Fabulous Five 024 - The Great TV Turnoff (4 page)

Friday afternoon Katie craned her neck to spot her friends
among the kids pouring into the auditorium for the TV turnoff assembly. She
wished that she could sit with them, but Mr. Bell had asked her to take part in
the ceremony—had actually insisted she take part. That meant she had to sit in
the back of the auditorium with the others who would be going on stage.

"Katie!" called Christie. She was waving over the
heads of a group of eighth-grade girls. Katie motioned her and Jana over and
then explained that she couldn't sit with them because of her part in the
assembly.

"Luck," said Jana, holding up both hands for Katie
to see. She had her fingers crossed on both hands.

"We'll sit down in front where you can see us while you're
onstage," Christie told her. "Melanie and Beth are backstage with the
other cheerleaders."

Katie watched as the two girls found seats together in the
third row and squeezed in. The Fantastic Foursome were sitting in the row
behind them. Katie was surprised to see Laura and Tammy. Both of them were
cheerleaders and should have been backstage with the others. They're probably
boycotting the turnoff, thought Katie.

Suddenly the lights in the auditorium dimmed, and the
audience hushed. Over the loudspeakers came the DUM-DUM-DA-DUM of funeral
music. Onstage the curtains opened ever so slowly, revealing a television set
sitting on a pedestal with a funeral wreath on it. Its screen glowed white, but
there was no picture. A single spotlight shone down on it.

Mr. Bell walked out onto the stage wearing a black suit. He
looked very solemn as he stepped to the podium and looked out over the
audience.

"Dearly beloved," he said in a hushed voice, "we
are gathered here today to put an old friend to rest." He indicated the TV
with a gesture of his hand. Laughter rippled through the audience.

"In keeping with this solemn occasion," he
continued, "we have elected to celebrate its passing with skits,
recitations, cheers, and variety acts."

Katie looked around at the kids in the audience. He had them
interested. She crossed her fingers.

"For our first act, let me introduce to you Wakeman's
own, Dekeisha
Cosby.
"

Katie couldn't believe her eyes as Dekeisha Adams sauntered
onto the stage. She was wearing long pants and a sweatshirt and had an unlit
cigar in her hand and a silly smile on her face.

Oh, my gosh. She's supposed to be Bill Cosby, thought Katie.

The audience knew what she was doing right away and
responded with laughter.

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen," Dekeisha said. "Oops!
Sorry, I've got the wrong audience. I thought I was at Branford Junior High."

Dekeisha's act was all about how great Branford was, but everything
she said could be taken as an insult instead of a compliment. When she was
finished she stuck the cigar in her mouth and walked off to a standing ovation.

Curtis Trowbridge was next. He had put on a fake beard and
top hat and looked like a miniature Abraham Lincoln. He read a revised version
of the Emancipation Proclamation in which he declared that all
television
watchers
were being freed. Katie saw Jana and Christie nod their approval
as the audience clapped for Curtis's performance.

Kaci Davis twirled her baton, and then the seventh-grade
cheerleaders came on with special cheers about turning off the TV. After them
came two more acts, each with a different message about why the TV should be
turned off.

"Before our final act," Mr. Bell said, "I want
to instruct you to
remember Branford Junior High!
"

The crowd booed and jeered at the mention of the rival
school, but then everyone quieted down as the funeral music came over the
loudspeakers again. Mr. Bell gave a signal, and a boy and a girl from each
grade rose from their seats at the back of the auditorium. They were all
wearing black, and they walked slowly onto the stage and behind the curtain.
Katie followed them onto the stage and stood near the television set. She was
too embarrassed to look at the audience. She hoped no one thought it was
her
idea to be in the ceremony.

When the group of boys and girls emerged from behind the
curtain a moment later, they were carrying a small wooden coffin that was
painted black, and they marched straight to the television set and stopped. Mr.
Bell nodded to Katie, and she reached up and pulled the plug on the TV. The
glowing screen went black. There was a moment of silence before Mr. Bell lifted
the set into the coffin and closed the lid, laying the wreath on top.

Mr. Bell spoke again. "As you leave the auditorium,
please file past the coffin to pay your last respects to the deceased. Those of
you—both students and faculty—who have signed a contract for the turnoff are
asked to drop your contract into the coffin as you pass by."

The six pallbearers slowly carried the casket off the stage
and down the aisle to the back of the auditorium with the principal and Katie
following.

When the procession reached the back of the room, the
pallbearers set the coffin down and opened the lid again, standing at attention
as the last strains of funeral music died away.

