Chapter Three
Calvin yawned a yawn so big that even Hobbes couldn't match it and was about to glance out the window when he was scolded, "Calvin! Pay attention. Don't you want to get good grades for once?"
He sighed then looked back at his teacher, Susie Derkins. It was a perfect day for throwing rotten apples at girls and he was stuck inside playing school with Susie. The world outside was filled with whirling red and yellow leaves that seemed to call to him; beckoning him to the autumn. He could envision himself walking through the forest with Hobbes and maybe Tony. He might find some cool rocks or a pinecone or two to use as missiles. An "ahem" from Susie brought him back to reality. They were in Susie's attic where Susie was painfully trying to teach Calvin some basic sentences in Spanish.
"Okay Calvin. How do you say 'I don't understand?" She asked.
"Uh..." Calvin thought for a moment then responded. "No...uh..no understanda?"
Susie shook her head, dismayed at her pupil. "No. It's 'no compredo'
Calvin looked outside. "Do we have to study today? It's the perfect day for thro- I mean playing in the leaves. Besides, I promised Tony that we would have a G.R.O- I mean we would meet later."
"I thought you didn't want to go to summer school. That was the whole point of you coming over. Remember?! I have other things to do too, you know." Susie crossed her arms and glared impatiently at Calvin.
"Yea, like playing tea party and writing in your diary." Calvin stuck out his tongue.
"I don't have tea parties anymore. And besides, I only write in my diary in the evening."
Calvin's eyes lit up and a smile crossed his face. "Ooooo..we have discovered a very important piece of information Captain. It will be crucial to defeating the aliens from Pluto. It seems that they're plans are-wait, I think our communications are being tapped. Switch to Code Alpha 392 Tiger. The loggers are in the purple HQ."
"Oh no you don't." Susie ran off to her room, guessing what Calvin's 'secret code' meant.
"Zounds! Captain, the enemy has discovered our code and has gone to hide the loggers. Bring out the artillery." Calvin ran over to the chalkboard that Susie had been using a half-hour before to teach Calvin science and grabbed six pieces of chalk. He then galloped down the stairs and into the hallway where her room was located.
"Captain, it seems that the enemy has locked itself inside its indestructible bucker. The only choice is to switch to Plan Focus Friendly." Calvin knocked on the door and said in the sweetest voice he could muster. "Susie, listen, I'm sorry about what happened in the attic. I'll pay attention now."
He could hear footsteps approaching the door and then there was the click of the door unlocking. He smiled evilly. The door opened and Susie's head appeared. "Do you mean it?" She asked warily, suspecting some sort of trick.
"Well.." Calvin paused then whipped out the chalk he had hidden behind his back. "No!" He threw two of the chalk pieces. One piece hit the door, leaving a white mark on the doors yellow paint. The other hit Susie on the hand.
"Ouch!" Susie exclaimed and held her hand with the other. "Calvin! That hurt. I finished tutoring you. Go home."
Calvin, knowing that if Susie stopped tutoring him, he would have no chance to pass, immediately changed his tune. "Please Susie. I won't do that again. I'll pay attention and be the best student ever."
Susie scoffed. "Yea right."
Calvin pleaded. "I mean it. No more chalk, no more daydreaming."
Susie looked up, hoping for some heavenly sign that she shouldn't help Calvin. But none appeared and since she wanted to teach and secretly thought Calvin was a little cute, even though he was a huge, annoying, pine- cone throwing, bothersome jerk almost all of the time. "Fine." She said and, passing Calvin, headed back up the stairs.
Calvin grinned. This pleading stuff actually worked. He was tempted to throw the chalk, just to have fun, but something inside him (he suspected later that it was the miniscule good side of him that had plagued him four years ago when he had duplicated himself) stopped those pieces of white from flying toward the back of the girl who was heading up the stairs. Who was giving him a second chance. He paused. Sure, he had been given many second chances, but somehow this one stuck out. He would have to think about this tonight in his bed and maybe talk to Hobbes.
With a shake of his head, as if trying to shake out the confusing feelings inside of him, Calvin ascended the wooden steps up to the attic.
