Flip the Silver Switch by Jackie Yeager

Author:Jackie Yeager
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Interpersonal Relations, Contests, Friends, Inventors, Quebec (Canada), Science Fiction, STEM, Science, School, Education
ISBN: 9781944995706
Publisher: Amberjack Publishing
Published: 2018-08-20T16:00:00+00:00

THE IDEA SWINGS

We get to the pool and Martina is swinging on the Idea Swings alone. The boys on her team are trying to cross the problem-solving bars—and failing. She sees us and grins.

“Wow, New Yorkers, you came. I thought you’d be too busy being interviewed or something.”

“Nope,” says Mare. “No interviews this afternoon. Probably after dinner and then again before we go to bed, but for now we’re free to hang out with you.”

Martina looks like she doesn’t know how to answer her. But finally she says, “Yeah, well, you better swim while you have time, then.”

I can’t figure out the look on Martina’s face. She looks like she doesn’t like what Mare said, but she also looks sad. I don’t know why I care, I mean she is Witch Girl. Whatever. I jump into the pool, and Jillian follows me, where we sit on either side of her on the Idea Swings. I’m not going to be friends with her or anything, but she’s the one who invited us here, so I’m just curious. That’s all. Mare jumps in too but hangs out along the edge of the pool.

“Come on, Jax,” says Ander. “Let’s go jump on the Thinking Pad.”

I pump my legs to get the swing going. Martina and Jillian do the same but none of us say anything. It’s sort of awkward, and I hate it being so silent. I don’t really know what to say to Martina though. All we have in common is this competition, but it’s not like I want to ask her about her team’s project.

“So did you know any of your teammates before you went to Camp Piedmont?”

“Nope. We all came from different parts of Michigan.”

“What part are you from?” I ask.

“Kalamazoo.”

“Oh. Is it nice there?”

“I guess so. I’ve never been anywhere else, well except for New York once. My grandpa lives there.”

“Oh. We’re from Crimson Heights,” I say.

“Yeah, I know. Everyone knows you’re from Crimson Heights.”

I feel my face turn red. “Oh, right.”

“My team thinks you guys are weird.”

Jillian looks at her. “What’s weird about all of us?”

“It’s a big coincidence that you all came from the same school.”

“Well, it just happened like that. We go to a really good school.”

“Then why hasn’t anyone from your school ever won before?”

“How do you know that?” I ask.

“It was all over the news. Remember?”

My face heats up even more. “Oh yeah.”

“I’m sure you’ve considered that the competition was fixed though, right?”

“What do you mean, fixed?” I can’t believe she’s even suggesting it.

“Like the judges in New York picked all of you or changed the results so that you’d all win.”

“Why would they do that?” I ask.

“I don’t know. I’m just saying. It’s really the boys on my team who told me about the theory. They heard it from a lot of other kids here at Globals. But when I heard them say it, it made me wonder, that’s all. I mean, haven’t you wondered about that? Wondered if all of you really scored the highest in New York?”

“We did,” says Jillian.

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