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There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom

Chapter Summary

Chapter 1
• Bradley Chalkers sits at his desk in the back of the room—last seat last row—
when Mrs. Ebbel brings the new student in.
• Jeff Fishkin, is from Washington, D.C. He says he has never been to the White
House when Mrs. Ebbel asks him about it.
• The only seat for Jeff is next to Bradley. Mrs. Ebbel frowns and apologises.
Nobody likes sitting near Bradley.
• Bradley spends the whole lesson scribbling. He then cuts up his F grade
language test into tiny pieces.
• At recess, Bradley is surprised when Jeff calls to him. He doesn’t mind sitting
next to Bradley. Bradley thinks for a moment. He orders Jeff to give him a
dollar or he will spit on him.

Chapter 2
• Bradley Chalkers looks like a good spitter. He has taken fourth grade twice,
so he is the oldest and toughest-looking kid in Mrs. Ebbel’s fifth grade class.
• Jeff stares at Bradley, gives him a dollar, and runs.
• Bradley laughs and then watches all the other kids have fun.
• After recess, Bradley decides that Jeff hasn’t told on him for fear of being
punched in the face.
• He eats lunch alone.
• After lunch, Mrs. Ebbel asks if Bradley’s mother is going to Parents’
Conference Day to meet the school’s new counsellor.
• Bradley lies and says she is sick and that they’ve already met at the bowling
alley anyway.
• Back in his seat, Bradley thinks about Jeff. He hates the other kids, and he
needs to hate Jeff before Jeff hates him. But now Bradley is confused.
• After school, Bradley follows Jeff out the door and calls for him to wait. Jeff
runs, but Bradley catches up. Bradley gives Jeff his dollar back if he’ll be his
friend.
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Chapter 3
• Bradley’s mother is in the kitchen. He is early because he and his friends have
raced home. In his room, Bradley greets his collection of little toy animals.
They all like Bradley.
• He retrieves Ronnie the Rabbit and Bartholomew the Bear from under his bed.
He has an imaginary conversation with the little rabbit and the ceramic bear
about why they are there.
• Bradley has brought food. He takes bits of cut-up paper from his pocket and
places it on the bed for his animals to eat. They thank Bradley and give him a
cheer.
• Ronnie the Rabbit goes swimming in the grape juice stain on Bradley’s
bedspread too soon after eating. She gets a cramp and starts to drown.
Bartholomew is about to rescue her when
• Bradley’s sister Claudia barges in.

Chapter 4
• Bradley’s mother goes to meet Mrs Ebbel. Bradley says she is a liar and
shouldn’t be believed.
• Mrs Chalkers listened to Mrs Ebbel about Bradley - it hurt her to hear what
she had to say about him. Mrs Chalkers thinks he is good underneath.
• Mrs Ebbel asks for permission to send Bradley to see the new school
counsellor about his serious behaviour problem.
• They go to meet the counsellor, Carla Davis - her room is a mess because she
is moving in. She is young, has almost blonde hair, and clear blue eyes.
• Mrs Chalkers signs the permission form.
• Carla says she’s heard all about Bradley - all the teachers have warned her
about him, but she is looking forward to meeting him.

Chapter 5
• Dinner time at Bradley’s house.
• His parents are talking about Bradley’s mother’s meeting with Mrs Ebbel and
Carla.
• Bradley begs not to have to go and see Carla. His mother says it’s either that
or military school.
• Next morning, Bradley spots Jeff and slowly walks towards him. ’He has to
like me. I gave him a dollar,’ He tries to convince himself.
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• Jeff offers to help Bradley with his homework. Bradley declines - ‘I’m the
smartest kid in the class’.
• They walk in, side by side, but not together.

Chapter 6
• Jeff is lost on his way to see Carla, who is going to help him adjust to his new
environment.
• A teacher directs him to Carla’s office ‘end of the hall, turn right, third door on
left’ then ‘actually it’s turn around, turn left, second door on right’.
• Jeff pushes the second door on his left and see a red headed girl with freckles
washing her hands - ‘This is the girls’ bathroom!’.
• Jeff runs out - ‘THERE’S A BOY IN THE GIRLS’ BATHROOM!’.
• He runs down the corridor and hides in a storage room, which turns out to be
Carla’s office.

Chapter 7
• Jeff is sitting in Carla’s room. He is embarrassed about accidentally walking
into the girls’ bathroom.
• Jeff says the kids in his class call him Fishface. Carla explains that they are
the two new kids and maybe they can help each other fit in.
• Jeff explains what happened with Bradley.

