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y name is Wyatt Palmer. Im fourteen, almost fifteen. I live in Miami, which can be a strange place, although
usually my life is pretty normal. I say usually because a while
back, in middle school, I was involved in this insane class
trip that ended upyou might have heard about thiswith
me breaking the collarbone of the president of the United
States. It wasnt my fault (really) and everything turned out
okay; in fact, I got treated like kind of a hero, even though,
trust me, Im not a hero. Anyway, for a while that was a very
big deal. But after a few months it got to be a smaller deal,
and eventually it wasnt really much of a deal at all.
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there that students are supposed to use for practicing medical stuff like taking blood pressure.
Some entertaining things have gone on in the courtyard.
There was this one legendary incident a few years ago involving the scariest person at Coral Cove: Arlene The Stinger
Metzinger, who is the principal as well as the strictest person
in the solar system. The Stinger is a short but fierce woman
who grew up in New York City and prides herself on not having been born yesterday. Which she definitely was not. Shes
been the principal at Cove since like the Roman Empire.
But for a person of her age she has amazing eyesight. She
can spot violations of the school dress code from seven miles
away. Its like a super power. She patrols the school grounds
every morning, and every minute or so shell point and yell,
HEY! Shell be pointing at some kid way off in the distance who isnt wearing an approved Coral Cove shirt, or
doesnt have an ID badge, or has shorts that are too short, or
whatever.
YOU! The Stinger will yell. COME HERE. The kid
will be like, Who me? And The Stinger will yell, YES, YOU.
Then the kid will trudge over, and The Stinger will give him
or her a detention. She gives out like twenty-five detentions
before school even starts. You never know when shes going
to strike next.
So anyway, according to the legend, one spring morning
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a few years ago The Stinger was patrolling the courtyard, and
she spotted this kid on the second-floor balcony next to the
media center. The kid was leaning with his back against the
railing and wearing a tie-dyed shirt, which is definitely a violation of the Coral Cove dress code.
HEY! yelled The Stinger.
The kid didnt move.
HEY! yelled The Stinger again. ON THE BALCONY.
TURN AROUND. IM TALKING TO YOU.
The kid still didnt move.
The Stinger, looking even madder than usual, started
walking toward the balcony. Many people were watching. It
was pretty obvious the kid was going to get more than one
detention. Probably several detentions, plus the electric chair.
Now The Stinger was under the balcony.
YOU TURN AROUND RIGHT NOW, she yelled.
Still nothing from the kid. The Stinger was right under
him, glaring so hard it was a miracle the kid didnt burst into
flames. Everybody in the courtyard was totally quiet.
Then the kid jumped off the balcony.
A lot of people screamed. Not just girls.
The kid landed on the concrete about two feet in front of
The Stinger, who jumped backward an amazing distance for
a person her age.
Then she and a bunch of other people ran to the kid,
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Suzana Delgado.
Youre a freshman?
Yes.
Welcome to Coral Cove, Suzana Delgado. He made it
sound like it was his personal high school.
Thanks, said Suzana, blushing even redder.
Im Troy, said Troy. He also gifted her with a smile. So
generous, the Bevin brothers.
Hi, said Suzana.
You like animals? Troy said.
Yes, said Suzana.
You should come over to our house sometime. We have
some amazing animals.
Like what?
Exotic animals, said Nick.
Very exotic, said Troy. Way more interesting than a ferret. Mind if I take a look at him?
He didnt wait for an answer. He just reached out and
took Frank from Suzana. Matt started to say something, but
decided not to. Matts entire body is about the size of one of
Troys biceps.
Troy, holding Frank up, looked at Nick. You know whod
love this?
I was thinking the same thing, said Nick. Roxy.
Whos Roxy? said Suzana.
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um, sides, and you, you triangulate them, and the hypotenuse
is one of the, um, factors.
In other words, I said, you have no idea.
Well not now, he said. But I did when I took trigonometry.
He went back to watching SportsCenter.
So you think youre smarter than your teachers? said my
mom. Is that what you think?
No! I just think theyre teaching me stuff I dont need
to know, just because they had to learn it. Which I think is
basically the whole point of high school.
Well you BETTER learn it, said my mom. Because a
D is unacceptable. Right, Eddie? Eddie? Tell him.
Tell him what? said my dad, who was watching a guy
dunk over another guy.
Tell him its unacceptable.
Its unacceptable, said my dad, not taking his eyes off
the TV screen.
Thats me: unacceptable.
Anyway, getting back to my horrible day at Coral Cove:
After Trigonometry I had the one subject that I totally
get the point of: lunch. I eat lunch with pretty much the
same group of kids I hang out with in the morning before
school, which sometimes includes Suzana. But she wasnt
there, so I spent lunchtime listening to Matt saying how
worried he was about his stupid ferret and asking me like
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