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Chapter 3
IreturnedtoschoolandhatedCalpurniasteadilyuntilasuddenshriekshatteredmyresentments.IlookeduptoseeMissCarolinestandinginthemiddleoftheroom,sheerhorrorfloodingherface.Apparentlyshehadrevivedenoughtopersevereinherprofession.
"It’salive!"shescreamed.
Themalepopulationoftheclassrushedasonetoheristance.Lord,Ithought,she’sscaredofamouse.LittleChuckLittle,whosepatiencewithalllivingthingswasphenomenal,said,"Whichwaydidhego,MissCaroline?Telluswherehewent,quick!D.C.—"heturnedtoaboybehindhim—"D.C.,shutthedoorandwe’llcatchhim.Quick,ma’am,where’dhego?"
MissCarolinepointedashakingfingernotatthefloornoratadesk,buttoahulkingindividualunknowntome.LittleChuck’sfacecontractedandhesaidgently,"Youmeanhim,ma’am?Yessum,he’salive.Didhescareyousomeway?"
MissCarolinesaiddesperately,"Iwasjustwalkingbywhenitcrawledoutofhishair...justcrawledoutofhishair—"
LittleChuckgrinnedbroadly."Thereain’tnoneedtofearacootie,ma’am.Ain’tyoueverseenone?Nowdon’tyoubeafraid,youjustgobacktoyourdeskandteachussomemore."
LittleChuckLittlewasanothermemberofthepopulationwhodidn’tknowwherehisnextmealwascomingfrom,buthewasaborngentleman.HeputhishandunderherelbowandledMissCarolinetothefrontoftheroom."Nowdon’tyoufret,ma’am,"hesaid."Thereain’tnoneedtofearacootie.I’lljustfetchyousomecoolwater."
