and windows. Ellie's stomach jumped as she wondered if she was late. A glance at the clock told her that she was right on time. There was no sign of Mrs. Stone. Ellie let her breath out slowly and looked around.
This summer school class only had twelve students in it. There was Jacob from her third grade class, and Ava and Marisa.
Had they failed math, too? she wondered.
She was about to ask Ava why she was there when a voice behind her sent a prickle of horror down her neck.
"Good morning, children," the voice droned. "Please take your seats. You will find your names on your desks, which are arranged in alphabetical order."
Only one person on the planet could drone like that every time he opened his mouth. Slowly, Ellie turned around and found herself staring into the expressionless face of Mr. Pinchpenny.
Mr. Pinchpenny always had a slightly rumpled look, like someone had put a hand across his hair and face and tousled them, if it were possible to tousle a face. His face was quite narrow and pinched, as if the name Pinchpenny in some way dictated his features. He reminded Ellie of an untidy weasel. A droning, boring, humorless weasel.
Ellie swallowed hard and turned toward her desk.
Mrs. Stone is supposed to teach this class, she thought. I can't be stuck with Mr. Pinchpenny all summer. It's so unfair.
She pulled at a lock of her long brown hair.
Maybe Mrs. Stone is running late and Mr. Pinchpenny is just watching the class until she gets here, she thought.
Ellie brightened at this thought and slid into her seat to wait for Mrs. Stone. As a Grayson, she would be sitting in front of Matthew Gregg and behind Ava Grant. Sitting near Ava was not so bad. She would have to wait and see about Matthew.
As the children got settled at their desks, Mr. Pinchpenny wrote his name on the board.
"For those of you who don't know me, my name is Mr. Pinchpenny," he droned.
Ellie heard a giggle behind her. Mr. Pinchpenny stared at Matthew Gregg with his frosty stare, and the giggle faded into a strangled-sounding gulp.
"I will be your teacher this summer," Mr. Pinchpenny said.
Ellie felt the blood drain from her face. The room seemed to spin a little bit. Timidly, she raised her hand.
"Yes, Eleanor?" Mr. Pinchpenny asked.
Eleanor! Ellie ground her teeth. Mr. Pinchpenny insisted on calling her by her full name, which she hated. It was so old-fashioned. No one was called Eleanor any more.
The question burning inside her found its way to her lips.
"Um, where is Mrs. Stone? The principal told my mom that Mrs. Stone would be the teacher this summer," Ellie said.
"Mrs. Stone was called away by a family emergency," Mr. Pinchpenny intoned. "I am told that all will be fine, but she is unable to get back in time to teach this summer. Now take out your math books and we shall begin on page one with Adding Fractions."
A groan went up from the class as they faced their mathematical fate. There was nothing worse than fractions.
A fine start to the summer, thought Ellie. I wish I could just get rid of all the unfair things in my life.
Her mouth twisted as if she had just taken a bite out of a lemon. With a scowl, she opened her book to page one and slouched down in her seat as far as was humanly slouchable, while Mr. Pinchpenny's monotone buzzed through the room like a bee caught in a jar.
It's so unfair, Ellie thought to herself, scowling as she trudged slowly toward the school.
She stooped to pick up a large stick from the ground. Thin pieces of bark came off in her hands as she swung the stick back and forth in front of her slowly moving feet.
"It's all that Mr. Pinchpenny's doing," she muttered.
Her brows drew together into a dark V that pointed down at her jutting lower lip.
"He could have passed me in math if he really wanted to. He's just a mean old crab who has it in for me," she growled to herself.
Ellie punctuated these thoughts with sharp smacks of the stick on anything within reach as she neared the school -- fence posts, trees, even a poor lone violet pushing up through Mrs. Crockett's lawn. Mrs. Crockett's cozy little house nestled into the grassy slope alongside George Washington Elementary School -- Ellie's summer prison. And now, despite taking the shortest, slowest, draggingest steps in the history of the world, Ellie had arrived at school.
