by Rob Buyea
“What?” I said. “I can’t. I just told you that.”
“Why not? I bet you can find lots to research based on your observations and the questions you have. Trust me,” Terupt said. “Then you can include some personal anecdotes, which will really liven up your presentation. Anecdotes are little stories that go along with your talk—they’d be real stories from your actual visits.”
“But the weather’s beginning to make it harder for me to go to the center every day,” I said.
Terupt frowned. “Well, if getting there is the only hurdle, let’s think about what we can do.”
“I can help,” Anna said. She was on the other side of the shelf, also looking through books to find a topic. She must have heard us talking. We looked at her. “My mom gets out of her school when we do. She’d pick us up and give us a ride.”
That’s how I ended up doing my research project with Anna. It was that simple.
Mom picked us up in the car after school. Jeffrey told us how to get to the medical center. I couldn’t believe he’d been biking such a long way. But I wasn’t surprised. Mom walked in with me and Jeffrey, and he introduced us to Nurse Barry. Mr. Terupt had called ahead and explained our research project to her. It was agreed that Jeffrey would continue to spend time with Asher and that I would help out in other parts of the center.
Nurse Barry was very welcoming. She gave me and Mom the grand tour while Jeffrey rushed off to find Asher.
One area of the center, where Asher was staying, was dedicated to children (the pediatric wing), and an area on the other side of the building was for old people (the geriatric wing). Nurse Barry passed us off to Nurse Rose in the geriatric wing, and Mom and I spent the rest of our first visit with her. We helped her with Barney, an elderly man who was recovering from a stroke. I didn’t know anything about rehabilitation or physical or occupational therapy, and before that afternoon I didn’t have any old people in my life (just Danielle’s grandparents, and they didn’t like me, so I didn’t count them), but I soon found out I liked all of the above. And so did my mom.
Barney struggled with partial paralysis, which means he had lost the use of one side of his body. That’s something that can happen as a result of a stroke. I included information on strokes in my presentation. I learned a lot about them, and heart attacks, too. Mom and I continued to work with Barney for several weeks. We helped him use his walker until he regained his strength and could walk on his own two feet again. It felt great!
“You really like helping all those old farts and senile geezers?” Peter joked after hearing me talk about my visits. He sounded like it was hard for him to believe.
“Yes,” I said. “I do.”
“Cool.” Peter didn’t say anything more. He could tell I was serious.
“And she’s great at it,” Jeffrey added. “I’ve seen her in action.”
I smiled. Jeffrey was right. I was great at it.
november
FADE IN: There is a knock at the door, and in walks MRS. WILLIAMS. We see her look at the floor and gingerly walk across it, obviously making sure she doesn’t slip and crash-land with her underwear showing like last year.
MR. TERUPT
(at the front of the room)
Okay, gang. Mrs. Williams is here with an important announcement, so please give her your attention.
MR. TERUPT walks over to his desk, once again stopping to hold on to it for a few seconds before sitting down.
CUT TO: MRS. WILLIAMS standing at the front of the room.
JESSICA VO
We saw a lot of Mrs. Williams. Between last year and Jeffrey showing up with a baby this year, we’d been through a lot with her. We were special to her, and she had become special to us. That’s one of the things that can happen when you go through a tragedy together—everyone involved ends up closer. But for Mr. Terupt to take the time to formally get our attention, and for him to call Mrs. Williams’s news “an important announcement,” suggested something serious. I had no idea what was coming.
MRS. WILLIAMS
Good morning, everyone. It’s always nice to come and see this class. I’m here to tell you that Snow Hill School has been awarded a grant for what is best described as an exchange program. The state has awarded us money to use toward collaboration with the other sixth grades in our region. You will be getting together with the students from Woods View School two or three times this year.
LUKE lets out a sigh in exasperation. He gets surprised looks from many in the room after his out-of-character reaction.
MRS. WILLIAMS
The first get-together will be in just a couple of weeks. At that time you’ll be required to work on projects in groups. Your groups should be made up of a few of you with a few of them.
LUKE
(not thrilled)
Why does the state want to pay for that?
MRS. WILLIAMS
Because we’re interested in giving you opportunities to meet and make friends with the kids you’ll be going to junior high school with next year. The state always likes to promote programs that ask students to work together.
LEXIE
(leaning over to Jessica)
This is our chance to meet some boys.
PETER
(while staring down at his desk, playing with an eraser)
We already work together in this classroom. Why do we have to do it with outsiders?
(under his breath)
It’s not like I’ll be in school with them next year anyway.
LUKE
What sorts of projects are we talking about?
JEFFREY
(grumbling)
Doesn’t matter.
MR. TERUPT gets up from his desk and walks to the front of the room and stands by MRS. WILLIAMS.
MR. TERUPT
Luke, since we’re getting money from the state, we can do some bigger projects. You’ll like it, trust me. In fact, we’re going to be starting an oceanography unit in the next few days, and our first exchange project will be something special to go along with that.
LUKE’s face brightens. He rubs his hands together in a way that tells us he can’t wait to get started.
