March 16, 2025
Chapter 11:
First Day In School! (Part 2)
- CLYDE -
Lincoln, Lucy and Gylmar arrive at school, being greeted by Clyde at the gate.
"Lincoln!"
"Clyde!"
The two Best Friends hug each other.
"Serious, bro: what took you so long?" Clyde wants to know. "We usually go together to school."
"Oh, I was just a little late," Lincoln explain. "My siblings are really slow."
"You're a super athlete, Forrest Gump," Gylmar scoffs, crossing his arms, while Lucy chuckles quietly.
"Doesn't matter," Clyde reassures. "Clincoln McCloud is on top!"
They both high five.
"Do you and Haiku also express your friendship like this?" Gylmar asks Lucy.
"My connection to Haiku is as strong as Lincoln and Clyde's, if not stronger," Lucy assures. "But we prefer to be much more discreet."
Lincoln calls:
"Come, Gylmar, come."
Gylmar, somewhat cold, approaches.
"How are you?" Clyde squeezes his hand. "I haven't seen you since you tried my candies."
"If you're expecting me to apologize..." Gylmar snaps. "Sorry, that's not going to happen."
"It's okay," Clyde relieve. "My parents tried the candy and even they agreed that it was too sweet. I'll pay attention next time."
Lucy, without enthusiasm, approaches and shakes Clyde's hand.
"Hey, Lucy, feels good?" Clyde asks.
"No," She replies morbidly. "And don't ask."
"Okay."
Lincoln warns, with his hands on hips:
"And now, Clyde and Gylmar: learn to tolerate each other. You two will get along from now on."
"Yeah, yeah," Clyde agrees, smiling. "I've always wanted a brother, now two brothers will be doubly awesome."
"Yes, we'll see," Gylmar agrees, disenchantedly.
"Now let's go find our other friends," Lincoln summons. "Including..."
"LINCOLN!"
"...Rusty..." He mutters, his brow furrowed.
- RUSTY -
A red-haired boy, ugly, buck-toothed, with a big nose and full of pimples on his face, gets off his bike, as do his two partners Flat Tire and Papa Wheelie.
"Is he your friend?" Gylmar points out.
Lincoln gives a long sigh:
"No."
After locking up his bike, Rusty approaches:
"Well well, if it isn't Lincoln Loud, the proud 'Girl Guru'. Do you have any hot chicks to offer me?"
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Flat and Papa laugh out loud.
Lincoln lowers his head, while Clyde and Lucy watch in silence.
Until Gylmar confronts Rusty:
"Hey man: are you looking for your teeth?"
"Huh? No. What kind of question is that?"
"Well, you better leave Lincoln alone," He tugs Rusty by his shirt. "Or I'll make you look for
your teeth!"
"And what is your relation with Lincoln?" Rusty asks, trying to hide his tension.
"Why do you want to know? Since when have you been interested in Lincoln?"
"Okay, I'll leave him alone, you can drop me now!"
Gylmar lets go of Rusty, who, after taking a breath, summons Flat and Papa:
"Come on, boys, there's no point wasting time with these unloved people."
Scoffing discreetly, the trio walks away.
"We should stay well away from idiots like that," Gylmar emphasizes, hands on his hips.
"But in school, we have to at least learn to tolerate each other," Lincoln relativizes. "Mrs. Johnson once raffled Rusty and me to build a replica of the solar system for school."
"That was the day I met Rocky," Lucy adds.
"Rocky?" Gylmar turns his head.
"Rusty's younger brother. Half-brother, actually. My age. Cute and kind boy. Nothing like
Rusty."
"Does he study with you?"
"He was, but..." Lucy lowers her head. "He went to live with his Mother in another state. I haven't seen him since... Sigh. Another hard blow to my soul."
"I'm still here, Lucy."
- HAIKU -
Lucy looks up.
"Haiku."
Lucy walks up to her Best Friend and kisses her on the lips.
"Hi, Gylmar," Haiku greets him, never taking his gaze off Lucy.
"Hi."
