Fabulous Five 024 - The Great TV Turnoff

by Betsy Haynes

  "Katie! Sit down," Taffy Sinclair whispered angrily. She was sitting in the row behind The Fabulous Five with Cory Dillon.

  "Yes, please," said Shawnie Pendergast, who was seated next to them with her new boyfriend, Craig Meachem. "We can't see."

  Katie slouched down in her seat. Next she tried peeking between people's heads, but every time she turned around, Taffy and Shawnie frowned at her.

  Maybe the boys came in late, she thought, and they sat in the back because they didn't want to trample on people's feet. Probably he'll be waiting for me in the mall when the movie's over, she decided. The idea made her feel better, and she settled back to watch the movie.

  Katie looked around the lobby expectantly as the movie let out. She couldn't help feeling depressed as she scanned the crowded mall. Tony was nowhere to be seen.

  "Come on, guys," said Jana. "Let's go to Taco Plenty for a soda."

  As they followed the crowd through the mall toward the fast-food restaurant, the girls passed an electronic appliance store. Katie glanced in and stopped in her tracks. There, sitting on the floor in the middle of a semicircle of television sets all showing the same baseball game, sat Tony, Shane, and Bill.

  CHAPTER 3

  Katie raced down to the kitchen the next morning to talk to her mother. She had tossed and turned all night, thinking about the possibility of a turnoff and the consequences it would bring to her life. There was no question that she wanted to get Tony away from his TV for a while, but she was convinced that this wasn't the way to do it.

  "Mom, I know you really believe in this whole business of television being bad for kids," she began, "but think about what it will do to me. I won't just be the most unpopular girl in Wakeman. I'll be the most hated girl in Wakeman."

  Willie smiled and stirred her coffee. "I'm sure some kids will be upset for a couple of days, but it won't be as bad as you think. Besides, you always have your friends in The Fabulous Five to stick by you until the worst blows over."

  "Humpft," snorted Katie. "Beth's mad because no one will get to see the Media Club's big cable TV production on Saturday morning. She says her entire future is at stake. And Melanie is hooked on a soap opera, and she says she'll die if she has to miss five episodes."

  Willie chuckled. "Nobody's going to die without TV, believe me. Besides, Mr. Bell may not even be interested in my idea."

  "I should be so lucky," Katie mumbled. There was no use talking to her mother about it anymore.

  Katie thought over that conversation with her mother as she headed to school Monday morning. There was a possibility that Mr. Bell wouldn't be interested in a TV turnoff, of course, but she couldn't count on it. She also couldn't count on the total support of The Fabulous Five. Beth and Melanie were definitely against it, and Jana and Christie hadn't actually said they were for it. She might have to face the anger of the entire school all alone.

  She ducked onto the school ground and headed for The Fabulous Five's meeting place by the fence. She kept her eyes down, hoping no one would notice her and get on her case about the article.

  Christie and Melanie were waiting at the fence.

  "Wow, has your mother really started something," said Melanie the moment Katie reached them. "The TV turnoff is all everybody's talking about."

  Katie let out a sigh of exasperation. "It was just one measly article," she argued. "Probably nothing will come of it."

  "I hope you're right," said Melanie, shaking her head doubtfully.

  "I agree with you, Katie," said Christie. "I mean, it isn't as if she went to the school board and demanded a turnoff, or anything. Maybe Mr. Bell didn't even read her article."

  Just then Beth came rushing up with Dekeisha Adams.

  "Hey, you guys," called Dekeisha. "Big trouble."

  Beth was nodding. "We don't know what's going on, but we just walked by the media center, and Mr. Bell and all the teachers are having some kind of meeting in there."

  "The teachers never meet in the morning before school unless it's some kind of emergency," said Dekeisha. "I'll bet it's about that article your mother wrote, Katie. I'll bet they're talking about a television turnoff for Wakeman Junior High. All I have to say is, I hope it doesn't happen."

  Katie wished the ground would open up and swallow her. Everyone was looking at her. Even her best friends.

  "Maybe the meeting's about something else," she offered weakly. "I mean, just because my mom wrote an article . . ."

