Professor Gargoyle Read Free Page A

suggest,” Goyle continued, “that you listen obediently to my lecture, like the rest of your peers? Then maybe you’ll learn something. Do you think you can manage that?”
    Glenn nodded, face flushed, and slouched down sheepishly into his chair. Professor Goyle returned to the chalkboard and continued labeling the rat.
    Robert couldn’t believe it. For just one moment—for the tiniest split second
—he actually felt sorry for Glenn Torkells
.
    It was by far the strangest thing that happened to Robert all day.

FOUR

    When Robert came home from school, his mother wanted to hear all about his first day at Lovecraft Middle School. Mrs. Arthur felt terrible about missing the ribbon-cutting ceremony, and she asked Robert to describe all the details. He told her about the mayor and the governor and the marching band. He didn’t mention Glenn or the gummy worms.
    “Oh, it sounds wonderful!” Mrs. Arthur exclaimed. “Absolutely wonderful!” She sat across from Robert at the kitchen table and placed a bowl of carrot sticks between them. “We deserve this, Robert. Do you know what I mean?”
    “Sure,” he said.
    “I know these last few years have been tough for you. I’m out the door at six thirty every morning. I can’t make you a hot breakfast. I can’t go on school trips. It’s been hard.” She reached across the table and held his hand. “But this is a real turning point. You’re a smart kid in a great school. If you study and work hard, everything’s going to turn out fine.”
    Robert couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen his mother so happy. He decided not to mention the rats, at least not right now. There was no point in spoiling the moment.
    For the next few days, everything at Lovecraft was perfectly normal. There were no more rodents in the lockers and Robert’s class schedule kept him away from Glenn for most of the day. At lunchtime, he ate by himself, but that was okay; he always brought a book to read so it would appear as if he’d purposefully chosen to sit alone.
    Robert loved all kinds of books, especially horror, science fiction, and fantasy. His favorite stories wereabout kids with strange and magical powers—kids who were wizards or werewolves or cyborgs. Robert often daydreamed that he would one day discover his own supernatural powers and then he wouldn’t be quite so normal. In the meantime, he went to the public library every week and came home with stacks of books.
    He’d heard that Lovecraft had an enormous library, but he didn’t see it firsthand until the second week of school. His English teacher, Mr. Loomis, told the students to grab their backpacks. “You’re in for a real treat today,” he promised them. “We’re going to see one of the finest school libraries in the entire state.”
    “Finally,” Robert mumbled to himself.
    Mr. Loomis must have overheard him, because he winked. “I’m excited, too,” he said. “Wait until you see this place.”
    The Lovecraft Middle School library was nearly as big as the gymnasium. A steel-and-glass ceiling arched grandly overhead, filling the room with a warm natural light. Huge bookshelves twisted along the perimeter like the walls of a labyrinth; it would be easy to getlost in them for hours at a time, Robert thought. Standing among the books were life-size statues of famous authors: Mark Twain, Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelley, Louisa May Alcott …
    “Over here, Robert!” Mr. Loomis called. “Stay with the class, all right?”
    The other students had already settled in the media center. It was a room within a room, set apart by giant Plexiglass walls that looked out over the rest of the library. Inside were computers, listening stations, and a rack full of handheld e-readers.
    An elderly woman with cat-eye glasses was demonstrating for the students how to use the e-readers. “These can be filled with downloaded books and checked out from the library—as long as you’re very careful with them, of course.