As I was leaving at the end of class, Mr. Briggs called me over to his desk. “Martin, could I talk with you for a minute?”
“Sure.” I had no idea what he wanted. But he was a teacher, so he had the power to talk with me until my ears bled, if that’s what made him happy.
“I’ve been looking over your records, and I’m a bit confused. Most of the students are here because they’ve had extremely serious problems in other schools. The entries in your file aren’t very specific.” He stopped talking and watched me.
I knew that trick. He was waiting for me to start talking. The really good interviewers on TV do the same thing. They ask a question, then they just stop talking and wait. Even after they get an answer, they wait for more. Most people can’t stand silence, so they blab all their secrets away. I really wasn’t in the mood to spill my life’s story, so I just smiled and shrugged.
Sure enough, he couldn’t stand the silence, either. “Well, I just wanted you to know that I’m here if you ever have any problems. Okay?”
“Okeydokey,” I said. “Can I go now?”
“Yes. But remember, I’m here to help you.” He leaned forward and gave me a warm smile.
I took a step away. “Actually, I’ll bet you’re here because you couldn’t get a job at some big fancy college or some important chemical company.” I walked off. Halfway across the room, I started to feel like a real rat. Mr. Briggs had been nice to me, and the way I’d acted, I might as well have just kicked him in the crotch. I turned around so I could say I was sorry. But he was staring out the window like his mind was a million miles away.
I sprinted down the hall and caught up with Torchie, who was just catching up with Cheater. I wondered why Cheater hadn’t rushed ahead for seats. Then I noticed Bloodbath strolling along farther up the hall. I guess Cheater didn’t want to risk running past him.
“He hits me every time I get near him,” Cheater said, following my gaze down the hall.
“I’m not surprised.” I’d suspected Bloodbath might have a couple of favorite punching bags.
“What did Briggs want?” Torchie asked.
“He wanted to let me know that I’m not really such a bad person. It was quite a relief to hear that. Guess I can pack my things and go home now.”
“Really?” Cheater asked. “That’s great.” He grinned. Then his smile faded. “But you just got here. How come you get to leave? It’s not fair.”
I shook my head. This kid was amazing. He’d believe anything. He was just too easy.
“Wait. I get it,” Cheater said. “You were kidding.”
“Can’t fool you,” I told him. I looked at my schedule. “History’s next. What’s it like?”
Torchie grinned. Cheater grinned.
“What?” I asked.
“You’ll see,” Torchie said.
YOU’RE HISTORY
“Let’s just say Ms. Crenshaw is big on class participation,” Cheater told me.
I found out what he meant the moment I walked into the room. The teacher was right inside the doorway handing out costumes. “Hi, you must be the new boy,” she said, shoving a white and fluffy bundle into my hands. “This is a voluntary class. Anyone who doesn’t want to attend can choose to go to a traditional lecture with Mr. Ludovico across the hall.”
I looked at my lump of fluff. It was a white wig. All I could manage to say was, “Huh?”
“You get to be Thomas Jefferson today,” Ms. Crenshaw said, smiling like she’d just told me I’d won the lottery.
She handed another wig to Torchie. “You’re George Washington,” she said. A puff of powder drifted between his hands. Then Ms. Crenshaw thrust a folded piece of cloth toward Flinch, who grimaced and pulled away at first, but finally took it from her.
“Not Martha again,” Flinch said, letting the dress flop open between his fists. “Please, I hate being Martha. I was Martha twice last week. Can’t I be Ben Franklin?”
Ms. Crenshaw just kept smiling and said, “Now, that’s not a very helpful attitude. Every role is important. There are no small parts. I’m sure you don’t want to let the others down, do you?”
Flinch looked around. “Hey, would any of you feel let down if I didn’t play Martha Washington?”
The poor kid. Once we saw how much he didn’t want to play the part, there was no way we were going to help him get out of it.
“We’re counting on you, Martha,” Cheater said.
Lucky, who had just walked in, said, “Every country needs a mother. It’s your duty, Flinch.”