Gary squinted down both sides of the hallway, looking for any signs of the hall monitor on patrol. Everyone was already in class after the sound of the second bell. There was no sign of anyone. Gary smirked. He hadn't been caught skipping school in the past four months. For many teachers at Glendale, Gary was the embodiment of all that was wrong with the student body, and Gary definitely enjoyed being the source of anxiety for his teachers. He would always make an appearance during advisory period and then he would disappear for the rest of the day. Glad I'm not like those chumps in class, Gary happily thought as he ambled down the hallway. He was almost near the exit when he heard a loud conversation in the boys' bathroom. Normally, Gary would ignore it and be thankful for the distraction, but he heard something that was different. He heard fear in one of the voices.
"Please, please let me go," the voice pleaded shakily.
"You knew that this was going to happen. And I can't let you go because I have principles," a deep voice replied.
"I promise I won't do it again. Please just let me go," the fearful voice said.
Then, there was a loud thump. Gary stood there dumbfounded. For once in his life, he, Gary Paulsen, didn't know what to do. Then, there was a loud thump again. Gary had to act fast. He stormed into the bathroom and instantly saw what the situation was. Mike, the school bully, was enforcing his dominance like always. However, this time he was bullying Ivan, a cool kid in Gary's advisory period. Ivan let Gary borrow pencils whenever Gary bothered to show up. Gary moved toward Mike.
"Whoa, there, Gary. I wasn't doing anything wrong," Mike said quickly.
"Well, if there isn't a problem here, then Ivan, you're free to go," Gary said as he gestured for Ivan to leave.
Ivan looked back at Gary gratefully and ran out of the bathroom. Mike also backed out slowly as Gary stared harshly at him. Gary shrugged his shoulders, walked out, and bumped into Principal Skinner.
7
Select the correct answer.
How does Gary's character reflect the passage's theme?
A.
The character's transformation shows that the unlikeliest of people can be heroes.
B.
The character illustrates that bullies do not care whom they push around.
C.
The character's dialogue reveals that heroes are people of very few words.
D.
The character demonstrates that all kids are afraid of being caught skipping class.