Jasper John Dooley, Left Behind Read Free Page A

three holes, Jasper got to lie on the sofa and watch cartoons until supper. He got to eat supper on the sofa, too.
    At bedtime, Mom and Dad said, “We’re quite sure you’ll feel better in the morning, Jasper.”
    â€œWhat day is tomorrow?” Jasper asked.
    â€œTuesday.”
    â€œGood. I just don’t want it to be Wednesday.”
    â€œDavid?” Jasper’s mom said to his dad. “Did you tell him about Wednesday?”
    â€œNot a word,” Dad said.
    â€œWednesday is when I won’t be able to play Go Fish for jujubes with Nan because she left me behind,” Jasper said.
    â€œMaybe you can play Go Fish for jujubes with the new baby-sitter,” Dad said.
    â€œDavid!” Mom said. She punched Dad on the arm.
    â€œOuch!”
    Jasper sat up. “What baby-sitter? What baby-sitter are you talking about? Nan baby-sits me.”
    â€œHer name is Annie,” Mom said.
    â€œAnnie? No! Yuck!”

Chapter 3

    When Jasper woke the next day, it seemed as if Nan had been gone a long time. Jasper didn’t know exactly how long. He wondered if she’d seen an iceberg yet. Then he remembered his holes and lifted his pajama top to look at the Band-Aid. Wounded! He lay back down.
    Finally, Mom came to his room to find out why Jasper wasn’t getting out of bed.
    â€œI think I should stay home from school and work on my lint collection,” Jasper said.
    â€œWhy?” Mom asked.
    â€œI had a bad dream last night.”
    â€œReally?” Mom crossed her arms. She crossed her arms whenever she didn’t believe what Jasper was saying. But Jasper really had had a scary dream last night after lying awake for a long time thinking so so so scary thoughts about Annie the baby-sitter.
    â€œIt was about the baby-sitter! She was so so so so old and instead of eyes — Mom? Instead of eyes?”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œShe had jujubes! One was green and one was yellow!”
    Mom shivered. “That does sound horrible. But Annie isn’t old at all. She’s sixteen and probably has normal eyes.”
    Jasper crossed his arms. He didn’t believe her.
    â€œListen, Jasper,” Mom said. “I got an idea last night. Since you like writing so much, why don’t you write down everything that happens to you this week? Write down what happens while Nan is gone. You can read it to her when she gets back. She’ll want to know what she’s missed.”
    â€œNothing’s happened,” Jasper said.
    â€œWhat are you talking about?” Mom said. “Yesterday you stapled your story to yourself.”
    â€œThat’s the other reason I should stay home and work on my lint collection,” Jasper said, putting his hands over his Band-Aid.
    â€œOkay. Fine. But if you stay home, you won’t be able to go to Ori’s after school and build.”
    Jasper got up right away because he really wanted to hammer.
    As he was undressing, Jasper stopped to admire his caterpillar-colored Band-Aid again. Then he thought of something. “Mom!” he called. “Mom! What if my Band-Aid comes off while I’m at school? I’ll start to
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.”
    Mom came over and checked the Band-Aid. “It’s on good and tight.”
    â€œI want another one. On top of this one. Just in case.”
    Mom went to the cupboard and came back with another Band-Aid, a plain one. “Are you sure you want to cover it? You like it so much.”
    â€œI don’t want to,” Jasper said. “I have to.”
    So she put a plain Band-Aid over the special one, which was too bad.
    Jasper said, “Better make it two.”

    That day at school, after calendar and Star of the Week, they played What Am I? Jasper loved What Am I? Ms. Tosh waited for all the kids to settle at their tables, which took a long time, then she picked somebody to come to the front of the room. The person who was picked had to pretend to be something they