“Can I say something?”
“No, Jill, you can’t! So just shut up!”
It was the third time Jill had interrupted him, and Robert was getting mad.
So was Mrs. Hinman. With only two more days until the end of the school year, she didn’t need one bit of extra commotion in her Monday afternoon social studies class. And the fact that it was almost ninety degrees in her room didn’t help.
She glared at Jill. “You’ll get your turn in five minutes. Now, please, keep quiet!”
Jill didn’t back down. “But this isn’t what he agreed to, Mrs. Hinman. All this stuff about the school’s history? It’s not what’s important now. They’re tearing the place down on Thursday, and it’s going to ruin the whole town! That’s what we need to be talking about!” She pointed at Robert. “And he said we could have a debate about it in class, instead of just giving our dumb little reports. But now Gerritt’s trying to get another stupid A-plus!”
Mrs. Hinman stood up. “Jill, that’s enough!” She looked at Ben. “You’re part of this project—is Jill right? Did the three of you agree to have a debate?”
Ben nodded. “Except, Robert didn’t want to. But we voted, and it was two to one. And now Gerritt’s not keeping his promise.”
“Fine!” shouted Robert, his face almost red. “You want a debate? Bring it on! I say that this worn-out old dump of a school needs to go! I say it’s time for real changes around here, and I say that a theme park like Tall Ships Ahoy! will bring some real life back to Edgeport! And I also say that a debate is completely dumb, because no matter what anyone says, the new theme park is going to happen!”
In two seconds Jill was at the front of the classroom, right in Robert’s face, her fists clenched. “Just because it’s going to happen doesn’t mean that it should happen, and that’s what we’re debating, blockhead!”
Mrs. Hinman quickly stepped between them.
“Stop it—or you can both go cool off in the principal’s office! Is that clear?”
They each mumbled something, and Mrs. Hinman went on.
“Now, if this is going to be a proper debate, there have to be rules.” Counting them off on her fingers, she said, “Number one: No shouting and no insulting each other. Number two: You have to back up your opinions with facts. And number three: I am the timekeeper, and if I say your time is up, you stop talking. Agreed?”
Both of them nodded.
Mrs. Hinman turned and said, “Ben, I’m not sure where you fit into this new structure—any ideas?”
He said, “Um . . . ,” and shrugged. He looked sort of confused.
But Ben wasn’t confused at all, not one bit.
So far, social studies class was right on track—exactly the way he and Jill and Robert had planned it.