Jordyn laughed real loud like it was the funniest thing she’d ever heard. She and Gabe were going out last year but he must have figured out what Jordyn is really like because now Gabe pretty much ignores her. Gabe is one of those guys who can get away with acting like a show-off. All the kids think he’s cool because he plays baseball and can play three different instruments and sing. He also always wears one of those old-fashioned hats with the brim around it, which manages to look cool on him. If anyone else wore it they’d just look stupid. Plus, he’s cute. The teachers like him because he knows when to stop.

And Gabe did stop singing as soon as Mr. Dover raised his eyebrows at him. “Right century,” Mr. Dover said once it was quiet. “Let me give you another hint.” He set the lantern on top of his desk, put one leg up on a chair and in a deep voice said, “Listen, my children, and you shall hear of the midnight ride of…” and we all shouted, “Paul Revere!”

Mr. Dover talked about how that poem was written nearly one hundred years after the actual ride and the ride wasn’t all that big of a deal. Mr. Dover likes to talk so it took him about half the class period to get to the point. We talked about all the fake news that went on throughout the last presidential election and that it was important to know what was true and what wasn’t.

Two minutes before the bell rang he gave us the assignment. We have to do a group research project about an urban legend—what’s real about it and what’s made up. Then we have to get up in front of the class and give a presentation about what we learned.

I wanted to throw up when I heard the details of the assignment. I don’t mind working in a group but there is nothing I hate more than getting up in front of the class and having to talk. I loathe it. My face turns bright red and my voice shakes. It makes me sick just thinking about it.

In middle school, there are three ways we get put into groups: the teacher picks, you number off or first-come-first-serve where we get to pick our own partners. I hoped Mr. Dover would pick for us—it was less stressful that way—but just before the bell rang he said in this old-fashioned voice: “Chooseth thy partn’r, mine own scholars.”

Luckily I caught on to what he was saying and right away turned to Violet and asked her if she wanted to be my partner and she said yes! When Mr. Dover assigns projects it isn’t just some one-or two-day thing; they usually last weeks, so it will be good to not have to worry about picking partners for a while.