Calvin yawned a yawn so big that even Hobbes couldn't match it and was about to glance out the window when he was scolded, "Calvin! Pay attention. Don't you want to get good grades for once?"
He sighed then looked back at his teacher, Susie Derkins. It was a perfect day for throwing rotten apples at girls and he was stuck inside playing school with Susie. The world outside was filled with whirling red and yellow leaves that seemed to call to him; beckoning him to the autumn. He could envision himself walking through the forest with Hobbes and maybe Tony. He might find some cool rocks or a pinecone or two to use as missiles. An "ahem" from Susie brought him back to reality. They were in Susie's attic where Susie was painfully trying to teach Calvin some basic sentences in Spanish.
"Okay Calvin. How do you say 'I don't understand?" She asked.
"Uh..." Calvin thought for a moment then responded. "No...uh..no understanda?"
Susie shook her head, dismayed at her pupil. "No. It's 'no compredo'
Calvin looked outside. "Do we have to study today? It's the perfect day for thro- I mean playing in the leaves. Besides, I promised Tony that we would have a G.R.O- I mean we would meet later."
"I thought you didn't want to go to summer school. That was the whole point of you coming over. Remember?! I have other things to do too, you know." Susie crossed her arms and glared impatiently at Calvin.
"Yea, like playing tea party and writing in your diary." Calvin stuck out his tongue.
"I don't have tea parties anymore. And besides, I only write in my diary in the evening."
Calvin's eyes lit up and a smile crossed his face. "Ooooo..we have discovered a very important piece of information Captain. It will be crucial to defeating the aliens from Pluto. It seems that they're plans are-wait, I think our communications are being tapped. Switch to Code Alpha 392 Tiger. The loggers are in the purple HQ."
"Oh no you don't." Susie ran off to her room, guessing what Calvin's 'secret code' meant.
"Zounds! Captain, the enemy has discovered our code and has gone to hide the loggers. Bring out the artillery." Calvin ran over to the chalkboard that Susie had been using a half-hour before to teach Calvin science and grabbed six pieces of chalk. He then galloped down the stairs and into the hallway where her room was located.
"Captain, it seems that the enemy has locked itself inside its indestructible bucker. The only choice is to switch to Plan Focus Friendly." Calvin knocked on the door and said in the sweetest voice he could muster. "Susie, listen, I'm sorry about what happened in the attic. I'll pay attention now."
He could hear footsteps approaching the door and then there was the click of the door unlocking. He smiled evilly. The door opened and Susie's head appeared. "Do you mean it?" She asked warily, suspecting some sort of trick.
"Well.." Calvin paused then whipped out the chalk he had hidden behind his back. "No!" He threw two of the chalk pieces. One piece hit the door, leaving a white mark on the doors yellow paint. The other hit Susie on the hand.
"Ouch!" Susie exclaimed and held her hand with the other. "Calvin! That hurt. I finished tutoring you. Go home."
Calvin, knowing that if Susie stopped tutoring him, he would have no chance to pass, immediately changed his tune. "Please Susie. I won't do that again. I'll pay attention and be the best student ever."
Susie scoffed. "Yea right."
Calvin pleaded. "I mean it. No more chalk, no more daydreaming."
Susie looked up, hoping for some heavenly sign that she shouldn't help Calvin. But none appeared and since she wanted to teach and secretly thought Calvin was a little cute, even though he was a huge, annoying, pine- cone throwing, bothersome jerk almost all of the time. "Fine." She said and, passing Calvin, headed back up the stairs.
Calvin grinned. This pleading stuff actually worked. He was tempted to throw the chalk, just to have fun, but something inside him (he suspected later that it was the miniscule good side of him that had plagued him four years ago when he had duplicated himself) stopped those pieces of white from flying toward the back of the girl who was heading up the stairs. Who was giving him a second chance. He paused. Sure, he had been given many second chances, but somehow this one stuck out. He would have to think about this tonight in his bed and maybe talk to Hobbes.
With a shake of his head, as if trying to shake out the confusing feelings inside of him, Calvin ascended the wooden steps up to the attic.