The audience was quiet for a moment, and Katie couldn't tell
whether they liked the idea of burying the television or not. Then, all over
the auditorium, kids began jumping to their feet, applauding and cheering.

A thrill of excitement raced up Katie's back as she looked
around at the cheering crowd. It would be okay. It was going to work! Most of
the kids would drop signed turnoff contracts into the coffin. She just knew it.

After school The Fabulous Five crowded into Bumpers, where
everybody was talking about the assembly that had officially started the
turnoff.

"I have to tell you, Katie, you're a natural actress,"
joked Beth. I've never seen anyone pull a plug as well as you did today."

Katie rolled her eyes. Then she laughed and asked, "Do
you think Hollywood will be after me?"

Everyone at the table nodded.

"Oh, there's Dekeisha," said Beth. "I've got
to tell her how good her Cosby act was. Hey, Dekeisha!"

Dekeisha heard her and headed for The Fabulous Five's table.
"Hi, guys!"

"You were fantastic today!" said Beth. "I
didn't know you could do imitations like that."

Dekeisha smiled shyly. "I can only do a few. Bill Cosby's
my favorite. I watch his show all the time . . . or I did until I signed my TV
turnoff contract." Then her smile faded. "Hey, I want to tell you,
Katie, you've got trouble."

"Trouble?" asked Katie, puzzled.

"Yep. Laura McCall and her friends hung around the back
of the auditorium watching everybody file past the coffin. Then they started
pulling kids aside and trying to talk them into breaking their contracts."

"What?" said Katie. "You've got to be
kidding."

Dekeisha shook her head. "No, I'm not. Laura's started
a big campaign. She says it's a free country, and no one should dictate what
you can or can't watch. I know that's what she was saying because I'm one of
the kids she said it to."

"Nobody will listen to her," Katie grumbled. "At
least nobody who has already decided to go along with the turnoff and has
signed a contract."

"Don't bet on it," warned Dekeisha. "She's
reminding everybody Mr. Bell made it clear that turning off your TV is
voluntary."

Katie frowned. Maybe Laura McCall was going to be more
trouble than she had thought.

"I still can't believe it," said Christie. "Laura
is just being spiteful."

It was the next day, and The Fabulous Five were having a
meeting in Jana's bedroom. Christie and Beth were stretched across Jana's bed,
sharing a bag of potato chips; Melanie was lounging on the floor, holding Jana's
stuffed pink bunny; and Katie and Jana were sitting in chairs. They were all
wearing their Fabulous Five T-shirts.

"You'd think since the school is behind the turnoff,
she wouldn't take a chance," said Melanie.

Jana shrugged. "Like Laura said, it's strictly
voluntary. I know several kids who said they weren't going to sign up. They
just don't want to give up their television."

"And let's face it, even some who signed contracts won't
be able to stand it without their tube time," said Beth. "They'll go
berserk after the first day."

"And good old Laura will be right there to tell them it's
okay to turn their sets back on," added Katie.

"We definitely have to keep as many kids from falling
into her trap as we can," declared Jana.

"Mr. Bell told Mom that eighty-five percent of the
student body signed up, and all of the teachers. But guess what?" Katie
said, giggling. "He said he wouldn't be surprised if a couple of teachers
cheated."

"I hope they get caught!" exclaimed Melanie.

"He also said that Miss Simone made photocopies of all
the contracts and mailed them to the principal at Branford Junior High. Now the
Branford kids will know how serious we are about beating them," continued
Katie.

"I just hope Wakeman stays serious," said Jana.

"Who watched TV last night?" asked Christie.

"Not me," answered Beth.

"Me, either," said Melanie. "But it wasn't
because I didn't want to." She hugged the pink bunny and looked forlornly
at her friends. "Actually, it was awful. I kept walking by the television
set, and—I know you'll think I've flipped out—but I could almost hear it
calling to me."

"Gosh, Mel. I didn't think you were that hooked,"
said Beth.

"I thought you were going to start writing your own
version of the story in your diary," added Katie.

Melanie nodded. "I did, and I'll have to admit that it
helped a little. In this first episode, I have Sylvia waking up in her hospital
room to find Cal looking down at her. I can't wait to write another episode
this afternoon."

"Boy, are Brittany and Brian grouches," said Beth.
"They really hate it that we can't watch TV at our house. I'm lucky my mom
and dad are all for it, or I'd be surrounded by television. That would make it
hard to resist."

"Tell me about it," grumbled Melanie. "Jeffy
doesn't understand why he can't watch his favorite cartoons. It's really tough
on my mom to keep him entertained."

"The same with Alicia," said Beth.

"My mom and I played Monopoly last night," Katie
told them. "Of course we don't watch much television, anyway."

