know, sometimes you just have to act and not sit around deciding what to do next. We waste so much time. It would be so much faster if one person made a decision.”
“So you’d prefer a totalitarian form of government?” Mrs. Herschel asked.
“ Yes !” David said. “We’re hungry! Let’s go get some food! End of debate. What’s to discuss? What could make more sense? What’s wrong with you people?”
“Y’know, you don’t know everything,” Arcadia said to David. “You were wrong when you said we didn’t need a fire. You were wrong when you tried to make the fire too.”
“Was I wrong about going after those hijackers?” David asked. “Lucky we didn’t have to vote on that , huh? If I hadn’t done anything, we’d all be dead now.”
He was right, I had to admit.
“I have an idea!” Henry piped up. “Let’s vote on it!”
“Vote on what?” I asked.
“Let’s vote on whether or not we should vote on stuff.”
I wasn’t sure if Henry was kidding or not.
“That’s stupid,” David said.
“All in favor of voting on stuff raise your hand,” Henry said, sticking his hand in the air.
Mrs. Herschel put her hand up right away. Then Arcadia raised her hand. So did Julia. I put my hand up too.
“All opposed to voting on stuff raise your hand,” Henry said.
“You expect me to vote against voting?” David asked.
“It doesn’t matter whether or not you vote,” Arcadia said. “We already have a majority.”
David stood up abruptly and started marching around, like he was really mad.
“Do you guys remember why we started the Woodpushers?” he asked. “We didn’t like rules. We didn’t want to play football or soccer or basketball with their rules and clocks and uniforms. We didn’t want to be on a team. We wanted to do our own thing. Remember?”
“We’re not skateboarding here,” I reminded him. “This isn’t a sport. We’re trying to get along. And survive.”
“We are a group,” Mrs. Herschel said. “It will certainly be better for all of us if we can find a way to work together instead of separately.”
“Well, I’ll tell you what,” David said. “I say it’s every man for himself. You folks can sit around gabbing and voting until you all starve to death. I’m going to get something to eat. See you later.”
“Fine,” Arcadia said. “Have fun.”
David took a few steps, and then turned around and stopped.
“Hey, Zimmerman,” he said, “can I borrow your board?”
“What for?” I asked.
“Maybe there’s a halfpipe in the middle of the forest,” David said.
I laughed and handed him my board. The nearest flat surface was probably a hundred miles away. David took the board and headed out into the woods.
“We shouldn’t let him leave,” Mrs. Herschel said.
“I’d like to see you stop him,” muttered Henry.
“Good riddance, I say,” Arcadia said once David was out of earshot. “How do you deal with that guy?”
“He’ll be back,” I said. “He always comes back.”
CHAPTER 13:
Water
As soon as David left, I felt better. We all did, I think. It was like a big sigh of relief. That’s the way he is. I love the guy like a brother and all, but he just gets on your nerves sometimes.
I wondered who would be our leader now. Not me. I didn’t want the responsibility. Julia’s not the leader type. Henry pretty much just likes to sit back and make fun of the world. I didn’t know Arcadia or Mrs. Herschel very well, but neither of them seemed like a real take-charge kind of person the way David is. Mrs. Herschel was certainly the oldest in our group, so I guess she felt she had to start things off.
“Okay, our first order of business—”
“Um, may I say something?” Arcadia asked.
“Of course, dear,” Mrs. Herschel said.
“I have to go to the bathroom,” said Arcadia.
“So go,” Julia said. “There are plenty of trees.”
“Uh, that’s not the problem,” Arcadia said.
“Well, what’s the problem, dear?” asked
“So you’d prefer a totalitarian form of government?” Mrs. Herschel asked.
“ Yes !” David said. “We’re hungry! Let’s go get some food! End of debate. What’s to discuss? What could make more sense? What’s wrong with you people?”
“Y’know, you don’t know everything,” Arcadia said to David. “You were wrong when you said we didn’t need a fire. You were wrong when you tried to make the fire too.”
“Was I wrong about going after those hijackers?” David asked. “Lucky we didn’t have to vote on that , huh? If I hadn’t done anything, we’d all be dead now.”
He was right, I had to admit.
“I have an idea!” Henry piped up. “Let’s vote on it!”
“Vote on what?” I asked.
“Let’s vote on whether or not we should vote on stuff.”
I wasn’t sure if Henry was kidding or not.
“That’s stupid,” David said.
“All in favor of voting on stuff raise your hand,” Henry said, sticking his hand in the air.
Mrs. Herschel put her hand up right away. Then Arcadia raised her hand. So did Julia. I put my hand up too.
“All opposed to voting on stuff raise your hand,” Henry said.
“You expect me to vote against voting?” David asked.
“It doesn’t matter whether or not you vote,” Arcadia said. “We already have a majority.”
David stood up abruptly and started marching around, like he was really mad.
“Do you guys remember why we started the Woodpushers?” he asked. “We didn’t like rules. We didn’t want to play football or soccer or basketball with their rules and clocks and uniforms. We didn’t want to be on a team. We wanted to do our own thing. Remember?”
“We’re not skateboarding here,” I reminded him. “This isn’t a sport. We’re trying to get along. And survive.”
“We are a group,” Mrs. Herschel said. “It will certainly be better for all of us if we can find a way to work together instead of separately.”
“Well, I’ll tell you what,” David said. “I say it’s every man for himself. You folks can sit around gabbing and voting until you all starve to death. I’m going to get something to eat. See you later.”
“Fine,” Arcadia said. “Have fun.”
David took a few steps, and then turned around and stopped.
“Hey, Zimmerman,” he said, “can I borrow your board?”
“What for?” I asked.
“Maybe there’s a halfpipe in the middle of the forest,” David said.
I laughed and handed him my board. The nearest flat surface was probably a hundred miles away. David took the board and headed out into the woods.
“We shouldn’t let him leave,” Mrs. Herschel said.
“I’d like to see you stop him,” muttered Henry.
“Good riddance, I say,” Arcadia said once David was out of earshot. “How do you deal with that guy?”
“He’ll be back,” I said. “He always comes back.”
CHAPTER 13:
Water
As soon as David left, I felt better. We all did, I think. It was like a big sigh of relief. That’s the way he is. I love the guy like a brother and all, but he just gets on your nerves sometimes.
I wondered who would be our leader now. Not me. I didn’t want the responsibility. Julia’s not the leader type. Henry pretty much just likes to sit back and make fun of the world. I didn’t know Arcadia or Mrs. Herschel very well, but neither of them seemed like a real take-charge kind of person the way David is. Mrs. Herschel was certainly the oldest in our group, so I guess she felt she had to start things off.
“Okay, our first order of business—”
“Um, may I say something?” Arcadia asked.
“Of course, dear,” Mrs. Herschel said.
“I have to go to the bathroom,” said Arcadia.
“So go,” Julia said. “There are plenty of trees.”
“Uh, that’s not the problem,” Arcadia said.
“Well, what’s the problem, dear?” asked
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