CHAPTER 2 – Sign Up Now

The lunchroom was pretty deserted when the ducks started preparing on Wednesday at noon. They set up a table in the middle of the room where people can see them.

"Get into places you guys, the lunch bell is about to ring." Julie said.

"Oh come on! Will you two quit that!" Averman shouted at Guy and Connie, who are so busy flirting with each other to bother helping them.

"Really, you guys should try to get some time off each other." Russ said.

"You're just jealous," Guy said. Luis rolled his eyes.

"Where are the others?" asked Connie.

"Still out distributing flyers" Adam replied

"We'd better start. People are coming." Luis said.

"Sign up now!" Julie called to the students. "Help the Day Care Center!"

***

"Will you guys hurry up! I'm starving! How do you think will I be able to distribute these with my stomach grumbling?" Goldberg complained.

"Just a few more flyers, Goldberg!" Jesse said.

"Sign up now. It's for a good cause." Charlie said, handing out some flyers.

"Howdy!" Dwayne greeted them, obviously through giving out his share for he wasn't carrying any.

"Thank God, Cowboy! Here, give these out for me!" Goldberg threw his flyers into Dwayne's arms.

"No way! I'm through with mine. You're on your own, Goldberg! I'm heading inside for some lunch," he said, giving the flyers back to Goldberg.

"Oh come on! I'm your friend, aren't I?"

"Please! Will you try to stop thinking about your stomach for a while?! If you just give those out and sacrifice a little maybe we could all get our lunches sooner." Charlie said exasperatedly.

"Charlie! Charlie!" a girl's voice shouted excitedly between snortings. Charlie stopped dead.

"Hmm… that snorting sound, must be Violet Fleming again," Goldberg said slyly. Jesse and Dwayne started to snicker.

Violet Fleming has a huge crush on Charlie ever since she came to Eden Hall three months ago and had been pestering Charlie since then. She snorts when laughing and giggles like crazy.

"Wha?! I don't hear anything," Charlie said nervously. "On second thought, I'm starting to feel my stomach grumbling. Let's grab our lunch." But before they could even make a step, Violet had caught up with them and started tugging at Charlie's sleeves.

"Charlie! I was calling you but I guess you didn't hear me!" She giggled and snorted again.

"Hey Violet," Charlie said, glumly. Goldberg, Jesse and Dwayne were laughing in the background.

"I heard you're raising money for the Day Care Center. What's that all about?"

"Nothing you'd be interested in."

"Charlie! Excuse us for a while, Violet" Jesse said as he pulled Charlie toward them for a huddle.

"We need as many people as possible. It wouldn't ruin anything if she signs up." Jesse said.

"It's not like she's going to end up your master or anything" Goldberg put in.

"Besides, we need the money and she's loaded." Dwayne pointed out.

Charlie turned to Violet. "You pay five dollars for a day, or ten dollars for two to be a master, or you can participate for free by volunteering to be a servant. You should sign up."

"Okay, I will! Bye Charlie," said Violet, giggling.

***

"And it's for a good cause," Adam told Mark McDonnell.

"Ok, I'll do it" Mark said.

"Master or servant?" asked Connie. "It would be great if you could volunteer to be a servant, we actually need more of them."

"Well, I guess it would be alright" he said adding his name to the list.

"Volunteer to be someone's servant? Who thought of this stupid idea?" Rick Riley and his friends came up the table. "Helping Day Care Centers now, huh? Is that what you do on your free time? Baby-sit?" he and his friends laughed.

"I think you would do many people a favor by helping out," the Principal said behind them. Varsity went pale. "Put all their names in as servants."

"We were really planning on signing up, sir." Riley said as he and his friends pull out ten dollars each and handed them out to the Ducks.

"Thank you, now sign here." Ken said, giving them a pen. After signing, the Varsity took off.

"Where's Guy?" Averman asked, noticing Guy's missing.

"He's over there somewhere, talking to the Math teacher" Connie answered. She and Julie were in charge of handling the money.

After a few moments, Guy walked back to their table.

"What's that all about?" asked Russ.

"The teacher asked me if I could tutor the new girl after school whenever we don't have practice. She said I'm the only one she thinks that is fit for the job."

"Wow! Sarah Owen! What luck!" Portman said, giving Guy a high-five.

"That's great, dude!" Fulton said, Luis gave Guy a jealous look. Guy just shrugged.

"Hi, you're Guy Germaine, right?" the new girl approached them. Guy nodded. "I guess the teacher already told you. Listen, I know you have a hockey practice this afternoon, but I was wondering if we could start studying together after your practice. I have this Math quiz tomorrow."

"Oh, um… I have a date after practice" Guy said, looking at Connie.

"No, it's okay. You go study with her. We can go some other day." Connie smiled at Sarah.

"Great!" said Sarah, completely ignoring Connie. "See you later," she smiled sweetly at Guy. Luis went ahead of her.

"Hey Gorgeous, how about signing up for our charity work? Who knows, you might get lucky and have me as your servant," said Luis with a wink.

"I'm sorry, mister, but I can't. I have so many catching up to do." And she walked off.

"Ooh! Busted!" Averman and Russ said, laughing.

"haha! Laugh all you want. I'll get her someday." Luis said.

"Whatever you say, MISTER!" Russ and Averman laughed harder.