“Start over? The competition is a week and a half away!”
“Then you better work quickly.”
“I won’t do it.”
“You don’t have a choice.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re in your final year as preceptor, right?”
“Yes.”
“Well, you haven’t had a team reach the Global Championships yet have you?”
“No, I have not.”
“Well, what happens to you if this team doesn’t make it either?”
“I’ll go back to my home to live with my father and look for a job.”
“And your father will be disappointed in you?”
“Success is very important to my father.”
“I see. What if your team does get to the Global Championships?”
“I’ll have my choice of positions here at Piedmont University in the Piedmont Inventors Prep School. I could be a Teacher or a Researcher or a Developer.”
“And which would you choose?”
“I would choose to be a Researcher or maybe a Developer, a person who assists the children in the development of their inventions.”
“Ah, so it seems to me that you would rather stay there at Piedmont University?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Well, Gregor, that’s not going to happen if you don’t do something to ensure that your team makes it to the Global Championships.”
“But I can’t destroy their set.”
“Then I will see to it that your father is aware that you are failing miserably as a preceptor. Keep in mind that I am on the Board of Educators. You know how important education is to our citizens. I have a lot of influence over who gets jobs throughout the state.”
“So if I don’t destroy their set, I may never get a good job?”
“You catch on fast. Now place the camera where I can see what’s in the room . . . Do it! Okay, slower. Zoom in on that spot in the corner. What are those long poles against that back wall?”
“Those are old shovels and rakes.”
“Perfect! Now take those and get to work.”
“I can’t take a shovel to their set and—”
“Do it now or I call your father. I’m sure he’d like a progress report too.”
“No! Please don’t call my father. I’ll do it—just let me hang up the phone.”
“No. I want you to record the whole thing. I’m not sure I trust you to do as I say.”
The video stays focused on the Ghost Gallery. Gregor walks into the picture carrying a giant shovel.
“Stop it!” I scream. “Turn it off! I don’t want to see this!”
Seraphina stands up. “Stop the video. Stop it right now!”
Ander jumps up and stops the video.
I wipe away the tears from my face. Jillian is crying too. Neither of us can watch our hard work get destroyed.
Gregor turns away from the Circle Spinner and sits down in the theater seat with his head in his hands.
Seraphina sits next to him. “I don’t know what to say.”
We don’t say anything either. Principal Bermuda is an evil man.
“You don’t have to say anything. Please just know that I am sorry for what I did.” He stands up and walks to the door. “I will leave your team alone to rehearse. I don’t know if Andora will assign you another preceptor, Seraphina. I’m sorry to leave you with all the work. Good luck to all of you at the National Finals.”
Seraphina looks at our team.
“Wait!” I say.
“Gregor, hold on,” says Ander. “Don’t go.”
“You don’t have much time to practice. You should get to work.”
“Gregor, I don’t know if you should tell Andora,” he says.
Mare stands up. “Are you kidding me? If he doesn’t tell her, I will. She needs to know what Principal Bermuda did. He forced Gregor to do it!”
Gregor shoves his hands into his pockets. “Mare, I should have stood up to him. I was a coward.”
“I would have been afraid of him too,” she says.
“Me too,” says Ander.
“Gregor,” says Jax. “I think what you did was awful.”
Gregor swallows hard and the Adam’s apple in his neck moves.
“But I don’t blame you anymore. I don’t know if I could have stood up to him either. He’s a principal, and a principal should be a good man. A good man would never force you to do that to us.”
Seraphina puts her arm around Jax.
“I don’t blame you either,” says Jillian.
“None of us do,” I say.
“This competition is supposed to be a celebration of intelligence and creativity, the ability to solve problems and to make situations brighter. You have made this situation brighter for me by giving me your forgiveness. You have risen to the challenge of this camp given an obstacle that you never should have faced. I’m sorry more than I can say for putting that obstacle in your way, but this competition is a celebration of character as well. I did not display good character when I gave in to Principal Bermuda’s threats. If there’s one last thing I can teach you at camp, it’s that we must always stand up for what’s right. I will go to Andora and tell her what has happened.
“If I am not back for rehearsals tomorrow morning, you’ll know that I have been removed as your preceptor. In the event that happens, please work hard for Seraphina. She has many details to attend to in the next few days. But also remember to have fun. I had forgotten the importance of it. That’s when you will do your best in the National Finals.”
THE EMPIRE STATE
It’s lunchtime and Gregor still hasn’t arrived.
Seraphina checks her phone again. Nothing. “I’m surprised the Piedmont Committee hasn’t sent us a substitute preceptor. According to the rules, each team must have two.”
“I don’t want another preceptor,” says Jillian.
“Me either,” says Ander. “It’ll be weird with someone else.”
“Yeah,” I say. “No one else will fit in with our team.”
Mare leans forward in her seat. “I feel bad for him now, especially because we know Principal Bermuda forced him to wreck our set.”
“Is there any chance he could still come?” I ask.
“It’s already twelve-thirty,” says Jax. “Didn’t he say he’d be here in the morning if he was allowed to be our preceptor still?’