  Fortunately the first bell rang before Katie had to say anymore. She headed for her locker, wishing she could climb into it and hide there for the rest of the day. Dekeisha was probably right, she thought. Why else would the teachers be having a special meeting this morning? They must be talking about a TV turnoff. And I'm going to get all the blame!

  Katie held her breath when Miss Simone, the school secretary, made the morning announcements over the loudspeaker during home room. There were the usual things mentioned, such as after-school activities and the lunch menu, but there was nothing about a turnoff. She breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe she had been worrying for nothing.

  Still she couldn't relax. All morning long she felt as if every kid in school were looking at her. When the lunch bell finally rang, she hurried to the cafeteria to meet her friends.

  "Anyone hear anything about the teachers' meeting?" she asked as she sat down with her tray.

  "Not yet." said Beth. She lowered her voice and frowned. "But everybody's betting it's about the you-know-what."

  Suddenly Beth's expression changed to surprise, and she cleared her throat loudly. Without moving her lips she said, "Katie, don't look now, but I think Tony's heading this way."

  Katie inhaled sharply and sat up straight. "Oh, my gosh," she whispered.

  "Yo there, Your Honor," came a familiar voice from behind her. "Got a minute?"

  Katie composed herself the best she could and turned around. "Sure," she mumbled.

  Tony gestured toward an empty table. "We can talk over there. So what's been happening?" he asked as soon as she sat down beside him. "I haven't seen much of you lately."

  Katie blinked in surprise. What's been happening? Was that all he had to say? What's been happening, she wanted to scream, is that you've been acting like a total jerk!

  He didn't wait for her reply. "Say, Katie," he continued. "Is it okay if I come over tonight?"

  "Tonight?" she asked, her spirits soaring. Maybe she had been wrong about him.

  "Yeah. The White Sox are playing the Yankees. Our TV set's broken, and I thought you and I could watch on yours. Now I know you get mad when I spend too much time watching baseball, but it ought to be a super game. Even you'd enjoy watching it."

  "You've got to be kidding!" Katie exploded. "If there's one thing I do not want to do, it's watch another stupid ball game on TV."

  Tony looked flabbergasted. He opened his mouth to respond, but Katie wasn't finished yet.

  "Not only that, I'm glad your set is broken. That's all you seem to care about anymore. Television, television, TELEVISION. You've forgotten I'm even alive. And that's not all, you're turning into a television addict!"

  Katie stood up and whirled around, marching back to the table where her friends sat staring at her. Katie winced. She hadn't meant to shout. Probably everyone had heard her blow up at Tony.

  "Wow, Katie," said Jana. "I think he knows you're mad at him now."

  "So does the whole cafeteria," said Christie.

  "What is he doing?" asked Katie, suddenly worried that she had gone too far.

  "He's outta here," said Beth. "Gone like a flash. Uh-oh," she added. "Here come Laura and her troops. I have to hand it to you, Katie. When you blow it, you do it right."

  Katie stiffened as Laura McCall and her friends stopped beside the table.

  Laura looked at Katie through narrowed eyes. "And here I thought everything was your mother's fault."

  "What are you talking about?" demanded Katie.

  "You know what I'm talking about," said
Laura. "Trying to tell the kids at Wakeman that they can't watch TV."

  Katie stared right back at her. "My mother's not trying to tell anyone anything. She just had a good idea and wrote an article about it. That's all."

  "It sounds like a dumb idea to me," said Laura. "And I don't think for a minute that anyone will go along with it. Why don't you tell your mother to stay out of Wakeman's business if she hasn't got any better ideas than that one?" She flipped the end of her long braid as she talked.

  Katie fumed. "It is not a dumb idea," she fired back. "In fact, more and more I think it's a great idea."

  "Are you sure you didn't think of it yourself?"

  The question threw Katie for a moment.

  Laura watched Katie hesitate, and the corners of her mouth curled in a little smile. "Of course it was your idea, Katie Shannon. And you proved it to everybody a few minutes ago. You're afraid you're losing Tony, aren't you? He's paying more attention to television than to you. You said so yourself. You can't kid us. You cooked up this whole idea to get your boyfriend back."

