Miss Nogard was everyone’s favorite substitute teacher, especially Louis’s.
By the time Joy reached sixty-five points, nearly everybody else in her class had finished jumping.
Ron had earned twenty-three points.
Deedee only got to six. Jumping rope wasn’t easy for her, since one leg was shorter than the other.
D.J. had the highest score so far, with eighty-four points.
In the history of the Ultimate Test, nobody had ever broken a hundred.
Whummph-whummph.
“Twelve divided by four?” asked Mrs. Jewls.
Whummph-whummph. “Three,” said Joy. Whummph-whummph.
A circle of children had formed around her. They cheered each correct answer.
“Go, Joy, go!” shouted Mac.
When she reached eighty points, even Mrs. Jewls started to get excited.
“Thirty-eight”—whummph—“plus fourteen?” Whummph.
“Fifty-two!” Whummph-whummph.
She was now tied with D.J.!
“One hundred and”—whummph—“forty-three”—whummph—“divided by” —whummph—“eleven?”
“Thirteen!”
Everyone took up Mac’s call. “Go, Joy, go! Go, Joy, go!” they chanted.
Louis’s and Miss Nogard’s arms were getting tired, but they continued to twirl the ropes. They knew they were a part of history.
Joy was now up to ninety-nine!
“Go, Joy, go! Go, Joy, go!”
Whummph-whummph. “Twenty-nine times four?” shouted Mrs. Jewls.
Whummph-whummph. “One hundred and sixteen,” Joy easily answered.
Everyone whooped and hollered. “That’s a new world record!” exclaimed Deedee.
Whummph-whummph. “Six times seven?”
Whummphraaaapp!
Joy lay sprawled across the blacktop. Sixes and sevens always tripped her up.
Still, she had broken one hundred, and set a new world record!
Her classmates rushed up to her.
“You’re the best ever!” said Kathy.