Jasper John Dooley, NOT in Love Read Online Free Page B

minute. He had to keep looking out for the girls.
    The next time Jasper turned to watch the battle, the dragon had managed to tear Ori’s sword out of his hand. He broke it in three pieces. Now he crept toward Ori, flashing angry dragon eyes and roaring “Agh! Rawr! Grrr!” His claws reached for Ori, but instead of running away, Ori ran straight for the dragon and crashed into him. The dragon fell on his bum in the grass.
    Ori used his next best weapon, his bare hands. Tickle-tickle! Tickle-tickle!
    The dragon flopped down. Ori sat on his chest and let out a cheer.
    At just that moment, just as Jasper was about to take his turn being a knight, two girls appeared. Zoë and Bernadette.
    â€œCome on, Jasper! Let’s go!”
    â€œWhat?” Jasper cried as the girls grabbed him by the arms.
    Ori and Leon jumped to their feet and rushed over. “Leave him alone!” Ori yelled. He and Leon tickled the girls so they had to give up Jasper.
    But more girls showed up. They swarmed Jasper and started dragging him toward the back of the schoolyard where the bushes were. Leon and Ori tried to free Jasper by tickling all the girls, but there were just too many. As soon as one girl let go, another grabbed Jasper instead. It seemed like every girl from their class was there trying to steal Jasper. But Jasper noticed that one girl was missing.
    And here she came. Jasper froze when he saw her. So did Ori and Leon.
    Isabel was coming toward them with a crown of dandelions in her hair. She was riding on Rollo.
    â€œIzzy!” Mandy called across the schoolyard. “I brought your lunch! Rollo can’t run in the playground! Dogs aren’t allowed at school!”
    â€œGiddy up, Rollo,” Isabel said, and the dog began to bound toward the group of kids. Isabel held tight to his collar. The other girls all cheered and clapped. They weren’t afraid of Rollo.
    Leon was. He turned and ran into the gym.
    Ori stepped in front of Jasper. “I’ll protect you,” he said.
    Just then Rollo stopped so suddenly Isabel nearly flew off his back. He’d found something to sniff. He pushed his big snout into the grass and turned so that his back was to Ori and Jasper. Whatever Rollo smelled made him so happy that his big waggy tail began slashing back and forth.
    Thwunk!
    It knocked Ori over. While he was still on the ground wondering what had hit him, Isabel jumped off Rollo’s back.
    Mandy arrived. “Are you all right?” she asked Ori, who nodded and sat up.
    â€œYour mother isn’t going to be very happy when she hears about this,” Mandy told Isabel. Isabel didn’t answer. She was already leading Jasper away with the rest of the girls.
    â€œHeel, Rollo,” Mandy said, taking the dog by the leash and leading him away like Jasper, but in the other direction.
    The swarm of girls and Jasper passed Paul C. sitting at a picnic table. “Paul C.!” Jasper cried. “Help me!”
    Paul C. looked up from his book, but he couldn’t do anything.
    The girls dragged Jasper all the way to the bushes at the back of the schoolyard where the playground monitor hardly ever went. “Stand beside me,” Isabel told Jasper. “Stop wiggling.” She wrapped her arm tight around Jasper’s arm.
    â€œOuch!” he said.
    She was a very strong girl. A strong, freckled girl with a dandelion crown drooping on her head.
    Zoë stood in front of them, her hands pressed together like a book. She opened the book. Some of the other girls were giggling. Some were stripping leaves off the bushes and tossing them in the air so they fluttered down on Isabel and Jasper.
    â€œWhat am I supposed to say?” Zoë asked Isabel.

    â€œSay I love Jasper. Say we’re getting married. And then ask Jasper if he takes me for his wife. That’s what they say on TV. Jasper? When she says that? You have to say, ‘I do.’” She jabbed him with her freckly