5

The next day was clear of clouds but still as cold as ever. Students wore jackets to school, and a few even brought scarves. People in the street pulled down their hats and shoved their hands deep in their pockets, trying to avoid the last winter chill.

Ah, the buzz of my students early in the morning! Mr. Simmons thought as he neared the classroom. There's nothing I like more than children, ready and eager to learn! He removed his jacket before he went in.

"Hello…class?" He blinked in disbelief. Yes, this was his class, but there was something different about them today.

Phoebe rocked in a corner of the room. "So…slimy. So…vile…" She murmured. "The chicken on my hand…"

"Chicken?" Asked Curly.

"Argh!" The petite girl shrieked. "Where? Get it away! I never want to see barnyard fowl again, dead or alive!"

"I never want to see Gerald's brother again!" Sid snarled. "I've got rug burns all over my body from that maniac! I swear he made up that Flying Mare move!"

"Uh-uh." Gerald shook his head. "It's real."

Harold hunched over a book in the back. "If a curve is continuous, crosses over the x-axis at two points, and has a tangent at every point between the two intercepts, its tangent is parallel to the x-axis at some point between the intercepts. That's Godel's theorem, right? Right?"

"Actually that's Rolle's theorem, Harold." Said Mr. Simmons. "But good try."

"I had loads of fun at Nadine's house!" Said Eugene in his sunshiny voice. "Except for when I knocked over your bees, but your mom had first aid, and she was able to…"

"My bees!" Shouted Nadine, jumping up. "You knocked over my bees! Eugene Horowitz, I'm gonna…"

"My," Interrupted Mr. Simmons. "We've sure had interesting experiences and it's only been one day! Wait a minute," He began to count heads. "Where's…"

The door swung open. "Lila!" The class gasped. The redhead's braids were gone and she looked as mad as a hornet.

Mr. Simmons broke the silence. "Lila, what a, um, special haircut. Class, doesn't Lila look special?" The teacher puffed out his cheeks, trying not to laugh.

"Looks spanking!" Curly called out.

"You!" She pointed to Curly. "You and your family did this to me! I'll get you!" She lunged at the boy and wrapped her fingers around his neck, trying to choke him.

"Get her off me!"

"Lila stop!" Mr. Simmons called, jumping off his desk. Harold, Arnold and Stinky tried to pull the girl away, but she held fast. "Lila, I cannot not tolerate this kind of behavior!" Mr. Simmons said. "Now…please…let…go!" All five went tumbling backwards onto the floor.

The teacher breathed a sigh of relief. "Much better. Now Lila, I think you need to spend some time talking to Principal Wartz."

Lila pouted her lip. "But I'm oh so sorry!" Mr. Simmons just shook his head and pointed to the door. With a heavy sigh, the girl trudged sadly out into the hall.

"Man, Lila spends one day as a Gamelthorp and already she's as nutty as Curly!" Gerald whispered to Arnold. "I hope this means you don't become a pain in the butt like Helga!"

"Hey, leave Helga alone, all right?" Arnold said bitterly.

"What?"

"Just leave her alone." Arnold repeated. "She's got problems, ok?"

"But…"

Arnold took his math homework out of his desk. "Just cool it, Ger." The other boy shrugged and dropped the subject.