Page 36 - American Girl (September - October 2018)
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or skirts that didn’t reach our fingertips, clothes I looked around the room and counted twelve
that showed skin on our stomach or back, clothes kids—all the same guys from last year, plus two
with objectionable graphics or words, and about newcomers who turned out to be sixth-graders.
a dozen more items. Once again, Addie and I were the only girls. We
“What are we supposed to wear?” I asked, were also the only ones in science fair shirts.
dumbfounded. “Everything I own is on this list!” “Didn’t any of you get coded?” I asked.
A lot of my classmates were reading copies of the “Nope,” they said.
handout, too, and were protesting—loudly. “I can’t believe it!” Addie began, but just
Ms. Chavez rarely lost her temper, but her then our advisor, Mr. Peters, walked in.
“Wait a minute . . . bra straps?” Addie
blurted out. “So is the rule only for girls?”
cheeks were bright red and her lips were pressed “Welcome to coding club!” he beamed. “You’re
into a long, flat line like a stretched rubber band. in for a treat. We’re going to be working on some
Finally, she snapped. really exciting stuff this year . . .”
“QUIETTTT!” she bellowed. “I don’t want As soon as he started explaining our first
to hear another complaint from anyone. Just put project, we forgot about dress codes. We were
these on and get back to class!” going to design our own maze games with anima-
Ms. Chavez opened the bottom drawer of a tions. At the end of October, everyone would get
file cabinet and started handing us T-shirts left to play the games and vote on which one they
over from last year’s science fair. They all said, liked best. The winning team would get a $60
SCIENCE: IT’S WORTH EXPLORING! gift card to Game Show, the best computer game
store in town. I teamed up with Addie, and Glenn
partnered with Sebastian.
e had our first coding club meeting at “Betcha five bucks we can build a better game
lunch a few hours later, and when Glenn than you,” Glenn said.
Wsaw Addie and me, the first thing he said “You still owe me five bucks from your fried
was, “The science fair isn’t for six months! How egg bet,” I reminded him.
come all the girls got free shirts? No fair.”
“No fair . . . fair? Get it?” said Sebastian,
wear these shirts because of the new dress code.” T
he next day Principal Babbitt sent home a
cracking himself up.
letter about the dress code along with a form
“It’s not funny,” said Addie. “They’re making us
that parents and kids were supposed to sign
34 americangirlmagazine.com
