Chapter 4 - The Field Trip, Part 1
When Louisa came to school one day, all of her friends were clustered on the front steps, talking earnestly.
"Hey guys, what's up?" she asked.
"Hey Louisa," they said.
"Well I'm gonna fly the space ship," Harry said.
"What are you talking about?"
"Haven't you heard about the big trip?" Kevin asked.
"Oh yeah, I think my parents got something about it in the mail. So what's the big deal? It's just a dumb field trip."
They all looked at Louisa in shock. "It's not just any dumb field trip," Marilyn told her. "This is the best field trip of our lives."
"Every year," Lauren explained, "the fourth, fifth and sixth graders go on a field trip together. It lasts three days and two nights. Last year they had to go to Washington D.C., but this year we get to go to the Space Center."
"Really?" Louisa asked. "Sounds cool."
"Not just that," Harry added, "but we get to be in a space mission."
"It's not a real shuttle mission," Marilyn said. "It's a fake mission-to-Mars thing. Here," she handed Louisa a note. "Mr. Lipschultz gave them to us yesterday while you were at the dentist."
Field Trip
As you know, every year the fourth, fifth and sixth graders go on an overnight field trip. This year the trip will be to the Space Center, approximately five hours away by bus. We will be taking Charter buses and staying in a hotel. Each room will have four students and one chaperone.
All students will be split into eight groups. Each group will have a combination of students from all grades. The groups will work together during the entire field trip to complete a mock mission to Mars. Half of the team will be in a simulated mission control, and the other half will be on the simulated space shuttle.
All students must have their parent/guardian sign the permission slip and medical release forms to attend by the two weeks before the trip. Turn the forms into the main office. Group assignments will be available by the Friday afternoon before the field trip.
"Cool," Louisa said, handing the form back to Marilyn.
"Yeah," Kevin said.
"I hope we're all in the same group," Lauren said.
"I hope we get to go in the space shuttle," Harry added.
The bell rang, and they filed into class, eager to hear more about the field trip.
*****
A few weeks later Louisa was standing in a long line before school with the other students who had forgotten to turn in their permission slips before the last minute. She and Harry were at the end of the line.
"Next!" a short sixth grader chirped from behind the desk. The line inched forward. But right before Louisa and Harry got to the desk, the 8:30 bell rang.
"I'm sorry," the boy said. "But I can't accept those permission slips."
"Aw Scott, why not?"
"The notes clearly state that they were to be handed in before 8:30 today, and it is now," Scott Guber checked his watch, "8:31. You can't go on the field trip. Rules are rules."
"Don't be such a priss," Harry complained.
Scott stood up straighter. "I am *not* a priss. Those are the rules, and as the office assistant, I must obey them."
Louisa leaned over and grabbed his tie. "Listen here you little prick. We were one stupid minute late. Just one! So let us turn them in our forms and go on the field trip."
"And how are you going to make me?" Scott asked, full of bravado.
Louisa stuck her fist under his nose. "I think my five friends will be happy to help me."
"All right, all right," Scott said quietly. "Just don't hurt me."
Louisa let him go, and Scott open up the folder and put their forms in there.
*****
Later that day they found out who was going to be in their groups. The gang wound up in the same group - group 3. Group 3A (Steven, Harry, Marilyn, Milton, Louisa, Jenna and others) was going to be in the shuttle, while group 3B (Lauren, Kevin, Scott Guber, Tina and others) was going to be in mission control.
"Well at least we get King Steven in our group," Milton said. "He's pretty nice."
"I guess so," Louisa said. "But I can't believe we're stuck with Guber. He's such a priss."
"Yeah," Harry said. " 'Don't put the form in the yellow envelope. Don't run in the halls. Don't ridicule teachers,' " he mocked.
" 'Don't eat with your fingers. Don't squirt water on other people. Don't step across the red line.' " Kevin added.
" 'Don't mess up my filing system. Don't touch my things. Don't write on the desk.' " Milton added.
The rest of the group chimmed in, jumping around and mimicking Scott and his endless supply of 'Don't's.
Up on top of the monkey bars, King Steven looked down at them and wished they wouldn't make fun of Scott, his friend.
Inside, Scott stared out of the window from behind his desk, daydreaming about the exciting field trip to come, with Lauren.