"Well, I guess I'll be on my way," Lucy announces. "See you soon, boys."
"Lucy, wait," Gylmar stops her.
"Huh?"
"Here, use this."
Gylmar pulls from his pocket a blue rubber bracelet with a discreet black button and inserts it onto Lucy's right wrist.
"What's that for?" She doesn't understand.
"It's the 'panic bracelet,' my invention," Gylmar explains. "If 'Lord Voldemort' bothers you again… You just press this button and Lincoln or I will come running to your aid."
"I see," Lucy looks at her wrist, not smiling. "Thank you."
"I know who you're talking about," Haiku assures, then assuming a deep voice. "I AM VOLDEMORT!"
"No. No. No," Lucy feigns despair.
"Yes, yes, yes," Haiku raises her arms. "And I will annihilate you forever, Harry Potter."
"In your dreams," Lucy quickens her pace and runs away, being chased by Haiku.
"They are just like us," Gylmar concludes.
- RICHIE -
As they enter one of the school's many corridors...
"Hi Lincoln, how are you?" A short and black-haired boy comes from the opposite direction, a folded piece of paper in his hand.
Lincoln sighs deeply:
"Hi Richie..."
"I can see he's not your friend either," Gylmar reasons.
"Chandler wrote this poem for you," Richie hands over the note.
Lincoln unfolds the paper and begins to read:
"Roses are red
Violets are blue
Idiots are orange-HEY!"
Gylmar rut the ticket from Lincoln's hands, crumples it up, puts in his mouth and chews.
Then he goes to the nearest trash can and spits it out.
Under the astonished gaze of Richie (and other students nearby), Gylmar announces:
"Now go tell your eighteenth-rate Führer that if his poetry continues at this meager level, he will soon be able to save money on toilet paper."
Richie, haunted, runs away from there!
Boys and girls, crowded in the hallway, laugh out loud!
"Afraid, but not ashamed," Gylmar observes.
"WOW!" Clyde waves his hands. "You're a pretty bold guy."
"Just to do what's right."
"Thank you," Lincoln says in admiration.
"Don't mention this," Gylmar points at Lincoln. "But don't think I'm going to be your babysitter all the time."
"No, of course not. Nor do I wish this."
- NERD TEAM -
Lincoln, Clyde and Gylmar head to their lockers.
"Do you remember your password?" Lincoln asks Gylmar.
"Hey boy. Get off my back," Gylmar snubs him as he turns the combination to open his door. "I'm the one taking care of you, not the other way around."
Lincoln gives him an irritated look.
"Hi, Lincoln, how are you?" A short and red-haired boy with glasses approaches.
"Hi, Zach!" The white hair perks up.
"Hey, Clyde, how are you?" Another boy, with orange hair, appears soon after.
"Tell, Liam!"
"Ah yes, these are your friends," Gylmar observes. "It's obvious."
"Is this your new brother, Lincoln?" Zach asks.
"Yes, it is," Lincoln lifts his friend into the air. "Gylmar, this is Zach, a circus performer and astronomy lover."
"How are you?" Zach extends his hand. "Are you a Mobian?"
"No, I'm not," Gylmar greets him. "But I do plan to spend some time living on Planet Mobius in the future."
"Me too."
While Lincoln helps Zach reach his locker door, Clyde introduces the other friend:
"And this is Liam, who only drinks cow's milk and eats organic vegetables."
"Ah, you're a farmer," Gylmar reasons.
"Yes," Liam shakes his hand as well. "And I am the champion of the Linking Pig Challenge."
"My cousin Raíssa would love to meet you."
"So? Do you have any questions about us?" Zach wants to know.
"Yeah," Gylmar quips. "Why do all nerds have to be ugly, freckled, and buck-toothed?"
"It's our charm," Replies a girl with glasses and tangled red hair, as buck-toothed and freckled as the others.
"AAAHHH!" Gylmar seems startled, but quickly recovers. "And you... are a boy or a girl?"