  "Wha—I—," Katie sputtered.

  Before she could get any words out, Laura turned to her friends and commanded, "Let's go."

  Katie stared after Laura and her friends as they sailed out the cafeteria door.

  CHAPTER 4

  Katie was miserable all afternoon. In the halls other students glared at her, and she couldn't help thinking about all the rumors Laura and her friends were spreading. And then there was her problem with Tony. She didn't have the slightest idea what to do about him.

  Finally, last period arrived. It was a relief to watch Mr. Naset write historical dates on the board and know that she could go home soon.

  Katie's thoughts were interrupted by the public address speaker over Mr. Naset's desk as it crackled to life.

  "Attention, students and teachers," said Miss Simone. "Mr. Bell has a special announcement."

  Katie sank low in her seat as the kids in her class began shuffling and looking at each other. She had a feeling that she knew what was coming, and she wished she could become invisible.

  "Students, faculty," Mr. Bell began. "I'm issuing a very exciting challenge to each and every one of you." There was a slight pause as he cleared his throat and went on. "As I'm sure some of you know, the junior high school in Branford has just completed a very successful television turnoff. The students, the faculty, and their families all agreed to give up watching TV for one week. We've been discussing the idea of a TV turnoff at Wakeman, and we think it has merit. Besides the fact that it would be a terrific challenge, it would give us all a chance to do things some of us haven't done for a while because we've been sitting in front of the boob tube."

  Mr. Bell paused again, and this time angry grumbles sounded across the room. Katie looked around nervously. Three or four kids were giving her dirty looks.

  "Now, I know you all are aware that Branford beat us once in football and twice in basketball this year," Mr. Bell continued, as several kids in Katie's class booed. "And I know none of you would like to see Branford Junior High get ahead of us."

  There was a pause, and this time a few students actually nodded.

  "Consequently, I was so sure of the support of my students and faculty that I called the principal of Branford myself and told him to step aside for Wakeman Junior High. In order to prove our superiority, I am challenging you to turn off your television sets for not one—but two whole weeks! The turnoff will begin on Friday. We'll call the newspapers and radio stations. And we'll prove to Branford that Wakeman Junior High can't be beaten! Are you with me?"

  The room was so silent that Katie could hear her heart beating. Then the grumbling started up again.

  "No TV?" Derek Travelstead asked incredulously. "Is he kidding or what?"

  "No, Derek," Mr. Naset said sternly. "He is not kidding. He hopes that everyone will have enough school spirit to want to join the program."

  "Come on, everybody!" shouted Richie Corrierro. "Let's show those sissies at Branford what Wacko kids are made of!"

  "Yeah," called Tony Sanchez. "They did one lousy week. Big deal! We can do two with our eyes shut!"

  "You don't have to shut your eyes," said Shawnie Pendergast. "Just turn off your television."

  The whole class laughed.

  "Who wants to turn off their TV?" protested Tammy Lucero, glaring at Katie. "Just because they were dumb enough to do it at Branford doesn't mean we have to."

  "I like TV," said Geena McNatt. "I don't see why the school wants to mess with what we watch, anyway." A few kids mumbled their agreement.

  "It wasn't the school's idea," Tammy assured her. This time at least half the class gave Katie dirty looks.

  When the dismissal bell rang, Katie headed straight for home without even stopping at her locker. She had more important things on her mind than the books she needed for homework. Her worst nightmare had just come true. People just didn't want to go along with a TV turnoff. They hated the idea. More than anything else, she needed to talk to Willie.

  Katie stopped in the doorway to her mother's office. Willie was concentrating on her computer screen and didn't notice her at first. Katie took a couple of deep breaths and reminded herself that she had to stay calm, no matter how upset she felt. Finally she stepped inside and stopped beside her mother's desk.

  Willie looked up from her typing. "Hi, sweetheart."

  "I need to talk to you," Katie said urgently. "Okay?"

  "Ooh." Willie raised her eyebrows. "Sounds important."

