He slid into his seat ten minutes after the bell, one of his pant legs caught in his sock, and papers spilling out his backpack. I turned away, embarrassed. Too bad his desk was so close to mine. Mrs. Holloway twisted around from her white board. “Good morning, Ramsay. Glad you could join us. Do you have a late pass?” Ramsay swept the bangs from his eyes. “Uh, no ma’am.” Angela snickered. “Well, I’m afraid you’ll need to go to the office and get one. And hurry back because I’m about to assign reading partners.” Ramsay turned my way as he stood, but I looked away real fast. It made me feel a pinch guilty, as most of the kids ignored him. But there was no way I was giving Ginger any more fuel to add to her fire from last night. “All right now,” Mrs. Holloway said, “where were we? Oh yes, here’s how our first quarter reading assignment will work, boys and girls.
