by Betsy Haynes
Mrs. Clark was calling the class to attention. "Boys and girls," she was saying. "I'm pleased to announce that you are all about to become parents."
Jana stared openmouthed at her teacher. Around her, other kids giggled or made gasping sounds.
"That's right," said Mrs. Clark in response to their surprise. "Each one of you is going to be mother or father to a darling baby and learn what it's like to have the responsibilities of parenthood. You may decide to be a single parent, or pair up with someone in this class so that your baby will have both a mother and a father and you will have someone to share that responsibility with. But it must be someone from this class, not Mrs. Blankenship's class, because you'll be graded together on the project."
Rats! thought Jana. That meant she couldn't be partners with her boyfriend, Randy Kirwan, because he was in Mrs. Blankenship's class. She had dreamed so many times of their getting married when they grew up and having kids of their own.
"The choice is up to you," Mrs. Clark went on. "But whichever decision you make, you must bring a stuffed animal or doll to class Wednesday to be approved as your child and begin treating it as if it were a real baby."
"I'm not going to change any diapers," yelled Richie Corrierro from the back of the room.
"Oh, yes, you are," Mrs. Clark corrected him. "At least three times a day, but I'll explain more about your jobs as parents when you bring in your children on Wednesday. Between now and then, be thinking about choosing your children and your partners."
Jana sank back in her chair. Parents, she thought. That was suddenly becoming the most important word in her vocabulary. Her mother was getting married in two weeks, and she was going to have a stepfather. Did that mean she would never get to see her natural father again? And now she was going to have a baby of her own to take care of, and she couldn't be parents with Randy because he was in another class. Would all of it be too much for her to handle? Find out in The Fabulous Five #6: The Parent Game.
