Keena Ford and the Field Trip Mix-up Read Online Free Page B

was beside me. “Are you hurt, Miss Ford?” he asked. I was crying so many tears that I started making a gulping sound, and I couldn’t even answer, but I shook my head no. “Maybe we should sit down for a minute,” he said. “I will go with you if you want.” I nodded. Mr. Lemon told Ms. Campbell that we would meet them in the office building cafeteria later. She said okay. Mr. Lemon, the uniform men, Rep Thomas, and I walked away from the rest of the class.
    Even though Mr. Lemon was with me, I felt very scared. And I felt very, very ashamed. I could not look at Rep Thomas. I could not believe that I had knocked over the representative. He probably thought I was the worst kid in the whole United States of America.
    I followed the man in the uniform very quietly. He opened a door to a room with a long table and some chairs. Everyone sat down. The man in the uniform was talking to someone on a walkie-talkie. Then he pulled out a notepad and started writing some stuff with a pen.
    My face was frowning in a very heavy way, like there was a weight pulling my bottom lip. I finally looked over at Rep Thomas. “I’m sorry,” I said, and I started crying again. “I wanted to be the caboose,” I said. “And I did not listen to Ms. Campbell. She said to be very careful, and I did not listen. And now I will have to go to jail,” I said. There were lots of tears coming down my face, and I started gulping some more.
    Rep Thomas looked surprised when I said that. “Keena, you do not have to go to jail,” he said.
    “I thought if you hurt a representative, then you had to go in front of a judge and he puts you in jail,” I told him.
    “But I’m not hurt,” pointed out Rep Thomas. “And you didn’t do it on purpose. But maybe you should just keep your place in line next time.” Rep Thomas was smiling when he said that.
    I looked at Mr. Lemon. He was NOT smiling. “Keena, why did you want to be the caboose so badly?” he asked.
    I told him that the caboose was the best car on the train and that Tiffany always got to be the caboose. Then I said that I felt a little bit mad that everyone else got to be friends with Rep Thomas. And I told him that I had been afraid that he did not remember my name.
    “Of course I remember your name, Keena Ford,” said Rep Thomas. “And you can be sure that I will never, ever forget it. Did you know we had a president with the last name Ford?”
    “A president of the United States?” I asked.
    “Yes,” said Rep Thomas.
    “Oh. That is very interesting,” I said. I tried to not sound disappointed. I wanted to be the very first President Ford.
    “What is this room we are in?” I asked Rep Thomas. “Is this like time-out for kids who are bad on the tour?”
    Rep Thomas laughed. “It’s kind of like time-out,” he said. “This is a room where the Speaker of the House tells the representatives to go when they are talking too much.”
    I looked at the man in the uniform. He had finished writing on his notepad and put it back in his pocket. “Well, sir, I have finished my report,” he told Rep Thomas. “Would like for me to escort you to your office?”
    “No, thank you. I will walk with Keena and Mr. Lemon.”
    We all stood up to leave the kind of time-out room. I was very careful to stay far away from Rep Thomas. We walked all the way back to the office building. I didn’t look around at any of the stuff in the Capitol or underground. I just made sure that I did not bump into anyone.
    By the time we got back to the office cafeteria, the class was already eating lunch. When they saw me, they all got very quiet except for Addy. Addy said, “I told you she did not go to jail!” and she was looking at Tiffany when she said it. Ms. Campbell handed my lunch tray to me and told me to take a seat. There was only one empty seat at the table. And guess where it was?
    It was right next to TIFFANY HARRIS.
    “I am not hungry,” I said to Ms. Campbell.
    Ms. Campbell looked at me.