Chapter 22

Chapter 22 "All the News That's Fit to Print" "All the News That's Fit to Print" is the motto of the New York Times newspaper, printed on the front page of every issue; it means the paper won't print a story that is inaccurate, irresponsible, or harmful without a reason "Quiet!" shouted Mrs. Overton. Pandemonium had erupted in the classroom. Scott was waving the newspaper over his head, running circles around the bookcase that housed the gerbils, while Evan chased after him, shouting, "You'd better give it back, or else!" Mrs. Overton clapped her hands once. "Scott, give me that paper, now!" "He stole it from me!" yelled Megan.

"It's mine!" shouted Evan. "Technically," said Jessie, "it's mine." "Scott Spencer! This instant!" Scott slowly walked over to Mrs. Overton, with the paper held open in front of him, greedily reading all the words he could before handing it to his teacher. Jessie could tell he wanted nothing more than to read the articles —her articles—and couldn't help feeling a little thrill to know that her paper was that good. Jessie watched as Evan followed Scott and stood in front of their teacher. "Please, Mrs. Overton. Don't read it. It's private." Mrs. Overton glanced up from the front page and looked straight at Jessie. "Jessie? What's going on here?" Jessie raised both her hands and let them flop at her side. "I wanted to write a blockbuster. I wanted to write something everyone would want to read." Jessie still didn't understand what was so wrong with that. But the kids in 4-O were like

a pack of wolves closing in for the kill. "Well, it looks like you've achieved your goal." Mrs. Overton's face did not look happy. Was she going to punish Jessie? Send her to the principal's office? "Jessie promised she would tell us the results of the survey," said Tessa. "A promise is a promise." "That's true," said Mrs. Overton. "And we all know what Langston says about promises." She pointed to the picture of Langston spitting out the words NEVER MAKE A PROMISE YOU CAN'T KEEP. ALWAYS KEEP THE PROMISES YOU MAKE. "Mrs. Overton?" said Megan. "May I please read one of the letters from my advice column to the class?" "Not right now, Megan." "It's kind of important," she said. "We don't want to hear your advice column!" shouted Jack. "We want to find out who's in love!" The class started making all kinds of noise, but Mrs. Overton silenced them with one

swoosh of her raised hand. "Please?" said Megan. "It doesn't have anything to do with love." Mrs. Overton allowed Megan to show her the letter she wanted to read and then gave her permission to read it out loud. Dear Friend in 4-O, I feel terrible. I did something I'm not supposed to do. Nobody knows. Every day I feel bad. I keep waiting to get caught. What should I do? Signed, Guilty in the Fourth Grade Dear Guilty, You're never going to feel better until you confess. Go to a grownup you trust and tell the truth. I guarantee you'll be happy you did.

Megan folded the paper and handed it back to her teacher. "I've decided to take my own advice. Mrs. Overton, I'm the one who handed out the candy hearts. I know I shouldn't have done it, but it was Valentine's Day, and I thought it wasn't such a bad thing to do." Jessie looked around at her classmates. They were all frozen in their seats. It wasn't every day that someone admitted to being guilty of a crime. "And also," continued Megan. She took a big breath. "I wrote something on one of the doors in the bathroom. I tried to clean it off, but I couldn't get it all. I'm sorry!" And then she exploded in tears. Great big, sloppy, wet tears. Jessie had never seen anyone cry like that before. It reminded her of a nature video she'd watched of a river dam breaking in a torrential rainstorm. Whoosh! Mrs. Overton wrapped her arms around Megan and didn't seem to mind one bit that

Megan was sopping the front of her shirt with tears and snot. For Jessie, that was proof that Mrs. Overton was a good teacher. The rest of the class did their best not to watch. They looked at the floor or their own feet or their desks. Jessie looked up at the photo of Langston proclaiming, TO ERR IS HUMAN, TO FORGIVE, DIVINE. When Megan quieted down, Mrs. Overton handed her a box of tissues and sent her to the nurse's office for a wet washcloth and to have a few quiet moments. "Well," Mrs. Overton said. "Let's go sit on the rug." Everyone scrambled over to the rug, happy to leave behind the uncomfortable scene they'd just witnessed. Mrs. Overton settled into her rocking chair. "First," said Mrs. Overton, "whose newspaper is this?" Evan and Jessie both raised their hands. "I wrote it," said Jessie, "but it's Evan's copy."