"I went bowling with my mom and Pink," said Jana. "I
kept score for them."

"So far, so good, for the five of us," said Katie.
"But what are we going to do to keep Laura from luring other kids into
breaking their contracts?"

"We can spread the word about what she's trying to do,"
said Beth. "That ought to help."

"Not everyone feels the same about Laura as we do,"
pointed out Jana.

"And some kids just signed up for the turnoff because
everyone else was doing it," offered Christie.

"Maybe
we
can find out who's about to break
their contracts and help them," said Katie. "When we know who they
are, we can give them some ideas for fun things to do. We need to encourage
them to tough it out."

"What we need to do is follow The Fantastic Foursome
around and watch who they talk to," said Melanie. "Then we can corner
those people and talk them back into keeping their TVs turned off."

"We can't be with The Fantastic Foursome all the time,"
said Christie. "We're not even in all their classes."

"What we need are spies!" Beth said dramatically.

"We've got lots of friends," said Katie. "I
bet if we talk to Dekeisha, Melinda, Mandy, and Alexis, they'll help."

"Right," agreed Christie.

The idea made Katie brim with excitement. "Let's call
them right now, and see if they'll be our spies."

The Fabulous Five went to Jana's living room and took turns
calling the other girls. Every one of them agreed to help. Katie felt relieved.
With help, they had a fighting chance to keep Laura from ruining the turnoff.

Katie was so anxious to hear what people were saying about
the turnoff on Monday morning that she gulped down her breakfast and hurried
out the door. When she arrived at school, the first thing she saw was Laura
taking to Shane. Oh, no, she thought. Melanie would be furious.

Intending to eavesdrop on their conversation, Katie moved
closer, but just then she heard someone call her name.

"Katie Shannon. Whose big idea was this turnoff,
anyway?"

Katie glanced around to see Elizabeth Harvey marching toward
hen It was obvious from her scowling face that she wasn't happy.

"I don't know why I signed up for it in the first
place," Elizabeth said, stopping next to Katie. "Do you realize how
long a weekend is when you can't watch TV?"

Katie smiled weakly. "Oh, come on, Elizabeth. There are
lots of fun things to do besides watch television."

"Name one," Elizabeth challenged.

By this time Lisa Snow had joined them. "Yeah,"
she said. "This was the longest weekend of my life. I'll never last two
whole weeks."

"Sure you will," Katie insisted.

"Well, I won't," said Elizabeth. "And you
were going to name something fun to do besides watch TV, remember?"

Katie nodded. "Listen, guys. Don't give up yet. Just
give it a little time. You'll think of things to do."

Elizabeth shrugged and walked away, calling back over her
shoulder, "If I don't think of something pretty quickly, I'm going
straight home to turn on my set."

"I signed up for the turnoff, and I'd still like to do
it," said Lisa, "but my family isn't interested. My dad wants to watch
the news when he gets home, and then if there's a game on later, he wants to
watch that. My mom has some shows in the evening that she says she
has
to watch. I either have to sit in my room by myself or be in the living room
with them. I might as well forget about the whole thing now and get it over
with."

"Can't you explain to your parents how important the TV
turnoff is?" asked Katie. "Didn't you tell them the whole school is
doing it?"

"That's not true. Laura was telling me about all the
kids who aren't going along with it."

"There are more doing it than not," argued Katie. "What
about Branford? Do you want them to beat Wakeman? Think of how they'll make fun
of us, after we said we could do better than them."

"I know," Lisa said, sounding miserable. "But
I can't get away from TV, anyway, so why fight it?"

Now what am I going to do? thought Katie as she left Lisa
and scuffed along toward The Fabulous Five's meeting place by the fence.

She glanced around to see Melissa McConnell and Tammy Lucero
talking to Marcie Bee near the gum tree, where the Wakeman kids stuck their gum
before going into school. Katie watched them for a moment, and even though she
couldn't hear what they were saying, she knew what they were talking about.
Marcie had signed a contract to give up TV.

Jana and Christie were waiting when Katie got to the fence.

"I've got good news," announced Jana.

"Great," replied Katie. "I could use some."

"I talked to Randy," Jana went on. "He said
the guys made rockets at his house on Saturday and launched them yesterday.
They had a great time. The best news for you is that Tony was with them. He
signed up for the turnoff, too."

Katie felt her spirits rise. "Did Randy say if Tony
talked about me?" she asked.

"No, but I can ask him if you want me to," offered
Jana.

"Never mind," Katie answered quickly. If he's
going to be too stubborn to apologize to me, I'm certainly not going to give
him the satisfaction of knowing that I care.