Free Dunces Anonymous by Kate Jaimet

in.
    â€œThree teacher’s signatures!”
    â€œRight,” said Josh, raising his mallet. “As president, I now declare this meeting over!”
    â€œOver? Hey…,” Stacey spluttered.
    Josh brought down the mallet and whacked it very hard, right next to Stacey Hogarth’s bum. He scooted out of his chair and ran to the classroom door, Magnolia and Wang close behind him.
    â€œYou can’t do this, you guys!” Stacey shouted, jumping down from the desk. But Josh, Wang and Magnolia were already out the door and into the hallway when they heard her call after them, “You can’t stop me from being a Young Leader of the Future!”

TEN

EMMETT MA KES HIS MOVE
    A week and a half until the dress rehearsal! Magnolia walked out of the school building, deep in thought. Mrs. Karloff had just finished explaining everything about the dress rehearsal to the cast. It was going to be a big deal. Everyone would be wearing costumes; there would be lights and sound effects and props, sword-fights and sets and a rope ladder for Romeo to climb up to Juliet’s balcony.
    What Mrs. Karloff didn’t know was that the dress rehearsal would also be the scene of the final act in Operation Free Juliet.
    Their plan was to make Magnolia’s mother believe that Emmett had a secret admirer who was his One True Love—a girl fated to play Juliet opposite Emmett’s Romeo. Magnolia would reveal the identity of the secret admirer in a dramatic scene during the dress rehearsal, when her mother, enthralled by the action on stage, would fall for the story. She’d never guess it was all a ruse cooked up by Dunces Anonymous! Magnolia shivered and tucked her hands into the sleeves of her trench coat. It was late afternoon on a cold November day, the last rays of sunlight glinting on the icicles that hung from the eaves of the school building.
    For the past two weeks, Magnolia had been thinking of what she would say during the scene of dramatic revelation. Now, as her shoes crunched through the film of ice that had formed on the puddles in the schoolyard, Magnolia practiced the lines in her head. She tried them this way and that, considering when to pause and which words to emphasize for maximum dramatic effect. She was so preoccupied that she didn’t notice Emmett until he jumped off of the jungle gym and landed right in front of her.
    â€œâ€˜What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun!’”
    â€œKnock it off, Emmett,” Magnolia grumbled, recovering from her surprise. “Rehearsal’s over.”
    She moved to the right to step around him, but Emmett jumped in front of her again.
    â€œI am not rehearsing, my bright angel,” he said. He looked at her with love-struck eyes.
    â€œThen stop bugging me,” Magnolia answered, irritated. She tried to step around him again, this time to the left, but again Emmett jumped in front of her.
    â€œNot bugging, but begging, my heart’s dear love.” Emmett grabbed her hand and fell to one knee. “Begging you for one tender kiss!”
    â€œEmmett!” She tried to shake her hand free, but he held it tight. “Stop it! You can’t hold hands in the schoolyard! You’ll get a detention!”
    â€œThen I will be like Romeo,” Emmett exclaimed. “Banished from the sight of my true love!”
    A crazy look gleamed in his eye. He pulled her hand toward him. She felt his wet lips on her fingers.
    â€œEmmett!” Magnolia ripped her hand away. She glanced around for an escape route, but the jungle gym blocked her way. She jumped onto the monkey bars, feeling her palms sting as they gripped the cold metal. She swung herself up and climbed to the top platform.
    â€œBehold, fair Juliet upon her balcony!” Emmett shouted from below. “With love’s light wings, I come to thee!”
    He jumped onto the monkey bars and began to climb up after her.