Super Burp! #1

by Krulik, Nancy;Blecha, Aaron

  Louie smiled and took a bow.

  “Great job, Louie,” Mrs. Kelly said. “You’re becoming quite a good guitarist.”

  As Louie walked back to his chair, Mrs. Kelly looked over at George. “Would you like to go next?” she asked.

  George put on his magician’s top hat, and strode confidently to the front of the room, holding his egg carton in his hands.

  Louie sat at his desk with his arms folded across his chest. He stared straight at George with a look on his face that said, “I bet this is going to be really dumb.”

  Well, George was going to show him!

  “I’m not George today,” he told the class. “I’m the Great Georgini! And I’m going to perform a magic trick that will astound and amaze you.”

  As he spoke, George secretly dropped a mound of salt on Mrs. Kelly’s desk, making sure no one noticed what he was doing. He quickly covered the salt with a white cloth, just like the instructions had said to do.

  Then he opened a small carton of six white eggs.

  “Here are six ordinary eggs,” the Great Georgini continued. “There’s nothing magical about them. At least not until I use magic. When I say the magic word, the eggs will stand up all by themselves!”

  George looked out at the class. Everyone was paying attention. Except for Louie, they all seemed really into the trick.

  George placed an egg onto the white cloth and said, “Now everybody repeat after me—Abracadabra, zing, zang, zong!”

  “Abracadabra, zing, zang, zong!” the class shouted back.

  George slowly let go of the egg. “Tada!” he exclaimed.

  Sure enough, the egg didn’t roll over. It stood there on its own. Then George repeated with the other eggs. All six looked like they were standing up straight. They were really being held up by the pile of salt under the cloth, but the kids didn’t know that.

  “That’s pretty awesome!” Julianna exclaimed.

  “Not bad,” Alex agreed.

  “Magical,” Sage added.

  “How clever to do a magic trick. Bravo, George,” Mrs. Kelly said with her big, gummy smile. “You have to follow directions perfectly to pull off a magic trick.”

  George smiled proudly. He was about to take his bow, when suddenly he got a dizzy feeling in his head and a fizzy feeling in the pit of his stomach. It felt like he’d just gulped down a huge root beer float—with a double scoop of chocolate ice cream.

  Uh-oh.

  The fizzy feeling was bing-bonging in his belly, and ping-ponging its way up into his chest. Just like it had the night before at the ice cream parlor.

  Oh no! What was happening?

  The kids were all staring at him. He opened his mouth. But all that came out was . . .

  Mrs. Kelly gasped. This was no ordinary burp. This was a supercolossal burp that blew papers off his teacher’s desk. The kind of burp you could probably hear all the way from the moon!

  Quickly, George started to cover his mouth. He wanted to say excuse me. But that’s not what he did. Not at all.

  Instead, George’s hands began acting up again. Just like last night! They picked up the six eggs, and began to juggle. That would have been really cool—except for one thing. George had no idea how to juggle.

  Crack. Splat. Yuck!

  One by one, the eggs smashed onto the floor in a gooey mess. George frowned. Boy, it had really been a mistake not to hard-boil them the way the magic book said.

  George knew that what he should do right now was clean up the mess as fast as possible. But his feet seemed to have other ideas. They wanted to skid across the floor on the trail of egg slime. So that was what George did . . . wheee! Then he turned around, opened his arms wide, and took a bow.

  The kids were all clapping wildly. But Mrs. Kelly wasn’t.

  Whoosh. Suddenly George felt a huge bubble pop inside his stomach. All the air rushed right out of him. And so did all the silliness.

  George wanted to say, “Whoops. I didn’t mean to do that.” So he opened his mouth and . . . those were exactly the words that came out of his mouth.

  George looked at his teacher’s face. He had seen that look lots of times. George was in big trouble, again.

  Chapter 8

  “I’ve heard about this boy,” Mr. Coleman, the school janitor, said to Mrs. Kelly as he walked into the classroom with his mop and pail. “He’s the one who caused that ruckus in the cafeteria.”

  George hadn’t done anything wrong in the cafeteria. He’d just sneezed. But there was no point in arguing. He was in enough trouble already.

  “Here,” Mr. Coleman said to George. He shoved the mop into George’s hands. “You made the mess. You clean up the mess.”

  “Yes, sir,” he said. George began moving the wet mop over the gooey raw egg goop.

  Swish. Swish. Swish. The sound of the moving mop was pretty much all George heard. It was very quiet in the room. The rest of the class had already gone to lunch. It was just George, Mr. Coleman, and Mrs. Kelly. Two adults to one kid.

  “George, I understand that it’s very hard to come into a new school, especially after the school year has started,” Mrs. Kelly told him. “And I can tell you’re a bright boy. But clowning around is not a good way to get to know everyone. You need to try and use some self-control.”

  George wanted to tell his teacher that he’d been trying really hard to control himself. The whole egg thing hadn’t been in his control. After the burp, it was like something had just taken over him. But how do you explain something like that to a teacher? Especially when George couldn’t even explain it to himself.

  Grumble. Rumble. George heard his stomach rumble. But he understood that he wasn’t going to lunch until every drop of egg slime was cleaned up.

