“We should dress this way all the time,” said Judy Jasper. “That way, nobody would feel bad if their parents were too poor to buy them new clothes.”
“That’s a good idea,” said Mrs. North.
Marvin thought so, too.
“And the holes keep you cool on a hot day,” Stuart pointed out.
“You’re right,” said Mrs. North.
Marvin agreed. Holes made perfect sense. He wondered why nobody had thought of it before.
A child’s voice came over the P.A. system. “Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance.”
Every day, a different kid got to lead the school in the pledge.
“That’s Casey!” said Judy Jasper.
Marvin recognized Casey’s voice as she recited the pledge. She sounded very serious.
He put his hand over his heart and said it along with her.
When Casey came back to class, she told Mrs. North that Mr. McCabe wanted to see her. Mr. McCabe was the principal.
“Did he say why?” Mrs. North asked.
Casey shook her head.
Casey wore a shirt that was way too big for her. Marvin guessed it was her father’s. Not only did it have holes in it, but it also had paint spilled on it.
Mrs. North told the class she would be gone for only a minute. She said she expected everyone to behave and to use their time wisely.
After she left, Nick said, “I bet you Mrs. North got in trouble for wearing torn clothes!”
“No, Mr. McCabe is also wearing torn
clothes,” said Casey. “I saw his elbow.”
“What did it look like?” asked Judy.
“Pink and bumpy,” said Casey.
Casey had a ponytail that stuck out of the side of her head instead of the back. She sat down next to Marvin. The ponytail was on Marvin’s side. Sometimes, when Casey laughed really hard, her ponytail went around in circles.
Mrs. North was gone for a lot longer than a minute. When she returned, she had a very strange expression on her face. She looked lost. She opened her mouth, but didn’t say anything.
“Are you all right?” asked Kenny.
Mrs. North looked at Kenny, but still didn’t say anything. Finally, she spoke. She said, “We are …” then stopped.
She started again. “There will …”
That was as far as she got.
She tried again. “I expect …”
Her mouth shut tight. She tapped her desk with her fist.
At last she managed to say a complete sentence. “We are going to have a visitor today.”