#28 Mallory Makes a Difference

by Laurie Friedman

  “Thanks!” I hop off her bed. “I have to go. I have a phone call to make,” I say over my shoulder.

  “Wait!” says Mom. “It’s the weekend. You can’t call Mrs. Finney. You’ll have to wait and talk to her at school on Monday.”

  Now it’s my turn to laugh. “I wasn’t going to call Mrs. Finney,” I say.

  There’s someone else I need to talk to.

  An Unexpected Partner

  Last night after I talked to Mom, I went straight to my room and called Mary Ann. I told her I had an amazing idea that I was sure she would LOVE!

  She wanted to know what it was, but I told her my idea was so amazing that I wanted to explain it to her in person. So we made plans to get together tomorrow.

  I tossed and turned all night waiting for today to get here. Now, Mom is driving me to Mary Ann’s house. As soon as I get there, I’m going to tell Mary Ann my idea for the food drive, and I’m sure she’s going to want to do it with me.

  Mom drops me off at the Winstons’, and I ring their doorbell. It’s hard to be patient while I wait for Mary Ann to answer. I thought about asking Mary Ann and Chloe Jennifer to help me with my plan. But Chloe Jennifer has a piano recital the weekend before Thanksgiving and is spending all her spare time practicing.

  Mary Ann is the perfect person for the job.

  “Hey!” says Mary Ann when she opens the door. “Winnie and Joey and I are watching a great movie. You can watch it with us,” she says as she leads the way to their family room.

  I don’t want to watch a movie. I want to tell Mary Ann about my idea. “Can we talk first?” I ask. I remind her that I have an idea I wanted to tell her about.

  “We’ll talk when the movie is over,” says Mary Ann.

  That’s not really what I want to do, but it’s not like I have a choice. I sit down on the couch between Joey and Mary Ann. “Hi,” I say to Joey.

  “Shh!” says Winnie.

  I try to focus on the movie.

  The kids on the TV are pretty excited. They’ve just found some important, secret documents in their grandmother’s attic. I’ll be excited when they do whatever it is they’re planning to do with them and the movie is over.

  “Is this the end?” I ask.

  “Shh!” Winnie says again.

  The kids on TV deliver the documents to the police, who let their grandmother out of jail. They reunite and everyone is happy. Especially me. The movie is finally over!

  “Now, are you ready to hear my idea?” I ask Mary Ann as soon as Winnie turns the TV off.

  “Sure,” says Mary Ann.

  All of a sudden, I feel nervous like I did when Devon and I had to present our book report to our class. I want to do a good job explaining this.

  I take a deep breath and tell Mary Ann about my plan for organizing a food drive at school. “First, we’d have to talk to Mrs. Finney at school on Monday and get permission to do it. But I’m sure she’s going to say yes. I think it’s a really good idea. It will help other people, and it will be a lot of fun to do it.”

  I pause and look at Mary Ann. “But it will be even more fun if we do it together.”

  I stop talking. It’s Mary Ann’s turn to say what an amazing idea I have and that she’d love to do it with me, but that’s not what she says.

  Mary Ann twirls a curl around her finger. “I don’t think I want to do it,” she says.

  I can’t believe what I’m hearing. “Why?” I ask.

  Mary Ann shrugs.

  But that’s not an answer to my question.

  I ask again. “Why don’t you want to do it?”

  Mary Ann lets out a breath. “It just doesn’t sound like fun to me.”

  “It’s not the same kind of fun you have at a sleepover or when you go to a swimming pool,” I explain. “But it’ll be fun to do a project that helps other people.”

  Apparently, Mary Ann doesn’t feel the same way I do. “I’m just not into it. Sorry,” she says. I know that means she’s done talking about it.

  “Sure,” I say like it’s not a big deal, but it is to me. I think it’s such a good idea, and I’m shocked she can’t see that.

  “Do you want to hang out in my room?” Mary Ann asks.

  We go to Mary Ann’s room and play games on her computer. But I have a hard time focusing. I can’t believe she didn’t want to do the food drive with me.

