Free Don't Care High by Gordon Korman Page B

upset. He wants to sue —”
    â€œI’ll see him.” The vice-principal walked out of the office and stopped short. Directly facing him, bold as brass, was one of Sheldon’s signs. “ ‘Mike Otis?’ ‘Sorry for the inconvenience?’ What the —?” He ripped it off the wall, opened the office door, and yelled, “Morrison!”
    Mr. Morrison came over and examined the sign. “I know. They’re all over the school.”
    â€œHe takes credit for all the work we’ve been fighting for for years,” growled Mr. Gamble.
    â€œIt is a little high-handed,” Mr. Morrison admitted. “But it’s a nice idea, don’t you think? Certainly for a boy like Mike —”
    â€œThere’s no way Otis made those signs. I know that boy!”
    â€œThen who did?” asked one of the secretaries.
    â€œHow should I know?” raved Mr. Gamble. “Presumably the same troublemaker who nominated Otis in the first place!”
    â€œSon-of-a-gun,” commented Mrs. Carling.
    â€œâ€˜Sorry for the inconvenience!’” snorted the vice-principal. “For two pins I’d go on that P.A. system, and then the
true
meaning of inconvenience —”
    â€œYou can’t!” exclaimed one of the junior secretaries, aghast. “The boss would never let you make an announcement!”
    â€œThat’s another thing wrong with this dump!
He
hides there in his office, leaving us up to our necks in work, not to mention water, but heaven help us if we try to touch that P.A. system, because it might take away from his morning vaudeville routines!” He shuddered. “I’ll be in my office.” He stormed inside and slammed the door.
    May I have your attention, please. Here are the day’s announcements:
    Due to lack of interest, the Don Carey Alumni Association will not be meeting again this year. Therefore I am cancelling the call for volunteers to serve on the decorating committee — not that there were any.
    Unfortunately, the cafeteria will not be serving food today due to water leakage into the supply of dehydrated mashed potatoes. The dining area, however, should be shovelled out by noon.
    Finally, Mr. Morrison urges me to remind you to keep selling those raffle tickets or else we will be unable to purchase a prize. That’s all. Have a good day.
    To begin his career as an Otis man, Paul decided to start off by watching Sheldon, the master, at work.
    Sheldon started right after homeroom by telling a group of soggy Don’t Care students he amassed in the slippery hallway that Mike Otis had anticipated this situation and pleaded with the school board to do something about it.
    â€œBureaucrats! They wouldn’t listen! Mike begged them to fix the roof and waterproof the school before the rest of the work, but he just couldn’t get through to them!”
    â€œMike — Mike —” repeated Cindy Schwartz in a puzzled tone. “Isn’t he the guy who you said got the halls painted?”
    â€œExactly,” said Sheldon, snapping his fingers in triumph.
    â€œAnd he fixed the can, too,” added Wayne-o.
    â€œWhy does he do all this stuff?” came a voice from the group.
    â€œWhy does he do it?” repeated Sheldon, leaping up onto a bench for height. “Because he
cares
!”
    An enormous hum went up in the hall.
    â€œBad move, Shel,” whispered Paul. “I think caring is even worse than having ambition.”
    â€œIt had to be said sooner or later,” Sheldon replied in a voice vaguely reminiscent of last night’s Steve. “Let’s go to class.”
    In English, Miss Vlorque was handing back Friday’s test. As Sheldon and Paul entered the room, she had called Dick Oliver up to her desk to discuss his paper.
    â€œDick, you did very well, but one thing confuses me. Why did you write ‘Cooking’ under