5. I Quit!

5 I Quit!

So Andrea and I would be representing our school. Ugh. I didn't want to do it. I might actually have to learn something about the presidents. What a waste! The more time you spend learning stuff, the less time you have to spend on important stuff, like watching TV and playing video games. But everybody at school was really getting into it. All the kids wanted to see us beat those Dirk School dorks again. All the teachers were feeding Andrea and me facts about the presidents to help us get ready. When we went to the media center, Mrs. Roopy showed us more books and videos about the presidents. During computer class, our computer teacher, Mrs. Yonkers, told us that Bill Clinton was the first president to use email. During music class, our music teacher, Mr. Loring, told us that Bill Clinton also

played the saxophone on TV. During fizz ed, our gym teacher, Miss Small, told us that Gerald Ford was a star football player when he was in college at the University of Michigan. All the grown-ups at school kept pulling Andrea and me aside in the hallway to tell us facts they knew about the presidents. Our security guard, Officer Spence, told me about how the Secret Service protects the president. He said you never know what questions might be asked at the Presidents' Day Challenge. Even Coach Hyatt, my Pee Wee football coach, wanted to help. "A.J.," she shouted to me at the end of practice on Saturday. "I want you and Andrea to pick up my car." "What?!" I replied. "How would picking up your car help us win the Presidents' Day

Challenge?" "Pick it up!" she shouted back. "Show us how tough you are. If you can pick up a car, you can do anything." That was weird. Coach Hyatt is a riot. Finally, it was Presidents' Day. We had that day off from school, and the Presidents' Day Challenge would be on Wednesday night. On Tuesday morning, we were in Mr. Cooper's class when an announcement came over the loudspeaker. "Andrea and A.J., please report to Mr. Klutz's office." Uh-oh. "Oooooh," said Ryan. "A.J. and Andrea are going to Mr. Klutz's office together. They must be in love!" "When are you gonna get married?" asked Michael. Andrea and I walked a million hundred

miles to Mr. Klutz's office. When we got there, he was hanging upside down from the ceiling.

"Why are you hanging upside down from the ceiling?" Andrea asked. "It helps me think," Mr. Klutz replied. "Your brain works better after the blood has rushed to your head. You should try it." Mr. Klutz is nuts. He climbed down and sat behind his desk. "Did we do something wrong?" I asked. Usually, I get called to the principal's office when I did something wrong. "No, no, no," Mr. Klutz replied. "Just the opposite. I'm so proud of you two. Win or lose, you'll be representing our school. You're going to be under a lot of pressure tomorrow night. The questions will be harder. There may be some trick questions too. I know you're both going to give it your best shot." I looked at Andrea. She had on her mean face.