XVII

DAY ONE, SCENE: COURTYARD, EISENHOWER ACADEMY

The students started crowding around the minute they saw the Action News van.

Clancy was busy barking orders to her cameraman. “Roger, bump in with a long shot. I’ll be in front of the school sign for the intro. We’ll do a head and shoulders, first. Cut to three quarters medium shot for the interview, then pan to crowd. . . .”

 

By now, every student was on the courtyard lawn, struggling and straining to see what was going on. Push, push. What was Clancy Duckett doing here? Nudge, nudge.

“What’d she just say?”

“What’s going on?”

They murmured and rumbled and mumbled and surged forward and pushed backward and jostled for position. They jumped up and down.

 

The camera lights went on.

A hush fell over the crowd. All eyes were on Clancy as she made her way to the Eisenhower Academy sign and lifted her microphone to speak.

“WHAT IN HEAVEN’S NAME IS GOING ON OUT HERE?” Principal Onnigan boomed as he sprinted across the courtyard, and 787 students actually shushed him.