CHAPTER 11
Nothing Except …
“Earth to Wednesday,” says Charlie, interrupting my thoughts. “The recess bell rang!”
Mister catches up with us shortly after we leave the class, and by the time we’re on the playground, the Emmas are showing off their Secret Keeper to everyone. I feel like a successful entrepreneur as I pull out my clipboard to take orders from other students. I mean, customers. It’s the first time I’m using my clipboard for a list since becoming a business owner. I divide the list into two columns: one for name and the other for classroom. I don’t even have time to eat my snack because I’m too busy writing down orders. Maybe we should raise the price to four dollars tomorrow.
After recess, Ms. Gelson tells the class to hand in their permission forms and four dollars for the field trip. The whole class is suspiciously quiet. Emma M. hands Ms. Gelson her signed form and four dollars. Then Randall hands in his form and two dollars without making eye contact. Althea and Lamar do the same. I can tell that Ms. Gelson knows something is up when she stops the line and asks who else in the class has the full four dollars. Amina, Charlie and I raise our hands, which looks pretty suspicious.
My stomach turns from not eating at recess and maybe a bit from worrying about how there is forty-two dollars in my desk, and Ms. Gelson is about to be exactly forty-two dollars short for our field trip. It’s not a coincidence she’s going to like.
“Wednesday, Charlie, Amina and Emma,” says Ms. Gelson quietly, “do you have anything to share with me?”
I glance around the room with a confused look, like I don’t know what she’s talking about. The rest of the class is silent. Charlie looks like he’s going to burst.
“Cherophobia is the fear of being happy,” Charlie says at the top of his lungs. The class starts laughing, and I know I need to act fast before Charlie gets into trouble.
“They had nothing to do with it,” I tell Ms. Gelson. “It was all my idea.” Charlie tries to protest, but luckily he can’t get words out right now, so he’s told to go sit down.
I try my best to explain where the missing money went, but it’s difficult because I don’t want to drag anyone else into this. When I get to the part about cutting up library books, Ms. Gelson winces.
Ms. Gelson tells me she’s sorry, but I have to go to the office because school property was damaged. I already know this is my third strike. I hand the forty-two dollars over to Ms. Gelson, then stop to say goodbye to Morten on my way out.
“I thought it was a really good idea, Morten,” I tell him. But as I walk downstairs to the office, I know I’m about to find out I’m wrong, as usual.
