Hide and Geek

1

I may not be a math genius like my friend Kevin, but I can count. And because I m a journalist, it s important for me to record things accurately, which is why I always keep a pencil tucked into my bun and carry my scuffed-up leather notebook (it s vintage--a birthday gift from Mom last year). So when Kevin popped from his lunchroom seat like a jack-in-the-box, I knew it was the twenty-seventh time he d done that in only eight minutes. 

Kevin Robinson for president! Be sure to vote! Kevin blurted. He snatched a kevin for sixth-grade class president flyer from the massive stack in the middle of our lunch table and thrust it toward Gunner Bradley, who nearly dropped his lunch tray in surprise. Scientific calculators for every student and new science-lab equipment! More funding for the debate team and educational field trips! Help me help you make Elmwood Middle School a better place to learn!  

Instead of the outstretched flyer, Gunner snatched a chicken nugget from Kevin s lunch and said, Thanks, dude. Chicken nuggets rule!  

As Gunner hustled away, I glanced across the lunch table at my other two best friends--Edgar Feingarten and Elena Hernández. Elena and I shared an eye roll. Kevin had been class president in third grade, in fourth grade, and in fifth. Of course he d be class president again in sixth grade. Nobody else ever bothered to run against him. Plus, he was the one who d started the school s peer-tutoring program, raised money for new sports equipment with a car wash, and got the cafeteria to turn the smelly lunch scraps into compost for the school garden. He had good ideas, and everyone knew it. 

Kevin sat down and smoothed the flyer on the edge of the table. He rubbed at the collar of his polo shirt. Do you think I need a tie? To look more presidential?  

Mmm, Edgar grunted, his round face buried in some new play script. As he read, he unconsciously played with his hair,

T. P. JAGGER is an author, editor, and teacher. He has over 25 years of teaching experience, doing everything from teaching elementary students how to write to teaching teachers how to teach writing. He helps writers write and teachers teach through his 3-Minute Writing Teacher series of how-to creative writing videos and his free readers' theater scripts for elementary and middle school classrooms.