“He did,” says Seraphina. “It doesn’t seem likely that he’s coming back.”
My stomach rolls. “What’s going to happen to him?”
“I don’t know what the Piedmont Committee will decide—about him or your principal. But Gregor has worked so hard to get here, and he’s so smart. It’ll be a waste of his talent if he’s sent home.”
Mare stands up. “What’s Andora’s number? I’m going to call her and tell her that Principal Bermuda has to go to jail and Gregor—”
Seraphina snaps, “No, you’re not.”
“But what if Gregor gets in trouble but nothing happens to Principal Bermuda?” she asks.
“I have a feeling the Piedmont Committee will be very tough on your principal. They value goodness and creativity and teamwork, not winning at all costs. I can’t say for sure what will happen to Gregor though.”
“They have to let Gregor stay!” says Jillian.
“I think he’s going to come,” I say.
Jax nods. “There’s still time.”
“I don’t want you to get your hopes up. I want him to come back too. His coaching style may be rough, but he is a great preceptor. We have to accept the fact that it might be just us from now on though. Besides, he would want you to focus on your work, don’t you think?”
“Yeah,” says Ander. “He’d be yelling at us right now for
taking a break.”
“Exactly. He’d want us to keep going, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
I bite my thumb nail, but then sit on my hands. “So what’s next?”
Seraphina pushes a button behind the theater seats. Mabel rolls around the corner. She drags a bag, a roll of canvas, and a metal bar. “We’re going to decorate our team banner for the Opening Ceremony tomorrow. We’ve been given this blank canvas. We can draw on it or paint it, whatever we want. We must include the name of our state, but we can add pictures too, if we like.”
“Can you help us?” asks Jillian.
“I can! This is the one project preceptors are allowed to participate in.”
Jillian smiles. “This’ll be fun.”
“What’s the metal bar for?” asks Ander.
“It slides through the opening of the canvas so it can be carried.”
“Who gets to carry it?” asks Mare.
“You all do. You’ll walk in a procession with all the other teams.”
Ander spins around his baseball hat. “So what should we put on it?”
Mare grabs onto one end of the canvas, and I help her roll it out flat. “What if we draw pictures of places from all over the state, like the Statue of Liberty?”
“Good idea,” says Ander. He picks up the metal bar. “What else?”
“How about the Adirondack Mountains?” Jax suggests.
“And maybe all the Finger Lakes, with houses nearby or something,” says Jillian.
“We need more from New York City too,” I say. “That’s the part most people know about.”
“What if we draw the Empire State building with some stores and delis all in a row, oh and Broadway,” says Mare.
“That’s fantastic,” says Seraphina. “Is that everything?”
Ander pushes the bar over his head like a warrior. “No! We forgot Niagara Falls, the largest waterfall in North America.”
“Oh yeah. We can’t forget that one,” I say.
“But can I draw it?” he asks. “I want to see if I can make it look like the water is crashing over the rocks. 3,160 tons of water flows over the falls every second.”
“That’s scary,” says Jillian.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t want to slip on one of those rocks,” says Ander.
“It’s beautiful though, too,” says Seraphina. “And it’s all yours, Ander.”
“Yes!” He sets the bar down and searches through Seraphina’s bag for a pencil.
“Can I work on the Statue of Liberty?” I ask.
“And can I do the New York City scene? I’ll make lots of stores,” says Mare.
“Okay, then I call the Finger Lakes,” says Jillian.
“Good, then I get the Adirondacks,” says Jax. “I like it there.”
“Then what should I work on?” asks Seraphina.
“You can hand us the markers,” says Ander.
“Hand you the markers? No!”
Ander laughs. “Just kidding. Do you want to paint the words, NEW YORK?”
Seraphina claps her hands together. “Sure! I’ll make them really fancy.”
“But use a ruler,” says Mare. “And make sure it doesn’t slant downhill.”
“Don’t worry, Mare,” says Seraphina. “I’ll make it perfect.”
We spread the canvas out and divide up the sections. We use markers, glitter, paint, and colorful construction paper. We cut up the construction paper into tiny pieces and glue them onto the canvas to fill up the large spaces like the waterfalls and the mountains. The pieces of paper almost make our banner look 3D. In Art Forms, our teachers always tell us to add texture to our projects. I wish they could see this.
While we work, Seraphina asks us what we want to wear for the Opening Ceremony. “We don’t have time to make costumes but you should all match.”
“I guess we could wear our green New York Shirts,” says Jillian. “At least we’d match the Statue of Liberty at the top of the banner.”
“That will work,” she says. “Besides, you’re not judged on your costumes during the Opening Ceremony. That part’s just for fun.”
I color orange and yellow swirls of fire onto the torch and stand up to get a better look. Seraphina’s right about our costumes. I just wish we had more time to make something better. Our solution is so good and now so is this banner. Everything would be perfect if we had really cool costumes too. I kneel back down and add some red to the fire. That’s not true. If Gregor were here with us then everything would be perfect. He’s a big reason why we made it this far in the competition, and now he probably won’t even get to watch us.
