Song Lee in Room 2B (5 page)

Authors: Suzy Kline

BOOK: Song Lee in Room 2B

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“THERE THEY GO!” Harry yelled, as we watched the fire fighters with their big black boots jump off the trucks and run up the steps of South School.

Miss Mackle was still counting heads. When she finished, she looked worried. “Only 21? Someone's missing!”

We all looked at each other.

“Where's Song Lee?”
Harry said.

“SONG LEE!” we shouted.

Miss Mackle quickly asked a nearby teacher to watch our class, then she rushed back to the school.

Harry and I stared at the brick building and waited. No one said anything.

Except Sidney.

“She's probably burnt to a crisp right now.”

“Sidney!” Mary groaned.

Harry held up a fist.

I stood on my toes and could see Miss Mackle talking to the sixth-grade teacher in the front of the line. He was telling her something.

“Where is Song Lee?” Mary and Ida moaned as they huddled together.

Harry was biting his nails.

I kept my eyes on the teacher. She was making her way back to our line. When she got close, we could see she had her arm around someone.

“SONG LEE!” we yelled.

Song Lee had a sweater wrapped around her blue bowl.

“CHUNGJU! CHUNGJU!” we chanted.

Song Lee had saved her salamander!

While we were chanting “CHUNGJU” for the third time, Mr. Cardini appeared on the front steps and raised his hand.

We turned pin quiet.

“One pepperoni pizza burned in the oven and set off the alarm in the school kitchen. It's okay now!”

Everyone laughed as we hurried into the building. Harry and I waved at the fire fighters.

When we got back to Room 2B, it felt nice and warm. Miss Mackle talked to us as soon as we sat down.

“Song Lee took an extra minute to get her sweater and wrap it around Chungju's bowl. That extra minute separated her from our class. She ended up following the sixth graders out of the building. But now she knows how important our rule is about staying together during a fire drill.”

“I bet the fire fighters would have saved Chungju,” Harry said.

“Next time I stay with class,” said Song Lee, as she set the bowl down on the science table.

“Good,” the teacher said. “Now, how is Chungju doing?”

“He doesn't like fire drill,” Song Lee said. “He hide under mud.”

“Hey, what about me?” Sidney called. “I still have lovebirds in my hair!”

Harry patted him on the back. “We always knew you were a birdbrain, Sidney!”

Miss Mackle tried not to laugh as she began untangling the mobile on Sidney's head.

While the class watched the teacher, I looked over at Song Lee.

She was talking to a bowl of mud.

“Come on out, Chungju! It is warm and safe now.”

After two long minutes, a head popped out.

Song Lee's smile was as big as Texas. Or I
should
say, Korea.