Chapter 21

Miss Nogard entered the classroom on the thirtieth story. She looked at all the bright and chipper faces. She knew by the end of the day they would no longer be bright and chipper.

They would be glum and blah.

She smiled at the class. "Good morning, everybody," she said. "My name is Miss Nogard."

She listened to their brains.

Calvin had spilled orange juice on his lap during breakfast and worried that someone might
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think he had gone to the bathroom in his pants.

Dana had gotten her hair cut yesterday, and she thought it was too short. She was afraid it made her look like a boy. She was especially sensitive to this because Dana was sometimes a boy's name.

Jason was mad at his older brother, Justin. Justin was in high school. Justin always got good grades and was a star in everything he did. Compared to Justin, Jason felt like a loser. "What's so great about high school?" he had asked this morning. "My school is higher than yours!"

D. J. had heard a song on the radio on his way to school. He hated the song! But it kept playing over and over again in his head.

Bebe had an itch on her leg.

Miss Nogard smiled. The bad stuff always rose to the top of the brain.

Even if a person was very excited about something wonderful, the person still worried about what could go wrong.

Jenny was going horseback riding after school, if it didn't rain. She had never gone horseback riding before. She hoped she wouldn't fall off the horse.

Miss Nogard clapped her hands. "So, who would like to tell me what you've been working on?" she asked.

A few hands went up in the air.

"Oooh! Oooh!" said Mac.

"How about the boy in the orange and purple shirt?" said Miss Nogard.

Everyone looked around.

"The handsome young man sitting right there," said Miss Nogard.

Dana looked at her shirt. It was orange and purple. She pointed at herself and mouthed the word me?

"Yes, you," said Miss Nogard.

Dana's face turned red-hot. "I'm a girl," she said.

Everyone laughed.

"Oh, I am so embarrassed!" said Miss Nogard, with her hand over her heart.

"It's not your fault," said Dana. "It's my stupid haircut. I hate it!"

"Oh, no," said Miss Nogard. "You look adorable. I see now you're a very pretty girl."

"I'm ugly," muttered Dana. She buried her head under her arms.

"I'd better call on someone else," said Miss Nogard.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a brain screamed, Don't call on me! Whatever you do, please don't call on me!