SPINNING THE GOLDEN LIGHT BULB
The early morning sun filters through the blinds of our bedchamber. It casts a glow on the star bed where my green New York T-shirt. I trace the block letters. They feel soft but look strong at the same time. I put it on with my khaki shorts and wrist band. I know I should feel nervous about today, but I don’t. I know if wishing with my whole heart could make my dream come true, we’d place in the top five of the Piedmont National Finals, but wishing is only part of the solution. No team in this competition has worked harder than us to get here. That’s the real reason we’re going to place in the top five today. I know it.
I sit on my bed and brush my hair into pigtails. I don’t even need a mirror anymore. Jillian stands in the bathroom. Mare sits at our work table. Each of us gets ready on our own. We don’t talk, but it’s not because we have nothing to say. Our thoughts are too big to spit into words.
The air purification machine kicks on. The room fills with sparkles. One lands on my arm, shimmering in the sunlight. I look at it real close and know right away why it landed on me. The magical dust of the Colorado team is sending us good luck.
Mare, Jillian, and I open the door and head out together. We’re not even halfway down the hall when Swissa and the boys turn the corner. She’s carrying a plastic bin with a tray of drinks on the top. “Hold on, girls. Go back.”
“Go back where?” asks Mare.
“Into your chamber.”
“Why?” I ask.
“Seraphina said so.” She smiles and winks at me. “Go on.”
We walk back and Swissa sets everything on our work table. “These are protein smoothies—mixed with kale. Seraphina sent them up for your breakfast. No dining hall today.”
“Kale?” asks Ander as we examine the glasses full of purple goop.
“There’s blueberries, bananas, and vanilla yogurt in there too.”
“You could’ve left out the part about the kale,” says Ander.
Jax tries it first. “It’s good.”
I try it too. “It is good, but where’s Seraphina? We were supposed to meet her at the dining hall.”
“She’ll be here in twenty minutes. As soon as you finish your smoothies, she wants you to open this.” She takes the drink tray off the bin. The top is clear. I see a large envelope inside. We slurp down the rest of our smoothies and give our empty glasses back to Swissa.
“Have fun with your package . . . and have even more fun today at the Finals. I’d wish you luck but I don’t think you’ll need it.”
“Thanks, Swissa.” I say. “I’ll let you know how it goes.”
“Oh, I’ll already know. I’m coming to watch you. I saved my days off so I could watch the opening ceremony and see your team compete. I may even be able to watch the awards ceremony tomorrow night.”
I walk over and hug her. “Thanks, Swissa. I’m really glad you’re coming.”
“Me too. Now you better open the bin. Seraphina will be here soon.”
The door clicks shut behind her and we lift off the top. Ander picks up the envelope and pulls out a piece of paper. “It’s a letter.”
“What does it say?” I lean in to read it over his shoulder but the writing is
small.
“Here,” he says. “I’ll read it aloud.”
Team,
I’m sorry I missed your final rehearsal yesterday. I have been allowed to continue as your preceptor. I can’t change my actions but I hope to make it up to you. Inside you’ll find your costumes for the Opening Ceremony. See you at Gate 2 of Piedmont Coliseum at 9:00 a.m.
Gregor
Goosebumps shoot up my arms and a smile spreads across my face. My teammates and I just look at each other. I guess we don’t know what to say. Inside the bin we find five plastic bags. Jillian opens her bag first. “Look at this,” she says, holding up a blue dress with wings. She spreads out the wings, shaped like long fingers. Names of each of the Finger Lakes in New York have been embroidered into the fabric. Otisco, Skaneateles, Owasco, Cayuga, Seneca, Keuka, Canandaiqua, Honeoye, Canadice, Hemlock, Conesus, and Cazenovia.
“Wow! That’s pretty,” Mare says.
“Awesome,” says Ander. “Look at mine.” He holds up long pants with a wide shirt. It’s stiff across his shoulders and drops to his knees. The fabric shimmers in silver, green and blue. “It’s Niagara Falls!”
“That’s so cool!” I say.
Jax holds his costume up next to Ander’s. The top is covered in mountains, valleys, tents, horseback riders, skiers, and canoes.
“That’s awesome too,” says Ander. “You’re the Adirondack Mountains!”
“These costumes are perfect,” I say. “Mare what’s yours?” She pulls out a pair of black tights, a black skirt, and a black sweater. The sweater is a collage of pictures kind of like Jax’s. There’s a Broadway theater, the Empire State Building, the Freedom Towers, lots of shops, a bakery, and a delicatessen. She even has a cap with the letters NYC across the top. “I love this!” she says. “How did Gregor know I’d want to wear the New York City costume?”
“Maybe he knows us better than we thought he did,” says Ander. “KK, what’s yours?”
I open mine and pull out a cloud of green fabric. Sitting under it, looking like it belongs to a princess, is a crown and a flaming torch. My heart takes a second to catch up to my breath. “The Statue of Liberty!”
Spin the Golden Light Bulb Page 21