• that Mrs Ebbel was mean about him,

• that no one likes him,
• how Bradley, threatened him,
• how Bradley gave Jeff the dollar back to be friends.

• Jeff doesn't know whether to be his friend or not.

• Carla tells Jeff he needs to be honest and friendly with Bradley if he wants to
be friends.
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• Jeff tells Carla about walking into the girls’ bathroom.

Chapter 8
• Bradley and Jeff walk out to lunch together. Bradley ignores Jeff but then
they sit down together.
• Jeff had tuna and apple. Bradley hates tuna and apple.
• Melinda, Lori and Colleen were sitting nearby, laughing about something that
happened to Colleen. Colleen had red hair and freckles.
• ‘He’s right there, sitting next to Bradley Chalkers’ whispered Colleen.
• Bradley asked Jeff about Carla.
• Bradley bites into an apple - when questioned by Jeff, he puts it away and
says it was a banana.
• Jeff’s face turns white, then red.
• Lori and Melinda go over to talk to Jeff. ‘Colleen thinks you’re cute,’ says Lori
“What’s your name?’
• Jeff blushes. ‘He doesn’t have a name’ says Bradley, defending Jeff - he hates
Lori.
• ‘Get out of here, or I’ll punch you in the face,’ said Bradley to Lori.
• The girls say they wanted to know what Jeff was doing in the girls’ bathroom.
• Bradley reveals to Jeff that he likes to go in there too - to make the girls
scream!

Chapter 9
• Bradley goes to see Carla
• He is surprised to see how young and pretty she is, although he tells her he
won’t shake her hand because she is too ugly.
• Through the whole session he tells lie after lie and Carla ‘believes’ each one.
• Bradley mistrusts her and feels like she is trying to trick him into saying or
doing something naughty.
• Carla gives Bradley some paper to draw on. He chooses to scribble all over it
with a black crayon. He says it is a drawing of a nightmare. Carla thinks it
looks like hair on the floor of the hairdresser’s.
• Carla asks to keep the drawing but Bradley refuses to hand it over without
payment.
• When he gets back to Mrs Ebbel’s class, Bradley throws his drawing into the
bin.
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Chapter 10
• Back in class, Bradley feels safe at his desk - Carla had scared him. She was
worse than he imagined.
• Bradley is glad Jeff is his friend because they're both smart, hate Carla and
like going into the girls’ bathroom.
• He hoped he and Jeff would go into the girls’ bathroom together.
• Jeff asks Bradley what he thinks of Carla - he thinks she’s weird because she
eats dog food.
• Jeff agrees with Bradley that he hates her, though he doesn't really.
• Colleen and Jeff say ‘hi’ to each other, and Colleen and her friends run away.
• Bradley is annoyed that Jeff said ‘hi’ to them and suggests he kicks them next
time he sees them.

Chapter 11
• A week later and the boys still haven't been into the girls’ bathroom - Jeff
always had an excuse not to.
• Bradley was happy to have a friend and was starting to like school.
• Jeff admits he likes Carla, which shocks Bradley. Bradley says he isn’t going
to see her anymore.
• The girls arrive and say ‘hi’ to Jeff - Bradley says he should beat them up so
they’ll stop talking to him.
• Bradley starts to think maybe doing your homework is a good idea because
Jeff always does his. Bradley hopes to earn a gold star from Mrs Ebbel.
• Bradley agrees to go to Jeff’s to do their homework together.

Chapter 12
• Colleen goes to visit Carla and explains that she wants to invite Jeff to her
birthday party but doesn't want to have to invite Bradley too. Carla gives
Colleen a form for her parents to sign before she can give her any advice.

Chapter 13
• Bradley is dragging his feet on his way to see Carla.
• They talk about Jeff and Carla asks how he’d feel if Jeff made new friends -
Bradley doesn’t want him to and says he won’t make friends with anyone - so
long as the two of them are friends no one else will like Jeff.

Chapter 14
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• Bradley and Jeff get ready to go to Jeff’s to do their homework. Bradley

wants to wait for the girls so they can beat them up, but Jeff tries to make
excuses to not.
• The girls come out of their classroom followed by Bradley and Jeff - Jeff
wants to go home.
• Lori, Melinda and Bradley start insulting each other.
• Colleen and Jeff say ‘hi’ to each other.
• Bradley pushes Melinda and she pushes him back, so he pushes her again, so
she shoves him back so he slips and falls.
• The girls laugh and tease him, so he threatens to punch them. Bradley kicks
Melinda, and she slugs him in the face causing him to stumble and almost fall.
• Bradley runs home crying.

