Messy Miranda (5 page)

Miranda told Uncle Aldo about her messy desk, and how she'd thought that magic would solve the problem.

“I know what you mean,” Uncle Aldo said. Miranda followed him into the house. “See?” he said. “My place is a huge mess. I always have trouble keeping it clean.”

“Do you use magic too?”

Uncle Aldo shook his head. “You have to be careful with magic.”

Miranda looked around the living room. There were pizza boxes on the floor. Papers were scattered everywhere. “This looks just like my desk,” Miranda said, laughing. At least she was not alone.

She felt something nudge her foot. It was the rabbit. It hopped through the doorway that divided the kitchen from the living room. Miranda followed it. The rabbit saw Miranda and hopped through her legs and back into the living room. Miranda stopped in the doorway between the living room and the kitchen. She walked back and forth. She looked at the two rooms. She considered the two different spaces.

Then Miranda had an idea.

Friday came quickly. That meant it was time for desk cleanup. Ms. Basil looked in everybody's desks. She was afraid to look in Miranda's. But Miranda just sat there, smiling.

“I hope there's nobody in your desk,” Ms. Basil said.

Miranda pushed her chair back so Ms. Basil could inspect it. “Take a look.”

Ms. Basil bent down to look inside. She stood there and stared into Miranda's desk. Her eyes went wide. “I don't believe it!”

Some students came rushing over. “Is Jaiden in the desk again?”

“I'm right here,” Jaiden said. He stood beside Ms. Basil. “Wow!”

Now everyone in the class came running over.

Miranda's desk was totally tidy!

She had put a divider in the middle of her desk. Miranda's books were on one side. Her papers and pencils were on the other. This way, she knew where everything went.

“What a great idea,” Ms. Basil said. “I should try that for my own desk.”

“Really?” Jaiden said. “What's your desk like?”

Everybody looked at Ms. Basil's desk. It was in the back corner of the room. Ms. Basil always heaped student work onto it. It was piled high with papers, books and things for the classroom. It looked like a mountain.

“Oh,” Ms. Basil said. Her face went red. “I guess it's
my
turn to stay in for recess today.”

“Don't worry, Ms. Basil.” Miranda smiled. “I'll give you a hand.”

Jeff Szpirglas and Danielle Saint-Onge
live together in Toronto and teach in classrooms with students of diverse cultural backgrounds. Jeff has written several books, including the awardnominated
You Just Can't Help It!
and a terrifying new novel called
Evil Eye
. Danielle has a master's degree in social anthropology and is a crusader for equity in the classroom. Besides teaching, they spend their time writing stories like
Something's Fishy
and taking care of their twin babies.