Elissa Brent Weissman - The Renegade Reporters

For Ash, watching TheNews at Nine from inside the control booth was like watching her little sister try to tie her shoes; Ash could do it so much better if she were only allowed to help. Once the broadcast went live, she wanted so desperately to jump in and take over that she had to press her feet together to keep them from carrying her into the studio.

Good morning, John Dos Passos Elementary, said the lead anchor, Harry. He was staring straight into the camera with a smile so tight, he had to speak through stretched lips, like an amateur ventriloquist. Today is Tuesday, September tenth. The cold lunch is turkey sandwich. The hot lunch is spiral rotini with tomato and sauce broccoli.

Ash raised her eyebrows.

Harrys co-anchor, Damion, nudged Harry with his elbow and whispered something.

Harry squinted at the cue cards, his forced smile still set. Todays hot lunch is spiral rotini with tomato and broccoli sauce.

Damion looked at Harry and shook his head. The cue card holder took a step closer, which meant her back now blocked the camera.

Tomato sauce and broccoli! Harry said triumphantly, though viewers could see nothing but the cue card holders hair.

Camera one, youre blocked, Brielle, the director, said into her headset.

If Ashs best friend, Maya, had been operating camera one, shed have known just what to do. Pan right slowly, Maya whispered, as if to prove the point. But no one could hear her, because she was in the control booth with Ash. Khalil was lead cameraman now, and he didnt pan right slowly. Instead, he said Yo, and pulled on one of the cue card holders braids. She whipped her head around and glared at himand at the whole school, since the camera was now capturing a close-up of her face.

Maya covered her eyes. Ash closed hers. She could hear laughs from classrooms down the hall. The News at Nine was broadcast live, which meant the whole school was witnessing this disaster.

Ready camera two, said Brielle, cool as always. Birthdays in three... two... one...

The second camera operator was ready, but the birthday reporter wasnt. Now the broadcast showed him pulling at a thread on the bottom of his uniform shirt. It was one of those threads that just kept going and going, which meant he could have pulled it all morning if Damion hadnt shouted Over to birthdays!

The birthday reporter looked up, startled. Birthdays, he said. Thats me. He dropped the thread and blinked at the camera. Wait. Did you already do the Pledge of Allegiance?

Ash shook her head. Theyd skipped the Pledge of Allegiance. Sure, this was the first episode of the new school year, but this was basic stuff.

Director Brielle said, Pledge of Allegiance in three... two...

Right on cue, the editor in the booth cut to the video of a waving flag. But the birthday reporter, unaware, had decided he was finally ready to report the birthdays. Happy birthday to kindergartener Curtis Thompson and third grader Madisonoh? Were doing the Pledge of Allegiance? Okay.

Damion said, Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance, but the editor in the booth now swapped the pledge screen for camera two, where the birthday reporter had resumed pulling the thread on his shirt.

The laughter from down the hall got louder, and Ash pressed her palms into her face. This broadcast was going off the rails. She was glad that she and Maya werent part of it. Then again, if they could be part of itmore than having written the environmental report that Harry was surely going to butcherAsh never would have messed up the lunch menu, and Maya never would have screwed up the camerawork, which meant The News at Nine never would have gotten off track in the first place. Ms. Sullivan was probably rethinking Ash and Mayas punishment this very moment, for the good of the show and the schools reputation.

Ash glanced over, and sure enough, Ms. Sullivan was biting her fingernails so intensely she could draw blood. It made Ash think of a word her babysitter had taught her: Schadenfreude. It was German, and it meant taking pleasure in someone elses pain. Ash knew it wasnt nice to want the show to fail, but it was still sort of gratifying to see just how badly it was going without her and Maya.

Brielle, Ms. Sullivan said. Lets end the show early today. Cut to the closing credits.

Ending the show early, Brielle said into her headset. Closing credits in three... two...

Im Damion Skinner, Damion said.

And Im Harry E. Levin, said Harry. This has been The News at Nine, sponsored by Baltimore-based Van Ness Media.

The editor cut to the shows logo, a blocky number 9 with the words The News at Nine inside.

Well, Ms. Sullivan said as the crew gathered in the newsroom. New year, new crew, lots to learn. But well get there.

Ash raised her hand. Maybe wed get there quicker if some of the old crewI mean, some of the people with more experiencehad bigger roles.

Im lead anchor, Ash, said Harry E. Levin. Get over it.

I was just speaking generally, Ash said.

Yeah, right, said Damion with a snort.

Ms. Sullivan put out her hands like a referee. Then she took a long sip of her coffee, like she was going to need it if she was going to get through this day. If Ash drank coffee, shed have done the same thing.

Go ahead and get to class, everyone, Ms. Sullivan said. Ashley, please stay and speak with me.

Maya shot her a worried look, but Ash shrugged. She was hopeful. Ms. Sullivan had seen how terrible the show was today without Ash in front of the camera or Maya behind it. She probably wanted to figure out a way to revoke their punishment and make Ash lead anchor without upsetting Harry. Ash planned to be very mature about it. Maybe shed offer to share the role with Harry, alternating days or weeks. That would make Ms. Sullivan respect her even more, which might make her