by Tim Harris
“Yes, Scarlett… Do you know anything about this?”
Victoria shot me a worried glance. She knew it was me.
I shook my head. “No, Miss Frost, I don’t know anything about it.”
Miss Frost’s lips tightened, and she continued to prowl the room. “Mr. Sternblast warned me about this class. You’ve barely made any progress lately. Your last teacher, Mr. Slamtackle or whatever his name was, didn’t teach you a thing.”
Evie blinked away some of her tears.
“Things are going to change around here,” continued Miss Frost, tapping the bandage over her nose. “From now on, you’re going to learn my way. Discipline is the new order.”
I gulped.
“If you haven’t memorized your thirteen and fourteen times tables by morning recess, you’ll be staying in to learn them every morning recess until you do.”
Albert put his hand in the air.
“What is it, Alfonso?”
“I already know every times table up to 247.”
“Then you’ll memorize 248 and 249!” With that, she tore the bandage from her face, exposing her enlarged nose for all to see.
Everyone gasped.
Slugger Choppers passed out.
“I’ve got nothing to hide,” said Miss Frost. “But I will find the individual who does.”
• • •
Miss Frost’s warning was branded into my memory like an unwanted tattoo. I didn’t feel like eating any of my morning snack.
“Lucky you’re good at math,” said Victoria. “At least you can escape the classroom for the time being.”
“Thanks to Mr. Bambuckle,” I said. “I think Miss Frost was surprised we all knew our thirteen and fourteen times tables.”
“It made her angry,” said Damon, who was sitting next to Victoria. “She was expecting us to fail. I think she wanted to keep interrogating us at morning recess.”
Vex walked over to where we were sitting. This was strange for him. He usually preferred to play basketball or goof around on the soccer field. “Can I speak to you?” he asked, looking at Victoria.
“Me?” she replied.
“Yeah, you.”
Damon’s broad smile vanished. He didn’t like it when other boys talked to Victoria.
“Of course,” said Victoria.
Vex took Victoria far enough away so that we couldn’t hear him talking. He waved his arms around as he spoke and frowned a lot.
Victoria nodded as she listened.
Vex reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. He gave it to Victoria.
“I wonder what they’re doing?” I said.
“I hope he’s not proposing,” said Damon. “I’m the one who’s supposed to marry her.”
Vex dashed away, and Victoria walked back to where we were sitting.
“What did he want?” I asked.
“I can’t say,” said Victoria. “He made me promise not to tell anyone.”
This upset Damon. “There should be no secrets between a man and a woman.” He stood up and pounded his chest, a little like Harold does in his kilt dances. “Nooo seeecreeets!”
Victoria was patient with Damon and blinked her bright-blue eyes. “As much as I’d like to, I really can’t talk about it.”
Damon, realizing half the playground was watching, stopped his performance and broke into a grin. “She blinked at me!”
The bell rang, and Victoria turned to me. “Be careful in class, won’t you?” she said. “Miss Frost is getting suspicious.”
“I know.”
“What are you going to do to her next?”
“I do have one more idea,” I said. “But the trouble is I’ll only be able to try it once.”
“Oh,” said Victoria.
“I just need two things to make it work.”
“What two things?”
“Peter Strayer, to start with.”
“But he’s always absent,” said Victoria.
“Exactly,” I said, tapping the side of my nose slyly. “That’s why he’s perfect—he won’t get in trouble.”
“What’s the second thing you need?”
“A full-body photo of Miss Frost. The only picture I can find of her on the internet is a head shot.”
“Why do you need a full-body photo?”
It was my turn to keep a secret. “You’ll see,” I said. “Just wish me luck, because I’ll only get one chance.”
• • •
The next morning, Miss Frost’s warning was still fresh in my memory. I knew I had to make my move. There was a feeling deep in the pit of my stomach that time was running out to use my powers. I thought about the note from Mr. Bambuckle.
It won’t last long, so use it wisely.
Miss Frost gave us one of her stares as we took our seats. She adjusted the diamond bobby pin in her hair and scratched her triple-sized nose, which probably should have been under a bandage.
Slugger Choppers passed out again.
“This morning, you will memorize the meaning and spelling of every word in the A section of the dictionary. You need to catch up on all the learning you missed with your last teacher.”
Albert put his hand in the air.
“Not you again,” said Miss Frost.
“I already know the A sec—”
“Then memorize the B section.”
“Already done.”
Miss Frost raised her eyebrows. “How about you memorize the periodic table?”
Albert shrugged his shoulders. “I know that too. Mr. Bambuckle used to let me—”
“Do not mention that man’s name again!” seethed Miss Frost.
Albert jerked so suddenly that his glasses fell off his face. “It’s just that he—”
“Silence!”
Albert was saved by a knock at the door. Mrs. Paige had arrived to deliver some library books.
“I’ll deal with you in a moment,” said Miss Frost to Albert.
Sensing the tension, Mrs. Paige tiptoed inside and placed the books on the desk at the front of the room. But before she could leave, Miss Frost whispered in her ear. Mrs. Paige nodded and pointed toward me, looking guilty as she did. Then she slinked back through the door, shaking her head at me as if to apologize.