Chapter 15
• Bradley’s mother is molly coddling him as he tells her how he was beaten up
and thrown in the mud.
• Ronnie the rabbit is being chased by 3 bad guys who have cornered her.
Bartholomew rescues her and throws the bad guys off the cliff (bed).
• Claudia comes into Bradley’s room and he lies about the fight saying he gave
one boy 2 black eyes and another 3 black eyes.
• Bradley’s mother asks the names of the boys that beat him up - ‘Jeff Fishkin
was the leader’

Chapter 16
• Bradley is trying to hide his black eye. His father insisted he go into school.
He is worried that Loudmouth Lori will spread the gossip.
• Bradley notices Jeff’s chair is empty and thinks he might have been kicked
out of school - good.
• He notices the gold start chart and is glad he has none.
• Mrs Ebbel makes Bradley take his hand away from his eye. Then Jeff arrives,
but Bradley ignores him.
• All the children keep turning around and looking at Bradley - he wishes he sat
at the front so they couldn’t look at him.
• At recess the gossip about Bradley’s black eye is spreading. Jeff tries to
make him feel better by saying Melinda fought dirty.
• Jeff said that when Bradley left, the girls and Jeff promised not to tell anyone
what happened.
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• Jeff said he was called into the principal’s office and was asked if he punched
Bradley - but he said that Bradley is his best friend.

Chapter 17
• Jeff is called over by Robbie, Brian and Russell who tell each other that he’s
the one who gave Bradley his black eye - they all praise him for it.
• The boys invite Jeff to play basketball with them. They reminded him of the
friends he had back in Washington D.C. Jeff was happy, and thought that
maybe having new friends would mean he couldn't be friends with Bradley
anymore - he shrugged.

Chapter 18
• Bradley was watching Jeff play basketball - praying he’d miss when he took a
shot.
• He thought maybe it was ok for Jeff to have other friends because he was his
best friend. Maybe Bradley would get to play with Jeff’s new friends.
• Bradley tries to talk to Jeff, but gets ignored and eventually Jeff goes off with
Brian and Robbie laughing.
• Ronnie and Bartholomew are very glad to see Bradley, and are happy he came
straight home instead of going to Jeff’s house.

Chapter 19
• Everything was back to normal. Bradley scribbled during class. Everyone
hated him and he hated everyone - they way he liked it.
• He was glad he and Jeff weren't friends anymore - he was just pretending to
anyway.
• Jeff goes to see Carla - he tells her he has 8 new friends and he isn't friends
with Bradley anymore - in fact he gave Bradley a black eye.
• Jeff says he doesn’t need to see Carla anymore because he has 8 friends now.
Carla says he is welcome back anytime.
• Walking past the girls’ bathroom, Jeff shakes his head at what a jerk he was
when he ended up in there.
• He smiled a strange smile - it was hard to tell if it was a smile or a frown.

Chapter 20
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• Colleen visits Carla and explains that her parents wouldn't sign the
permission form to see her but that it doesn't matter now because Jeff has
lots of new friends.
• Colleen accidentally lets it slip that it was Melinda who gave Bradley the
black eye and makes Carla promise not to tell anyone.

Chapter 21
• Bradley goes to visit Carla - he says he punched himself in the eye, but it
didn't hurt. No one can hurt Bradley, not even himself.
• He explains that he was angry and wanted to hit someone but didn't want to
get into trouble so he hit himself.
• Carla asks Bradley to name some things he likes about himself but he doesn't
trust her question and says he can’t talk anymore - doctor’s orders. He gets
bored and uncomfortable with the silence and agrees to talk about school a
bit.
• Carla says she thinks Bradley is afraid to try at school in case he fails. She
asked him to make a list of topics he’d like to talk about in their next
meeting.

Chapter 22
• Bradley is working on his list of topics to discuss with Carla. He even pays
attention during class to get some ideas. He has over 80 things on his list.
• The kids are being meaner than ever to Bradley - they aren't afraid of him
anymore. A fourth grade boy calls him a monster.
• It is Halloween, but he doesn't go trick-or-treating. His sister barges into his
room and suggests he adds ‘what’s going to happen when dad finds out
Bradley’s flunking’ to his list. She grabs his list and laughs about the topics
he’s written. He’s put ‘gold stars’ three times. His eyes fill with tears and he
throws his list away.