"Honestly, does it matter?" She quips, her voice high-pitched, holding out her hand. "I'm Penelope, the girl from Nerd Team. Pink, but also blue when I want to be. Alien hunter, banjo player, and chess master."
"Well, if I'm 'Mickey Mouse,' because of my high-pitched voice, you should be 'Donald Duck.'"
"Certainly. Anyway, welcome to the club."
Lincoln lists:
"Alright, everyone. Lincoln, Clyde, Liam, Zach, Penelope, and Gylmar. The Nerd Team is complete!"
He extends his arm and everyone puts their hands on his, with Gylmar last.
"SNAKE TRAIL FOREVER!" Everyone screams (except Gylmar) and throws their hands in the air.
- LINCOLN & GYLMAR CLASS -
As they enter the classroom...
"Uh, Rusty is here, in our class," Gylmar whispers to Lincoln. "That's not good."
"Relax," Lincoln attenuates. "It could be worse. Chandler could be here," He narrows his eyes. "Or Miss C."
Gylmar doesn't reply and sits at his desk, on left side of Lincoln, who has Clyde on his right.
"See that athletic girl over there?" Lincoln points to the second row behind him. "The one with braids and yellow shirt?"
"Lincoln, no time to gossip..." Gylmar complains.
The athletic girl, checking her smartphone, waves smilingly at Lincoln, as does the tall and nerd philipine girl sitting to her left, writing something in her notebook.
Lincoln, happily, waves back, as does Gylmar, very seriously.
Lincoln looks at Gylmar:
"She's Jordan, the second most popular student in school, behind only Chandler."
"Chandler?" Gylmar scoffs. "I thought the only popular bully in this country was Donald Trump."
"OK, forget them. But Jordan is a super athlete, almost as good as Lynn Jr. She's a star at soccer, running, gymnastics and dodgeball."
"Good," Gylmar praises, sounding unimpressed.
"And the tall girl sitting on her left, the one in the white t-shirt with red star, is her half-sister Stella, who a few months ago came with her Mother from Philippines to come live with Jordan and her Mother here in America. Stella is a gifted inventor, like you, as well as three-time karting champion, karateca, K-pop dancer, and fluent in three languages."
"Hmm... Interesting," Gylmar's eyes suddenly brighten. "So they are a second version of us?"
"Well... Almost," Lincoln grins weakly, scratching his head. "I'm not an athlete like Jordan."
"Yes, you are an incredible athlete, at least in running, as you demonstrated today," Gylmar emphasizes, making Lincoln even more embarrassed. "They are not that different from us. So, it's not that hard for us to be popular too."
"Hey Gylmar," Clyde realizes. "Isn't your fox sister coming to school today?"
"She comes, sure," The kitty boy confirms.
"And you're going to let her come to school alone?"
"Don't worry. She can take care herself, just like me. That's how my Mother raised us. And she won't be alone. I know someone who will take good care of her."
"Fox sister?" Liam is intrigued.
- TARSILA -
Tarsila, with a backpack on her back, finds herself alone in the schoolyard, after seeing Lana, Lola and Lisa disappear into the crowd.
"Well... If they can do, so can I."
After swallowing hard, the fennec girl opens her eyes, tightens her grip on the backpack traps and quickens her pace.
Suddenly, someone pushes her from the right side!
"OUCH!" She moans, but without losing her balance.
"Oh, sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going," Says a 9-year-old light gray raccoon boy, comic book in hand, looking with a smile at her.
"Well, you should," Tarsila objects, looking serious.
"Are you new here?"
"I am. Now if you excuse me..."
She resumes her pace, but the raccoon insists on walking behind her:
"Wait! Has anyone told that you are beautiful?!"
"My Mother," Tarsila replies, without looking back.
"Yes, obvious, but anyone else?!"
"My boyfriend!"
After leaving behind a raccoon with jaw on the floor, Tarsila allows herself to open a cynical smile as she enters the school corridors.
"Hey Tatá."
"Huh? Who called me?"
Tarsila looks at several students to her left.
Then she looks at several students on her right.
"It's me," Lucy replies, suddenly appearing on her left.
