Me and Banksy
Page 21
“Think they can handle it?”
“We should at least let them try.” I grin. “How else are they going to learn?”
We stay downstairs until the cupcakes are officially served. Then Holden has three more.
* * *
—
On the Monday morning after the open house, people are still talking about it. We’re like heroes in the school hallway. Even Josh’s posse gives us fake bows as we pass, though Josh is still nowhere in sight.
Saanvi and I roll our eyes at them.
“Where’s your fearless leader?”
“Moving,” one of the orangutans says.
“Moving?”
“Yeah, they move a lot, man,” another says. “This is like Josh’s third middle school or something.”
“Sucks, dude,” the first one says.
I don’t feel at all sorry for him when I think of him as Josh. But when I think of the kidnapped kid caught up in a custody dispute, there’s a twinge. I guess everyone has issues.
“I think Ms. Plante got fired,” Saanvi whispers as we walk away.
When Holden and I go to ethics after homeroom, there’s an unfamiliar teacher standing at the front of the class with Ms. Sutton.
“This is Ms. Tran. She’ll be taking over the class for the remainder of this semester.”
“Where are you going?” Ana, of course, has her arm raised toward the ceiling.
“I’ll be taking over as interim principal while the board decides on a new direction for Mitchell Academy. Ms. Plante has decided to seek another position.”
The class erupts in cheers and high-fives, and Ms. Sutton doesn’t bother reprimanding us.
“Are the cameras coming down, Ms. Sutton?” Miranda calls.
“I think that’s likely,” she says.
This time, I even high-five the posse.
After class, we sit at our regular cafeteria table. But it’s not just the three of us anymore. Miranda and Max seem to have permanently joined the group. And today, when Ana walks by, I make myself call her over.
“Do you want to sit with us?”
Her eyes widen, and she immediately plunks down her tray.
“Do you want to talk about the humanities assignment? Get a head start on it?” she asks.
“No, Ana. Let’s just have lunch.”
“And cupcakes!” Holden says. With a flourish, he pulls a plastic container from his pack and sets it in the center of the table.
“What’s this?”
He pulls off the lid to reveal a dozen slightly lopsided efforts, decorated with a wide variety of sprinkles.
“Dude, you made these?” Max has already grabbed one.
“I have found my calling, thanks to Dom’s mom,” Holden says.
“Your calling is cupcakes?” Miranda laughs.
“My parents have already signed me up for a baking class. At my request.”
I can only imagine how happy Holden’s mom must be.
I take my time choosing. Eventually, I pick the one in the center, with the red and white heart sprinkles. Holden touches the edge of his to the edge of mine, as if we’re clinking champagne glasses.
Miranda sighs happily. “The future’s looking bright,” she says.
“And free of surveillance,” Saanvi says.
“Full of art,” I add.
And also full of cupcakes.
A NOTE ABOUT CYBER BULLYING
Dom and her friends decide to tackle their cyber-bullying issues themselves, which is a great strategy for adding action to a novel, but not the best strategy in real life. Dom’s first step should have been to talk to a trusted adult: a parent or teacher, for example. Schools take incidents of cyber bullying very seriously, as do internet providers and police forces. To learn about steps students can take to prevent or combat cyber bullying, visit:
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cycp-cpcj/bull-inti/index-eng.htm
http://cyberbullyhelp.com
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Banksy, the street artist who inspires Dominica, is a real person. As Dominica writes in her project proposal, he began painting graffiti in Bristol, England, and has since created art all over the world. The works referenced in this book are also real, as is his film, Exit Through the Gift Shop. Banksy remains anonymous. However, there are places to see his (or her) work. The best source is Banksy’s own website: www.banksy.co.uk.
Kriston Capps wrote about the theories that Banksy is a woman, or a team of artists led by a woman, here: www.citylab.com/design/2014/11/why-banksy-is-probably-a-woman/382202/.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Banksy, whoever you are, thank you for highlighting social justice issues, for pointing out the absurdities in our world, and for inspiring this book.
A big thanks to all the people who helped this novel come to life, including my agent, Amy Tompkins. None of my books would ever be finished without my fabulous writing group, the Inkslingers: Rachelle Delaney, Kallie George, Sara Gillingham, Stacey Matson, Lori Sherritt-Fleming, and Kay Weisman. I’m completely in love with Lynne Missen and Peter Phillips at Penguin Random House Canada, who seem to get even my lamest jokes. Thank you also to copyeditor Linda Pruessen, who worked with me on both this book and Eyes and Spies—we are now experts in all things surveillance-related!
Thanks to my beta readers, Shae, Adelaide, and Julia. (Adelaide and Julia are also the creators of the two-legged giraffe texts which I blatantly stole.) And most of all, thanks to my cheerleading squad: Min, Julia, Matthew, Shirley, Gordon, Sandy, Jason, and Moe.