LUKE
(excited)
Oceanography! Awesome! I’ve been thinking I might want to study marine science when I get older. Can you believe only ten percent of the world’s oceans have been explored? There’s all kinds of observations and discoveries waiting to be made!
CLASS laughs at LUKE’s dorky energy and excitement.
LUKE
What?! I’m serious. I’ve been swimming a lot this last month to earn my Athletics Badge. You have to be a good swimmer if you want to explore the ocean.
LEXIE
Oh boy! Do you think you can wear that really cool Boy Scout shirt again when you get the badge?
LUKE
Sure. Okay.
JESSICA VO
Lexie’s sarcasm went right over Luke’s head. The poor kid probably would wear that ridiculous shirt again. He wasn’t always the sharpest knife in the drawer.
MR. TERUPT
(smiling)
Now, gang, remember how scared you were before visiting the Collaborative Classroom last year. This is no different. That turned out to be a great experience, and I’m sure this will too. Be positive.
JESSICA VO
Did Mr. Terupt really believe that? The Collaborative Classroom had been his idea. This was someone else’s. Other than Lexie, I’m not sure any of us were excited. I know the boys weren’t, that was easy to see, though Luke did perk up at the prospect of bigger projects.
MRS. WILLIAMS
(trying to appear confident)
Mr. Terupt’s right. Let’s be positive. I’m sure things will turn out differently than you expect.
MRS. WILLIAMS smiles and walks to the door. She stops and turns to wave.
MRS. WILLIAMS
Have a great day, everyone.
CLASS
Bye, Mrs. Williams. You too.<
br />
JESSICA VO
I was feeling overwhelmed. I still wanted to learn more about Mr. Terupt, our very own Sam Westing, plus I had my research project to think about. My partner had me concerned. Lexie had gone from a normal-dressing sixth grader to a high school–looking girl with real lipstick and a “chill” vocabulary. She claimed it was part of her wardrobe research. She was learning how to be an actress. I think she was getting her information from the supermarket tabloids. I have a strong command of language, but even I hadn’t heard some of her words before, at least not how she was using them. Now, on top of all that, there was the exchange program to worry about. No wonder I had a lot on my mind.
FADE OUT.
I was looking hot. Totally. With these other sixth graders coming to visit, I was like, girl, you need to look your best. I wore my black yoga pants with a purple scoop-neck sweater that Lisa had given me. Lisa and Reena made me ditch the feather boas I loved to wear last year a while ago. They gave me a couple of scarves instead. According to them, scarves were the bomb in accessories. I wore the one that had some purple in it and I put on my favorite lipstick and some mascara. To put the finishing touches on my outfit, I added silver hoop earrings. Reena and Lisa would have approved.
That morning in school, I like, sized myself up in the girls’ bathroom. I was standing sideways looking in the mirror when Jessica walked in.
“Hi, Lexie.”
“Hey, girlfriend.”
“You’re looking … nice and grown up,” she said.
“Nah. I need something more. I have to look amazing today. We’ve got visitors coming.” Jessica watched as I checked myself out. “I need more of a chest,” I said. “That’s what this sweater is all about.”
“What?” Jessica sounded shocked. I heard it in her voice. I loved it when I got to teach her something for a change.
“I need boobs,” I said. “Grab me some toilet paper, wouldja. And don’t be stingy. Get a lot.” I was tired of waiting for them to grow on their own.
Jessica brought me the goods. “What are you going to do?”
“Just watch,” I said. I wadded the toilet paper, pulled up my sweater, and stuffed my bra, first one side, then the other. I tried to even things out in the mirror. I cupped and squeezed and formed a nice pair. “Are they even?” I spun around.
“What?!” Jessica was even more shocked now.
“Jessica. Girlfriend.” I put my hand on her shoulder. “We can do yours too if you want.”
“No,” she said, taking a step back. “That’s okay.”
“Just tell me. Are they even?”
“Yes.” She paused for a second. “They look … fine.”
I inspected myself in the mirror again. “No,” I said. “They’re too small. I need boobs, not boobies. Grab me some more toilet paper, wouldja?”
“I’d be careful not to make it too obvious,” Jessica warned. “No bosom yesterday and suddenly a plentiful bosom today doesn’t exactly add up.”
“It’s no sweat. Nobody in our class will say anything. And like, our visitors won’t know the difference. To them, I’ll just be the hot girl.” I cupped and squeezed. “How do they look now?” I spun around again.
“Abundant.”
I remember my brother telling me a long time ago that the kids from Woods View School always think they’re better than us. That was why I wasn’t real excited for this day. None of us were, except Lexie. One look at her and I knew she was looking forward to it. One look at her and I forgot all about my nervousness. She had definitely put time into getting ready. Her new purple sweater was something. She looked amazing.
“You can pop your eyes back in your head, Peter,” Jessica said. “They’re not real.”
“What? I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said.
“Lexie’s breasts aren’t real, Peter. Just thought I’d tell you before you started drooling all over yourself.”
Now I was mad. What was I doing gawking at Lexie? And how could I get caught? Lexie was my rival. She was a girl who farted, and there was no way I could like a girl who did that. It was way too gross.
