Free Rosie Swanson: Fourth-Grade Geek for President by Barbara Park Page B

Earl’s ear.
    Earl turned around and cleared his throat. “Maxie says that you’re the one who doesn’t know anything about friendship, Rosie. You’re the one who almost got us blamed for something we didn’t do.”
    I put my hands on my hips. “Okay, fine. I’m sorry. But all I did was tell the truth about Alan. That’s all I did. And besides, I’m the one who everybody hates, not you two.”
    Maxie did another loud “Ha!” and whispered something else.
    Earl turned to face me again. “Maxie says if you’re the one they hate, then why did he and I get hit with water balloons on our way home from school yesterday?”
    Maxie couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Yeah! And ask her who crank-called my house last night and wanted to know if the dirty little pipsqueak squealer was home. Go ahead, Earl. Ask her that one!”
    Earl took a deep breath. “Maxie would alsolike to know who called his house last night and asked if the dirty little pipsqueak—”
    He tried to finish, but he started to laugh.
    Maxie gave him a shove. “It’s not funny, Earl,” he growled. “I told Rosie all that stuff about Alan Allen and the soccer ball ‘in confidence.’ Ask her if she knows what ‘in confidence’ means. Because for her information, ‘in confidence’ means that you trust somebody not to tell.”
    Maxie frowned at me. “You had no right to do that, Rosie! I get picked on enough as it is without having people think I wrote that note. And also, just in case you haven’t figured it out yet, you also screwed up your whole election. Who’s going to vote for you now? Huh? Who the heck is going to vote for a snitch?”
    The way he said “snitch” made me feel dirty, sort of. Like I was a criminal.
    “I’m sorry, Max. I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” I told him.
    My eyes started to fill up again.
    When Earl saw what was happening, he ripped off a piece of his lunch sack for me to wipe them with.
    After that, all of us started to walk. We didn’t talk anymore, though. Not about anything.
    When we finally got there, the bell was already ringing. I reached for the door.
    Maxie put his hand on my shoulder. “Who knows? Maybe it’ll be okay,” he said.
    “I’m sorry,” I said again. “I didn’t mean to get you in trouble, Maxie. All I did was—”
    Maxie held up his hand. “I know, Rosie. I know,” he said. “All you did was tell the truth.”
    On the morning of the election, the candidates gathered in Mrs. Munson’s room before the assembly. Everybody looked really nervous. We were supposed to be reading over our speeches and stuff, but mostly all we could do was fidget around.
    Alan Allen asked Mrs. Munson if he could give the first president’s speech so he could get it over with. Summer Lynne Jones asked to go last.
    I asked to go home.
    Mrs. Munson said no.
    Finally, we all marched into the media center together. Just like before, the candidates for presidentwere the last to speak. It seemed to take forever before they got to us, too. But when Alan Allen’s turn finally came, he stood up slowly and waited for everyone to get totally quiet. Then he walked to the microphone and began.
    “My name is Alan Allen,” he said. “And I’m running for president of the fourth grade.
    “Most of you already know me. I’ve gone to this school since kindergarten, so I think you know what kind of person I am. I guess if I had to describe myself, I’d say that I’m a good soccer player. And I’d say that I’m honest, too. I don’t care what you’ve heard, either. Because I am.”
    He glanced over at me, then back again. “There’s a rumor going around about how I stole a soccer ball one time,” he said. “And I’m not saying it’s a lie, okay? Only what you probably don’t know is that it happened when I was in first grade. I was only six years old. And even though certain people might not understand this, I did a lot of stuff when I was a little kid that I wouldn’t do now.
    “Like my mother says I used