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Courtney turned to me.
"You don't think Eugene could win," she said. "Do you?"
Everyone stared at me. Did I? "Does rain fall up?" I said. "Is the moon made of green cheese?"
"I guess that means no," said Dagny.
Then I presented my poster ideas. I had made some rough sketches. One poster showed someone sewing a piece of cloth. The cloth had the words "Class President" on it. Under the drawing I wrote in large letters: "DAGNY HAS IT ALL SEWED UP."
There were a bunch of others like that.
"Good work, Suzie," said Dagny. "I love them. Get those posters up tomorrow."
"We'll murder Eugene, " said Tanya.
That made me feel bad. As I walked home, I told myself that Mel would think of something even better for Eugene.
I was nearly home when I met Eugene.
"Hi, Suzie," Eugene said. "I heard that, y'know, you're going to be working on Dagny's campaign. Y'know, I wanted you to help me with mine."
"I wish I had known," I said. I meant it. "But you've got Mel."
Eugene looked down at his feet. Then he said, "Mel, y'know, sort of, y'know, talked me into running. I think it's, y'know, a game for him."
I hoped Mad Mel wasn't setting Eugene up for a fall. But it wasn't any of my business.
"I'd better let you go," I said.
"Oh, yeah," said Eugene. "I was just, y' know, going over to Mel's house to get started on my, y'know, campaign."
I spent most of that night making posters. The next morning I hung them up around the school. They really did look good. I figured we had won the first round.
But that was before Mad Mel put up the posters he and Eugene had made.
Right in the main lobby, Mel had hung a brightly colored poster. It showed a pirate's chest filled with gems. The words underneath the poster said: "Follow the footsteps. Find the treasure." Painted footsteps led to four other posters. Each one showed a chest a little more open than the one before it. In the fifth poster, the chest was wide open. It showed Eugene's picture.
Everyone loved the treasure hunt. But Dagny was still pleased with my efforts. Everything else was going smoothly, too. Tanya had written a story on Dagny for the next issue of the school newspaper. And Rod had written a great speech for her to give at the Elections Assembly.
Dagny called a meeting to go over things. "Y'know," Rod said, "I'm sure that we'll really, y'know, shine at the assembly."
Everyone laughed. I felt sorry for Eugene. But I told myself it wasn 't our fault that he had that "y'know" problem.
Dagny turned to me. "Suzie," she said. "I need a song for the campaign."
It wasn't easy. But I did it. Courtney and I got some kids together. We taught them the song and a dance.
As I had guessed, Eugene made improving the cafeteria food his main issue. Even so, as we got nearer to the Elections Assembly, Dagny seemed to be the favorite. Each of the candidates was going to speak at the assembly. That might decide who would win.
The day before the assembly, I ran into Eugene. He looked troubled.
"Y'know, Suzie," he said, "I'm not sure I should have gotten into this. All this stuff Mad Mel is doing really has, y'know, nothing to do with what kind of president I'd make."
Those were the fewest "y'knows" I had heard Eugene use in a speech that long. "I know, Eugene," I said. "But it's all part of a campaign."
"But why does it have to, y'know, be that way?"
I couldn't answer him. I didn't think he would have to worry about it for long, because after Dagny's speech, he might as well drop out of the race.
The Elections Assembly went well. The candidates for presidentwere the last ones to speak. Our song and dance number was a hit. Then Dagny gave a smashing speech.
When it was Eugene's turn, he walked onto the stage and sat down. Then Mad Mel came on. He was pulling a clothing store dummy or mannequin dressed in a suit and tie and on roller skates.
"This is Mr. Manny Quinn," Mad Mel announced. "He will speak for our candidate, Eugene Beckman. Eugene right now is busy working on a plan to sell pizzas. With the money we make, we can buy food we can eat."
That brought lots of laughter.
