Free Breaking News by Rachel Wise

math class we were talking about how you get rid of a curse. Maybe that would be a good angle to take.”
    â€œSure. That’s good,” Michael said. “Better than trying to figure out who did it. I don’t think we’ll get very far with that angle.”
    â€œNo, it doesn’t seem like anyone is getting far with that angle,” I agreed. “Even the professionals like Officer Mendez and Lauren Fields.”
    â€œDo you have any idea how to get rid of a curse?” Michael asked. “Because if I throw another interception, I might quit the football team.”
    â€œI don’t have a clue how to get rid of something I don’t believe in,” I said. “But some of the kids inmath class think that the Cougar Curse won’t be broken until Mr. Cougar is fixed.”
    â€œInteresting,” Michael replied. “I’ll finish my interviews and ask some other kids what they think will end the curse. You can look it up on the Internet, too. Then we’ll write the story about different ways to end the curse.”
    â€œWelcome back, Michael Lawrence,” I said, smiling. “It’s nice to have my partner back. That sounds like a good plan.”
    â€œI get it, Pasty,” Michael said. “And I’m sorry. I just really have been feeling cursed lately.”
    â€œYou could have told me that,” I said.
    â€œNext time, I will,” he promised.

    I was thrilled that Michael Lawrence and I were on the same page again, but that feeling didn’t last long. Michael called me at home later that night.
    â€œHi, Sam. I have some bad news,” he said. “It’s going to cost thousands of dollars to replace Mr. Cougar. Mr. Pfeiffer said that we don’t have the budget to do it. Maybe we shouldn’t do the story about breaking the curse. If everyonebelieves that it won’t be broken until Mr. Cougar gets fixed and he never gets fixed, Cherry Valley will be permanently cursed.”
    â€œI disagree,” I said. “It’s still a good story. It’s what everyone’s talking about. Real news is what matters to your audience. Our audience cares about the Cougar Curse.”
    â€œDo you mind if I talk to Mr. Pfeiffer first and find out the exact amount?” Michael asked. “I’ll do it first thing in the morning.”
    â€œOkay. Just do it right away,” I said. “We can’t hold off on writing the story much longer.”

Chapter 8

COUGARS HATCH A PLAN TO SAVE THE DAY

    Obviously, Michael’s talk with Mr. Pfeiffer didn’t go very well. He showed up at my locker the next morning looking like the sullen Michael Lawrence I had been hoping had disappeared forever.
    â€œIt’s going to cost five thousand dollars to fix Mr. Cougar,” Michael reported. “Mr. Pfeiffer said the school can’t afford to spend that much money on a statue.”
    â€œFive thousand dollars?” I asked incredulously. “It’s not like Mr. Cougar’s made of gold. That’s a lot of money.”
    â€œYup,” Michael agreed. “Looks like the curse will continue.”
    â€œIt could end right now if people stopped believingin it,” I replied. “The curse is ridiculous.”
    â€œFace it, Sam,” Michael said. “That’s not going to happen. You may not believe, but there are a lot of us who do.”
    â€œIt looks like Mr. Cougar’s going to be missing a paw for a while,” I said. “So you might want to rethink that and just move on.”
    I didn’t wait for Michael to answer. I had heard enough about the curse, and the bell for homeroom was just about to ring. I was really frustrated, too. How could someone with a brilliant brain like Michael believe in something as stupid as the Cougar Curse? It was mind-boggling.
    Also mind-boggling were the letters to Dear Know-It-All. I opened them in the privacy of my room later that night—it was