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JimJimMeetsPosterGuyp17

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Part Three: The Council Trio Won’t Be Defeated

SEVENTEEN

JimJim was getting more and more worried. It had been over two weeks since PosterGuy’s last visit. Things at school were getting worse, much worse.

TT was still smiling and playing with his gadget. The other two Shadow Kids were definitely bullies and trouble makers. Kids kept getting timeouts.

Even the Teacher’s pet got a couple of timeouts. JimJim couldn’t believe it. The Teacher’s little darling got a timeout. He couldn’t figure out what was going on.

JimJim and SueSue were very busy. They didn’t talk about PosterGuy. They didn’t talk about the other Council Kids. They didn’t talk about what was going on at Council Headquarters.

They were both worried. They didn’t talk about it.

It was Saturday morning. JimJim was hanging around in the back yard. He was still worried about stuff but didn’t know what to do. He thought, “This is all very strange. PosterGuy has disappeared. Poof. He is gone. I don’t see him anymore.

“The other Council Kids are probably still hanging around in the Great Council Hall. They probably think everything is just dandy.

“SueSue is too busy to worry about stuff. She probably thinks everything is just dandy too. Everyone figures nothing important is going on.”

JimJim kicked the ground. He took a big breath. He thought, “It’s just my imagination. They are right. Everything is dandy.

“Sure, there are a lot of timeouts. Sure, the Shadow Kids are definitely trouble makers. Sure, TT is smiling and enjoying himself. Sure, PosterGuy is gone.

“It’s not my problem. It’s not my job to be the only one who worries about this stuff. What can I do about it? I don’t know what to do.”

“We need to talk.”

JimJim felt a big shiver. He was startled. He had thought he was the only one in the backyard. The voice surprised him.

It was SueSue. She was behind JimJim. He turned around and stared. She wasn’t smiling. She looked serious. JimJim said, “You startled me. I’m surprised to see you out here. What is up?”

SueSue pointed to the step to the back porch. They walked over and sat on the step. She took a while before she started talking.

“I’m worried. I don’t know what to do.”

JimJim waited. He wondered what SueSue was thinking. She said, “I’m worried about PosterGuy. I’m worried about the other Council Kids too.”

JimJim and SueSue just sat there for a long time. They were thinking. They thought some more. JimJim said, “I’m worried too. I’m very worried.”

SueSue said, “I don’t know what is going on. I don’t know how things are in your classroom. In mine, it’s very bad. The trouble makers are getting worse. Even the good kids are getting timeouts.

“I haven’t seen any purple shadows or any of that stuff. I’m not talking about that kind of stuff. It’s just regular getting into trouble stuff but there is a lot more of it lately.”

JimJim said, “I know what you mean. That’s the way it is in my classroom too. It’s bad and getting worse. I don’t know what to do.

“TT is happy about it. He just keeps smiling. The other two Shadow Kids are having a good time too. They are doing their bullying and trouble making stuff. No one stops them. They just do whatever they want to do. It’s weird. It’s like no one cares.”

SueSue spoke quietly. She said, “You are the head timeout stopper. It’s your job. Have you been thought-zapping? Have you been trying to stop all of those timeouts?”

JimJim didn’t want to tell her. He didn’t want to answer her questions. He looked around. He took a big breath. He finally said, “No. I haven’t been thought-zapping.”

JimJim took another big breath. He said, “I wish I didn’t have to tell you. I don’t want anyone to know. You need the truth.

“I’m afraid. The purple shadows scare me. I’m okay until the bad stuff starts up. It’s worse since what happened in the Great Council Hall.

“I’m kind of scared of TT too. I’m still worried. I’m scared but it’s not right.

“I have to do something. Being scared isn’t a good excuse. It’s my responsibility. I need to do something but don’t know what to do.”

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