Chapter 23
• The kids at school are being mean to Bradley.
• He goes to see Carla. He doesn't want to make the same mistake with her
that he made with Jeff. Claudia is right, Carla doesn't really like him.
• Bradley doesn't have a list, so Carla suggests they talk about school, but
Bradley suggests ‘monsters from outer space’. Carla says she doesn't believe
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monsters exist and that everyone has good in them. She says that people
sometimes can’t see the good, so they call people monsters, and eventually
the monsters start believing it themselves.
• Carla thinks on another planet they might think a monster is handsome and
she’s ugly. Bradley says they wouldn't think that about her, but they might
about him. He draws the monster and the good inside it.
• He asks how a monster can stop being a monster - Carla says they have to
realise it themselves first.
• Bradley gives his drawing to Carla.

Chapter 24
• Lori, Melinda and Colleen go over to talk to Jeff - Colleen wants to invite him
to her birthday party.
• Jeff tells them to leave him alone and to stop saying hello to him.
• He ends up arguing with the girls and having a fight with Melinda who batters
him.

Chapter 25
• Bradley has decided that he will make an effort to be good and doesn't rise to
his sister annoying him.
• At school Jeff’s friends blame Bradley for Jeff’s black eye - they surround him
and chase him. He hides in the library worrying that maybe Carla is wrong
and that he really is a monster.

Chapter 26
• Bradley is back in class and close to tears at the thought of being beaten up
because he knows that everyone would enjoy it.
• Jeff and his friends are waiting for Bradley at lunch time but he runs and
hides in the girls’ bathroom.
• Two girls see him in the bathroom and they scream so Bradley runs to Carla’s
office.

Chapter 27
• Bradley tells Carla what just happened and they have their lunch together.
• Carla suggests that Bradley tries doing his homework to impress Mrs Ebbel -
his eyes well up and he starts to cry.
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• Carla kisses him on the cheek.

Chapter 28
• Bradley is trying to do his homework but it is difficult and he is getting
distracted.
• Ronnie asks him about his homework - he says he’s doing it for Carla because
they’re in love.
• Bradley asks his mother to help him with his homework. Claudia says her
mother is explaining it wrong and offers to help. After dinner Bradley’s father
helps him. Bradley really enjoys it and is disappointed at how quickly they
work through it.

Chapter 29
• Bradley is in bed worrying that he hasn't done the correct homework.
• He gets ready and goes to school worrying. He gets into class and becomes
more and more anxious. He goes to put his homework on Mrs Ebbel’s desk
and at the last moment tears it up and throws it in the bin - that makes him
feel a lot better.

Chapter 30
• Something about the way Bradley asks made Mrs Ebbel allow him to use the
hall pass. Bradley goes to visit Carla.
• Bradley tells Carla that he did his homework, but that he tore it up - he
doesn't know why he did.
• He has a book report due next week, so he borrows My Parents Didn’t Steal
an Elephant by Uriah C. Lasso from Carla.

Chapter 31
• Bradley is reading his book - he wants to impress Carla.
• Bradley’s mother enters the room and tells Bradley that the Concerned
Parents Organisation is having a meeting about Carla. She decides not to
attend the meeting because Carla seems to be helping Bradley.
• Claudia teases Bradley for being in love with Carla and points out that if the
CPO ever found out that Carla kissed him then she’d be fired for sure.

Chapter 32
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• Bradley is paying attention in class again - he even almost raised his hand to
answer a question.
• At lunchtime he goes to see Carla, but she is on her way out to see the
principal.
• Bradley reads his book, and says ‘hi’ to Colleen, thinking Carla would
appreciate the effort he made.
• Suddenly Bradley is surrounded by Jeff and his friends - they’re teasing him
and trying to get his book. The boys make a circle around Bradley and Jeff.
They’re egging Jeff on to give Bradley another black eye. Jeff smiles, says
‘hello’ and shakes Bradley’s hand.
• Andy invites him to play basketball with them all.

Chapter 33.
• Bradley is awful at basketball. Despite this everyone encourages him to
shoot for the basket - he scores. He spots Carla’s book at the foot of the
basket and thinks ‘no wonder’
• Jeff goes to the boys’ bathroom to wash his face and in walks Colleen, who
screams and runs out.

Chapter 34
• On the way back to class Jeff is thinking about Carla and how he’d like to say
sorry to her. He goes to her office, and sees Colleen in there talking to Carla.
• Colleen is in there to tell Carla about accidentally walking into the boys’
bathroom. Carla doesn't believe in accidents.
• Colleen apologises to Jeff for saying hello when he didn't like it. She also
realises she should have said hello back to Bradley earlier on.
• She invites Jeff to her birthday party.