  What George didn’t understand was what had made him try to juggle the eggs. He hadn’t planned on it. It wasn’t part of the trick. It had just happened. He’d let out that giant burp, and then everything went out of control. Just like it had at Ernie’s Ice Cream Emporium the night before.

  George thought back to the night before. He’d seen the shooting star, made that wish about wanting to make kids laugh, and then along came the super burp and suddenly he was clowning around like crazy . . .

  George smacked his forehead. That was it! His wish had come true. But it had also gone wrong . . . The part about not getting into trouble hadn’t come true at all. It was like that part of the wish had been cut off or something.

  George had wanted to be the one deciding when to fool around. But he wasn’t. It was all up to the super burp!

  That big, giant burp made him do stuff he didn’t want to do. Goofy things. Bad stuff. Stuff that got George in trouble.

  It was no ordinary burp. It was a magic super burp. And it was ba-a-ad.

  George was really starving by the time the floor was cleaned up. He knew he had to hurry if he was going to get to the cafeteria in time for lunch.

  There was only one problem. George couldn’t remember where the cafeteria was. Julianna had taken him there yesterday because she was his buddy. But today he was on his own. And he was totally lost.

  Then George smelled something—the familiar scent of spoiled milk, boiled hot dogs, and Jell-O. The smell of school lunch! All George had to do was follow his nose and he’d be in the cafeteria in no time.

  Chapter 9

  That afternoon after school, George hung out by himself. Again. But at least he had his skateboard—and his new skateboard ramp. His dad had built it for him near the loading dock behind his mom’s store. The ramp led into an empty alleyway with no traffic. George could skate there as much as he wanted. It was perfect.

  George tried to focus all of his attention on his skateboarding. He was good at controlling his moves on the board. A lot better than he was at controlling the super burp, anyway. That thing had a mind of its own.

  George pushed any thoughts of that stupid burp out of his head, and continued working on his ollie. The idea was to pop the skateboard up in the air and t
hen land smoothly on the ground. George was determined to become Grand Master of the Ollie.

  George stood at the top of his steep ramp. He pushed off, and then soared down the slope of the alleyway. Once he was going pretty fast, he put his back foot on the tail of his board and pushed down. At the same time, he slid his other foot forward. And then . . .

  Wheee! George and the skateboard flew up into the air. It stayed there for a second. George felt like he was flying.

  A moment later, the board landed on the ground, and George rolled down the alleyway, with his legs crouched, his arms spread for balance, and his mouth smiling.

  “Yes!” George exclaimed. He pumped his fist into the air.

  “Hey, that was cool!”

  George turned around, surprised.

  “You’re pretty good,” the kid said. He had short, blond hair and was wearing a T-shirt with a bolt of lightning on the front.

  George stared at him. Pretty good? That had been a perfect ollie. A work of art.

  “I’m also learning to do a 180-degree ollie,” George told him. “The whole skateboard turns right around in midair.”

  “Cool,” the kid said. “You looked like you were flashing across the sky. Like a bolt of lightning.”

  George smiled. “Thanks.”

  “Or the Green Lantern, or the Human Fly,” the kid continued. “I’m Chris. I was on my way to the comic book store on the corner. I heard the noise back here.”

  “I’m George,” George replied. “I’m new here.”

  “Yeah. I know.”

  George frowned. Had this kid already heard about the eggs-perience in the classroom? Or the table dancing at Ernie’s? Or blowing snot on Louie’s lunch?

  But Chris didn’t bring up any of those things. Instead, he just said, “I’m in Mrs. Miller’s fourth-grade class.”

  “I have Mrs. Kelly,” George said.

  “So, how do you like the school?” Chris asked.

  George shrugged. “I guess Edith B. Boogerman Elementary School’s okay.”

  Chris laughed. “Boogerman. That’s funny.”

  George looked at Chris strangely. He couldn’t believe no one had ever called it that before. It was such an easy joke!

  George smiled. This Chris kid seemed pretty nice. And he thought George was funny. Best of all, they went to the same school and were in the same grade. If Chris stuck around for a while longer, this could officially count as hanging out with somebody.

  Chapter 10

  Chris lived just a block away from George. So the next morning, George and Chris walked to school together.

  Chris told George about a comic book he was writing. “I made up this superhero called Toiletman. His secret weapon is a toilet plunger. And he carries a roll of magic toilet paper to tie up the bad guys.”

  “Sounds good,” George said.

  Then he smiled. “Do you know what one toilet said to the other toilet?”

  “What?” Chris asked.

  “You look a little flushed.” George laughed at his own joke.

  Chris laughed, too. “Hey, can I use that in my comic book?”

  “Sure,” George said. “Maybe I can help with your comic. I know lots of jokes.”

  The boys had just reached the schoolyard when they saw Alex.

  George waved to him. Then he flipped up his skateboard with one foot and grabbed it with his hand.

  George was proud of his board. It was red and black with a really spooky painting of a bat skeleton in the middle.

  “That’s the coolest board I’ve ever seen,” Alex said.

  “Thanks,” George said. “You can try it if you want.”

