Read In a Flash for Free Online Page B

great job on the camera. Shockingly she’d done what I’d asked, so the big, red, neon, tobacco company sign was the start and the end of the event. Just before she shifted back to the sign, she’d kept focused on the spot where the “die-in” had taken place. It showed those two policeofficers we’d passed and two others coming from the other direction. They’d met in the middle, almost exactly where we’d been lying down. Thirty seconds longer and we would have looked up to see them standing over us. Timing was everything. I’d made a mental note to make sure that future flash mobs that I organized never went on for very long.
    The whole thing had been such a success, even Julia had been impressed. Well, maybe impressed wasn’t quite the right word. She’d said that it wasn’t
completely
stupid. For her that was practically a compliment.
    The bell rang, signaling the end of the morning and the start of lunch. I wanted lunch.
    The hall was crowded. Everybody rushed to get to lunch. Well, not everybody. Lots of people were just standing around talking, getting in my way.
    I passed by the office and looked through the glass windows. Just then Mr. Roberts’ door flew open and Julia came out. She looked angry. No, not angry—enraged.I wanted to duck or hide or get out of her way, but she’d already seen me.
    She stomped over, bumping into a girl on her way.
    â€œThat
man
makes me
so
angry,” she snorted.
    â€œMr. Roberts?”
    â€œWho else do you think I’d be talking about?”
    I shrugged. “Lots of people make you angry.”
    â€œDidn’t I warn you about him?” she asked.
    â€œWell, you—”
    â€œDidn’t I tell you he’d take away phones and iPods and hats?”
    â€œYou did say—”
    â€œDo you know what he’s doing now?”
    I didn’t answer. No point in being interrupted, or was I interrupting her rant?
    â€œDon’t you want to know?” she demanded.
    â€œOh, am I allowed to talk now? So what did he do now?”
    â€œHe’s canceling the school dances.”
    â€œWe have school dances?”
    â€œOf course we have school—”
    She stopped midsentence, realizing that I was chirping her. I knew we had dances. I had just never gone to one and neither had she.
    â€œHe didn’t consult with anybody. Not staff, not students and not student council.”
    I was going to say, not the student
president
, but that would have been pretty obvious.
    â€œHe must have had a reason,” I said.
    â€œFor not consulting anyone, or for canceling the dances?” she asked.
    â€œMaybe both, but probably the dance part. Did he say why he was doing it?”
    â€œHe said something about students not being responsible...bad behavior, alcohol and fights.”
    â€œWeren’t a bunch of students suspended for drinking, fighting and vandalizing cars after the last dance?”
    â€œWell, yes, but those are not excuses to cancel the dance.”
    â€œSounds like some pretty good excuses.”
    â€œWhose side are you on anyway?” she demanded.
    â€œI didn’t think I was on a side.”
    â€œWell, you
should
be. This is important.”
    â€œYeah right,” I said sarcastically. “High school dances rank right up there with world hunger, war, poverty, child abuse and—”
    â€œYou don’t understand,” she said as if she was talking to a five-year-old.
    â€œWhen did dances become so important to you?” I asked.
    â€œIt’s not the dance. It’s the
principle
of the thing.”
    â€œThe principle or the principal?”
    â€œWhat?” she snapped. “What are you talking about?”
    â€œThe principle, like what you believe in, or the principal, like Mr. Roberts?”
    She didn’t answer.
    â€œHe’s just trying to get some control.”
    â€œI don’t call it control. I call it