The Trouble with Mark Hopper by Elissa Brent Weissman Page A

figured that was probably for the best. He couldn’t picture Mark as much of a team player. He watched as Mark read the Mastermind rules as though they were his last chance of surviving all alone on a desert island. He was determined; he had to give him that. And when he stopped caring so much about being the best, he could even be kind of fun to talk to. It isn’t that I like the other Mark, Mark thought, but some people might if he’d just give them a reason to. Mark thought all of this while absentmindedly sketching a miniature version of his portrait of Grandpa Murray. After a few minutes, he caught the other Mark studying him from the corner of his eye. “Sorry,” he said, feeling his ears turn red. “I just really like drawing. I want to work on this drawing over the weekend, and my art teacher says we’re allowed to take them home if we want, but it’s just hard because my dad only comes to Greenburgh on weekends.”
    â€œYour dad doesn’t live with you?” Mark asked, surprised.
    Mark shook his head. “Not right now.”
    Mark eyed Mark curiously. He wanted to ask a lot of questions, but he didn’t want Mark to ask any of him in return. He also kind of wanted to pat the other Mark on the back, but he didn’t do that, either. What he did do was put the Mastermind rules aside and say, “We’d better do the math before Miss Payley comes in.”
    â€œYou know,” Mark said carefully after he had finished all of the math homework. “I can tell you about all of the teamwork stuff we did at my old school. You know, the rules and things, and what the teachers were looking for when we did it. Maybe some of it will be the same at the tournament.” He stole a quick glance at Mark’s face—he didn’t know if Mark would take his offer as a statement that he wasn’t good enough to win the tournament on his own—and then went back to packing up his backpack. When he was finished packing up and the other Mark still hadn’t said anything, Mark looked up to find him staring at him with his eyebrows raised.
    â€œWhy would you do that for me?” Mark asked.
    Mark shrugged. “Why not? You’re really helping me with the math. And I’ve done that sort of thing before, so that’s something I can help you with . . . maybe, if you want. Besides, since I’m not entering the tournament, I might as well help someone named Mark Hopper win.” He chanced a smile.
    Mark crossed his arms. “All right.”
    Mark widened his eyes in surprise. He nodded excitedly.
    â€œNot that I couldn’t do it on my own,” Mark added quickly, “but it never hurts to be overprepared. And since we have to meet anyway . . . Maybe next week after we do the math we can start preparing?”
    Mark kept nodding, like his head was on a spring. “Sure,” he said. “I’ll think about it and try to remember everything about it from last year. Cool! This’ll be fun. See you later.”
    â€œWait,” Mark called. “Um, it’s pretty stupid how you are so scared to talk to teachers and stuff”—he wrinkled his forehead—“I mean, you need to not be so scared to say what you think all the time. Even argue sometimes . . . not necessarily as much as me, but, you know . . .” He sighed. It was so hard to say what he wanted to say when he was trying to be nice about it. “Anyway, if you want, I can help you with that, too.”
    â€œAll right,” Mark said. “How about next Wednesday we talk about that, too?”
    â€œOkay.”
    â€œOkay.”
    They looked at each other awkwardly.
    â€œAll right.”
    â€œOkay. See you later.”
    â€œOh, yeah. Have fun seeing your dad this weekend.”
    Mark laughed. “Thanks,” he said. “But I’ll see you tomorrow in homeroom.”

Chapter 19
    Mark’s Plan Takes Shape
    â€œLet’s see . .