Stuart Goes to School

by Sara Pennypacker

  Just then, Olivia stuck her legs across the aisle.

  “My legs are exactly the right length,” she said. “But

  if I had longer hair I could wear more barrettes.

  So tomorrow you can draw me with longer hair,

  right down to my ankles. That would be a different

  thing.”

  Stuart sighed. It was hard to have to keep saying no.

  “I’m sorry. Every day the different thing that happens is

  a surprise to me. I never know what it will be, and I

  don’t get to choose.” He turned his head to the win-

  dow. Nacho and Olivia wouldn’t want to talk to him

  anymore.

  Nacho tugged on his cape again. “I get it. It’s like

  the ties in your cape. Each one is different.”

  Stuart hadn’t thought of this. Nacho was right.

  Olivia leaned over and whacked him with her pocket-

  book.

  “I like surprises,” she said. “Surprises are presents.”

  Olivia was right, too.

  Olivia and Nacho stood up to leave at the bus stop

  before Stuart’s.

  “Tomorrow is Saturday,” Nacho said. “We’ll come

  over early.”

  “Right,” Olivia agreed. “So we don’t miss any-

  thing.”

  When Stuart jumped off the bus, his cape streamed

  around him in a gigantic grin.

  praise

  for

  STUART’S CAPE

  “A sure-fire winner.”

  —

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