Troublemaker CHAPTER ONE NOT APPROPRIATE Clay Hensley frowned at the paper on the table. It wasn't a very good drawing. He'd made tons of better ones . . . like that picture he'd made of the old man sitting on the bridge? Now, that was good--even won a prize. This drawing? It was okay, just a simple portrait. It wasn't going to win any prizes--but then, it wasn't supposed to. It was supposed to do something else. Soon. Out of the corner of his eye Clay saw Mr. Dash get up from his desk. The class period was almost over, so the art teacher was beginning his inspections, same as always. Clay squinted and kept working on the portrait, shading a little here, erasing a little there, trying to get the expression on the face just right--actually, trying to get the whole head to look right. It wasn't easy. Excerpted from Troublemaker by Andrew Clements All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.