Miami Jackson Gets It Straight (5 page)

Then Destinee says, “Okay, let’s vote on it. All in favor of giving the friendship token to Ms. Rollins, say aye.”

Right away, I say aye.

“I say aye, too,” says String.

Destinee thinks about it. Then she says, “I do, too. Aye.”

Lisa and Amika are even more shocked than me. They stammer and mumble. But
then they do what they always do—follow Destinee. “Okay. Aye,” says Lisa, sock puppet number 1.

A second later, Amika, sock puppet number 2, whispers aye, too.

It is unanimous. We give Ms. Rollins the gift tomorrow. Unanimous. I’ve changed my mind. That’s a good word, even though it cost me four tickets to see the Red Birds.

String and I are sitting on the front steps, eating fresh strawberries and instant replaying the day. He doesn’t know it, but he has saved me from a fate worse than death. “If you hadn’t told those girls off like you did, they would have never let us win.”

String shakes his head. “You still don’t get it, do you?”

“What?”

“It aine about none of that! The friendship token is a great gift. But you didn’t buy it for Ms. Rollins.”

“How did you know?” I say.

String looks surprised. “Know what?”

Uh-oh! He didn’t know.

“I was talking about you buying the gift to please the girls,” says String. “Okay. What really happened?”

I’ve never kept a secret from my partner before. So I tell String about the real gift, about losing it, almost thinking about stealing money from Mama, and finally getting the idea to give Ms. Rollins the friendship coin I’d really bought for myself. “Nobody knows the real truth but you,” I say.

“What are you going to do?” String asks.

“Do? Nothing. Are you going to tell?”

String shakes his head. “No, I won’t tell,” he says, “but you can’t make me like what you’re doing. You’re wrong for buying Ms. Rollins a gift just to impress the girls. And you’re double wrong to give her a gift you didn’t even buy for her. I can’t hang with that!”

And for the first time, String goes home without finishing his snack.

I feel rotten inside. I wish to be beamed to another planet far away from here.

The last day of school. This is it!

At Turner Elementary, everybody wears dress-up clothes on the last day of school. I don’t know why. It makes no sense. We just do it.

String has been quiet all morning. Not much to say. I know he’s mad at me. First thing, we meet with the girls. They vote that I be the one to give Ms. Rollins the gift after closing assembly.

“Since you bought the thing, you be the one to give it to her,” says Lisa.

At the closing assembly each class sits together. There is a review of the year. Ms. Rollins stopped letting String and me sit together after the first assembly in September. So, I’m sitting between Lisa and Amika. Ugh! Torture.

Mr. Hillshire blows into the microphone. The first graders giggle. Mr. Hillshire giggles, too.

Mr. Hillshire is the first and only principal Turner Elementary has ever had. As principals go, Mr. Hillshire is ah-right. I’m glad he’s coming back next year.

He announces that we’re getting a new fifth-grade teacher in the fall. Her name is Miss Amerita Spraggins. She’s from Boston, Massachusetts. Wonder if she’s been to Fenway Park?

Then Ms. Rollins and Mrs. Stone-Wilks are called to the stage. “These two teachers will not be returning next year,” says Mr. Hillshire.

Mrs. Stone-Wilks is having a baby. Mr. Hillshire gives Mrs. Stone-Wilks a gift. It’s a pretty yellow baby blanket. She holds it up for us to see. Her smile says she likes it. I’m hoping Ms. Rollins will smile when she sees the friendship token. But would she smile if she knew that I hadn’t really bought it for her?

Next Mr. Hillshire makes a speech about how much Ms. Rollins will be missed next year. He gives her a present, too.

“Oh, this is too wonderful,” she says.

Mrs. O’Shay steps to the microphone. “Boys and girls,” she says, “Ms. Rollins
picked her own gift.” She explains, “We went shopping together.”

I knew that.

“I watched what she admired,” she says. “Ms. Rollins liked this. So, I hurried back to buy it the next evening.”

Ms. Rollins holds up the box. It is just like the diary, wallet, and address book I bought … and lost!

I am too put out! All the girls ooh and ahh. The boys clap, stomp, and whistle. We can get away with that today only.

“Now that’s the kind of gift you should have bought,” Lisa whispers.

I can’t stop laughing.

We’re back in class. My stomach is flip-flopping.

Destinee goes to the front of the class. “We have something for you, Ms. Rollins.” Ms. Rollins smiles. “You have been a good teacher all year. We hope you like Africa. Please send e-mail to us. Okay?”

“Excuse me,” says String. “I’d like to say something, too.”

Oh, no, I’m thinking. He’s going to spill his guts.

