Black and White and Gray All Over (14 page)

My mom came into the kitchen and handed me a napkin.

“Thanks,” I said, and wiped my mouth.

“Did you see my note that Mr. Trigg called?” Mom said.

I looked at the phone. There was a pink sticky note on it. I squinted my eyes.
Sam! Mr. Trigg called. Call him back. 555-1873.

“Sam?” my mom said in a worried tone. “Are you okay?”

“Uh, yeah,” I said, snapping back into reality. “I should call him back.” I got up, threw my peach pit away, and took the phone into the den. I paused for a moment before dialing. Then I took a deep breath and went for it.

“Hello?” said Mr. Trigg's peppy British-accented voice. I had to admit I'd missed it.

“Hi, Mr. Trigg. This is Sam . . .” I paused. “Martone?” I said a little unsteadily.

“Ms. Martone! How has your summer been? Brilliant, I hope?” he chirped at me.

“Yes, um, brilliant,” I said back cautiously.

“Well, I have a little business to discuss with you,” he said. I could tell there was an edge of excitement in his voice, but then again, there was always an edge of excitement in his voice.

“I would like you to have another go at the column,” he said.

Did he mean what I think he meant? “The Dear Know-It-All column?” I asked tentatively.

“No, the lunch menu column. Of course I'm
asking about the Know-It-All column!”

“Oh,” I said, my head spinning with confusion.

“You don't sound happy.” Mr. Trigg sounded a bit disappointed.

“No, I'm . . .” I paused. I couldn't believe it, actually. “I'm thrilled! And surprised. Isn't it just a one-year thing?” I asked.

“Ms. Martone, the great thing about being the newspaper advisor is that I get to make the rules. You got the best responses last year that any Know-It-All has ever had. The position is yours again, if you'll have it.”

My face flushed. “Wow, I don't know what to say.”

“Say you'll do it!” Mr. Trigg cleared his throat. “I mean, if you feel you're up for it. Same deal as last year—top secret. And if for some reason you say yes now and change your mind, I need to know in the next day or two.”

It did mean the stress again and adding more to my workload, but it was one of the coolest things I've done in my short career as a writer. How could I not do it? I just hoped I could keep it a secret from Hailey, Michael,
and Allie for one more year.

“Of course I'll do it!” I declared.

“Excellent!” Mr. Trigg said. “We have a staff meeting on the first day of school. Three p.m. sharp. I'll see you then.”

I said good-bye and hung up. My face still felt warm. It was a really nice ego boost to be asked again. I had to tell someone the good news. I was bursting! Luckily, my mom was allowed to know my secret . . . again.

“Mom,” I called. She didn't answer, and I didn't want Allie to wonder why I was yelling. I found her in the kitchen where I'd left her. She was standing up eating a peach and reading the paper. I glanced around to make sure Allie wasn't anywhere.

“I'm doing it again,” I whispered in a low conspiratorial voice.

My mom lowered the paper and put down her peach down on a napkin in front of her. “Doing what?” she whispered back.

“I'm going to be Dear Know-It-All again. Mr. Trigg said I got the best responses from any
other Know-It-All and he wants me to do another year.” This time I wasn't so quiet.

“That's great!” Mom said. “You must be proud of yourself.”

I nodded, beaming. Then I heard another voice in the kitchen.

“Why should she be proud of herself?” Allie called from the hallway.

“Because . . . ,” Mom said, and looked at me helplessly.

“Because Mr. Trigg called and said he wants me to do even more stories for the paper this year!” I blurted out. I saw my mom let out a breath.

Allie came padding barefoot in the kitchen. She had her hair up in a towel and a green facial mask covering her face. “Oh, big deal,” she said, and then turned on her heel and walked out. Phew.

One more year of being Dear Know-It-All—I hoped I could do it!

RACHEL WISE
loves to give advice. When she's not editing or writing children's books, which she does full time at a publisher in New York, she's reading advice columns in newspapers, magazines, and blogs, and is always sure her advice would be better! Her dream is to someday have her own talk show, where she could share her wisdom with millions of people at once; but for now she's happy to dole out advice in small portions in Dear Know-It-All books.

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Simon Spotlight • Simon & Schuster, New York

This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

SIMON SPOTLIGHT

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Text by Elizabeth Doyle Carey

Designed by Bob Steimle

Jacket design by Chani Yammer

Jacket illustrated by James Bernardin

Jacket illustrations copyright © 2013 by Simon & Schuster, Inc.

ISBN 978-1-4424-7515-1 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-4424-7517-5 (hc)

ISBN 978-1-4424-7518-2 (eBook)

Library of Congress Control Number 2013932717