"AAAHHH!" Tarsila and several other children are scared.
"Relax, I don't bite," Lucy holds out her hand. "Follow me."
When they reach the lockers, Lucy finishes listening to her fox sister's story.
"Well, it's the fate of having innate beauty," Lucy observes, in a kind tone. "Everyone goes hunting. Good I don't have to worry about that."
"Do you think I'm... beautiful?" Tarsila smiles sweetly.
"Do you really need someone to tell you that?" Lucy smiles slightly.
"But no one at school thinks you're special?" Tarsila asks, turning the numbers on the combination to open her door.
"Well..." Lucy reasons morbidly. "I think my dark silhouette and scary hobbies scatter the curious and the inconvenient."
"So... No boyfriend?"
"No. But better. That way, only the sincere ones get close. You, on the other hand, have a better chance of finding a boy for yourself. You have an advantage over me."
"Well, it's not something to brag about," Tarsila says, locking the closet. "Besides… What if I want to get something different from boys?"
"Yes, I understand. Well, what makes you happy..."
The two smile at each other.
- LUCY & TARSILA CLASS -
As they enter the classroom, Lucy introduces:
"Tarsila, this is Haiku. Haiku, this is my new sister, Tarsila Fennec Fox."
"Hi, how are you?" Haiku extends her hand, unsmiling.
"I'm fine, thanks," Tarsila greets her. "Are you Lucy's twin, separated at birth?"
"I don't know. I wish I could."
"Better not. Otherwise, you'd miss the chance."
Haiku wins her eyes!
Lucy ruffles her hair (but keeps her eyes covered)!
"Can I smile for you?" The fox girl asks.
"Er... Sure," Lucy says, blushing a little. "We're three friends now. Don't be intimidated by us."
"You can be yourself and we will respect you," Haiku assures. "We only require that you do the same with us. Nothing more."
Tarsila, without ceremony, wraps her arms around Lucy and Haiku's neck!
"SMAC! SMAC!" She kisses them on the cheek. "Together we're gonna rock!"
"I like your excitement..." Lucy mumbles, trying to cheer herself up.
Someone whistles several times in the back of the room.
Tarsila looks up.
Kira The Squirrel waves happily at the fox girl!
"WOW!" Tarsila exclaims, surprised.
"Oh-Oh…" Haiku realizes.
"This isn't going to end well..." Lucy laments in a low voice.
- GEOGRAPHY LESSON -
As Miss Riley introduces her new student Tarsila to her 3rd grade class, Mrs. Johnson enters her 6th grade classroom.
"Good morning, kids," She gives the biggest smile in the world.
"Good morning, Mrs. Johnson!" All the students exclaim.
Detail: she has her long red hair completely loose.
"Didn't you say she always puts the hair in a bun?" Gylmar whispers to Lincoln.
"Yes," Lincoln reaffirms. "And with a pencil stuck in her bun. Maybe she's nourishing her hair, I don't know."
She continues:
"Well, you all must be looking forward to today's good news: we have a new student in our class, and he's Lincoln Loud's half-brother!"
"You could have brought something better, Lincoln," Rusty teases. "A blonde, blue-eyed half-sister, like Lori, for example. But coming from the 'Girl Guru', you can't expect much either."
Part of the class laughs.
"You can see why Rocky doesn't live with you anymore," Lincoln retorts.
Rusty's eyes widen!
"You're just jealous because Lincoln now has a brother at home and you don't," Penelope continues.
"And Lori is MINE!" Clyde snaps.
"Silence!" The teacher put an end to the chaos. "Rusty, you are warned. Tell one more offensive joke and you may leave the room."
"Yes, ma'am," Rusty complies curtly.
"Anyway..." She smiles again and waves her hand. "Come here, Gylmar, come here."
Sighing, Gylmar gets up from his desk and walks over to his teacher.
"You can stand here, on my right. Then tell everyone who you are and where you came from."
The kitty boy clears his throat and begins:
"Well, my name is Gylmar, I am an 11-year-old Angora cat and I came from Brazil with my Mother and my fox sister. If..."