  “I’ve seen him on his skateboard,” Chris told Alex. “He’s amazing.”

  George smiled.

  Just then, Louie walked over. “You guys want to play killer ball before school?” he asked Chris and Alex.

  Alex shook his head. “Later maybe,” he told Louie. “I want to try out George’s skateboard.”

  “I bet you can’t even ride that thing,” Louie said to George.

  George just smiled. He didn’t have to prove he could skateboard. He knew he could.

  Just then the bell rang. It was time to go inside.

  “Saved by the bell, huh, New Kid?” Louie said.

  George pretended not to hear Louie. He picked up his skateboard and walked into the school building.

  I’ll show you, George thought to himself.

  Just not right this minute.

  Chapter 11

  “We have gym class after this,” Alex whispered to George as the class worked on their math sheets that morning. “I hope Mr. Trainer’s back.”

  “Me too,” George whispered. Otherwise he’d have to do-si-do and promenade again. That hadn’t gone so well the first time.

  They both stopped talking and went back to their math sheets because Mrs. Kelly was going around the room checking the kids’ work. She was only one row away.

  Suddenly, George felt a little bubble inside—kind of like he was going to burp. “Here comes Mrs. Smelly,” he said.

  Oops. The words had just popped out of his mouth. He hadn’t meant to say them. Although the name fit. Mrs. Kelly’s perfume was really smelly.

  Now the bubbles started to ping-pong around. All on their own. George’s eyes crossed and his tongue hung out.

  “That perfume is gonna make me pass out.”

  Oh no! Those words had come out all on their own, too. And the bubbles were getting stronger.

  George held his breath, trying to force the burp down. But Alex had heard everything and was laughing. Mrs. Kelly seemed to know it was George who had made Alex laugh.

  Please, not now. No magic burp, George thought to himself.

  “Alex! George!” Mrs. Kelly scolded. She was not smiling her gummy smile now. “I had no idea double-digit multiplication was that funny. Do you want to share the joke with the rest of the class?”

  Alex stopped laughing really fast. “No,” he told her. “Sorry.”

  George just kept holding his breath. He shook his head, but didn’t open his mouth. Then, a second later, he felt as if a bubble gum bubble went pop! inside him. Yessss! George had squelched the belch!

  In the gym, a huge black-and-white soccer ball came rolling toward George. It was just like a regular soccer ball, only huge. Like a soccer ball for giants. It was the biggest ball George had ever seen.

  A tall, skinny man with dark brown hair and a moustache was behind the rolling ball. He was wearing shorts and had a whistle around his neck. George figured he had to be Mr. Trainer, the gym teacher.

  “We’re playing crab soccer,” Julianna explained. “It’s just like regular soccer, except you sit down while you’re playing.”

  Julianna sat down with her feet flat on the floor. She placed her hands on the floor with her fingers facing outward. Then she lifted her body and began to walk on her hands and feet.

  George laughed. She did sort of look like a crab.

  “Now you try it,” Julianna urged George.

  George tried to copy what Julianna was doing. But it wasn’t so easy moving his hands and feet at the same time. He wasn’t going nearly as fast as Julianna was.

  “Our team is trying to get the ball in the goal over there,” Julianna said. She pointed across the gym.

  Mr. Trainer blew his whistle. The kids all began crab crawling around the floor.

  Alex kicked the ball really hard. It was headed right for the goal. But Louie was a quick crab. He blocked the ball, and kicked it back toward the other side of the gym.

  “Go Louie!” Max shouted.

  “Nice save!” Mike cheered.

  George scrambled to get in front of the ball so he could kick it away. But then it happened. Again. Something started to bubble up in George’s belly. It was stronger than it had been in math class.

  The bubbles were already ping-ponging around in his stomach and threatening to move up into his chest. He’d done it once before. Now he had
to do it again. He had to beat the burp!

  Quickly, George shut his lips tight, trying to lock the bubbles in and then he flipped over and did a handstand against the wall. The bubbles were still trying to escape. But now George was upside down. If the bubbles moved up, they’d go into his feet. There was no way out from there!

  “Young man!” Mr. Trainer cried out. “What are you doing?”

  George didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t exactly tell his gym teacher that he was trying to squelch a belch!

  “George! Watch out!” Julianna shouted suddenly.

  Upside down, George saw the huge soccer ball careening across the gym floor.

  It was coming straight at George’s head!

  Quickly, George flipped over. He landed on his rear end and then kicked the oncoming ball as hard as he could.

  Bam! The giant crab soccer ball went soaring across the room.

  “Goal!” Mr. Trainer shouted.

  “Awesome kick!” Julianna said.

  Out of the corner of his eye, George could see Louie. He looked really mad. George had a feeling he was the one who had kicked the ball right at his head.

  But that didn’t really matter to George. Neither did how far he’d kicked the giant crab soccer ball. Or that his team was ahead.

  George was just happy he’d won out over the super burp.

  At least for now.

  Chapter 12

  At lunch, George sat with Chris, Alex, and Julianna. They were pretty nice kids. And not once, for the rest of the day, did George feel even one bubble in his belly. All through recess and art class he felt 100 percent like an ordinary kid.