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But he was too scared to mention that to Mrs. Jewls. He was afraid to correct a teacher.
“Why don’t you tell the class a little bit about yourself, Mark?” suggested Mrs. Jewls.
Benjamin didn’t know what to say. He wished he really was Mark Miller. Mark Miller wouldn’t be scared, he thought. He’d probably have lots to say. Everyone would like him. Nobody would think Mark Miller was weird.
“Well, I guess we’d better find you a place to sit,” said Mrs. Jewls.
She put him at the empty desk between Todd and Bebe.
“Hi, Mark,” said Todd. “I’m Todd. You’ll like Mrs. Jewls. She’s the nicest teacher in the school.”
“Todd, no talking,” said Mrs. Jewls. “Go write your name on the blackboard under the word DISCIPLINE.”
“Hi, Mark,” said Bebe. “I’m Bebe Gunn.”
“Hi,” Benjamin said quietly.
He decided he’d have to tell Mrs. Jewls his real name at recess. He cringed. He didn’t know why, but for some reason he had trouble saying his own name.
“And what’s your name, little boy?” an adult would ask him.
“Benjamin Nushmutt,” he’d answer.
“What?”
“BENjamin NUSHmutt.”
“What?”
“Ben-Ja-Min Nush-Mutt.”
“What?”
“BenjaMIN NushMUTT!”
“What?”
“Benjamin Nushmutt.”
“Oh, nice to meet you, Benjamin.”
He never knew what it was that made the person suddenly understand.
When the bell rang for recess, everyone charged out of the room. Benjamin slowly walked to Mrs. Jewls’s desk. Somehow, he had to tell her.
Mrs. Jewls was sorting papers. “Oh, hello, Mark,” she said. “How are you enjoying the class so far?”
“Fine,” said Benjamin.
“Good, I’m glad to hear that,” said Mrs. Jewls.
Benjamin shrugged, then walked out of the room. If I had told her my name, she would have thought I was weird for not telling her sooner, he realized.
He stood at the top of the stairs and looked down. Recess was only ten minutes long. It didn’t seem worth it to go all the way down and then come all the way back up. He didn’t have any friends down there anyway.
He had never been more unhappy in his whole life.
He sat on the top step. “Mark Miller,” he said out loud. It was an easy name to say. Mark Miller probably would have made lots of friends by now, he thought.