He feels a hand caressing his back.
"Please," He begs, trying not to tense up.
"Oh, sorry," The teacher smiles, removing her hand.
"Anyway... If someone wants to be my friend... Just don't give me a sandwich with gluten."
Silence.
"Well, that's all," He concludes.
"Ho ho ho ho ho ho..." The teacher starts laughing.
"Huh? I wasn't joking."
"Ah, Gylmar... You're so witty... And so cute. I'm sure half the girls in this school will fall flat on their faces just looking at you."
Rusty rolls his eyes.
"Please, you're not my Mother…" He complains, somewhat annoyed.
"Imagine. I'm Agnetha Johnson, your Best Friend at this school." She leans over and gives him a big hug. "And I will know how to support you. SMAC!"
"Yes," Gylmar snaps, visibly annoyed. "With vinegar pies."
"GYLMAR!" Lincoln yells.
Mrs. Johnson is shocked, loosening her embrace!
"Okay, you can let me go," Gylmar pulls away. "And no applause. I'm going back to my desk and..."
"No, Gylmar, please, stay here while I prepare the materials for lesson," Mrs. Johnson requests. "I'm going to need your help."
"Okay. Just a minute, as Lincoln wants to say something to me."
"Go on."
Carelessly, the kitty boy approaches Lincoln, who whispers to him:
"Gylmar, what was that idea?"
"Hey, you agreed with me that I would only come to school today if I could confront Mrs. Johnson about the pies she threw in your face."
"But not like that. Do you want her to kick you out of the classroom on your first day?"
Mrs. Johnson holds out the map of South America:
"Unusually today, we are going to start with the Geography lesson. Gylmar?"
"Okay," He approaches the map.
Mrs. Johnson hands him the baton and sits on the edge of the desk.
"Now tell us a little about your country and their neighbors."
"Okay. So... Huh?"
Mrs. Johnson pulls a pack from her pocket and takes out a cigarette.
Before she can reach for a lighter, Gylmar drops the baton on the floor.
"What it was?"
"Put the cigarette away," He crosses his arms.
"What?"
"You have no right to poison your students."
"OOOHHH!" The class gasps.
Mrs. Johnson rolls the unlit cigarette between her fingers:
"Hmm... Bold boy. I love boys like that." She cleans her throat. "I mean, students like that."
"Thank you," Gylmar says dryly.
"Now tell me: you came to school from Vanzilla, didn't you?"
"I actually walked here because Lincoln decided Lucy and I needed some exercise."
Lincoln looks in disbelief as he feels his left shoe slip a little more.
"Right," Mrs. Johnson scratches her chin. "But you must have used Vanzilla to get around Royal Woods."
"Yes," Gylmar confirms.
"And you've definitely breathed in the toxic fumes coming out of the van."
"Yes," He reaffirms.
"So you accept your family poisoning you, but not me?"
Murmurs among the class.
"That's not the same thing," Gylmar counters. "Cars aren't made to kill. CIGARETTE is made to kill!"
Mrs. Johnson's eyes widen!
Without further ado, she puts the cigarette back in the pack, hiding it back in her pocket.
More murmurings.
"Petulant boy," Jordan whispers to Stella. "But also resolute and uncompromising. I liked him."
Still sitting at the desk, Mrs. Johnson announces:
"Okay, I put the cigarette away out of respect for all of you. Now, Gylmar, can we begin?"
"Yes, we can," Gylmar picks up the baton from the floor. "Anyway, since you Americans are worse at geography, I'll give you a break."
Mrs. Johnson smiles sheepishly as she scratches her ear.
Gylmar points to the map:
"This is Uruguay, where people smoke marijuana. Uruguay was once a Brazilian state. Today, fortunately, it's no longer."
Mrs. Johnson is disconcerted.
"This is Argentina, which, with nothing better to do, is at odds with England over some islands so insignificant that their names don't even come to my mind."
Mrs. Johnson pulls her mouth down.
"This is Paraguay, where they falsify."