She stood in front of the brick building where she would be spending so many summer hours. Thick green grass carpeted the lawn in front of the school. Birds twittered and chirped in the oak trees that lined the curving path leading up to the door. Two leafy maple trees offered welcoming shade at the school entrance. Beyond the friendly trees loomed the heavy door that was about to slam shut behind her, locking Ellie inside away from summer freedom.
With a deep sigh, she tossed her stick to the ground and started up the path toward the school entrance.
At least I'll have Mrs. Stone for my teacher, Ellie thought. She's the nicest teacher in the school.
Still dragging her feet, Ellie entered the building. The familiar smells of school wafted up her nose. It was a not unpleasant mix of floor wax, crayons, old books, finger paint from the kindergarten room, and just a hint of boys' sneakers. She wrinkled her nose at that and hurried on, joining the other children on their way to various classrooms.
Arriving at Mrs. Stone's room, Ellie took a deep breath. The door was open, and she walked in. Most of the other children were already there, talking and laughing in little groups by the desks and windows. Ellie's stomach jumped as she wondered if she was late. A glance at the clock told her that she was right on time. There was no sign of Mrs. Stone. Ellie let her breath out slowly and looked around.
This summer school class only had twelve students in it. There was Jacob from her third grade class, and Ava and Marisa.
Had they failed math, too? she wondered.
She was about to ask Ava why she was there when a voice behind her sent a prickle of horror down her neck.
"Good morning, children," the voice droned. "Please take your seats. You will find your names on your desks, which are arranged in alphabetical order."
Only one person on the planet could drone like that every time he opened his mouth. Slowly, Ellie turned around and found herself staring into the expressionless face of Mr. Pinchpenny.
Mr. Pinchpenny always had a slightly rumpled look, like someone had put a hand across his hair and face and tousled them, if it were possible to tousle a face. His face was quite narrow and pinched, as if the name Pinchpenny in some way dictated his features. He reminded Ellie of an untidy weasel. A droning, boring, humorless weasel.
Ellie swallowed hard and turned toward her desk.
Mrs. Stone is supposed to teach this class, she thought. I can't be stuck with Mr. Pinchpenny all summer. It's so unfair.
She pulled at a lock of her long brown hair.
Maybe Mrs. Stone is running late and Mr. Pinchpenny is just watching the class until she gets here, she thought.
Ellie brightened at this thought and slid into her seat to wait for Mrs. Stone. As a Grayson, she would be sitting in front of Matthew Gregg and behind Ava Grant. Sitting near Ava was not so bad. She would have to wait and see about Matthew.
As the children got settled at their desks, Mr. Pinchpenny wrote his name on the board.
"For those of you who don't know me, my name is Mr. Pinchpenny," he droned.
Ellie heard a giggle behind her. Mr. Pinchpenny stared at Matthew Gregg with his frosty stare, and the giggle faded into a strangled-sounding gulp.
"I will be your teacher this summer," Mr. Pinchpenny said.
Ellie felt the blood drain from her face. The room seemed to spin a little bit. Timidly, she raised her hand.
"Yes, Eleanor?" Mr. Pinchpenny asked.
Eleanor! Ellie ground her teeth. Mr. Pinchpenny insisted on calling her by her full name, which she hated. It was so old-fashioned. No one was called Eleanor any more.
The question burning inside her found its way to her lips.
"Um, where is Mrs. Stone? The principal told my mom that Mrs. Stone would be the teacher this summer," Ellie said.
"Mrs. Stone was called away by a family emergency," Mr. Pinchpenny intoned. "I am told that all will be fine, but she is unable to get back in time to teach this summer. Now take out your math books and we shall begin on page one with Adding Fractions."
A groan went up from the class as they faced their mathematical fate. There was nothing worse than fractions.
A fine start to the summer, thought Ellie. I wish I could just get rid of all the unfair things in my life.
Her mouth twisted as if she had just taken a bite out of a lemon. With a scowl, she opened her book to page one and slouched down in her seat as far as was humanly slouchable, while Mr. Pinchpenny's monotone buzzed through the room like a bee caught in a jar.