Free Nightmare Academy by Frank Peretti Page A

let's not get into either/or here, as if either Charlene or Melinda is right. Maybe both Charlene and Melinda are right. Maybe the real problem is private possessions. Charlene believes that all the world is community property and everybody owns it, right?”
    Charlene gave her gum a few thoughtful chomps, and then flipped some purple hair out of her eyes. “Yeah. Sounds good.”
    â€œBut it looks like Melinda agrees with you—at least she did when she, uh, found the Walkman, didn't you, Melinda?”
    Melinda got a little flustered and looked at the ground as she replied, “I don't know. I just wanted it, that's all.”
    â€œNothing wrong with that,” said Ramon.
    She turned on him. “Yeah, so how would you like it if somebody ripped off your stuff?”
    â€œOooohh,” the group reacted, mocking her anger.
    Easley tossed both girls a coin and then held up a hand to calm things down. “Okay, now Melinda's asked Ramon the big question: How would I like it? Well, that's up to each of us, isn't it? If I'm being selfish with things, then sure, I'm going to get upset if someone else needs what I want to keep for myself. Melinda, did it ever occur to you that perhaps you're being too selfish with things? Do you think it's fair for you to have a Walkman when somebody else doesn't?”
    â€œYeah, Melinda,” piped up some others, “what about that?”
    â€œYou could look at it this way: You're actually sharing; you just don't know it. I think that's the whole point here: If nobody owns anything, then how can anyone steal it?”
    â€œ'Imagine no possessions. I wonder if you can,'” a girl with long, braided hair sang, and got a laugh. Easley tossed her a coin.
    Melinda looked around the group, still angry and suspicious. “Well if that's the way you want to say it, then whoever's sharing my Walkman, I'd like it if you'd share it back again.”
    â€œAll right,” said Mr. Easley. “See? Both Melinda and Charlene are right.”
    â€œDo I get another dollar?”
    Easley tossed Melinda another “dollar,” then applauded as the kids laughed and cheered.
    Elijah chuckled and muttered to himself, “Either/or.”
    Easley heard him. “What was that, Jerry?”
    Elijah was on the spot. He could feel every eye on him. “Oh, nothing. That was just an either/or, that's all.”
    â€œWhat was?”
    Elijah wasn't the kind to shrink from a direct question. “Well, you're trying to tell us that both Melinda and Charlene are right, but that was never the case. All you did was argue with Melinda to get her to change her mind, so that means, either she saw stealing as sharing or she was selfish. It wasn't a both/and; it was an either/or.”
    Now a few “oh-hos” arose toward Mr. Easley, and Elijah even heard a fellow say, “He's got you there.”
    By now, Elisha's mental stew was about to boil over, so she jumped in. “And I'm not even sure she's changed her mind.”
    Melinda just looked at the coin in her hand and said, “Yeah. I guess so,” although her eyes were still the resentful eyes of someone who'd been ripped off.
    Elisha was on a roll. “I don't think she should change her mind. Sure, it's good to share, and we shouldn't be selfish, but calling stealing sharing doesn't make it sharing, it's still stealing, and stealing is wrong, and if Melinda stole that Walkman, she was ripping somebody off, and whoever took her Walkman without her permission was ripping her off.”
    There were some hoots and disagreements—"Hey, welcome to the real world,” “Preach it!” But there were some firm agreements as well—"Hey, a ripoff's a ripoff,” “I wouldn't want somebody stealing my stuff"—and even some applause.
    Easley just smiled. “Sally, you're new here, so it'll take some time for you to catch up. I think all of us have been raised with certain ideas of