The man was tall and wore a suit and tie. He looked very important.
Behind him was a woman carrying a big camera. CHANNEL 2 was printed in big letters on the camera.
Marvin stood up. He put his hand on his heart, as if he was saying the Pledge of Allegiance. He could feel his heartbeat.
“Are you the president?” asked Kenny.
The man laughed. So did the woman holding the camera.
“What an idiot,” said Heather.
“Don’t you even know what the president looks like?” said Gina.
“Duh!” said Nick.
Kenny blushed.
“Marvin, why are you standing?” asked Mrs. North.
“Uh, just stretching,” said Marvin. He sat back down.
“Did you get that on camera?” the man asked the camera woman.
“No,” she said.
“All right, let’s do it again,” said the man. “I’ll walk in again, and you …” he pointed to Kenny. “What’s your name?”
“Kenny,” said Kenny.
“I’ll walk in again, and Kenny, you ask me if I’m the president. And try to look cute.”
Kenny seemed very confused.
“No, he will not,” said Mrs. North.
The man looked at Mrs. North’s belly button. “Who are you?” he asked.
“I am Mrs. North. This is my classroom. Who are you?”
The man seemed surprised she didn’t know. “I am Clark Rogers from Channel Two News.”
“Well, Mr. Rogers,” sai
d Mrs. North. “I do not like the way you walked in without knocking. You disturbed my class. And I don’t want you embarrassing any of my students on television. Now, if you want to stay, you may wait, quietly, in the back of the room. Otherwise you will have to leave.”
Clark Rogers stared at her a moment. Mrs. North stared right back at him.
“Sorry,” he said. He and the camera woman moved to the back of the room.
Marvin felt very proud of his teacher.
5
More news people came from other TV stations. They all crowded into the back of the room. There were three television cameras, and also a photographer from the newspaper.
Mrs. North went ahead with the arithmetic lesson.
They’d been learning to add big numbers. Mrs. North put a problem on the board.