The students start looking at each other.
"This is Bolivia, where they sniff coke. Or rather, where they fabric the coke you Americans sniff."
"HEY! Not like that!" Mrs. Johnson complains.
"Calm down, Teacher, in Brazil everyone also snorts tons of coke. You and I are on the same team."
Mrs. Johnson frowns.
"This is Colombia, where people also sniff coke. And people kill for coke."
Mrs. Johnson pouts.
"This is Venezuela, the communist dictatorship where everyone kills. Or rather, everyone is killed. In Venezuela, there are only two options: immigrate or die. For those who don't get their socialist card, obvious."
Mrs. Johnson looks at the ceiling as she rubs her forehead.
"This is Ecuador, whose currency is the US dollar. You know, there comes a time when the best thing to do is give up."
A small laugh is heard in the middle of the class.
"This is Peru, a ruined country. So ruined that tourists only go there to see the ruins."
Some groan at the infamous pun.
"Do you want to be the new Luan?" Lincoln asks ironically, not knowing if he is criticizing or praising Gylmar by comparing him with the masterful comedian that is his sister Luan.
"No, I prefer to cultivate my beauty to be a top model," Gylmar teases.
Lincoln starts shaking with rage!
"Lincoln? Are you okay?" Clyde asks.
Gylmar continues:
"This is Chile, which was forced to exchange Allende's communist dictatorship for Pinochet's right-wing dictatorship, so that Chileans could have some prosperity today and not be the South American version of Cuba or North Korea, leaving Venezuela free to take on that title. Not that Pinochet was passionate about Free Market, just as Lula and Bolsonaro are not. But everyone, at some point, has to surrender to reality."
Mrs. Johnson tries to speak, but chokes.
"What is it?" Gylmar scoffs. "Don't tell me I'm forcing you to rewrite your History book."
Mrs. Johnson shakes her head.
"And last AND least: this is Brazil. The Country of Ready Joke, where everyone is born ashamed of being Brazilian. The country where no one works, because everyone spends the whole day at the bar drinking cachaça and gossiping about other people's lives. The country where half the population thinks that Rede Globo is right-wing, that Lula is an immaculate god and that all Jair Bolsonaro's followers are worse than John Wayne Gacy. The other half thinks that Rede Globo is left-wing, that Jair Bolsonaro is an immaculate god and that all Lula's followers are worse than John Wayne Gacy."
"Mercy..." Mrs. Johnson mutters, rubbing her temples.
Gylmar looks at the class:
"What is the capital of Brazil? A hint: it's not Buenos Aires."
More laughter in the class.
"Brasilia."
Gylmar looks around the class.
"2 answered at same time. Who are?"
2 twin brothers wave their hands, sitting a row behind Jordan and Stella.
"Somos nós," They reply in Portuguese. ("It's us")
"Eu sou Henrique," Says the boy with black hair and tanned skin, wearing a black shirt, red trousers and black sneakers.
"E eu sou Felipe," Says his twin brother, wearing a blue polo shirt, white shorts and black sneakers.
"Ah, vocês são brasileiros também?" Gylmar puts the hands behind his back. ("Ah, are you Brazilian too?")
"Yes, we are Brazilian, and we are very proud of it," Henrique assures.
"You, Gylmar, seem to have a lot of knowledge, but only to a certain extent," Felipe reason.
"What do you mean?" Gylmar doesn't understand.
Henrique:
"First: you said that in Brazil nobody works, because everyone spends the whole day in the bar drinking cachaça. But isn't the guy who run the bar working, employing people, paying taxes and increasing the family's bills?"
"Hmm... Yeah."
Felipe:
"And for you, there is no great Brazilian businessman worthy of note?"
"Of course," Gylmar resumes his acidic tone. "Take, for example, Jorge Paulo Lemann, the biggest cachaça seller in Brazil. Getting rich by getting others addicted is just too good."
"Like Sheldon Adelson and his American casinos?"
Gylmar is silent.
