on the sofa and pulled the kittens onto her lap.
Cindy Sparks, the White House reporter, was just signing off.
“Someday that’ll be me,” KC told her kittens. She planned to become a TV anchorwoman after college.
KC peeled the banana and channel surfed. She found a live special on President Thornton at a press conference in the White House.
“Tomorrow morning,” said President Thornton, “I will make an announcement that will change human life forever.”
Then someone handed the president a stack of papers. He signed them slowly, as if he were tired. He didn’t smile or talk to anyone around him. He just took a paper, signed it, and reached for another.
Hmmm
, thought KC.
It’s not like him to be so quiet and serious. He looks sick
.
KC noticed something else. “That’s weird,” she said. She called Marshall and told him to turn on channel 3.
“It’s the president,” Marshall said a few seconds later. “So?”
“Do you see anything weird?”
“Like what?”
“Marsh, he’s signing those papers with his right hand!”
Marshall laughed. “You called to tell me the president is right-handed?”
“No, he’s
left
-handed!”
“Oooh, let’s call 911,” Marshall said.
KC kept staring at the president on TV. Signing with the wrong hand. Looking tired and way too serious. Almost like a different person.…
Her imagination kicked in. What if this guy was a fake? What if the real president had been kidnapped? What if he’d been drugged or … KC shook her head.
She could almost hear her mom warning her—for the millionth time—not to jump to conclusions.
Then she remembered that headline: “President Thornton Says No to Human Cloning.”
“That’s it!” KC cried.
“Marshall, get up here right now!” she yelled into the phone. “Someone cloned the president!”
2
The Plan
A few minutes later, KC’s doorbell rang. She let Marshall in.
“All right,” he said. He threw himself onto the sofa. “Tell me why you think the president has been cloned.”
KC sat in the chair by Marshall. “You don’t believe me? Look!” On the TV, President Thornton continued to sign papers. “He’s signing papers with his right hand!”
Marshall stared at KC. “That means he was cloned? Maybe he hurt his left hand.”
“There’s other stuff, Marsh,” KC said. She pointed to the TV just as the presidentstood up. He walked away without saying a word. “Don’t you think that’s weird?” asked KC. “He didn’t smile or shake hands or anything. He acts like I did when I had the flu!”
“So, maybe he has the flu.”
KC glared at Marshall. “Having the flu wouldn’t make him sign papers with his other hand!” she said. “Something is wrong with him!”
Marshall glanced at the TV screen. The president was gone. Reporters were packing up to leave. “He did look a little different,” Marshall admitted.
“He looked different because it wasn’t him!” KC said. “It was a clone!”
Marshall stared at KC for a minute. “Okay,” he finally said. “Let’s say you’re right. The President of the United Stateshas been cloned. Who did it? Why? When?”
KC paced back and forth in front of the sofa. “I don’t know! Don’t try to confuse me,” she said. “But that guy on TV didn’t act the way our president acts. I know, Marshall. I watch him every night!” KC kept pacing.
“You’re making me dizzy,” Marshall said.
“Shhh, I’m thinking,” KC said. She stopped pacing. “Got it!”
Marshall slumped into the sofa pillows. “I don’t think I want to hear this,” he muttered.
“Listen, I’ll tell my mom I’m sleeping at your apartment tonight. You tell your parents you’re sleeping here.”
“Why?”
KC shoved him toward the door. “I’ll tell you later. Meet me downstairs in five minutes!”
“But wh—?”
“And bring a jar of your spiders!”
Before Marshall could say another word, KC slammed the door. Grinning, she ran to the kitchen. She wrote
Cindy Sparks, the White House reporter, was just signing off.
“Someday that’ll be me,” KC told her kittens. She planned to become a TV anchorwoman after college.
KC peeled the banana and channel surfed. She found a live special on President Thornton at a press conference in the White House.
“Tomorrow morning,” said President Thornton, “I will make an announcement that will change human life forever.”
Then someone handed the president a stack of papers. He signed them slowly, as if he were tired. He didn’t smile or talk to anyone around him. He just took a paper, signed it, and reached for another.
Hmmm
, thought KC.
It’s not like him to be so quiet and serious. He looks sick
.
KC noticed something else. “That’s weird,” she said. She called Marshall and told him to turn on channel 3.
“It’s the president,” Marshall said a few seconds later. “So?”
“Do you see anything weird?”
“Like what?”
“Marsh, he’s signing those papers with his right hand!”
Marshall laughed. “You called to tell me the president is right-handed?”
“No, he’s
left
-handed!”
“Oooh, let’s call 911,” Marshall said.
KC kept staring at the president on TV. Signing with the wrong hand. Looking tired and way too serious. Almost like a different person.…
Her imagination kicked in. What if this guy was a fake? What if the real president had been kidnapped? What if he’d been drugged or … KC shook her head.
She could almost hear her mom warning her—for the millionth time—not to jump to conclusions.
Then she remembered that headline: “President Thornton Says No to Human Cloning.”
“That’s it!” KC cried.
“Marshall, get up here right now!” she yelled into the phone. “Someone cloned the president!”
2
The Plan
A few minutes later, KC’s doorbell rang. She let Marshall in.
“All right,” he said. He threw himself onto the sofa. “Tell me why you think the president has been cloned.”
KC sat in the chair by Marshall. “You don’t believe me? Look!” On the TV, President Thornton continued to sign papers. “He’s signing papers with his right hand!”
Marshall stared at KC. “That means he was cloned? Maybe he hurt his left hand.”
“There’s other stuff, Marsh,” KC said. She pointed to the TV just as the presidentstood up. He walked away without saying a word. “Don’t you think that’s weird?” asked KC. “He didn’t smile or shake hands or anything. He acts like I did when I had the flu!”
“So, maybe he has the flu.”
KC glared at Marshall. “Having the flu wouldn’t make him sign papers with his other hand!” she said. “Something is wrong with him!”
Marshall glanced at the TV screen. The president was gone. Reporters were packing up to leave. “He did look a little different,” Marshall admitted.
“He looked different because it wasn’t him!” KC said. “It was a clone!”
Marshall stared at KC for a minute. “Okay,” he finally said. “Let’s say you’re right. The President of the United Stateshas been cloned. Who did it? Why? When?”
KC paced back and forth in front of the sofa. “I don’t know! Don’t try to confuse me,” she said. “But that guy on TV didn’t act the way our president acts. I know, Marshall. I watch him every night!” KC kept pacing.
“You’re making me dizzy,” Marshall said.
“Shhh, I’m thinking,” KC said. She stopped pacing. “Got it!”
Marshall slumped into the sofa pillows. “I don’t think I want to hear this,” he muttered.
“Listen, I’ll tell my mom I’m sleeping at your apartment tonight. You tell your parents you’re sleeping here.”
“Why?”
KC shoved him toward the door. “I’ll tell you later. Meet me downstairs in five minutes!”
“But wh—?”
“And bring a jar of your spiders!”
Before Marshall could say another word, KC slammed the door. Grinning, she ran to the kitchen. She wrote
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