𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐀𝐍 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 ━ shawn hunter¹

4│ME AND MR. JOAD

"Right."

"Right, and to prove that, we're just gonna answer a few questions on this piece of paper," Mr. Turner finished.

Juliet accepted the paper from the girl in front of her and sighed, knowing that this was going to blow up in Mr. Turner's face. Still, she began to dutifully fill out her name and date as Cory (predictably) began to make a big deal about it.

"It's a test!"

"No, don't think of it as a test. It's a survey" Mr. Turner corrected him.

"Survey says—"

"Test!" the class answered.

"You gave us your word," Cory said as he stood up.

"I even read the book," Shawn added, causing Juliet's head to jerk up and look at him. "Yeah, my head still hurts."

Maybe no tests were a good thing. She stopped filling out the paper and stood with the boys. "You said no test, Mr. Turner," she reminded him firmly.

"So, why don't we just talk about the book like you said?" Cory asked.

"Because I couldn't change the system overnight, Matthews. Come on, work with me here."

"I'm not taking this test," Cory responded as he marched to the front of the class room and handed his test back.

"You can do that?" Shawn asked.

"I don't know."

When nothing happened, Shawn followed suit and handed his test to their teacher. "Me neither!"

Juliet followed her friends and gently placed her paper on the growing stack. "Sorry, Mr. Turner. I've been trying to get Shawn to read a book since kindergarten." She shrugged apologetically. "If this is what works. . ."

One by one, everyone handed their papers back. After they returned to their desks, Mr. Feeny walked in. "Good morning, Mr. Turner. Obviously I was wrong and your students were so prepared that they managed to finish the test two minutes after the bell has rung."

"Let me grade 'em and I'll get back to ya."

Mr. Feeny looked at their tests. "Well, that shouldn't take long considering that all of these papers are blank."

"I guess it'll kill that curve," Mr. Turner tried to joke.

"Do you mean to tell me that your students refuse to take the test?"

"That's the decision they seemed to have made."

Mr. Feeny walked away, taking their teacher with him. When they returned, the older teacher spoke to the class: "I realize that all you seventh-graders are delicate adolescent flowers just beginning your high school blooming and so I say this with the utmost sensitivity: take this test or die."

Cory stood up again and walked to the front of the classroom. "Is this fair?"

"No!" the class answered.

"Have we been tricked?"

"Yes!"

"Take this test or die?"

"Die!"

"Then we die together! Organized, like the people in the book should've done. The first student union!"

"Yeah!" the class said.

Cory began to march and sing: "'look for the union label.'" Shawn stood and followed him. "'If you're buying that coat, dress or blouse.'" With a sigh, Juliet joined her friends after rolling her eyes. "'Remember somewhere our union's sewing—'" The class followed them out of the classroom. "'Our wages are going to feed the kids and run the house. . .'"