Felipe:
"If it's not fair to talk about Uunited States without mentioning Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Warren Buffett, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Ray Kroc and, for better or worse, even Donald Trump and Elon Musk... Why do you talk about Brazil without mentioning Abilio Diniz, Antonio Ermirio, Samuel Klein, Silvio Santos, Francisco Matarazzo, Luciano Hang, Luiza Helena Trajano and so many other visionaries who built and continue to build Brazil?"
Gylmar remains silent.
Henrique:
"Brazil is one of the world's largest producers and exporters of agricultural commodities, such as soybean, coffee, sugar, beef and chicken, as well as other commodities such as iron ore and oil. Just to give you an idea: Brazil is the second
largest supplier of steel products to the United States. In other words: the success of the Americans depends on us too."
Felipe:
"In addition to commodities, Brazil has a diversified industry, with emphasis on the automotive, textile, food and beverage, construction and technology sectors. This diversity generates millions of jobs and drives the country's economy."
Henrique:
"Brazil has great potential for growth in several sectors, such as retail, services and technology. With a large population and a growing middle class, the country represents an attractive consumer market for national and foreign companies."
Felipe:
"Brazil has the greatest biodiversity in the world, with the Amazon Forest, the Guarani Aquifer, and several minerals whose potential has not yet been massively explored, such as niobium and graphene. In fact, our family car runs
on biodiesel, a biofuel invented by Brazilian chemical engineer Expedito Parente."
Henrique:
"Brazil has total relevance in the global economy, reinforced by the bilateral agreements it has with several countries, in addition to being a member of the WTO, Mercosur, BRICS and G20."
Felipe:
"Despite corruption, bureaucracy, violence and drugs, Brazil continues to grow and prosper, and it is our duty to continue betting in our country, regardless of the Left or the Right are governing. Demanding, criticizing, denouncing, all of this is also important. But attacking just for the pleasure of attacking, without wanting to do nothing to improve... The name for this is Pablo Marçal."
Dead silence in the room.
Mrs. Johnson smiles, completely amazed.
Gylmar has the biggest pair of googly eyes in the world!
He returns the baton to the teacher.
And, still shocked, he begins to applaud.
All the students and Mrs. Johnson join in the applause!
Now Henrique and Felipe are the center of the Universe!
"Congratulations!" Jordan shakes the twins' hands, followed by Stella. "You guys are so smart!"
"Thank you so much!" Henrique thanks, excited.
"Hey, Felipe," Stella asks. "Can you explain to me later who is Pablo Marçal?"
"I... I..." Felipe blushes. "Of course!"
"At recess?"
"Combined."
After the applause, Gylmar simply returns to his desk, while Mrs. Johnson prepares the English Lesson.
"Not this time," Lincoln lightly elbows Gylmar in the right shoulder.
"They deserve," Gylmar condenses, pulling his tablet and English textbook from his backpack.
Felipe, super excited, whispers to Henrique:
"Você viu? Ela quer falar comigo." ("You see? She wants to talk to me")
"Calma, guloso, tudo a seu tempo." ("Calm down, greedy, everything in right time")
Tarsila tries to overcome boredom while listening to Miss Riley's English lecture.
Suddenly a light bulb goes off in her head!
"Hey, Lucy," She whispers to her goth stepsister, sitting to her right.
"Huh?"
"Want to see something funny?"
"Hmm... Do I have to say yes?"
"Yes."
"Then yes."
Without further ado, the fox girl stands up:
"Miss Riley, may I make an observation?"
"Hmm... You can."
Tarsila puts her hand over her eyes, as if she wanted to protect them from some strong light.
She bends her legs.
And look to the left.
And look to the right.
And look at the teacher.
"Now, you can continue," She sits back down.
Miss Riley doesn't understand anything.
Several students start laughing at the joke!
"Ha ha ha ha. Ha ha ha ha. Ha ha ha ha," Lucy also surrenders, with her robotic laugh.
Haiku, sitting to Lucy's right, remains serious and impenetrable.
"Sometimes Lucy sounds a bit enigmatic..."
TO BE CONTINUED...