Twister on Tuesday

help,” he said.
    â€œNow, Jeb, don’t get mad,” said Miss Neely. “And, Jack, you shouldn’t give people the answers.”
    â€œI’m sorry,” said Jack.
    Miss Neely sighed and pulled out her pocket watch. She was starting to look tired.
    â€œWhy don’t you all go outside and have your noon meal?” she said. “I’ll stay in and prepare for our next lesson.”
    Miss Neely opened the door of the sod hut.
    Annie, Kate, and Will bounced up from their seats and started cheerfully out of the schoolroom.
    Jack turned to Jeb.
    â€œHey, sorry for what happened,” Jack said.
    Jeb just glared at him and didn’t say anything.
    â€œCome on, Jack!” Annie called outside the hut. “Kate wants us to eat with them!”
    Jack hurried out the door. He didn’t look back at Jeb.

The air outside was strangely still. The dark clouds still hovered in the distance.
    â€œStorm’s coming,” said Will.
    â€œWe have to eat quickly, before it starts to rain,” said Kate. She and Will sat down on the grass.
    Annie and Jack sat beside them.
    Will opened a small burlap sack. He took out four lumpy objects. They looked like dark rocks.
    â€œHey, there’s one here for each of us!” said Kate.
    â€œOne
what
?” asked Annie, frowning.
    â€œSweet potatoes!” said Will. He gave a potato each to Kate, Annie, and Jack.
    â€œUm—no thanks,” said Jack, trying to give his back. “We don’t want to take your lunch.”
    â€œWe have enough! Keep it!” said Kate.
    â€œWhat do you do with it?” asked Annie, holding up her potato.
    Kate laughed.
    â€œJust bite!” she said. “Like this—”
    Kate and Will bit into their cold sweet potatoes as if they were apples.
    â€œCool,” said Annie. She took a big bite out of her potato, too.
    But Jack just held on to his. He didn’t quite feel like eating the cold, brown potato.
    Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jeb sitting by himself. The big kid didn’t seem to have any lunch at all.
    Jack thought he’d try to be friends one more time.
    â€œHey, Jeb,” he called out. “I’m not hungry. You want my sweet potato?”

    Jeb gave Jack a mean look.
    â€œI could have brought my own lunch if I wanted to eat,” he said.
    â€œOh, sure,” said Jack.
    Jeb narrowed his eyes.
    â€œYou making fun again?” he said. “I’m warning you. Do that one more time, and I’ll fight you.”
    Jack couldn’t believe it. This kid took everything he said the wrong way!
    â€œHey!” Annie said. “Leave my brother alone. You’re nothing but a bully, Jeb.”
    â€œAnnie, stay out of this,” said Jack.
    But Jeb just laughed. Then he stood up and walked back into the schoolhouse.
    Jack felt angry. He hoped they would find the special writing soon so they could leave.
    Will seemed to have read Jack’s mind.
    â€œDon’t worry about him,” Will said to Jack. “He’s never been to school before.”
    â€œOh, so he’s embarrassed,” said Annie.
    â€œWhy hasn’t he been to school?” said Jack.
    â€œBecause he has to work in the fields all the time,” said Will.
    â€œI heard him tell Miss Neely he walked five miles to get here today,” Kate said. “So he must have really wanted to come.”
    â€œWow,” said Annie. “How far did you and Will walk?”
    â€œOnly two,” said Kate.
    â€œTwo what?” asked Annie.
    â€œMiles,” said Kate.
    â€œTwo miles,” Jack repeated.
    The prairie kids nodded.
    â€œIt must be lonely living out here,” Annie said.
    Will and Kate nodded again.
    â€œDo you live in a sod house?” Jack asked.
    â€œWe used to,” said Will. “But it was always dirty. So our pa built us a log cabin.”
    â€œHe cut trees near the creek,” said Kate. “Then he made the cabin by hand.”
    Before Annie or Jack could ask another question, thunder cracked in the sky. Then rain started to fall. It fell fast and hard.
    Everyone jumped up.
    â€œCome in! Come in!” Miss Neely called from the doorway.
    They ran back inside. The wind slammed the door behind them with a BANG.

Inside the lamplit hut, it was dry and cozy.
    Jack sat back on his bench. He didn’t dare look at Jeb.
    â€œIt’s time for our writing lesson now,” Miss Neely said. “I’m