Characters in Here There Be Tygers

Cathy Scott in the seat ahead of him giggled, wisely covering her mouth. Kenny Griffen sniggered and kicked Charles under his desk. Charles went bright red. “Speak up, Charles,” Miss Bird said brightly. “Do you need to—” (urinate she’ll say urinate she always does) “Yes, Miss Bird.” “Yes, what?”

… Charles needed to go to the bathroom very badly. There was no longer any use in trying to fool himself that he could wait for recess. His bladder was screaming at him, and Miss Bird had caught him squirming. There were three third-grade teachers in the Acorn Street Grammar School.

It was Kenny Griffen, smiling complacently. “Miss Bird sent me after you ’cause you been gone six years. You’re in trouble.” “Yeah, but I can’t go to the basement,” Charles said, feeling faint with the fright Kenny had given him. “Yer constipated!” Kenny chortled gleefully. “Wait’ll I tell Caaathy!”

Charles squirmed again. Miss Bird cocked an eye at him. “Charles,” she said clearly, still pointing her pointer at Bolivia, “do you need to go to the bathroom?” Cathy Scott in the seat ahead of him giggled, wisely covering her mouth. Kenny Griffen sniggered and kicked Charles under his desk.

Miss Kinney was young and blond and bouncy and had a boyfriend who picked her up after school in a blue Camaro. Mrs. Trask was shaped like a Moorish pillow and did her hair in braids and laughed boomingly. And there was Miss Bird.

Mrs. Trask was shaped like a Moorish pillow and did her hair in braids and laughed boomingly. And there was Miss Bird. Charles had known he would end up with Miss Bird. He had known that. It had been inevitable. Because Miss Bird obviously wanted to destroy him.