Stephen wobbled as he took the mallet with both hands. Louis helped him raise it to his shoulder.
Mr. Kidswatter checked his watch, and then started the countdown.
“Ten! Nine! Eight!”
He had to shout the numbers, so Stephen could hear him through the cotton balls.
“Seven! Six!”
Stephen tightened his grip on the handle.
“Five! Four!”
Stephen groaned loudly as he slowly raised the iron mallet up off his shoulder. It was a good thing he’d been doing all those push-downs.
“Three!”
Stephen staggered, but maintained his balance.
“Two!”
He concentrated on the red dot.
“One!!!”
He swung with all his might . . . and missed!
He didn’t just miss the red dot. He missed the gong.
Louis jumped out of the way as the weight of the mallet pulled Stephen around in a circle.
The second time around, the mallet banged into the gong, right on the dot.
GONNNNNN—nnnnnn—NNNNNN—nnnnnn—NNNNNN—nnnnnn . . .
Despite the cotton balls, the sound echoed inside Stephen’s skull, and rattled his bones.
. . . NNNNNN—nnnnnn—NNNNNN—nnnnnn—NNNNNNN—
It traveled up the stairs, all the way to the thirtieth floor.
. . . nnnnnn-NNNNNNG!
“He did it!” shouted Mac.
“Yay, Stephen!” yelled Jenny.
Everyone in Mrs. Jewls’s class whooped and hollered.
Louis kept Stephen from falling over, and took the mallet from him. He hooked it to the frame, and then he and Stephen wheeled the gong into the principal’s office.
Mr. Kidswatter was already there, standing by the door. The principal held out his big hand and said, “Well done, Stephen!”
In the history of Wayside School, Stephen was the only kid to ever shake Mr. Kidswatter’s hand.
In the future, whenever Stephen feels worried, or frustrated, or just plain sad, his mind will take him back to the moment the mallet struck the gong. He will close his eyes and see the red dot. His hands will feel the weight of the iron mallet. He will hear the sound of the gong bouncing back and forth between his ears, and will feel the vibrations in his bones.
And he will smile.