When Louisa came to school one day, all of her friends were clustered on the front steps, talking earnestly.
"Hey guys, what's up?" she asked.
"Hey Louisa," they said.
"Well I'm gonna fly the space ship," Harry said.
"What are you talking about?"
"Haven't you heard about the big trip?" Kevin asked.
"Oh yeah, I think my parents got something about it in the mail. So what's the big deal? It's just a dumb field trip."
They all looked at Louisa in shock. "It's not just any dumb field trip," Marilyn told her. "This is the best field trip of our lives."
"Every year," Lauren explained, "the fourth, fifth and sixth graders go on a field trip together. It lasts three days and two nights. Last year they had to go to Washington D.C., but this year we get to go to the Space Center."
"Really?" Louisa asked. "Sounds cool."
"Not just that," Harry added, "but we get to be in a space mission."
"It's not a real shuttle mission," Marilyn said. "It's a fake mission-to-Mars thing. Here," she handed Louisa a note. "Mr. Lipschultz gave them to us yesterday while you were at the dentist."
Field Trip
As you know, every year the fourth, fifth and sixth graders go on an overnight field trip. This year the trip will be to the Space Center, approximately five hours away by bus. We will be taking Charter buses and staying in a hotel. Each room will have four students and one chaperone.
All students will be split into eight groups. Each group will have a combination of students from all grades. The groups will work together during the entire field trip to complete a mock mission to Mars. Half of the team will be in a simulated mission control, and the other half will be on the simulated space shuttle.
All students must have their parent/guardian sign the permission slip and medical release forms to attend by the two weeks before the trip. Turn the forms into the main office. Group assignments will be available by the Friday afternoon before the field trip.
"Cool," Louisa said, handing the form back to Marilyn.
"Yeah," Kevin said.
"I hope we're all in the same group," Lauren said.
"I hope we get to go in the space shuttle," Harry added.
The bell rang, and they filed into class, eager to hear more about the field trip.
*****
A few weeks later Louisa was standing in a long line before school with the other students who had forgotten to turn in their permission slips before the last minute. She and Harry were at the end of the line.
"Next!" a short sixth grader chirped from behind the desk. The line inched forward. But right before Louisa and Harry got to the desk, the 8:30 bell rang.
"I'm sorry," the boy said. "But I can't accept those permission slips."
"Aw Scott, why not?"
"The notes clearly state that they were to be handed in before 8:30 today, and it is now," Scott Guber checked his watch, "8:31. You can't go on the field trip. Rules are rules."
"Don't be such a priss," Harry complained.
Scott stood up straighter. "I am *not* a priss. Those are the rules, and as the office assistant, I must obey them."
Louisa leaned over and grabbed his tie. "Listen here you little prick. We were one stupid minute late. Just one! So let us turn them in our forms and go on the field trip."
"And how are you going to make me?" Scott asked, full of bravado.
Louisa stuck her fist under his nose. "I think my five friends will be happy to help me."
"All right, all right," Scott said quietly. "Just don't hurt me."
Louisa let him go, and Scott open up the folder and put their forms in there.
*****
Later that day they found out who was going to be in their groups. The gang wound up in the same group - group 3. Group 3A (Steven, Harry, Marilyn, Milton, Louisa, Jenna and others) was going to be in the shuttle, while group 3B (Lauren, Kevin, Scott Guber, Tina and others) was going to be in mission control.
"Well at least we get King Steven in our group," Milton said. "He's pretty nice."
"I guess so," Louisa said. "But I can't believe we're stuck with Guber. He's such a priss."
"Yeah," Harry said. " 'Don't put the form in the yellow envelope. Don't run in the halls. Don't ridicule teachers,' " he mocked.
" 'Don't eat with your fingers. Don't squirt water on other people. Don't step across the red line.' " Kevin added.
" 'Don't mess up my filing system. Don't touch my things. Don't write on the desk.' " Milton added.
The rest of the group chimmed in, jumping around and mimicking Scott and his endless supply of 'Don't's.
Up on top of the monkey bars, King Steven looked down at them and wished they wouldn't make fun of Scott, his friend.
Inside, Scott stared out of the window from behind his desk, daydreaming about the exciting field trip to come, with Lauren.