  I can’t decide if it’s because she doesn’t want to do something nice for other people or because she doesn’t want to do something with me.

  And I’m not sure which of those things bothers me more.

  When Mary Ann puts on headphones to listen to a song, I think about how much our friendship has changed. In the past, Mary Ann would have been just as excited as I am to do this. Lately, I feel like Mary Ann is a lot more interested in what she wants to do than in what matters to other people. I think it’s why we’re not as close as we used to be.

  When Mom comes to pick me up, I tell Mary Ann bye and walk down the stairs. I’m just about to leave when Joey stops me. “The food drive sounds cool,” he says.

  “Thanks,” I tell him. “I think so too.”

  Joey hesitates like he’s about to say something but isn’t sure how to say it. I think I know what he was going to say. “Were you going to tell me not to be upset about Mary Ann not wanting to do the food drive with me?” I ask.

  Joey laughs. “Nope,” he says. “I was going to ask you if I could do it with you.” He grins at me. “Partners?”

  “Are you kidding?” My grin is even bigger than Joey’s. I can’t believe I didn’t think to ask him if he wanted to do this with me. I’m so glad he wants to. “Partners!” I say back.

  Joey and I high-five. Deciding to work together is only our first step. Now we’ve got a food drive to plan.

  Ready, Set, Go!

  When Joey and I get to school, we meet outside Mrs. Finney’s office.

  Even though we didn’t do anything wrong, walking into the principal’s office is kind of scary. “Ready?” asks Joey when Mrs. Finney’s secretary, Mr. Price, says she’s available to see us.

  I nod. I’m wearing my best shirt and skirt so that I make a good impression. And Joey and I talked on the phone last night and rehearsed exactly what we’re going to say.

  “What can I do for you?” asks Mrs. Finney when we sit down in her office.

  I clear my throat and begin. “Joey and I have an idea.” I sit up straight in the chair as I talk to Mrs. Finney about the food drive. “We’d like to get kids to bring in canned goods so families in Fern Falls will have what they need for Thanksgiving.”

  Joey picks up where I leave off. “We were thinking that we could form a committee with two representatives from each grade who would be in charge of getting the kids in their grade to bring in cans.”

  He explains that we’d like to award a prize to the grade that brings in the most cans. “Maybe you could give a homework-free week to the grade that wins,” he says.

  When Joey finishes talking, we both look at Mrs. Finney. She’s quiet like she’s thinking about what we said. It’s hard to tell how she feels about our idea.

  I cross my toes inside my shoes. I really hope she likes it.

  The good news is that she does! “I think it’s a wonderful idea for the school to do a food drive,” says Mrs. Finney. “I’ll contact the Fern Falls Food Bank and coordinate it with them.” Then she pauses. “But I’m not sure about the homework-free week.”

  “Please!” Joey and I say at the same time.

  “It will motivate kids to get involved,” I explain.

  “Since this is the first time we’ve done this at Fern Falls Elementary, we think it’s important to offer something that gets students excited,” adds Joey.

  Mrs. Finney smiles at us. “You’re both very convincing,” she says. “We’ll do it.”

  Joey and I look at each other and grin. “I hope our grade wins,” he says.

  Mrs. Finney laughs. “I think the food drive is a lov
ely idea, and I’m proud of both of you for thinking of it.” Then she gets a serious look on her face. “But Thanksgiving is right around the corner. This is going to take a lot of work. Are you up for it?” she asks.

  I nod that I am, and Joey does too.

  “OK,” says Mrs. Finney. “I’m going to assign Mrs. Daily to be your adviser. She’ll help you with all the plans.”

  Even though we’re sitting in the principal’s office, Joey and I high-five each other. Mrs. Daily was our third-grade teacher, and we both love her.

  “It will be awesome to have Mrs. Daily as our adviser,” I tell Mrs. Finney.

  “I’m glad you’re both pleased,” she says. “I’ll talk to Mrs. Daily this morning. I’m also going to hold an all-school assembly on Wednesday to announce the food drive. I don’t think you should talk about this with your friends until they hear about it at the assembly. Since it’s a contest, everyone should start collecting cans at the same time.”

