Super-sized Slugger by Cal Ripken Jr. Page B

three ways the people of sub-Saharan Africa have adapted to their environment?” Cody’s mind was a blank. As he glanced at the clock on the wall, he could feel himself getting more and more nervous. He noticed his legs were jiggling furiously too.
    When the final bell rang at 2:30, he weaved through the crowded hallways to his locker, then joined the rest of the kids pouring out the front doors into the bright sunshine. But instead of veering off to catch his bus as he usually did, he crossed the street and headed for the grassy knoll on the other side.
    Up ahead, he saw a knot of kids chattering away excitedly as they said good-bye to friends before beginning the walk home. Cody’s school bus passed here every afternoon, and he knew this was the route Dante took too, often accompanied by one or two of his thuggish friends.
    Seconds later, he spotted Dante, with his head down, checking his cell phone. Technically, you weren’t allowed to use your cell anywhere on school property. But Cody knew the big guy didn’t worry about little things like rules and regulations.
    When Dante looked up and saw Cody walking toward him, he seemed surprised. Then he flashed his trademark sneer.
    â€œFat boy!” he said. “What are you doing here? And where’s your bodyguard? You give her the day off?”
    The two older kids with Dante laughed nervously. Cody sensed they seemed unsure of exactly what their leader was referring to but apparently felt obligated to react to his sarcasm.
    â€œYou’re even dumber than I thought, coming over here,” Dante continued, his voice louder now. Hearing this, a few of the kids who had been walking up ahead turned around, sensing some sort of trouble that might turn into their afternoon entertainment.
    Slowly, Dante peeled off his backpack and flung it dramatically to the ground. “I’ve been waiting for this,” he said, balling his fists and taking a step forward.
    Cody’s heart was racing. His hands were sweating. He took a deep breath.
    â€œShowtime,” he whispered to himself.
    What happened next felt like one long blur.
    â€œAAAGGGHHH!” he shouted at the top of his lungs, running at Dante and getting inches from his face.
    Then Cody began jerking his head back and forth and wagging his tongue and rolling his eyeballs. He threw himself to the ground, grunting and spinning in circles like a break-dancer before popping to his feet and hissing loudly.
    Dante backed up, a look of confusion on his face. His two buddies watched, bug-eyed.
    â€œPorker,” Dante said, “just what do you think you’re do—”
    Next Cody started drooling and stamping his feet to go along with the rest of his contortions.
    â€œThrow in a bark or two,” his dad had said. So Cody barked and howled like some kind of unholy hound from the netherworld. Then he bared his teeth and raised his fingers like claws and growled ferociously.
    I’ll either win an Academy Award for this or get flattened in the next three seconds, he thought.
    â€œWhoa!” he heard someone in the background say. And now the entire knot of kids seemed to gasp and take a step back.
    Dante stood there, frozen. He stared ashen-faced at Cody for what seemed like thirty seconds. Then he slowly reached down and began feeling around for his backpack, his eyes never leaving Cody.
    â€œOhhh-kay, Parker,” he said softly. “I have to go now. Why don’t you just—?”
    â€œGRRRRR!” Cody growled, giving him one more for good measure.
    Dante jumped as if he’d just been shocked. He grabbed his backpack, stood up, and backed away. When he was about six feet away, he turned and ran, sprinting up the hill with his two henchmen in tow, the three of them glancing nervously over their shoulders.
    Seeing that the show was over, the rest of the kids began drifting away. Cody slumped against a tree, trying to catch his breath. His heart was hammering