Cora Flash and the Treasure of Beggar's Bluff by Tommy Davey Page A

Lane. I think we're both in your class this year."
    "It's nice to meet you both, I'm sure we'll get to know each other very well over the school year. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to talk to a few more of the kids."
    He walked away and joined a small circle of boys who were taking turns showing off their new sneakers.
    "He seems nice," I said.
    "Yeah," Shelby replied. "I guess so."
    I could tell from the tone in her voice she was disappointed that our new teacher did not have a prison record, although I suspected her mother would be very relieved.
    Just as I was about to ask Shelby about her summer, the outside bell rang.
    "Let's line up," she said. "I want to be first."
    She ran to the set of double doors that were saved for the upper grades and stood first in line. I stood behind her and watched the other kids from grade five fall in line behind us. Many of them said hello as they passed by; a few even stopped for hugs.
    "Excuse me!" yelled Shelby. "Get to the back of the line!"
    Jimmy Carson, our class clown, had the nerve to stand right in front of Shelby, taking her spot as first in line.
    "I was here first," he said.
    "You were not, Jimmy Carson!" yelled Shelby. "Now get to the back of the line!"
    He turned around and smiled his sweet-as-syrup smile as he brushed the bangs out of his eyes.
    "Shelby," he said, with his typical smirk, "don't you want me to be beside you? I thought we had something special."
    I started laughing, not because Jimmy was particularly funny, but because I knew how upset his words would make Shelby.
    "You're so immature!" she exclaimed. "Get out of here!"
    She pushed him out of the line, causing him to lose his balance and fall right into Mr. Levine.
    "Is there a problem here?" The teacher asked as he helped Jimmy upright.
    "Yes," answered Shelby. "And his name is Jimmy Carson."
    "I think everything is fine now," I said. "All sorted out."
    "Good," said Mr. Levine, "then let's get going."
    He looked at Jimmy and with a firm hand began to push him down the line. "To the end with you, young man."
    Shelby smirked. She got to be first in line, keeping her perfect record for every first day of school.
     

CHAPTER TWO
    "I am Mr. Levine," announced our new teacher from the front of the classroom. "I would appreciate your patience as I learn each of your names. Let's start by filling out one of these cards and standing it at the front of your desk."
    Mr. Levine proceeded to walk around the classroom, passing out small tent cards for each of us to write our names.
    "I hope he's nice," said Shelby from one seat behind me. "Not like that Mr. Giordano last year. He was mean."
    "He wasn't mean," I countered. "He just didn't like people talking in his class, and you talk all the time."
    Shelby sat back in her seat and wrote her name in a bright pink marker she had pulled out of her pencil case.
    "This year," he began, "we are going to introduce you to the concept of the research project. You haven't done one in your last grade, so this will be a new thing for all of you."
    Although I did not exactly understand what a research project entailed, it sounded right up my alley.
    "What do we have to do?" asked Alex Bass from the back of the room.
    "Please put up your hand first," said Mr. Levine.
    Alex slowly raised his hand and waited.
    "Yes?"
    "What do we have to do?"
    "For this project," explained the teacher, "you will each have a topic that you will need to research. Some of you will research on the Internet, some of you at the library. And others may decide to interview people for their assignment."
    "This sounds like a lot of work," grumbled Shelby.
    "I have written down topics on little pieces of paper and put them into this box. You will each draw one and have two weeks to research and present your findings to the class."
    "Wait a minute," whispered Shelby. "We're getting homework? On the first day?"
    Mr. Levine began to walk around the room, letting each of the students pull their assignment out of a