Free Mayor Hubble Is in Trouble! by Dan Gutman Page A

Klutz told us about democracy.
    â€œIn a democracy,” he said, “all people have an equal say blah blah blah blah equality and freedom blah blah blah blah liberty blah blah blah blah Constitution blah blah blah blah majority rule blah blah blah blah the right to vote blah blah blah blah freedom of speech blah blah blah blah and whoever gets the most votes is the winner.”
    While Mr. Klutz was talking, kids started making faces, doodling in their notebooks, and shooting rubber bandsat each other. I thought I was gonna die from old age.
    But you’ll never believe who came running into the door while Mr. Klutz was talking.
    Nobody! It would hurt if you ran into a door! But you’ll never believe who came running into the
doorway.
    It was Mayor Hubble!
    â€œI thought Mayor Hubble was in jail,” whispered Andrea.
    He
was
. What happened was that gold had been discovered in our playground, and Mayor Hubble tried to steal it. But he was caught and sent to prison. We were all surprised to see him. He came bounding up onto the stage followed by three bodyguards. They were big guys with necks that were almost as thick as their heads.

    â€œMayor Hubble!” said Mr. Klutz. “To what do we owe the pleasure of your company? * I thought you were in jail.”
    â€œI got time off for good behavior,” Mayor Hubble said. “So I’m running for mayor again. I hope all the parents of your students will vote for me.”
    He made peace signs with both hands and waved them in the air while everybody clapped.
    â€œWhy is Mayor Hubble making theshut-up peace sign?” I asked.
    â€œThat’s not the shut-up peace sign, Arlo!” Andrea said, rolling her eyes. She calls me by my real name because she knows I don’t like it. “He’s making the V-for-Victory sign.”
    It looked just like the shut-up peace sign. If you ask me, they should have three different signs for “peace,” “victory,” and “shut up.” It would be a lot less confusing.
    I made a peace sign and stuck it in Andrea’s face. But it didn’t mean “peace” and it didn’t mean “victory.”

Later, we were having lunch in the vomitorium. That’s a room that used to be called the cafetorium until some first grader threw up in there last year. Andrea and her girlie girl friends were sitting at the table next to us. Me and the guys let Alexia sit at our table because she’s cool.
    â€œGuess what?” Andrea said really loudly, so everybody would have to hear. “I decided that I’m going to run for president of the third grade!”
    All the girls were hugging her and telling Andrea that she would make a great president.
    â€œAfter I win the election,” Andrea said, “I was thinking that we should have a dress code at Ella Mentry School. If we all wore uniforms, it would be easier to pick out our clothes in the morning.”
    â€œThat’s a great idea!” said Emily, who thinks all of Andrea’s ideas are great.
    â€œI really think we can make this school a better place,” said Andrea.
    â€œHey, if you want to make the school a better place,” I yelled to her, “why don’t you switch to another school?”
    â€œOh, snap!” said Ryan.

    â€œThat’s mean, Arlo!”
    After lunch we went outside for recess. The guys and Alexia pulled me over to the corner by the monkey bars, where Andrea and her girlie girl friends couldn’t hear us.
    â€œThe president rules the school, y’know,” said Michael. “I don’t want Andrea being in charge.”
    â€œI don’t want to wear a uniform,” said Alexia.
    â€œAndrea will probably turn the school into a prison,” said Ryan.
    â€œIt’s gonna be horrible,” said Neil the nude kid. “We need somebody to run against Andrea.”
    â€œYeah,” everybody agreed.
    I looked around. Michael was looking at