Chapter 12

Friday was the big day. We were going to steal Mr. Watkins’s desk from the classroom and have it on the center of the stage when the curtain opened. We had it planned out to the seconds. What could go wrong?

The morning seemed to drag on forever, yet as it got close to lunchtime the clock then sped up. I saw various members of our gang in the hall as we changed classes. We all smiled and winked at each other. I guess we were keeping our nerve up.

We scarfed our lunches. We walked to Mr. Watkins’s room. Cheryl took up her position by the staircase to intercept Mr. Watkins if he headed to his room. Tracy had headed to the auditorium. She would open the emergency door. It was double-wide so we could get the desk in with no problem. Tom Watson and I went into the classroom to open the windows and pick up the desk.

I had recruited Tom Pew yesterday to be our fourth guy. Tammy Woodstock hadn’t been in school the last two days, Tracy called her house and found out she had the flu. So it was three Tom’s and a Rick. There must be a song in there somewhere. Pew and Morton headed outside to take the desk as we let it down.

The desk was heavy but we got it to tilt through the wide window. These windows were the old types that raised straight up or we would never have been able to do it. We got the desk tilted out the window on its side, and then Tom Watson jumped out the other window. I finished tipping the desk over to the three Toms. When the desk was out the window I closed both windows and exited the room through the door.

I saw Tom Humphreys talking to Mr. Watkins. Cheryl was still in position. I left through the end door of the building and went around so I could help the three guys. They almost had the desk to the auditorium door when it opened. We took it down the aisle. Cheryl came in from the hall at that time. She was waving frantically as we pulled the curtains back to set the desk on the stage.

Her waves were too late. Waiting on the other side of the curtain were Mr. Watkins and our Principal Mr. Gordon. Busted!

Mr. Gordon said, “You will have to hurry to get the desk back to its room before the assembly. Take the desk back, attend the assembly, and then report to the office.”

As we lifted the desk to take it back, this time carrying it through the hall rather than trying to lift it back through the window I asked Cheryl, “What happened?”

She was almost in tears as she replied, “Tom Humphries looked in the room and saw what you were doing. He went to talk to the teacher. I couldn’t believe he would tell on us, so I didn’t say anything.”

“It was too late by that time anyway, we had the desk out the window and there is no way we could’ve lifted it back.”

That seemed to relieve her mind.

I sat through the assembly which was an act put on by a hypnotist. I spent my time trying to think about what I could do to Tom Humphries to get even. Whatever it was, it would have to be in secret, at least anonymous, or he would just tell on us again. I didn’t come up with anything immediately but there would be retribution.

After the assembly, we trooped down to the school office. We all were a little nervous about what was waiting for us.

Mr. Morton took us into his office.

He looked directly at me and said, “This might have been a good time for the board of education. He wasn’t talking about the school board, because he was holding the school paddle when he said it.”

Then he laughed a little.

“I will never admit it, but it is a shame we were waiting for you. Since every teacher’s desk in school is identical every teacher present would have been dreading returning to their classroom. As a group, they give me enough headaches that I would have enjoyed it.”

I and the other kids were smart enough to keep our mouths shut. Mr. Morton’s desk was the same as all the others. He would have been wondering like everyone else.

“However you were caught. Now I realize that Miss Hawthorne is moving after this week and that Mr. Jackson is leaving town next week. So it wouldn’t be really fair for the others if you got off scot-free.”