Gertie's Leap to Greatness by Kate Beasley Page B

would know. Roy’s father did something with numbers that even Roy didn’t understand. Then it was Mary Sue’s turn. She and her mother went to the front.
    â€œHello, children,” said Mrs. Spivey.
    â€œI know everyone wanted to meet Jessica Walsh and hear about the film,” said Mary Sue, “but my father is very busy with—”
    Mrs. Spivey put an arm around her daughter’s shoulders. “I’m an environmental lobbyist,” she said.
    Everyone nodded, but Gertie bet none of them knew what she meant. Gertie thought of trees and clouds and hotel lobbies.
    Mrs. Spivey must have seen their confusion. “That means I work with politicians. I ask them to pass laws that protect the environment. So our air and oceans will be cleaner.”
    People nodded. This was okay. It was no Riptide, but it was okay.
    â€œWhat are you working on right now, Mrs. Spivey?” asked Ms. Simms.
    â€œSince we moved here, I’ve taken a special interest in offshore oil drilling. I’m sure you’ve all seen the oil platforms off your coast. I’m working on ways to stop that.”
    Jean grabbed Gertie’s arm. Gertie looked at her and saw that Jean was giving her a what-are-you-doing stare. Gertie looked around in confusion and understood that, without realizing it, she had pushed her chair back from her desk like she was about to get up. She probably would have stood right then if Jean hadn’t stopped her. She would have gotten out of her chair and … and … and she didn’t know what. Leaving seemed like a good idea—walking right out the door. But running around the room and kicking things might also be a good idea. Since she couldn’t decide what to do, she stayed in her seat.
    She imagined the giant platforms that stood on stilts in the middle of the ocean. Why would anyone want to get rid of oil rigs? They were so interesting . Gertie had always been proud that her father worked on an oil rig. She’d thought about working on one herself one day.
    Mrs. Spivey was still talking. “Well, those things are bad for the fish and the ocean. They’re hurting our planet—”
    In the back of the room, Mrs. Parks coughed several times. Ms. Simms frowned at her.
    Mrs. Spivey went on. “So I’m trying to convince our representatives in Congress to pass laws to keep companies from building new oil rigs, and maybe one day we’ll shut them down completely.”
    Gertie was observing the scene as though from a great distance. Mary Sue’s mother was saying that oil rigs were bad things. She wanted to shut them down. If Mary Sue’s mother destroyed all the oil rigs, then Gertie’s father wouldn’t have a job and he’d sit around the house all day getting sad and they wouldn’t have any money except the teeny bit they got for babysitting Audrey and then they wouldn’t have anything to eat and Gertie would be hungry all the time but she didn’t care about that but she did care because her daddy would be hungry and Aunt Rae would be hungry and …
    People shifted in their seats. Everyone knew that Gertie’s father worked on an oil rig. Everyone except Mary Sue and her lobbyist mother. But … what if Mary Sue did know? What if she knew and she had invited her mother to Career Day on purpose?
    Gertie could feel her classmates’ eyes dart to look at her and then look away before she noticed. For once, Junior Jr. was perfectly still.
    Jean nudged her leg under the desk. “Gertie,” she whispered.
    Gertie looked at her.
    â€œIt’s your turn.” Jean tilted her head toward the front of the room.
    Even when she was standing up—even then—Gertie didn’t know what she was going to do. She was like a thundercloud that gets fuller and taller and darker, lightning crackling on the edges, until it rips apart. She stormed to the front of the room. She turned around to face