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It was the Erase-the-Blackboard bell.
Mrs. Jewls had no choice. She picked up the eraser. Up and down Wayside School, teachers were doing the same thing.
Todd smiled as the homework assignments were wiped away. The Ultimate Test was canceled. His name was removed from the discipline list, and even the word DISCIPLINE soon disappeared.
Deep in the basement, a man with a black mustache snapped open a black attaché case. Another man, also with a black mustache, placed a small silver ball into the case. A third man, who was bald, put in a solid gold Ping-Pong paddle.
2
A Million
By the time Terrence got to school, he had already kicked ninety-nine different things.
It started the moment he woke up. He kicked his bed. He kicked Rocky, his favorite stuffed animal. When he left his bedroom, he kicked the door shut.
He kicked the wall as he sat at the kitchen counter and ate cereal. He kicked a table. He kicked three chairs. He kicked rocks on the way to school. He kicked the flagpole.
Still, a
s much as Terrence liked to kick things, it would take him his whole life to kick a million things.
“How much is a million?” Mrs. Jewls asked her class.
“Ooh! Ooh! I know, I know!” said Mac, stretching his hand high.
Mrs. Jewls called on Mac.
“A million,” Mac answered proudly.
“Well, yes, I suppose that’s correct,” said Mrs. Jewls. “A million is a million. Anyone else? John.”
John lowered his hand. “Nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine . . .” He paused, then added, “Plus one.” He smiled.
“Ooh, that’s good, John,” said Dana, very impressed.
“John’s really smart,” Joe agreed.
Terrence wasn’t paying attention. His big toe hurt from all that kicking. His toenail was too long.
Sharie, who had been sleeping at her desk, suddenly awoke and said, “Ten times ten, times ten, times ten, times ten, times ten.” She rested her head on her red-and-blue overcoat and went back to sleep.
“Is that right, Mrs. Jewls?” asked Jason.
“Um . . .” said Mrs. Jewls as she tried to multiply all of Sharie’s tens. “Well, if Sharie said it, it must be right!”
“Arithmetic makes my brain numb,” said Dameon.
“That’s why they’re called ‘numb-ers,’” said D.J.
Terrence’s big toe throbbed in pain. He couldn’t think about anything else.
“There’s really one way to understand just how big a million is,” said Mrs. Jewls. “And it’s not by using arithmetic. We need to collect a million somethings.”
“Dollars!” exclaimed Joy.
Everyone cheered. They liked that idea.
“Then we could have the biggest party ever,” said Deedee.