  "It is important. It's about the TV turnoff." Katie could hear her own voice rising in anger, but she couldn't stop. "You started it! Now you've got to do something to stop it!"

  "Whoa!" said Willie, looking startled. "Will you please calm down and tell me what you're talking about?"

  Katie took another deep breath. She usually got along pretty well with Willie. But then, Willie had never done anything quite like this before.

  "Just before school was out this afternoon, Mr. Bell made an announcement over the loudspeaker that Wakeman is going to do a TV turnoff, and not for just one week. For two! No one wants to do it, and they're all mad at me."

  Willie sighed deeply. "I'm sorry everyone's blaming you, sweetheart," she said. "I knew about the turnoff. Mr. Bell called a little while ago to say that he had talked to the PTA and to his staff, and that the PTA is behind the turnoff one hundred percent. Most of his staff is, too. He told the teachers that if any of them are planning to use a television program for a class assignment, they should put it off for a while. He also assigned Mrs. Karl to be the school coordinator, and she's very enthusiastic about it. She's planning to come up with some ideas to get the students excited about the project."

  "Big deal," grumbled Katie. She gave her mother a skeptical look. "It will take more than ideas from Mrs. Karl to get kids at Wacko excited about a television turnoff."

  "Katie, I know you're worried about the other kids, but the turnoff will only be for two weeks. Your classmates should be able to do without TV for that long. And it will do them good to find out they can live without it."

  "But, Mom," Katie protested. "You don't understand. Laura McCall says I started it because Tony spends more time watching television than he does with me. She says I'm afraid I'm losing my boyfriend, and the turnoff is my way of trying to get him back."

  Willie sat up straight. "Well, you just tell her that you had nothing to do with it," she said indignantly. "Tell her that it was my idea. You've stood up to Laura before, sweetheart."

  "Actually she's saying that you and I are in it together and that you should stay out of other people's business. See, Mom?" Katie pleaded. "It's a total disaster."

  Willie took both of Katie's hands in hers and looked her daughter straight in the eyes. "You know I didn't write that article to embarrass you, don't you?"

  Katie nodded and tried to swallow the lump in her throat.

  "And you know that I only get involved in things like this
because I believe in them, don't you?"

  Katie nodded again.

  "Then try to believe me when I say that everything is going to work out okay."

  Shrugging, Katie mumbled, "Sure, Mom," and left the room. She wanted to believe her mother, but how could she? This was going to be the most miserable two weeks of her life.

  CHAPTER 5

  When Katie heard the telephone ring later that evening, she looked up from her homework. Maybe it was Tony, calling to say he really wanted to come over, but not to watch a baseball game on TV.

  "Katie, it's for you," her mother shouted from the bottom of the stairs.

  Taking the steps two at a time, Katie hurried to the phone, rehearsing as she went how sweet and forgiving she would be when Tony admitted he had been wrong.

  "Hi, Katie. It's me, Jana."

  "Oh . . . hi," Katie said in a small voice.

  Jana chuckled. "Sorry to disappoint you. Who were you expecting?"

  "Tony," Katie said with a sigh. "I was hoping he'd had time to think about our argument in the cafeteria today and was calling to say he was sorry."

  "Don't count on it. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but he's really steamed at you. That's what I called to tell you."

  Katie swallowed hard. "What do you mean?"

  "Well," Jana began, "you didn't come to Bumpers after school, but Tony was there. He and Randy and Shane sat with The Fabulous Five. And get this, he thinks you started this whole turnoff thing just to get back at him for watching so many baseball games on TV."

  "He what!" Katie cried.

  "You heard me," said Jana. "He said that you're the most stubborn person he's ever met and that he wouldn't put it past you. Those were his exact words."

  "You're kidding! Why, how could he?" Katie sputtered in exasperation. "Jana, I can't believe he said that."

  "Believe it," Jana said softly. "Anyway, I thought you ought to know. What are you going to do? Call him?"

  "No way," Katie huffed. "I wouldn't call him now if my life depended on it."

  "Oh, come on, Katie," said Jana. "Don't be so stubborn. You two are never going to work this out if you don't talk about it."