I’m sorry to say, but I hypothesized disaster for this exchange program. It was a lot like chemistry. If you take two chemicals and mix them together, what happens? Well, my hypothesis was tested and confirmed at our first Exchange Day. The result was a violent reaction. The data was conclusive. This exchange thing was a bad idea.
“Welcome,” Mr. Terupt said as our visitors arrived. “Please, come in and sit down wherever you see an empty seat.” He was standing at the front of the room. Once everyone was settled he spoke again.
“W-w-welcome to our sch-sch-school.”
What was wrong? Why was Mr. Terupt stuttering? I heard some of the visiting kids snickering and laughing. Laughing at my teacher. I felt hot. Anger surged through my veins.
Before I had time to think about it more, Jeffrey exploded and tackled the jokester sitting next to him. One of Jeffrey’s forearms was planted under the kid’s chin and his other one landed right across the chest. He flipped the kid right over the back of his chair. Jeffrey jumped on the boy and pinned him to the ground. Luckily, Mr. Terupt got there just in time to grab Jeffrey before he started throwing punches. And believe me, Jeffrey was ready to let that kid have it good.
I didn’t budge. I was silently rooting for Jeffrey. How dare anyone laugh at my teacher.
First that kid laughed at Terupt. Laughed at my stuttering teacher with his other punk buddies sittin’ around my table. Then he said, “What is this guy? A retard?”
I didn’t even think about it. I just reacted. I wanted to hurt him—bad.
“Class meeting,” Mr. Terupt announced. Or maybe I should say ordered. Class meetings had always been favorites of mine. The meetings were a chance for us to share our ideas and concerns. But I wasn’t sure about this one. I knew Mr. Terupt would have plenty to say. Who could blame him after what Jeffrey did? Speaking of Jeffrey, he wasn’t there for this meeting. He was with Mrs. Williams, probably discussing his attack on that boy—a boy I recognized from the summer.
Mr. Terupt had rushed over and pulled Jeffrey off the boy, who stayed on the ground holding his bloody nose. Then Mr. Terupt led Jeffrey out into the hall and came back in without him in less than a minute. I didn’t see Jeffrey for the rest of the day.
The visiting teacher was next on the scene. Mrs. Stern was her name, and stern was her game. One look at her and you knew she meant business. She was old and old-fashioned. I got the feeling she’d still rap you on the knuckles with a ruler. She was one of those teachers Grandma understood.
Mrs. Stern helped her student sit up, but didn’t bother showing him any sympathy.
“What did you say this time, Derek?”
“Nothin’,” Derek muttered. He cupped his hand under his nose, but I didn’t care if he was hurt. Derek was the jerk from the pool—the one who called me a whale.
Marty and Wendy took him down to the nurse to get cleaned up (Nurse Barton was good at that, as I would soon find out), and the rest of us continued with the first Exchange Day.
Mr. Terupt had told us that the projects would be bigger and better because we had gotten money from the state. He wasn’t lying. We had a marine biologist come to Snow Hill School to help us perform squid dissections as part of our oceanography unit.
Our art room was converted into a science lab. We crowded around the tables. I was so excited. I love animals—all kinds. I’ve been thinking about becoming a veterinarian.
Once we were all settled, the guest biologist, Squid Man, took charge. “Today you will be looking at squid. It’s very important that you listen and follow directions carefully. We want you to explore, but also learn.”
Squid Man said a few more things and then passed out the slimy creatures. Definitely not what I was expecting. A room full of squid has a very strong odor. It’s the kind of smell that can make some people nauseated. It didn’t bother me. After being around cow poop all
my life, I had become used to strong aromas.
“Teach, I’m not—”
That was all Lexie managed to say. The next thing out of her mouth was a stream of barf.
“Eww!” the visitor boys shouted. “Did you see that? The girl with the purple sweater just yakked everywhere.” They laughed and cheered and thought it was great.
I felt bad for Lexie but I’m pretty sure she smiled when she heard them mention her purple sweater.
“She ought to take some of that stuffing out of her sweater and clean herself up,” Luke whispered.
I looked at him, alarmed and embarrassed. I couldn’t talk about that sort of thing with a boy! I couldn’t talk about that sort of thing with anyone!
“What?” he said. “Lexie looks like a puffer fish. Any detective can tell she added some fake ones. I don’t know much about that sort of thing, but I do know they don’t grow like that overnight.”
I laughed.
“Do you think Lexie knows puffer fish inflate to scare off predators, not to attract mates?” Luke said.
I laughed again.
Lexie went to Nurse Barton’s. The rest of the dissection went smoothly. Mr. Terupt called for the class meeting as soon as our guests were gone.
We had our chairs arranged in a circle, and Mr. Terupt sat down with our microphone. He didn’t say a word. Peter held his hand out, and Mr. Terupt gave him the mike.
“Jeffrey wouldn’t just do that,” Peter said. “That kid had it coming. I heard them laughing at you, Mr. T, and I’ll bet he said something, too.”
Anna went next. “I know fighting is wrong, but I think Peter’s right. Something happened that made Jeffrey do that.”
Then Luke took a turn. “Mr. Terupt, those boys started snickering and laughing when you stuttered. That’s probably when that boy said something. Are you all right?”