Free Don't Care High by Gordon Korman

class and look at the prints we do have.”
    The first picture was entitled “Wayne-o’s Mother.” It portrayed a pleasant-looking woman holding a cake with oven mitts.
    â€œThat’s my mother,” Wayne-o explained, “and she’s just taken a cake out of the oven. Chocolate. You can’t tell because it’s black and white.”
    The second picture was an extreme close-up shot of a crushed grapefruit.
    â€œI call it ‘Perseverance of Citrus,’” said Trudy Helfield blandly.
    Mr. Willis was round-eyed. “Why?”
    â€œI was taking a picture of this pushcart downtown, and some Toyota rammed right into it. What a mess. Have you ever seen a banana make contact with a brick wall at thirty miles an hour? Anyhow, this grapefruit’s rolling down the street, dodging all the cars like it’s going out of style, and I’m thinking, What courage! Bus comes out of nowhere — wow! This is all that’s left.” She pointed dramatically to the photograph. Mr. Willis swallowed hard. “So? The title?”
    Trudy shrugged. “My brother thought it up. He’s a philosophy student.”
    Paul was last. “This is… um… a car… uh… taken from the front.”
    â€œAnd —?” prompted Mr. Willis.
    â€œWell… uh…” Paul drew a blank.
    â€œThat’s my car,” came an unmistakable monotone from the back of the class.
    Paul tried to look surprised.
    The teacher looked at the photograph and then at Mike. “Yes,” he said, smiling strangely. “Of course it’s your car. Quite impressive, too. What kind of car is it, Mike?”
    Mike paused, then said, “A black one.”
    Mr. Willis sent everyone home early.
    As Paul walked out the door of the photography class, he found himself staring into a cardboard sign that read:
    SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE
REPAIRS UNDER WAY
PLEASE BEAR WITH US
MIKE OTIS
STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT
    He stared at the sign for an instant, then stepped forward quickly, shielding it from view with his body until Mike had walked out of the classroom and out of sight. Then he went to look for Sheldon.
    His friend was not hard to locate. Paul simply followed the trail of signs until he came upon Sheldon, happily affixing one to the stretch of wall outside the music room.
    â€œHey, check it out!” Sheldon greeted him. “What do you think?”
    â€œI think you’ve gone completely and totally insane!” Paul seethed. “What happens when the teachers see these things?”
    Sheldon shrugged. “What’s wrong with them? Mike’s just keeping the students aware of what’s going on, and showing his concern for their inconvenience.”
    â€œOh,
Mike
is, is he? I just had to throw myself in front of one of those things so your precious Mike wouldn’t see it and hit the ceiling!”
    â€œMike’s far too mellow to hit the ceiling,” said Sheldon defensively.
    â€œNot mellow — dead, maybe. Sheldon, these signs have Mike taking credit for all the school repairs! In writing!”
    â€œI admit that they may
imply
that Mike’s in charge of the improvements,” said Sheldon, “but there’s nothing the staff can object to. They’re just nice little ‘Pardon us’ signs, that’s all.”
    Paul sighed. “I counted seven of those stupid things on the way over here. How many did you make?”
    Sheldon indicated his armload. “I didn’t count. Around thirty, maybe. It’s a big school. It won’t take long to get the rest of them up now that you’re here.”
    Paul shook his head to clear it. “What are you going to do for a whole weekend without any acclaim to heap on Mike Otis? What if, God forbid, some work is done over the weekend that you don’t notice, and Mike has to go unthanked?”
    â€œLook,” said Sheldon, “I’ve