“Scarlett Geeves,” said the teacher slowly. “I believe you’ve been spending a lot of time in the computer labs recently.”
I didn’t dare answer.
“I believe you’ve been asking about my first name.”
I couldn’t have said anything even if I’d tried. My throat was too dry.
Miss Frost picked up one of the library books on the front desk. “See me at lunchtime, Scarlett. We’ll discuss your punishment then.”
Her voice was frostier than the coldest night, and I knew it meant big trouble.
Victoria’s face drained of all blood.
“Where is Peter Strayer today?” said Miss Frost, reading the tag on the library book. “Absent as usual.”
At the mention of Peter’s name, I snapped into action. He was part of my plan. I pulled out my phone and took a photo of Miss Frost. It was a perfect full-body shot.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she said angrily. “Give me that phone at once!”
I tried to put the phone back into my pocket, but Miss Frost was too fast. She grabbed my wrist and tried to pry the phone free.
“Let me go!” I yelled. This wasn’t part of my plan.
“Not until you give me that phone!”
My wrist was hurting. Miss Frost may have been thin, but she was very strong. She forced my hand open, and the phone slid loose.
It landed on the floor.
Sammy Bamford picked it up. “Looking for this?” he said to the teacher.
“Give t
hat to me, or you’ll regret it!” demanded Miss Frost. She was becoming flustered and lunged at Sammy.
Sammy tossed the phone to Slugger.
My classmates were bravely trying to help me, but I had to get the phone back. My plan wouldn’t work without it.
Miss Frost launched herself at Slugger. “You’d better delete that photo, or else!” she shrieked.
Slugger lobbed the phone to Albert, who did something brilliant. He pulled out his own mobile phone and held it next to mine. In their black cases, the two phones looked almost identical.
“I suppose you’ll have to figure out which phone is Scarlett’s,” he said, throwing one to his right and one to his left.
The rest of the class caught on, Albert’s pluckiness spurring them to action. Everyone reached for their phones and started tossing them around. It was like a giant game of hot potato or, more accurately, hot device-o.
Miss Frost jumped up and down in the center of the room. She raged and roared and flapped her arms around in an attempt to catch a phone. She was completely losing her cool.
Suddenly, I found myself holding my own phone.
I dashed outside, sprinting toward the library and praying Peter had done what I’d asked him to do.
“You’re not supposed to be in here,” squeaked Mrs. Paige.
I ignored her and raced past. My stomach churned. What if Peter had forgotten? There wouldn’t be enough time to carry out my plan.
I charged through the doors of the computer lab.
Peter had done his job! For someone who was usually absent, he had risen to the occasion. One of the computers was turned on. He had opened up PhotoCrop and my email server. He had opened up a map of the world. He had opened up hope for the class. I sat down and unlocked my phone.
I selected the photo of Miss Frost.
I heard footsteps running into the library.
“Where is she?” boomed a voice. It was Miss Frost, and she wasn’t whispering anymore.
I used my phone to send the photo to myself in an email and then logged into my inbox on the computer. Come on, come on. My heart was beating faster than the footsteps in the library.
Miss Frost appeared in the doorway. “I’ll have you expelled for this, you horrible girl!”
Ping!
The photo arrived in my inbox.
Miss Frost stared at the computer. Her eyes widened at the photo of herself on the screen. “What are you doing?”
I dragged the photo of Miss Frost onto the map of the world.
“Explain yourself!”
I positioned her over a country far, far away that I didn’t recognize.
She took a few more steps toward me. “EXPLAIN YOURSELF!”
I moved the mouse over the Save icon.
Click.
Silence.
Miss Frost was gone. She had vanished into thin air. I had PhotoCropped her out of Blue Valley.
Mr. Sternblast burst into the computer lab. “What’s all this commotion? What’s going on?”
I quickly switched off the computer and looked innocently at the principal.
Mr. Sternblast glanced around the empty lab. “Where’s your teacher? Where’s Miss Frost? Tell me immediately!”
I took a deep breath and told him the honest truth. “I don’t know, sir. I don’t know where she is.”
3
A Pleasant Surprise
Mr. Sternblast stood in room 12B later that morning with a folder in his hands. He was frowning—which was normal for him—though this was a frown of complete confusion. “Err…I’m not sure how to say this.”
The students in room 12B sat up straight in their chairs as they listened.
“Umm…” the principal stammered. “It appears as though there has been some sort of…mix-up… Yes, a mix-up.”
Miffy Armstrong, the sportiest and strongest girl in Blue Valley, adjusted her headband. She leaned forward, itching to hear the news.
Mr. Sternblast opened the folder. “I just received a phone call from Miss Frost.” He paused, looking around the room. Scarlett Geeves fidgeted nervously with a pencil on her desk. “It seems she has gotten herself rather lost.”
Albert Smithers raised his hand.
“Yes, Smithers?”
“Where is she?”
