It was in the fifth grade that she realized Pauly didn’t want the same things she did. Kelly and Pauly spent so much time with animals that she had assumed he wanted to be a veterinarian, too.

They’d only been in the fifth grade for a week when Paul contradicted Mrs. Acton. The class gasped. They knew Paul was strange, always quiet, never joining in their games, but correcting a teacher was too much! If the teacher told a parent, there’d be a belt applied to a backside.

Mrs. Acton had told them of Johnny Appleseed, who went all over the country planting seeds to grow apple trees.

Paul spoke up. That was odd enough, but when he said, “That wasn’t a good idea,” the room became silent.

“What did you say?” Mrs. Acton asked.

Any of the other kids would have backed off at that tone, but Paul kept on. “That’s not good, as apple seeds aren’t true to the parent. A seed from a green apple doesn’t necessarily grow into a tree with green apples. They could be red or yellow, or any color or size. The only way to be sure to get a specific apple is to graft a branch onto a sturdy rootstock.”

No one had ever heard Paul say that many words before and he’d sounded so adult!

They all turned to look at Mrs. Acton. She was a new teacher. She could congratulate or punish, all based on her whim.

“On Monday, I want you to give us a report about that. And I want pictures and drawings and...and an apple tree on a graft.”

The kids didn’t move. They weren’t sure if that was a punishment or a reward.

They looked at Paul and, for the first time, they saw him smile. In fact, he was so pleased all he could do was nod.

After class Kelly asked Pauly if he knew how to draw. “No.”

“Do you have any apple trees?”

“No.”

Kelly rolled her eyes. “My dad would say we’re up the river without a paddle.”

“What does that mean?”

“That we need help.”

“My dad can—” Pauly began.

“Dr. Carl doesn’t know an apple tree from a cactus. Let’s get your mother to bully people into helping us.”

Kelly was usually so nice that he blinked at her statement.Then he smiled. “She bullies me all the time.”

“And Dr. Carl, too. Come on. Let’s run.”

By the next day, everyone in Mason knew of Dr. Carl’s stepson’s project, and they loved the idea of helping. Dr. Carl was well liked in town. Kelly got all the kids in their class to use their talents.