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Passenger#protectors?
Ryan'shrugged.
The'cart'accelerated'quickly'to'around'sixty'miles'per'hour.'Ryan'hoped'the'passenger'protectors'worked,'
since'the'cart'had'no'doors'and'no'top.
“Could'I'please'have'your'names?'Officer'Joe'asked.
“I’m'Ryan'Edison,'and'this'is'my'sister,'Abby.”
Officer'Joe'glanced'at'Ryan'in'the'mirror.'“So,'Ryan,'I’m'guessing'you’re'in'ninth'grade.”
“Tenth.”
“Okay,'close.”'Officer'Joe'smiled.'“Let’s'see'if'I'can'do'better'with'your'sister.”
“I’m'in'the'tenth'grade,'like'my'brother,”'Abby'said.
Ryan'wondered'why'she'was'lying.'“Abby—”
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Abby'elbowed'her'brother.'“I’m'a'year'younger'than'Ryan,'but'I'skipped'second'grade.”
“Oh,'now'why'did'you'have'to'go'and'tell'me?”'Officer'Joe'asked.'“I'like'guessing.”
“Oh,”'Abby'said.'“Sorry.”
“It’s'okay,”'Officer'Joe'said,'winking'at'her'in'the'mirror.
Abby'whispered'to'Ryan'and'pointed.'“Is'that'the'school?”
They'were'headed'toward'a'huge'metal'dome,'twoAhundred'feet'tall.
“Can’t'be,”'Ryan'said.
As'they'approached'the'dome,'a'section'of'the'wall'slid'open,'creating'a'doorway.'The'cart'entered'a'huge'
lobby.
Abby'said,'“You'know'he’s'gonna'take'us'to'the'principal’s'office.'What'are'we'going'to'tell'them?”
“How'should'I'know?”'Ryan'spotted'the'principal’s'office,'with'its'glass'walls.'Then'he'realized'that'all'of'
the'interior'walls'of'the'school'were'made'of'glass.'
They'rode'right'past'the'principal’s'office,'and'then'past'a'classroom'labeled'‘First'Grade.’
“Uh,'Sir,”'Ryan'said,'“I'think'you’ve'brought'us'to'the'wrong'school.”
Officer'Joe'shook'his'head.
Ryan'and'Abby'looked'at'each'other,'confused.
The'cart'began'to'lift'off'the'floor,'accelerating'as'it'rose:'ten'feet…twentyAfive'feet…
Abby'leaned'in'close'to'her'brother'and'grabbed'his'hand.'“I’m'scared.”
He'put'his'arm'around'her.
The'cart'continue'upward.'SeventyAfive'feet…oneAhundred'feet…oneAhundredAfifty'feet.'It'suddenly'came'
to'a'stop'at'about'oneAhundredAseventyAfive'feet'above'the'lobby'floor.
A'glass'door'opened'to'the'fourth'floor'hallway'and'Officer'Joe'drove'through'it'and'down'the'hall'to'a'
classroom'door'labeled'‘Tenth'Grade.’
Ryan'whispered'to'Abby,'“They'only'have'one'school—for'all'the'grades?”
“And'is'there'seriously'only'one'tenth'grade'classroom—in'this'whole'gigantic'school?”
“But'look'how'big'it'is,”'Ryan'said.
There'were'rows'and'rows'of'students—hundreds'of'them—sitting'at'what'appeared'to'be'computers.
The'cart'pulled'up'to'a'counter'and'stopped.'Ryan'and'Abby'felt'their'passenger'protectors'release.
“Out'you'go,”'Officer'Joe'said.'“Mrs.'Flatback,'this'is'Ryan'and'Abby.'They'seemed'to'have'forgotten'it'was'
a'school'day.”
A'young'woman'standing'behind'a'long,'marbleAtop'counter'smiled'and'said,'“Thanks,'Joe.”
Ryan'and'Abby'stepped'out'of'the'cart'and'Officer'Joe'drove'it'out'of'the'classroom.
Mrs.'Flatback'said,'“Okay,'sign'yourselves'in'and'get'to'your'workstations.”
They'walked'up'to'the'counter.
Ryan'looked'for'a'signAin'sheet'and'a'pen.'All'he'saw'was'something'that'looked'like'a'touch'pad'that'was'
built'into'the'counter.
“What'are'you'waiting'for?”'Mrs.'Flatback'asked.
“I’m'not'sure'what'to'do,”'Ryan'said.
“Very'funny.”'Mrs.'Flatback'grabbed'Ryan’s'right'hand'and'pressed'his'index'finger'against'the'pad.'It'
beeped.'She'checked'her'monitor.'“That’s'odd.”'She'looked'at'Abby.'“You'give'it'a'try,'young'lady.”
Abby'pressed'her'right'index'finger'against'the'pad.
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It'beeped.
Mrs.'Flatback'snapped'her'fingers.'“Mr.'Hall?'Mr.'Hall,'I'need'you'up'here.”
A'man'who'had'been'talking'to'a'student'near'the'back'of'the'classroom'waved'at'Mrs.'Flatback'and'
began'to'walk'toward'the'front'of'the'room.'Ryan'judged'him'to'be'at'least'ninety.'
When'he'finally'made'it'to'the'counter,'Mrs.'Flatback'said,'“We’ve'got'a'serious'problem'here,'Mr.'Hall.'
These'two'students'are'not'registered'in'our'system.”
“I'see.”'Mr.'Hall'eyed'them'suspiciously.
“So,'you'know'what'that'means,'Mr.'Hall.”
“Yes,'Ma’am,'I'certainly'do.'And'I’ll'take'care'of'them.'Come'with'me,'children.”
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