Mr. Sternblast pulled on his moustache as he thought about the answer. He blinked quickly and replied in the quietest voice the students had ever heard him use.
“Ecuador.”
Vex Vron had to bite his lip to stop himself from laughing.
Albert raised his hand again.
“Yes?” said the principal.
“How did she get to Ecuador?”
Scarlett suddenly lost control of her pencil, and it clattered to the floor.
Albert’s question, meanwhile, had snapped Mr. Sternblast back into principal mode. “That, Smithers, is a very good question. Nobody has been able to tell me anything…although I have my suspicions.”
Scarlett turned bright red and tried not to look the principal in the eye.
Mr. Sternblast’s moustache wobbled crankily. “Make no mistake, I will do everything in my power to bring that talented teacher back to this school as quickly as possible. Discipline will be the new order.”
Miffy bravely piped up with a burning question. “Mr. Sternblast, who is going to teach us in the meantime?”
The principal turned to another page in his folder and frowned again. Though this time, it was one of frustration. “I have some regretful news.”
Victoria and Vex exchanged a knowing glance. Vex did a silent fist pump under his desk.
“The school board—buffoons that they are—have chosen to reappoint your old teacher.”
“Miss Schlump?” asked Miffy.
“Of course not!” said Mr. Sternblast. “They’ve reappointed that bumbling Mr. Bam—”
Mr. Sternblast tried to finish his sentence, but the students were already hooting and howling.
Carrot clapped loudly.
Sammy threw his hat in the air.
Scarlett danced on her chair.
Vex looked rather pleased with himself.
Damon longed to embrace Victoria, but she was too busy throwing her confetti work in the air in celebration.
The euphoria in room 12B created an energy that Mr. Sternblast was not used to. In his mind, things should be done quietly and in an orderly manner. School was about regulations, not emotions. The current scene of elation was simply too much for him. He growled and stormed out.
Just as the principal left, a unicycle wheeled itself through the door. The students hushed and held their breaths. The unicycle whizzed around Victoria’s desk and rested in the corner at the front of the room. The sound and smell of sizzling bacon wafted in from outside, along with a familiar voice. “It’s never too late in the morning for bacon and eggs, wouldn’t you say?”
Mr. Bambuckle strode into room 12B and grinned at the students, his blue suit sparkling as brightly as ever. He was holding his frying pan, which was overflowing with breakfast.
“You’re back!” cried Myra.
“We missed you!” said Harold McHagil.
“And I, you,” said Mr. Bambuckle, beaming at the class. He walked around the room and held out the frying pan so the students could take some food. He paused at Scarlett’s desk. “Dear Scarlett, how delightful it is to see you again.”
Scarlett tightened the red ribbon in her hair. “There was magic in my fingers.”
Mr. Bambuckle winked. “I trust you found my note, then?”
Scarlett glanced at the door to make sure Mr. Sternblast wasn’t there before returning the wink and taking a piece of bacon.
The teacher made his way over to Vex’s desk. “And Vex… Vex Wilberforce Vron, your unseen sacrifice is a big par
t of the reason I am here today.”
Vex shot another glance at Victoria. “How did you know about—”
“Remember, I know everything.”
Vex’s usually cool face produced a smile. It was a rare smile that warmed the hearts of his classmates.
“But I didn’t do it alone,” said Vex. “Victoria helped me.”
“Can somebody tell me what’s going on?” said Slugger Choppers. “Who did what?”
“I had a chat with my dad,” said Vex. “He owns three car lots.”
“So?” said Slugger. “Cafeteria Carol owns three rolling pins.”
Vex raised an eyebrow and continued. “I asked Dad to offer vehicle upgrades to members of the school board if they let Mr. Bambuckle come back to teach us.”
“Oh,” said Slugger, shaking away thoughts of Cafeteria Carol threatening him with a rolling pin. “Why would your dad do that? He hates giving away cars.”
“Because,” said Vex, “I told him I’d start working in one of his car lots if he did. And he agreed. He said it would teach me to be like him—a tough, hardworking businessman—so I can take over the company one day. There was just one problem. Dad doesn’t have any contacts on the school board. That’s where Victoria came in. Her dad knows someone, so I asked her to pass on the car offer.”
“I remember seeing you give Victoria a note,” said Damon. He gazed dreamily at his crush. “She’s my hero.”
“Then I suppose it came down to me,” said Scarlett. “I had to figure out how to get rid of Miss Frost.”
“And you did,” said Mr. Bambuckle. “In a most remarkable way.”
“But what if Miss Frost comes back?” said Evie Nightingale, her eyes darting around the room.
Mr. Bambuckle put the empty frying pan on his desk. “There’s far too much work to catch up on to worry about that.”
Everyone cheered.
“To begin with, I would like you all to draw the most amazing cake you can imagine.”
The sound of pencil cases being unzipped filled the air.
While the students talked excitedly about their favorite cakes, Mr. Bambuckle walked around the room, stopping only to speak with Sammy Bamford. “I trust you found the government override system helpful?”
Sammy’s eyes widened. “You sent me those links?”