8 No-Good, Rotten Recess

No-Good Rotten Recess

On Thursday, Mrs. D. announced, "Everybody take out your science books. Turn to page sixtyseven." Stink lugged the heavy book out of his desk. He opened to page sixty-seven. Stink could not believe his eyes. "Hey," he said, looking around. "Mrs. D.! Something's not right." "Somebody wrote all over my science book!" called somebody else. "Me too!" "Me three!" "Somebody crossed out all the Plutos!" shouted Stink, looking around at all the other books. "Boys and girls," said Mrs. D., "let's just keep calm." She walked around the room, up and down

the aisles, looking at everybody's books. "The Evil Science-Book Fairy strikes again," said Sophie of the Elves. "Anti-Pluto goblins are on the loose," said Webster. "Now, class, you know we don't go around writing in textbooks. Would anyone like to tell me who did this?"

"Yeah, whoever did this sure is rotten," said Stink, glaring at Riley. "Okay, okay," said Riley. "I did it." "Riley, you know better than this. What were you thinking?"

"Well, Pluto's not a planet anymore. So I crossed it out— when everyone was at recess." "I thought we agreed we'd hold a debate on Friday." "We did, but I had to do something. Even you've already taken sides." "No one's taken any sides," said Mrs. D. "I'm leaving it up to all of you. Class 2D will debate and decide for themselves, fair and square." "Then why are you driving all over town getting everybody in the whole world to honk for Pluto?" Mrs. D. looked confused. Heather Strong pointed out the window at a little blue Mini parked outside. Mrs. Dempster's little blue Mini. Mrs. D. leaned and peered out the window at a mysterious bumper sticker on her car. HONK IF YOU LOVE PLUTO.

She couldn't help smiling. "So that's why everybody's been honking at me since yesterday!" "See?" said Riley. "I rest my case." "Riley, I didn't know anything about it until just now. I think we may have a Bumper Sticker Bandit in Class 2D." "And I bet his name is Stink Moody!" said Riley, pointing.