My career has taken some strange detours. Yet here I am, surrounded by the worst class I’ve ever had in every way but one—the fact that they’re the best class I’ve ever had. Somehow, it feels like I’m exactly where I was meant to be, doing exactly what I was meant to do.
Teaching the Unteachables.
Thirty-Two
Kiana Roubini
My mother is going to be a movie star.
Well, not exactly. I guess she’s a pretty good actress, though. As soon as her movie wraps in Utah, she gets offered a part in this other film that’s shooting next month in British Columbia. This one has a big budget, so it’s a great career move. It also means the studio is willing to hire me a tutor so I can go live with Mom while she’s on location.
I hope she isn’t too upset when I tell her thanks but no thanks.
I actually kind of surprise myself with that answer, considering how anxious I’ve been to blow this Popsicle stand. And believe me, it’s not—repeat, not—because Aldo asked me to the Fall Ball, which is this big dance they throw before Thanksgiving break. I’m never going to be the kind of girl who drops everything and changes all her plans because of some guy. Stepmonster did that—she left Chicago to come to Greenwich to marry Dad, and she still regrets it. Not the marrying-Dad part; but she’s always complaining that you can’t get decent pizza around here.
I know this is pretty unexpected, me being temporary and all. But that’s the life of a short-timer. You are one until you aren’t anymore. You start putting down roots. I’ve got friends, and a baby brother who’ll be taking his first steps in the next few months. Besides, Stepmonster finally got around to registering me at school, so I probably owe it to her to hang around for a while.
A few days later, Mom calls from the Vancouver airport to see if I’ve changed my mind. Shooting starts in three more days, so this is the last chance for the studio to bring in a tutor.
“That’s okay,” I tell her. “I’ve decided to finish out the year here. Besides,” I add, smiling to myself, “you don’t hire a tutor for an Unteachable like me.”
About the Author
GORDON KORMAN published his first book at age fourteen and since then has written more than ninety middle grade and teen novels. Favorites include the New York Times bestselling Ungifted, Supergifted, Pop, and the Masterminds series. Gordon lives with his family on Long Island, New York. You can visit him online at www.gordonkorman.com.
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Books by Gordon Korman
Pop
Ungifted
Masterminds
Masterminds: Criminal Destiny
Masterminds: Payback
Supergifted
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Copyright
Balzer + Bray is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
THE UNTEACHABLES. Copyright © 2019 by Gordon Korman. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
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COVER ART © 2019 BY DAVID MILES
COVER DESIGN BY SARAH NICHOLE KAUFMAN
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2018938414
Digital Edition JANUARY 2019 ISBN: 978-0-06-256391-0
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-256388-0 (trade bdg.)
ISBN 978-0-06-256389-7 (lib. bdg.)
* * *
1819202122CG/LSCH 10987654321
FIRST EDITION
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The Unteachables Page 17
