What Emma Left Behind

by Anne Spackman

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  School was awful that day. As if life weren't bad enough just getting adjusted to another school year after a long summer, Claudia had to share three classes with a snobby know-it-all named Emily Miles. Emily was the sort of person who had to know what everyone around her was doing so that she could plan in advance how to manipulate them. Emily wore her hair in glossy blond curls, and she looked really sweet, especially to adults who didn't know her any better, but her appearance was deceiving, as everyone in the seventh grade found out sooner or later. Emily was the sort of person who used people to get them to do what she wanted and then threw them away without even a "thank-you" for services rendered.

  Somehow, though, there were still people who wanted to be Emily's friend. Weak-willed people, Claudia thought, since Emily was bossy and always had to have her own way. Emily had been popular with almost everyone in elementary school, but for the last few years, people were getting sick of her self-centered attitude. Some of her old friends now liked Caera and Claudia or Marie Summit better, but since no one dared bad-mouth Marie, Emily opted to make the twins' lives as miserable as possible, which she did on a daily basis.

  The first class Emily shared with them was history, but opportunity rarely arose for talking, thanks to the efforts of their eccentric teacher, Mr. Hoffmeyer. From reports from older siblings and by word of mouth, everyone determined that talking was something not to be caught doing in his class.

  Claudia watched anxiously now as her teacher paced around the room. She hoped and prayed that the bell would ring soon. Not that she didn't like school most of the time, or reading, or history, or even Mr. Hoffmeyer, who couldn't help being so weird. (And she would never have admitted that she thought his weird asides were pretty funny.) It was just that Mr. Hoffmeyer always added more assignments on a whim whenever his lesson plan ended early, and she sensed another such whim coming on.

  "Well, nothing more on the Stone Age--" Mr Hoffmeyer said, glancing through his notes.

  The class waited anxiously.

  "Okay then," Mr. Hoffmeyer said, slapping his portfolio closed. "I guess you can go ahead and read pages eighty-two to ninety-five in your history book for homework tonight." Mr. Hoffmeyer grinned and rubbed his hands together mock-fiendishly. Under his thick glasses, his dark beady eyes swept the room. A light of recollection came into them. "Oh yes, and tomorrow we'll be having a quiz over pages twenty to ninety-five in your textbook." He chuckled to himself as the entire class groaned.

  Was it possible that Mr. Hoffmeyer really meant to act so goofy? Claudia suspected once more, for perhaps the tenth time. Grown-ups never made any sense, she thought. Well, at least he wasn't boring!

  While Mr. Hoffmeyer began his lecture on various prehistoric timelines, Claudia spied Emily copying Jessica Ford's science homework. Claudia knew it was Jessica's because of the miniature drawing of Mr. Hoffmeyer on the front, which looked like a tiny stick figure with a huge head. Claudia could barely make out the label "Mr. Brown Suit". Mr. Hoffmeyer unfailingly wore one.

  Every day one teacher or another was on Jessica's homework paper. Jessica loved to draw, but Claudia was afraid that Mr. Hoffmeyer wouldn't understand that if he happened to see it. Claudia liked Jessica, even though she was trying to be Emily's friend, and Claudia didn't want her to get in trouble, but secretly, she wished Mr. Hoffmever would turn around and catch Emily cheating. But when Mr. Hoffmeyer did turn around, Jessica had her history book covering her paper, and she and Emily left unscathed when the bell rang.

  Would they ever get caught? Claudia wondered. If they did, she truly hoped she would be there to see it!