Chapter 35
• Bradley’s father is teaching him to dribble.
• At school Bradley puts all of his things away neatly before recess.
• Colleen invites Bradley to her birthday party and he accepts.
• Melinda and Lori are not happy about it though.
• Bradley is lying awake in bed excited at the thought of his next meeting with
Carla - he wanted to talk about her book. His father sees his light on and tells
him he can stay up a little longer so long as he is reading.
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Chapter 36
• Bradley goes to see Carla. For some reason he didn't want to tell her what
was new with him.
• He blurts out that Colleen invited him to her party, that he and Jeff are
friends, that the other boys like him too, that they play basketball together
and that his father taught him to dribble.
• He says its thanks to Carla and her book. Then he bursts out crying because
he doesn't know how to act at a party.

Chapter 37
• The meeting between Carla and the Concerned Parents Organisation.
• The only parents who came were the ones with complaints. Colleen’s mother
was there because Colleen had been to see Carla without permission. Carla
explains that it was because Colleen said is was an emergency but refuses to
break Colleen’s confidence and tell them what it was about.
• Colleen’s mother thinks that Carla is trying to convert Colleen into a Zen
monk.
• The discussion descends into a nonsensical argument with the parents
shouting ridiculous scenarios at Carla.

Chapter 38
• Bradley’s book report. He lets Carla read it before he hands it in. She is very
happy and gives him the book as a gift.
• She becomes upset and tells Bradley that tomorrow is her last day at school.
• Bradley says she has tricked him and becomes angry, he throws the book at
Carla and rips his report up. He runs to the bathroom crying, followed by
Carla. He says he hates Jeff, he isn’t going to the party and he’ll never do his
homework again.
• Carla invites him to help her pack up her office on Saturday.

Chapter 39
• Bradley’s animals turn on Ronnie - they don’t like her anymore. She gets
trapped in quicksand, no one helps her and she dies.

Chapter 40
• Bradley tries to feign illness to stay home from school - unsuccessfully.
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• Mrs Ebbel tells Bradley how much she enjoyed his book report. Bradley is
confused. She gives him a gold star.
• All day Bradley has a knot in his stomach - it loosens when he thinks about
how much he hates Carla and when he buries his report in his desk, when he.
• Jeff says Carla wants to see him, but Bradley stays away at lunch and goes
straight home after school.

Chapter 41
• Bradley’s mother is going to take him to get his hair cut ready for the party.
He refuses and thinks about Carla asking for help to move her things.
• His father tries to talk to him about Carla, but he says he needs to get his hair
cut and leaves the room.
• Bradley thinks about his last conversation with Carla over and over and his
stomach knot tightens and tightens.
• Bradley shouts to stop the car - he wants his mother to take him to see Carla,
but they’re already at the barber’s.
• Bradley finally makes it to school, but Carla isn't there. He cries. He finds an
envelope addressed to him. The book and a letter from Carla are inside.

Chapter 42
• Bradley tries writing Carla a letter, but he doesn't know what to say.
• Bradley’s animals have decided that they like Ronnie the best and
Bartholomew asks her to marry him.

Chapter 43
• Colleen is waiting for her party guests to arrive. The other girls aren't happy
to hear she’s invited boys too.
• Everyone else arrives, but there is no sign of the boys. Colleen looks upset.

Chapter 44
• Jeff arrives at Bradley’s house. Bradley has frantically been getting ready.
He admits to Jeff that he doesn't know what to do at a birthday party.

Chapter 45
• Bradley and Jeff arrive at Colleen’s house. Bradley acts awkwardly. The girls
are excited to have boys at the party and appear to want Bradley’s attention.
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• They play lots of games and Bradley enjoys himself more and more as the day
goes on. The teams score points for winning, which will be added up later for
prizes.

Chapter 46
• The three-legged race. Jeff and Bradley are paired together by Colleen’s
mother. Bradley is glad that he and Jeff are finally on the same team.
• Colleen’s mother announces the winner of the games is Bradley.
• They have cake and ice-cream, then go inside so Colleen can open her
presents.
• Everyone teases Bradley for writing ‘love Bradley’ in his card until Karen
shouts for everyone to shut up.
• Bradley had bought Colleen a replica human heart because Carla told him to
get a gift from the heart.

Chapter 47
• A letter to Carla. Bradley apologies for shouting at her. He says he got 100%
on his arithmetic test. He also sends her Ronnie, a gift from the heart.