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Everyone laughed some more.
Mrs. North had to remind the class not to laugh at their classmates. “We go to school to learn. If we already knew everything, then we wouldn’t have to go to school.”
Marvin didn’t laugh. Maybe in Chicago they didn’t teach about presidents until the fourth grade.
Joe was still wearing his baggy pants and Mickey Mouse T-shirt. He’d worn the same clothes all week.
“I wonder why he never changes his clothes,” Judy said at lunch. “Do you think those are the only clothes he owns?”
She was sitting next to Casey Happleton. Marvin, Nick, and Stuart sat across from them.
“He owns other clothes,” said Marvin. “The moving van probably got lost. So he has to wear the same clothes every day, until the moving van gets here.”
Joe was sitting all by himself, way down at the end of the table.
“How come you’re always sticking up for him?” asked Nick.
“I don’t always stick up for him,” said Marvin.
“Yes, you do!” said Casey. “When I told you he kissed the flagpole, you said he was being patriotic.”
“Do you like him?” asked Judy. “Is he your friend?”
“He’s stupid,” said Stuart.
“Maybe he knows things we don’t know,” said Marvin. “Maybe he knows some really fun games that we’ve never heard of. Just like he’s never heard of wall-ball.”
“He’s never even heard of baseball,” said Casey, and everybody except Marvin laughed.
“He’s a door key,” said Nick.
“Just because he’s not from here?” said Marvin. “If you went to Chicago, the kids there might think you were a double door key!”
“That’s why I’m not going to Chicago,” said Nick.
Judy Jasper had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a bag of Cheetos. Marvin watched as she opened up her sandwich. She carefully placed the Cheetos, one at a time, on top of the peanut butter. The Cheetos fit together like tiles on a bathroom floor.
Stuart had a bag of potato chips. He crumbled the potato chips in his fist and dropped the crumbs into his carton of milk.
“Admit it, Marvin,” said Judy. “Joe is just plain weird.” She placed the bread with the jelly back on top of the peanut butter and Cheetos.
“He does some pretty strange things,” Stuart agreed.
Judy bit into her peanut butter, Cheetos, and jelly sandwich. Stuart drank his potato chip and milk mixture.
“I guess,” said Marvin.
6
The Flagpole
After school, Nick and Stuart had to stay inside while Mrs. North talked to them about running in the hallways.
Marvin waited outside. He saw Joe come out of the building and walk down the stairs.
“Hi, Joe,” Marvin said.
Joe smiled. “Hi, Marvin.”
