"...and therefore, we can plainly see that the question, 'Is human nature good or evil?' is ill-posed," droned the teacher. "Your graded history tests are on my desk. Enjoy your recess, everyone."
The pupils began to form a line leading to the stack of papers on Mr. Pryce-Jones' desk. Muffy and Mavis, who had been sitting close to each other near the back of the room, found themselves at the end of the line, as usual.
"Did you find out anything more about Mr. Ratburn?" Mavis asked Muffy.
"As far as I can tell," Muffy replied, "he admitted everything so he could get his girlfriend back. But it doesn't make sense. Why should she go back to him if he's in danger of going to prison?"
"It all sounds very complicated," said Mavis. "Adults have problems that kids like us don't understand, even exceptionally brilliant kids like me."
The line dwindled, and Muffy and Mavis finally picked up their tests. Mavis grunted disinterestedly upon seeing that she had a perfect score, while Muffy felt her heart sink through the floor.
"It's my lowest score ever," she moaned despondently.
Mavis put a hand on her shoulder in a vain attempt to comfort her. "It's all right, Muffy."
"No, I'm afraid it's not all right," said Mr. Pryce-Jones, who was seated behind his desk, cleaning his spectacles. "Muffy, if you want to advance to fifth grade, you'd better start praying for a miracle."
Suddenly angry, Muffy threw her test to the floor. "It's no use!" she cried. "I'll never bring my grades up! I've tried everything!"
"Temper, temper," said Mr. Pryce-Jones, waving a finger at her. Mavis looked at Muffy with sympathy, wondering whether the girl could be helped, or was a lost cause.
Her head bowed, Muffy appeared to be close to tears. Then, unexpectedly, her expression changed to one of grim determination.
"Not everything," she said softly, as if a profound new revelation had struck her mind. "There's one thing I haven't tried."
"What?" Mavis asked her.
The girl who had been distraught only seconds earlier now sported an unworried smile. She felt confident. In control. Empowered.
"Civil," Muffy replied, "disobedience." Having said that, she turned on her heel and marched out of the classroom, leaving her test on the floor.
Mavis started to chase after her. "Muffy, where are you going?"
----
A silent conflict raged in Binky's mind as he sat on a bench by the Lakewood Elementary playground during morning recess.
If I fight Molly, then she won't be my friend anymore, but Mavis will kiss me, he thought. But if I don't fight Molly, then she'll still be my friend, but Mavis won't kiss me. But if I fight Molly, then she won't be my friend anymore, but Mavis will kiss me. But If I don't fight Molly...oh, I'm getting nowhere!"
As he struggled uselessly against the confusion, he saw Rattles and Molly walking across the playground toward him. Rattles wore a blue jacket that didn't look very warm, while Molly was once again clad in her dark yellow iguana coat.
"Yo, Binkster," Rattles hailed him. "What's going down?"
Binky looked up at the pair without saying a word.
"Hey, I asked you a question, man," said Rattles with a hint of menace.
Gathering his courage, Binky rose to his feet. He was almost identical in height to Rattles, a fact mainly due to his oversized head. "I'd like to talk to Molly alone," he said, his voice quivering slightly.
Rattles gave Binky a blank look, then turned and walked away.
"What is it, Binky?" asked Molly, who was also roughly the same height as Binky (not counting her ears), and unusually well-built for a Lakewood schoolgirl.
"Remember last week when you pushed that girl into a puddle?" Binky asked her.
"Yeah," said Molly, "I remember. She smart-mouthed me. I would have punched her, but she was wearing glasses."
"Well," said Binky, looking Molly straight in the eye, "I've decided that she's my friend after all. In fact, I kinda like her."
"Wait till the swan finds out," said Molly flatly.
Glowering, Binky poked Molly in the chest with his finger. "And I don't like what you did to her. That's why I'm...I'm challenging you to a fight!"
Molly gaped for several moments. Binky imagined that her eyes had gone wide, but it was difficult to tell, as they were covered with hair.
She finally spoke. "You? Want to fight me?"
"Yeah," said Binky. "You got a problem with that?"
"No, I don't." Molly's tone became wistful. "It's just that...you and I have known each other for so long, and I thought you'd never...I'm sorry...this is so sudden..."
"You gonna fight me or not?" growled Binky.
Molly composed herself. "Yes, Binky, of course I'll fight you. When do you want to fight? Wednesdays are best for me."
"Wednesday it is," said Binky. "Morning recess, right here. And don't stand me up, or else."
As Binky walked off, Molly clasped her hands with delight. She raced across the playground, calling, "Rattles! Rattles!"
The boy was leaning against a light pole, staring at a smaller boy who was sitting at a table reading a book. "What?" he said when he saw Molly hurrying toward him.
"Binky challenged me to a fight!" she gushed.
"No way!" said Rattles unbelievingly.
"Yes way!" Molly replied. "Oh, it'll be so exciting! I'll have to put on my worst clothes, and mess up my hair..."
"That's crazy, man," Rattles mused. "I had no idea he thought of you that way."
----
"Today's science lesson is about clouds," announced Mr. Wald. "Who can tell me what the three main types of clouds are?"
Beat raised her hand. "Cirrus, cumulus, and stratus."
"Very good, Beat," said the teacher. "Go to the head of the class. Oh, wait, you're already there." The kids chuckled.
At that moment the door to the classroom opened, and to everyone's surprise, Muffy Crosswire walked in. She strolled over to a desk and sat down as if nothing were out of the ordinary.
"Uh, welcome back, Muffy," Mr. Wald greeted her. "I wasn't notified that you had transferred back to our school."
"I haven't," replied Muffy. She grinned and waved at Van, who waved back.
Mr. Wald appeared puzzled for a moment, then resumed his lesson. "The highest clouds in the atmosphere are cirrus clouds, which are made up of ice crystals..."
Shortly the bell rang, and the pupils started to file out the door. Muffy tried to use the opportunity to talk with Van, but Mr. Wald laid a hand on her shoulder. "Come with me, Muffy," he said in a stern, teacher-like voice.
Being taken to the principal's office was, more or less, what she had expected. Once she was finished there, she told herself, she would take her battle to the school board, then the Supreme Court, then the United Nations...
"You can't just walk down the street from one school to another," Mr. Haney informed her. "Your academic records are at Uppity Downs. For you to come back here, your records would have to be transferred, and you need your parents' permission for that to happen."
"Which I won't get," Muffy retorted. "But it doesn't matter. I'm doomed to repeat fourth grade either way, so why not go to my old school, where I get more out of the lectures, and I can be with my friends?"
"I'm not the one to decide that," said the principal. "It's for your parents to decide. Speaking of which, here they are now."
The door to Mr. Haney's office flew open, and Ed and Millicent Crosswire entered. Muffy greeted her furious-looking father with a self-assured smile.
"Playing hooky is unacceptable behavior for a Crosswire," he growled. "You're coming with us, and you're going back to Uppity Downs. I don't want to hear any arguments."
Muffy climbed down from the chair and folded her arms defiantly. "And what if I don't want to? What will you do? Lecture me? Ground me? Cut my allowance? No punishment is worse than going back to that awful school."
Several minutes later, as Fern was walking toward Mr. Wald's classroom, she saw Muffy sitting on a bench, sobbing bitterly. Compassion filled her heart as she hurried to the girl's side. "Muffy, what's wrong?"
Muffy looked up at Fern; her eyes were gushing with tears.
"My...my dad hit me!"
(To be continued...)