  She pauses and looks at us. “We’ll choose reps on Thursday, and you can meet with them Friday to explain what they’ll need to do. Students can bring in cans all next week. We’ll have an assembly before Thanksgiving to announce the winning class.”

  “That sounds great,” I say.

  “Thank you,” says Joey.

  Mrs. Finney smiles again. “My pleasure. Just let me know if you need anything else.”

  As Joey and I leave Mrs. Finney’s office, we’re both super excited about the food drive, and we stay that way all week. On Tuesday, we eat lunch with Mrs. Daily in her classroom so we can start planning what we need to do.

  She’s just as enthusiastic about the food drive as we are. “I like that Fern Falls Elementary is getting involved in the community in such a helpful way,” she tells us.

  That afternoon, Joey comes to my house after school. We use the computer in the kitchen to make sign-up sheets for kids who want to be grade reps. Then we draw a poster to announce the food drive.

  “I can’t wait until tomorrow,” says Joey as we color the poster.

  I feel the same way.

  When I wake up on Wednesday morning, I set a record for getting dressed and eating my breakfast faster than ever. I can hardly wait for the assembly to start.

  As I walk into the auditorium with my friends, everyone is talking about it.

  “I wonder what this is about,” says Chloe Jennifer.

  “I hope it’s something good,” says Devon.

  “Maybe we get extra days off for Thanksgiving,” says April.

  “I doubt that,” says Zoe.

  I sit down beside Joey, and Pamela takes the empty seat next to me. Mary Ann sits down in the chair next to Pamela. “What do you think’s going on?” I hear her ask.

  I can’t wait for everyone to find out.

  When Mrs. Finney starts the assembly, Joey and I exchange a look.

  “Students, I have a special announcement to make,” says Mrs. Finney. She tells everyone about the food drive and how it will work.

  “Two fifth graders, Mallory McDonald and Joey Winston, came to me with the idea. I thought it was a good one, and that’s why we’re doing it.”

  When she says that, everyone who is sitting near Joey and me turns around to look at us. I can feel my face turning red. I’m a little embarrassed but in a good way.

  I’m kind of surprised when Mary Ann leans across Pamela and gives me an I-can’t-believe-you’re-doing-this-without-me look. But all I can do is shrug. I tried to get her to do it with me, and she didn’t want to.

  “There will be two class reps from each grade,” says Mrs. Finney. “Sign-up sheets are outside the gym. If more than two people from each grade sign up, we will do a random drawing to see who gets the job.”

  Mrs. Finney continues to explain how the food drive will work. “This is a great opportunity to give back to the community,” she says. “It’s also an opportunity at school. The grade that brings in the most cans wins a homework-free week.”

  When she says that, every kid in the auditorium goes crazy.

  “Students, your attention, please,” Mrs. Finney says from her podium. “I know you’re all excited about the idea of a homework-free week, but let’s remember we’re doing the food drive to help other people, and that’s what’s most important.”

  When she finishes talking, she dismisses everyone to go back to class.

  As we leave the auditorium, kids crowd around Joey and me. I feel like a movie star.

  “What a great idea!” says Chloe Jennifer.

  “I’m definitely signing up to be a class rep,” says Arielle.

  “Me too,” says Danielle. “I want to make sure the fifth grade wins.”

  Everyone is excited about the food drive. Some sixth graders come up to Joey and me and tell us they like the idea and want to get involved. Even first graders are excited. One first-grade boy says he doesn’t even care about the homework-free week because first graders don’t have much homework.

  “I’m so happy everyone is so excited,” says Joey.

  I’m excited too. I feel like we’re at the beginning of a race. We’re ready. We’re set. Now, off we go!

  Problems at the Start

  “You can go in,” Mr. Price says as soon as Joey and I walk into the office.

  This is the second time this week Joey and I have been to see the principal. When we were here on Monday, I didn’t think we’d be back so soon.

  Mrs. Daily is already there with Mrs. Finney. “It seems we have a problem,” says Mrs. Finney as soon as we’re seated.

