Messy Miranda Read Free Page B

wasn’t listening. “I can fit my whole neck in too! This is cool. But where are the carrots?”
    Jaiden pushed himself farther into the desk. Now just his legs were sticking out. People around were starting to notice. Some pointed. “That’s crazy!” said Abdu. “Ms. Basil, look at what Jaiden is doing!”
    Miranda turned. Ms. Basil had wide eyes. Her mouth had dropped open. “I don’t believe it!” Ms. Basil said. She stormed over to Miranda’s desk.
    By now, Jaiden’s feet were wiggling at the mouth of the desk. Miranda tried to pull Jaiden back, but he was too far in. And too heavy.
    â€œI found the carrots! But something is eating them. Something fluffy and white!”
    The whole class had gathered around Miranda’s desk. Nobody could believe what they were seeing. Nobody except Miranda.

    â€œHey!” Jaiden said. “Give those carrots back. I’m hungry”
    Jaiden’s feet slipped out of Miranda’s hands as he pushed himself deeper into the magic hat.
    â€œI’m fallllllling!” Jaiden said. His voice trailed away.
    Miranda reached out to grab him, but it was too late. Jaiden had vanished into her desk!

Chapter Eight
    â€œJaiden, get out of that desk right now!” Ms. Basil said. “Or else…or else I’m going to call the principal!” Ms. Basil tried to sound angry, but Miranda could tell she didn’t know what to do. Ms. Basil tried again. “I’m going to count to ten. One…two…”
    Miranda knew the magic hat was deep. If she tried to lean in and grab Jaiden, she might fall in too. Miranda peered into her desk. “Jaiden, are you okay?”
    â€œYeah!” he said. His voice echoed up from deep inside her desk. “It’s really big down here. But there’s a lot of junk. And The Biggest Book of Big Things . And a bunny too!”
    â€œJaiden, I’m coming to get you,” Miranda said, using her bravest voice. She was afraid of falling into the hat, but this was her mess. She needed to clean it up.
    She moved away from the desk and looked around the room. She saw Neela standing there and had an idea. “Neela! Go get your skipping rope. The one that’s bigger than three yardsticks.”
    Neela nodded. She ran to her bag and brought it over.
    â€œGood,” Miranda said. She gave one end to Neela. “Tie one end to the desk.”
    â€œWhat are you going to do?” Neela asked.
    â€œI’m going to rescue Jaiden!”
    Ms. Basil was busy trying to get all the students to return to their seats. She did not see Neela tie one end of her skipping rope to a desk nearby. She also did not see Miranda squeeze into the desk, holding on to the other end of the rope.
    Miranda lowered herself into the hole in her desk. It was so dark inside that she couldn’t tell where the desk ended and the magic hat began. Everything was pitch-black except for the skipping rope. Cool! It glowed in the dark!
    That meant she could use it like a night-light to find Jaiden.
    â€œJaiden, are you down there?”
    For a moment, Miranda didn’t hear anything.
    Then came Jaiden’s voice. “Is that a glow-in-the-dark skipping rope? Coooool!”
    â€œJaiden!” Miranda snapped. “Grab on. I’m going to get you out of here.”
    â€œWho says I want to get out?”
    Miranda huffed. She had to think of something. The magic hat was not safe. Then her eyes lit up. “Jaiden, Ms. Basil just handed out some snacks.”
    At once Miranda felt a tug on the skipping rope. “Hurry up, Miranda. Snack time is my favorite part of the day!”
    Climbing down the skipping rope was easy, but it was hard to get back up. Miranda had to squeeze her head through the narrow desk. She had to pull her body through, and it didn’t want to fit. Then she felt a pair of hands grab her arms and yank her out. Miranda spilled onto the floor. She looked up to see