2 JUST DESERTS

Just Deserts "Criss-cross applesauce, boys and girls," said Ms. Aruba-Tate. Along with the rest of the second graders, Bean criss-cross applesauced. Then she sat on her hands for good measure. Rug time was tough. It was the rug. The rug had a map of the United States of America on it. Each day at rug time, all the second graders rushed to sit on

Colorado. Colorado was the best state because it had the Rocky Mountains in it. That meant whoever sat on Colorado got to yell "I rock!" Bean was in Iowa. She didn't rock. She could rock. She could lean way over, push Vanessa a tiny little bit, slap the corner of Colorado, and say "I rock!" But then Ms. Aruba-Tate would get mad. Bean knew that from experience. So Bean sat on her hands. Next door, in South Dakota, Ivy was trying to cross one eye without crossing the other. She had been trying all day. She didn't care much about Colorado. Once, she sat on it without even noticing.

Bean decided to pay attention to what Ms. Aruba-Tate was saying. "Today, class, we are having a special science lesson." Science! Bean stopped thinking about Colorado. Science was usually dirt or fish, and Bean liked both of them. But now, Ms. Aruba-Tate went on, "A team of scientists from the fifth grade will be presenting a report on global warming. And what do I expect from you, class?" "Respectful listening," everyone answered. Almost everyone. MacAdam was pulling nubbies out of the rug, and he didn't say anything. Bean said it, but she felt only a little bit respectful inside. Nobody listened respectfully to

second graders. It wasn't fair. "Let's welcome our fifth-grade scientists!" called out Ms. Aruba-Tate. The door to the classroom opened and four students shuffled in. Their names were Juan, Matt, Adrian, and Shayna. Only Shayna talked. Juan, Matt, and Adrian held the posters. Shayna tossed her hair over her shoulders. "This is a report on global warming," she said. "Adrian, show the desert. This is a picture of the

Gobi Desert, but pretty soon almost everywhere is going to look like this because of global warming. Juan, show the polar bear." Juan held up a picture of a worried-looking polar bear. "Now!" Shayna said loudly, "Global warming is a total disaster and it's all our fault." On the rug, the second graders looked at one another. This did not sound good. When school was over, Ivy and Bean slumped like two sacks of potatoes on the bench outside their classroom. "Whatcha doing?" asked Leo. Ivy and Bean looked up. "We're worrying about the polar bears," said Ivy glumly. "What polar bears?" asked Leo. Leo was in a different class. "There's not enough ice for them to live on," said Ivy. "They're going to die out, like the

dinosaurs," said Bean. "The heat's going to get them," said Ivy. Leo kicked their bench. "You guys want to play stomp tag?" Ivy and Bean stared at him. "It's the pollution," said Bean. "From cars," said Ivy. "And cow poop," Bean reminded her. Leo made a snorty sound. He thought cow poop was funny. Ivy and Bean frowned at him.