Secret Identity Read Free Page A

sir,” I said. “Just looking for someone.”
    “Ah,” he said, and walked away, still grinning.
    Then I spotted Bubba, cutting across the lower field, with Kevin on one side and Max on the other. They were laughing about something, and for some reason it made me mad. How come a bully like Bubba had friends and I didn't?
    The last bell rang, so I went into our classroom. I didn't want any of the other kids to think there was something strange about my backpack, so I hid it under my desk. I took out my pencil box and homework folder, my dictionary and all my books.
    Randy shook his head and said, “Why
do
you take all that stuff home every day, Nerd?”
    I looked right at him. “So nobody steals it.”
    “Steals it? Who's gonna steal that stuff? Youthink
I'm
gonna steal it? You couldn't
pay
me to steal that stuff, Nerd.”
    Trinity Althoffer whispered, “Don't be so mean, Randy.”
    Randy shrugged. “I'm not being mean. Am I, Nerd?”
    He wasn't really. Not compared to some kids. But in my head, something happened. Something snapped. “Well, you're not exactly being
nice”
I told him. “And would you mind? My name's Nolan.”
    His eyes got sort of big. “Yeah? Then why's everyone call you Nerd?”
    “Same reason people call you Ricardo-Retardo. Same reason people call her Pony-girl and him Pee-boy.” I looked from Trinity to Freddy to Randy. “I don't call any of you those names, so stop calling me Nerd.”
    Randy looked across the table at Freddy, then back at me. “Whatever you say…Nerd!”
    He and Freddy busted up.
    Trinity went back to coloring the pony on her folder.
    I got madder than ever.
    I didn't let
them
know that. I kept my anger inside. But instead of staying in my throat like it usually does, it started burning through me. All around inside me. I felt hot. And sharp. Like I would zap people if I touched them.
    I snuck out a finger and touched Randy's sleeve.
    Nothing happened.
    During the flag salute, I watched Bubba out of the corner of my eye.
    He had scissors.
    Miriam had hair.
    I knew what he was thinking.
    I reached down for my backpack. I tried to be smooth. Sly. Cool. I could catch him digitally! I could
nail
him.
    Instead, I stepped on my shoelace and crashedto the ground during “… with liberty and justice for all.”
    My chair went flying.
    Miriam's hair had a chunk missing.
    So did my rear end, where I'd clipped the chair. At least that's what it felt like. It hurt
bad.
    “You okay?” Mr. Green asked.
    “Yeah. Fine,” I lied, sliding back into my chair. “Sorry.”
    “That's all right.” He watched me a second, then called for absences. When that was done, he held up a stack of papers and said, “Fractions time-trials are graded, gang. Some of you have work to do. Some of you,” he looked my way, “ought to be in high school.”
    Randy said, “Nerd,” under his breath.
    I almost said, “Retardo!” back, but I didn't.
    Mr. Green started handing out papers, saying, “You need a seventy-five to go to the next level, gang. Seventy doesn't cut it anymore.”

    He gave back the papers at our table, and before anyone could see mine, I folded it in half.
    Trinity got seventy-five on level 7-a. That's where most kids were. Somewhere on level 7. Randy folded his, too, but I saw the score. Fifty on level 5'd. Freddy said, “Hey! I passed!” and showed everyone his eighty. Level 8-b. Then he looked at me and said, “Get another perfect, Nerd?”
    “My name's Nolan,” I said quietly.
    He ignored me. “What level are you on, anyway?”
    I ignored
him.
But I was dying to know what my score was, so I peeked inside.
    One hundred percent.
    Level 42-e.
    Oh, yeah.
    “You did, didn't you, Nerd,” Freddy said. “I can tell by that stupid look on your face. What level? Twelve?”
    “He's in the forties, Freddy,” Trinity said. “And leave him alone.”
    “Forties? There's no such thing!”
    “Leave him
alone,”
she said again.
    Freddy took another look at his eighty and