Math Test Mischief

By Verity Weaver and Courtney Huddleston

It's April Fools' Day at Harwington Middle School. The eighth graders are on guard for mischief, waiting to see who can top last year's classic white-toothpaste-filled-Oreos prank. But fake cockroaches are one thing. Missing math tests—and the threat of having to retake the test the following day-are something else.

Who could have stolen those tests? Was it a slacker trying to force a retest? Or a lovesick boy hoping to protect a crush from a bad grade? How about a jealous teammate trying to frame the competition? Unless it was the prankster of all pranksters, trying to outdo himself in his last year of middle school. . . .

Crack open a What Happened? book to investigate a preposterous mystery from four different perspectives. See what the witnesses get right . . . and what they get hilariously wrong. Bet you’ll never guess what really happened!

• Language: English
• Publisher: North Star Editions
• Release date: Sep 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781631633133

Book preview

Math Test Mischief © 2020 by North Star Editions, Mendota Heights, MN 55120. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, including internet usage, without written permission from the copyright owner, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Book design by Jake Slavik

Illustrations by Courtney Huddleston

Design Elements: Shutterstock Images

Published in the United States by Jolly Fish Press, an imprint of North Star Editions, Inc.

First Edition

First Printing, 2019

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Weaver, Verity, author. | Huddleston, Courtney, illustrator.

Title: Math test mischief / by Verity Weaver ; illustrated by Courtney Huddleston.

Description: First edition. | Mendota Heights, MN : Jolly Fish Press, [2020] | Summary: Every test from Miss Palermo’s first period math class is missing, and the students each have their own theory as to what happened—Provided by publisher. 

Identifiers: LCCN 2019001869 (print) | LCCN 2019004536 (ebook) | ISBN 9781631633133 (ebook) | ISBN 9781631633126 (pbk.) | ISBN 9781631633119 (hardcover)

Subjects: | CYAC: Examinations—Fiction. | Lost and found possessions—Fiction. | Schools—Fiction. | LCGFT: Fiction.

Classification: LCC PZ7.1.W41777 (ebook) | LCC PZ7.1.W41777 Mat 2019 (print) | DDC [Fic]—dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019001869

Jolly Fish Press

North Star Editions, Inc.

2297 Waters Drive

Mendota Heights, MN 55120

www.jollyfishpress.com

Printed in the United States of America

Chapter 1

Pranks

and

Problems

Monday, April 1, 7:25 a.m.

April 1 was the most hazardous day of the school year at Harwington Middle School and by far Mei’s least favorite date on the calendar. She’d have willingly accepted a cough and stuffed-up nose to stay home in bed. Yet here she was, walking in the school’s front door.

Mei! Mei, check this out! Amir called from the other side of the lobby.

"Aiya," Mei muttered under her breath. She walked faster, pretending she hadn’t heard him. Amir had some dumb prank or joke ready every day. The pranks got bigger and more obnoxious on April Fools’ Day. Mei wanted to skip whatever hilarious gag he had waiting for her. If she could just make it to Miss Palermo’s math classroom, the teacher’s presence might save her.

Amir took a running leap, landing loudly as his sneakers slapped the tile floor right in front of her. He spread his arms wide, veering left as she tried to dodge him on that side. But that was a fake. Mei spun right, shooting past Amir and down the hall. It was the same move she used to beat defenders on the lacrosse field. Worked every time.

You’re missing out! Amir called after her.

So immature, Mei grumbled as she continued on her way to homeroom. There must be a rule against pranks in the Student Code of Conduct. If there wasn’t, there should be. She made a mental note to check.

Amir turned and scouted the lobby for someone more appreciative of his talents. His eyes landed on Trinidad’s bouncy curls. Trinidad herself wasn’t visible over the head of whoever she was talking to, but her hair had a good couple inches on the rest of her. If that weren’t enough of a giveaway, there was also her cute best friend, Claudia, standing nearby. He made his way toward them, dodging people heading to class and other pranksters on the way.

Happy April Fools’ Day! he shouted when he reached the girls, giving them a toothy grin.

Claudia frowned. "You don’t wish people a happy April Fools’ Day, Amir. That’s not a thing. Not like someone’s birthday, or New Year’s Day, or even Valentine’s Day."

Trinidad saw her best friend’s lips press into a thin line and was sure she knew the words Claudia would say if they weren’t too rude: "Go away."

Poor Amir! He really seemed to like Claudia, and Claudia just didn’t like him back. He was cute enough, with warm, brown skin and large, happy eyes. If he’d quit the jokes he’d be all right. But he didn’t. Ever.

It made the situation awkward. Claudia didn’t give Amir any openings, so he talked to Trinidad as an excuse to hang around Claudia. But today, Trinidad really wanted to talk to Niles. He’d organized a group to go to the movies last Friday night and had asked Trinidad to sit next to him. The outing had ended up being a disaster. Still, she could smooth things over, but not if Niles thought Trinidad was interested in Amir. What a mess.

Happy April Fools’ Day, Amir, Trinidad said kindly. She turned back to the conversation she’d been having with Niles.

But Amir didn’t take the hint. I’ve got this great trick to show you, he said.

Oblivious, Trinidad thought, but she smiled, unable to be rude even if Amir’s jokes drove her best friend nuts and risked messing up things with super-cute Niles. Just that little bit of encouragement made Amir’s grin grow so big his eyes got squinty.

A trick? Let’s see it then, Niles said. He’d had been chatting up Trinidad, trying to make up for the colossal dunce he’d made of himself at the cinema, when Amir interrupted. As Niles turned to face Amir, he slid closer to Trinidad. Really close, almost knocking elbows. He hoped Amir would buzz off. And that Trinidad wasn’t about to shove him away. After the mess last Friday, he couldn’t take another monumental embarrassment.

Watch closely. Amir loved an audience. He played up his preparations, cracking his knuckles, even stretching his neck to one side, then the other. He shook his hands loose and said, Okay, I’m ready.

He twisted his right arm with his left hand.

But something went terribly wrong.

He shouted, Ouch! and his wrist went limp. His eyes grew so wide the whites showed all the way around his pupils. The enormous crack of his wrist breaking startled several other students chatting around them. His gasp of pain drew more eyes. Soon everyone was staring.

Oh, oh, oh, Trinidad cooed, her hands going out to Amir’s wrist, which was bent at a painful-looking angle. Her hands hung there on either side of the injury.