EllRay Jakes Is Not a Chicken Read Online Free Page A

might have handled things differently,” she says quietly. “But whatever works, EllRay—because I want everyone at Oak Glen Primary School to see the same wonderful boy I see whenever I look at you.”
    â€œI’m not always wonderful,” I admit in the dark.
    â€œTo me you are,” Mom says. “Deep down inside. But—what’s going on?”
    â€œLike, in the world ?” I ask, pretending I don’t know what she means.
    â€œNot in the world,” she says. “Just in your world.”
    â€œMy world’s fine,” I lie.
    But it’s the kind of lie that is meant to keep someone from feeling bad, like if a person asks, “ How does my new haircut look ?” and you say, “ Perfectly normal ,” instead of “ Like somebody went after you with broken kindergarten scissors .”
    â€œOh, come on,” Mom says in her softest voice. “I know you better than that, EllRay Jakes. And something is troubling you. Is it your progress report?”
    â€œYeah, it’s that,” I say, taking the easy way out—because she offered it to me.
    Mom leans over to kiss my on my forehead, which is all wrinkled from fibbing. “Well, I wouldn’t worry too much,” she tells me. “Time passes, doesn’t it? I’ll bet your work has already improved since Ms. Sanchez wrote that report.”
    â€œBut it’s hard,” I say, telling the truth for the first time since she sat down.
    â€œWhat’s hard?” Mom asks.
    â€œPaying attention in class,” I tell her. “And remembering all the rules. And sitting in my chair without wiggling. And not bothering my neighbor, even when she wants to be bothered. And not getting mad on the playground. It’s hard just being me , Mom.”
    â€œOh, EllRay, I know it is,” she says, scooping me into a hug. “But like I said before, being you is also a wonderful thing, honey bun.”
    â€œNot so far it isn’t,” I try to say, but my mouth is smooshed against her sweater and she probably doesn’t even hear me.
    Mom kisses me on my forehead again and pulls the covers up to my chin. “Well, nighty-night,” she says, as if every problem in every world, not just mine, has now been solved. “Close your eyes and go to sleep,” she tells me. “Because tomorrow’s going to be a beautiful day, EllRay.”

    Today has been a nervous Tuesday for me, I think, lying in the dark, especially because of what happened at lunch. But Mom has made it better, somehow. And I did make it through the afternoon without getting twisted, pounded, or whomped again.
    So that’s been one whole day without getting into trouble.
    Maybe Mom is right. Maybe I can do it!

8
    MS. SANCHEZ SAYS
    â€œQuiet, ladies and gentlemen,” Ms. Sanchez says on WEDNESDAY morning from the front of the class, and she taps her solid-gold pen on her desk.
    We all try to look as if we are paying attention, even though half of the class feels like falling asleep because the room is so hot, and the other half—the half with me in it—wants to run outside and play.
    It is a beautiful day, just the way Mom said it would be.
    â€œPay attention, please,” Ms. Sanchez says, tapping her pen again. “I have an announcement. We’re going to do a science experiment. It’s Mudshake Day!”
    â€œBut I thought we only had to do science on Tuesdays,” Heather Patton says in a really loud whisper, because you’re not supposed to talk out loud in class without raising your hand first.

    Heather sits behind me in class, and ever since her teenage sister told her she was going to have to cut up a dead frog in science class when she is a teenager, she has hated the entire subject.
    Heather doesn’t even like frogs that are alive , much less dead.
    I am not exactly looking forward to cuttin up a dead frog, by th way, but it might be interesting—