Justine McKeen, Queen of Green by Sigmund Brouwer Page A

Blatzo.”

Chapter Two
    â€œWhat’s your name?” Jimmy Blatzo asked Justine. He towered over her and looked angry.
    â€œJustine McKeen,” she said. She stuck out a hand and waited for him to shake it. Her hand had mustard on it. “Nice to meet you, Jimmy Blatzo.”
    He pushed her hand away. “I heard you dug in the garbage for my empty juice can. You made me look bad. Is that what you wanted? Because I don’t like being made to look bad.”
    â€œYou look like my cousin Joe,” Justine said. “He lives in Detroit. Detroit is an amazing city. Cars. Lots of cars. Now they are building electric cars there. Isn’t that great? It will really help the environment. I would like a blue one someday. Like the color of your hoodie. That’s a nice hoodie. What’s the picture on the front of your hoodie? Is it—?”

    â€œAre you listening to me?” Jimmy Blatzo said. He crossed his arms and took a step forward. “You made me look bad.”
    â€œThe picture on your hoodie looks like the wings of a bird,” she said. “If you moved your arms, I could see it better. And maybe stand back a little. I hope it’s a bird. Birds are cool. We have birds in our backyard. Cardinals. Blue jays. Even—”
    Jimmy Blatzo’s face turned very red. “Enough!” His head looked like a tomato that was about to burst.
    â€œMaybe we should go,” Safdar said. He stood and handed Justine her backpack. Michael stood too. Safdar and Michael took a couple of steps back.
    â€œMaybe you shouldn’t!” Jimmy Blatzo said. He grabbed Justine’s backpack and dumped the contents out on the table. He grabbed her lunch bag and dumped it out on the table too. He grabbed her juice box, drank it and set it down. “Recycle this!”

    â€œAlways,” Justine said. “Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. That’s me. Did you know a faucet that leaks a drop of water every ten seconds loses nearly forty gallons of water a month? If it’s a hot-water faucet, it’s even worse because of the energy it takes to heat the water. And lights. Don’t get me started on turning lights off. Everywhere. All the time. And—”
    â€œWho are you?” Blatzo said. He squashed her sandwich with his fist. “The Queen of Green?”
    â€œI like that,” she said. “Justine McKeen, Queen of Green. Wow. Thank you. And I also like what you did with my sandwich. You turned it into pita bread. Thanks.” She stuck out her hand again to say goodbye. “It was nice to meet you, Blatzo. I hope you’re not late for class.”
    â€œYou don’t understand,” he said. “You made me look bad. I’m not letting you get away with this. And don’t call me by my last name!”
    Jimmy Blatzo saw Justine’s brownies in a ziplock bag on the table. He grabbed the squares. “This is your punishment.”
    He pulled out a brownie and crammed it into his mouth.
    â€œMay I have the bag back?” Justine asked. “Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.”
    â€œNot a chance,” he said, chewing. He marched out of the cafeteria.
    â€œThat’s too bad,” Justine told Michael and Safdar.
    â€œWhat?” Safdar asked. “That you made enemies with the biggest bully in the school?”
    â€œOr that he drank your juice, smashed your sandwiches and took your dessert?” said Michael.
    â€œNo,” said Justine, “he took the ziplock bag. I was hoping to use it for the whole school year. Plus, those brownies were part of my science project.”

Chapter Three
    After lunch, Mrs. Howie waited for her students to be seated.
    â€œIt’s time for a science presentation,” Mrs. Howie said. She ran her finger down the list of names on her desk. “Justine, today is your turn. Do you have something to present to the class?”
    â€œYes!” Justine said.
    â€œGood,” Mrs. Howie said.