  Joey and I look at each other. That’s pretty obvious. The reps for the food drive were chosen yesterday. Lots of kids signed up, which is a good thing.

  Here’s what’s not so good. A lot of kids in fifth grade are upset Mary Ann and Zoe got picked to be the class reps. Since Mary Ann is Joey’s stepsister and my friend, and Zoe is Mary Ann’s friend, a lot of kids thought it was unfair, even though Mrs. Daily told everyone she did a random drawing to pick their names.

  I was surprised Mary Ann even signed up to be a rep, since she said she wasn’t interested when I asked her if she wanted to do the food drive with me. But she did, and now a bunch of people are mad.

  Arielle said she thought the selection was rigged.

  Danielle said that she and Arielle both wanted to be class reps and that they’re going to boycott the food drive.

  Half our grade isn’t even speaking to Joey or me.

  “I don’t get why people are mad at us. Joey and I didn’t have anything to do with who got picked to be reps,” I say to Mrs. Finney and Mrs. Daily.

  “That’s true,” says Mrs. Daily. “But we have the meeting with the reps this afternoon and we don’t want to start the food drive with people feeling bad.”

  “We need to do a little damage control,” says Mrs. Finney.

  I’m not even sure what that means. I find out a little later that day. Mrs. Finney shows up at the music room while all the fifth graders are in class with Mom.

  Everyone looks at me as the principal motions Mom over to the door and talks to her. I don’t usually mind that Mom is the music teacher, but today I do.

  It’s bad enough that I’m part of the reason Mrs. Finney is here. It’s even worse that Mom is involved too.

  Mrs. Finney walks to the front of the music room and raises her hand to get everyone’s attention. “I’m going to make this short and sweet,” she says. Her voice sounds like she’s conducting a business meeting.

  “I’m counting on the fifth grade to be supportive of the food drive. Mary Ann Martin and Zoe Anderson are your class reps. They were chosen fairly, and I expect all of you to help them make this project a success.”

  Mrs. Finney pauses like she wants to be sure no one misses what she says next.

  “I don’t want to hear of one problem with this grade. In fact, I fully expect your grade to bring in the most cans and win that homework-free week. What do you say?”

  Everyone cheers.

/>   I guess that problem is solved. “Hopefully, we don’t have any more problems this afternoon at the rep meeting,” I whisper to Joey.

  But the rep meeting doesn’t go as smoothly as I’d hoped. First, Joey and I explain to the reps which canned goods the kids in their classes should bring in. “The Fern Falls Food Bank was very specific about what they want for Thanksgiving,” says Joey.

  “Just corn, green beans, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie filling, gravy, and cranberry sauce,” I tell the group.

  “Did you say pumpkin pie filling and cranberry sauce?” asks Mike Parker, a third grader.

  “Or did you say cranberry pie filling and pumpkin sauce?” asks Marcus Ling, the other third-grade rep. Both boys crack up, and some of the other kids laugh too.

  I give Joey a they’re-being-wise-guys look.

  “What about peas and carrots? Those are good foods for Thanksgiving,” says Lindsay Marshall, a first grader.

  “So are onions,” says her co-rep, Melissa Levy.

  “Onions stink,” says Amy Stark, one of the second-grade reps. She holds her nose like she doesn’t even like thinking about the way onions smell.

  The other second-grade rep, Tristan Williams, makes a retching noise.

  There’s more laughter. “Onions don’t come in cans,” says Annabelle Blake, one of the fourth-grade reps.

  “Fried onions do,” says Max Garcia, the other fourth-grade rep.

  “How are we supposed to remember what’s OK to bring in?” asks Jake Willensky, one of the sixth-grade reps.

  Joey holds his hands up stop-sign style to get the others to stop talking. “We made a list of all the acceptable foods,” he says.

  Mrs. Daily hands me the copies we made of the list. “This will make it easy to share the information with your classes,” she says.

  As I start to pass them around, Zoe raises her hand. “Maybe we should make posters to show kids exactly what to bring.”