“I like getting gifts,” he says. Somebody snickers. He keeps talking. “I also like to give gifts. I really hope you will enjoy this present as much as we enjoy giving it to you.”

For the first time I realize what String has been trying to tell me. My feet feel glued to the floor. I make myself walk.

I know what I’d planned to say. But what I’m saying is not it.

“Ms. Rollins … I lost your gift.”

Everybody laughs. They see the package in my hand. Destinee stares at me. “Stop being silly. Give it to her,” she says through clenched teeth.

“Ms. Rollins,” I say very softly, “I bought you a gift. Then I lost it. I bought this one, too. It’s not the first gift. But I think it’s the best gift. It’s meant to be given to someone special. You are special. I want you to have it very much. We all do, really. We all hope you will like it.”

“What’s he saying?” Lisa asks.

“Something dumb again,” says Amika.

Destinee is eyeballing me. Then she almost smiles. “Nothing. Nothing that’s making any sense,” she says.

Ms. Rollins doesn’t seem to understand what I’ve said either. “Miami, you do have
a way with words.” She opens the box.

Everybody is standing up, leaning forward so they can see. I’m all the time holding my breath. I can hear my heart beating.

“It is something we hope you will keep to remember us,” I say.

Ms. Rollins looks at the Egyptian friendship token. She reads the little write-up. Then she bursts into tears.

“See!” shouts Lisa. “I knew she’d hate that ol’ rusty thing.”

“No, no,” says Ms. Rollins. She holds up her hand. “I love this. I’m crying because I am so touched by your thoughtfulness.
Friendship is priceless.
This is such a treasure.”

Everybody gathers around her to see the hieroglyphs on the coin. They are laughing and talking. I can breathe again.

Ms. Rollins looks at Destinee and me. “You were great class officers! You worked together so well all year. Let’s give them a hand, for a job well done.”

“Way to go, Miami,” the boys cheer.

“Way to go, Destinee,” the girls cheer.

“Way to go, partner,” says String, smiling.

“We ah-right?” I say, holding up my hand.

String gives me a high five. “You did the right thing.”

We’ve given Ms. Rollins a gift that makes her happy. And that is what really matters. I never want to buy another gift … ever, as long as I live.

School’s out. School’s out. Everybody in
class passed to the fourth grade.

Off comes my coat. I pull my shirt out of my pants. I take off my socks. Oh yeah, school is out.

Me and String are on our way to Camp Atwater!

Leesie’s a senior now. Seems the homonym has a date with Prince Amon the Creep tonight.

We’re celebrating, too! Mama has taken String and me out for pizza. Real pizza with good crust.

“Did Ms. Rollins like the friendship token?” Mama asks.

“She’s going to put it on a chain. Every time she wears it, she’ll remember 3T,” I say, smiling.

Then I stop smiling.

Destinee Tate and her mother are coming in the door.

“Hello, Elise and Destinee,” Mama says. “Come join us.” Mama and Mrs. Tate work together at the junior college.

“Mama! Please,” I whisper. But it’s too late. They’re coming over to our table. Mrs. Tate is almost dragging Destinee.

“I’ve been meaning to call you,” says Mrs. Tate to Mama. “Destinee’s won four tickets to tomorrow night’s Cardinals game.”

“I heard about that,” Mama says, looking at me.

Mrs. Tate rushes on. “None of us can go except her dad. So would Miami and String like to go? I know they love baseball. Destinee’s getting into the game herself.”

“It’s up to the boys,” says Mama.

“Yeah! Sure! Thanks!” says String, taking another slice of pizza, his third.

Destinee’s eyes are daring me to say yes.

I’m thinking, ordinarily I’d say no, but this is a Cardinals game and they’re playing the Cubs. Man! I’d go with a grizzly bear if it had tickets.

“Sure. I mean, okay. Hey, thanks,” I say.

Destinee folds her arms and leans back in the booth. “Well, Miami, you did come in
second
in the spelling bee. So in a way, I guess you deserve to go.”

No way around it.

I hate Destinee Tate.

No one knows Miami Jackson better than Pat and Fred McKissack. After all, he came out of memories they have of their own kids growing up. “I took characteristics for Miami from all three of my sons,” Pat says. “But Miami is a lot like my oldest, Fred Jr. He even had a tall, lanky friend like String.” She also put a little bit of herself into
Miami Gets It Straight.
“I’m the mother,” Pat admits. “I taught at the junior college. But I didn’t play the oboe. I made that part up.”

Pat McKissack is the author of many wonderful books for kids, including the Newbery Honor book
The Dark Thirty
and the Caldecott Honor book
Mirandy and Brother Wind.
Together she and her husband Fred wrote
Christmas in the Big House
,
Christmas in the Quarters.