Just Another Hero Read Free

just look at baby pictures?”
    Arielle had to stifle a giggle. She was sure November wanted to reply with a smart remark, but it probably wouldn’t be a good idea, considering it was her first day back. November wisely replied, “I’m sorry. Let’s do some chemistry!”
    Miss Pringle gave a faint smile. “Good choice.”
    While the teacher began the class in her rat-a-tat voice, Arielle glanced over to the windows, wishing she could open one to get the smell of chlorine out of her nose. One whole wall was filled with windows, which was why she liked this room better than those interior ones. But the windows, Arielle remembered, did not open at all. Sealed by paint or an ancient school board decision to prevent lawsuits in case some kid fell out—she wasn’t sure which—none of the third-floor classrooms allowed for any fresh air to get in. Last spring, when the building’s air-conditioning system broke down, it was brutal.
    An odd, fading assortment of blinds and shades—some with holes from dry rot, some just torn and tired—covered most of the windows, keeping out the hot afternoon sunon summer days, but opened wide to celebrate the first snowfall of the winter.
    â€œWe will be using the computers today,” Miss Pringle was saying, “for recording your lab reports.”
    Roscoe Robinson, a football player with a history of stunning touchdowns and a smart mouth, raised his hand. “You talkin’ about those prehistoric green-screen antiques on the side table?”
    The far wall of the classroom contained a long row of tables on which sat twelve ancient IBM computers. Arielle knew that the science teachers constantly begged for new equipment, but in the four years she’d been at the school, nothing had been upgraded.
    â€œYou know how hard it is for schools to come up with money for new technology, Roscoe,” the teacher replied.
    Roscoe cracked up. “If you tried to connect one of those computers to the Internet, it would explode!”
    â€œWe do the best we can,” Miss Pringle said with a sigh. “Kofi, can you take a look at a couple of them after school this week? You’re the computer genius around here.”
    â€œYeah, sure, Miss P,” replied Kofi.
    Arielle noticed that neither Miss Pringle nor Kofi seemed to give a thought to Osrick, who could probably handle all that electronic tech repair stuff with ease and skill.
    â€œMrs. Witherspoon’s got lots of electronics and computer toys in her room,” Luis commented. “But all we got here is that beat-up TV on the wall.”
    â€œShe won some kind of teacher award, and she used all the money for her classroom, I hear,” Miss Pringle replied.
    â€œIf you won a prize like that, would you do that, or spend it on yourself?” Cleveland asked, leaning forward on his desk.
    Miss Pringle responded by saying, “I’ll get the lab equipment out now.” She removed her keys from around her neck.
    â€œCan I help?” Roscoe asked.
    â€œYou know my procedures, Roscoe. Are you just trying to get on my nerves?”
    â€œYep!”
    â€œIt’s working,” replied the teacher, but with a smile.
    â€œMaybe we should use the stuff in the cabinet behind you,” Roscoe suggested. “At least that would match the computers they stick us with!”
    â€œI think that stuff came from the ancient history museum!” Jericho agreed. “Cavemen used it to measure mammoth stew!”
    A cabinet made of wood and glass stood behind the teacher’s desk. Many of the glass panes had been cracked or broken over the years, and the equipment hadn’t been used in ages. Full of dust-covered, old-fashioned test tubes and beakers and dozens of pieces of ancient glass paraphernalia, the cupboard was truly a remnant of classrooms of long ago.
    â€œNo, we’ll use the good stuff—at least the best we have. That’s why I keep