The Great Greene Heist

Gabriela de la Cruz meets in the cafeteria with her campaign crew, the Fighting Dolphins basketball team. Gaby wants to focus on campaign business, but Fiona and Lynne are distracted by middle school life. She reminds her friends they nominated her to run for the election. Lynne reads from Gaby’s notebook outlining school issues, “More computers in classrooms? A better selection of organic cafeteria food? More participation in Spirit Week?” (6). Fiona is running for Student Council historian but is less worried about her campaign since she is running unopposed. She reminds Gaby that Stewart is only running against her because Mr. Siegel offered him extra credit. Before she realizes it, Gaby is quoting one of Jackson’s rules about proper planning, saying, “Rule Number One: No matter how simple a job looks, always plan before you act” (7). Lynne asks Gaby about her text conversation with Omar Turner the previous day. Omar wants to ask Gaby to the formal, but Gaby just wants to go as a group. The girls banter back and forth about Gaby and Jackson’s relationship. Lynne thinks he is a cheater and a liar, but Fiona defends him saying Jackson was not aware of Gaby’s true feelings. The word around school is Jackson is interested in Katie Accord. Listening to her friends gush about Katie’s beauty, Gaby contemplates her relationship with Jackson and wishes she wasn’t too afraid to express to him her true feelings. Heather Ames, the videographer for the basketball team, rushes in announcing that Keith Sinclair is running against Gaby for president.

Anxious about getting to Gamer Club on time, Wilton Jones, starting center for the football team, waits on Keith Sinclair in the hallway. Naomi, Keith’s cousin, arrives with her stack of petition signatures for Keith’s election explaining that Keith is detained by a swarm of adoring sixth graders whose votes will likely win him the election. Naomi is running for the position of class secretary, but only because her Uncle Roderick made her, and her dad offered a raise in her allowance. Wilton is running for treasurer against Lonnie White. Keith arrives, trailed by sixth graders carrying basketballs, gathers the petitions, and heads towards Mr. Pritchard’s office to make the application deadline. Wilton is disappointed that Keith is not coming to Gamer Club, and Keith suggests they quit the club when he wins the election calling the members “losers.” Megan, the president of Tech Club, is a cheerleader, and Keith insists the members only elected her because she is pretty. Wilton is concerned Keith underestimates Gaby’s popularity since the Blitz at the Fitz, but Keith interrupts saying, “Jackson rigged that game!” (13) and assures his friend they will win.

On the way to Mr. Pritchard’s, Keith walks into the principal’s office without knocking and finds Dr. Kelsey reading the school newspaper. The two have agreed that if Dr. Kelsey secures a win for Keith, Keith’s father will transfer funds to the school, or directly to Dr. Kelsey. Dr. Kelsey and Roderick Sinclair have made deals in the past to make Keith’s life easier at school. Keith hands the principal the Student Council bylaws that his father’s lawyers have reviewed. Keith intends to make significant changes to a few school clubs without the teachers’ consent if he wins the presidency. Dr. Kelsey agrees but suggests they might change more than just a few.

Hashemi Larijani arrives home from school to find his shed door propped open with the MAPE, or Most Awesome Phone Ever. Hashemi invented the phone that has many advanced technological components but is too heavy to carry. After confirming his stash of Popular Science magazines and Star Trek memorabilia are intact, he calls out to the intruder and Jackson responds from the back of the shed where he is meticulously trying to pick a Guttenbabel deadbolt lock. He easily cracked Hashemi’s lock using Captain Kirk’s birthday as the combination. Hashemi tells him that Megan skipped out on Tech Club, and Jackson responds that she was probably hanging out with the Drama Mafia, questioning why she is helping the club with their robot. Hashemi reminds Jackson that Megan is good at both science and technology and is also pretty. They eat ice cream in Hashemi’s cluttered room and play Zombie Pirates. Jackson awkwardly tells Hashemi that Megan is dating Stewart and the reason she skipped Tech Club is that he has a copy of Ultimate Fantasy IV, a game that is not yet available for purchase. Jackson wonders if Keith Sinclair leaked the game to someone.

Because of his dad’s job, Keith has early access to the newest video games, but Megan swears the game did not come from Keith. Jackson remembers when he lifted some games from Keith’s house last year at his birthday party. Hashemi brushes off the news but admits he would have liked to ask Megan to the formal. As Jackson distractedly stares at the basketball hoop outside, he tells Hashemi to forget about the formal and Megan Feldman. He relays the important news about Keith entering the election, and Hashemi is distraught and convinced Keith will cancel the Tech Club. Jackson is not so sure, but Hashemi reminds him of how much power the Executive Council wields, especially when it comes to money. Keith has manipulated the Council in the past to direct funds away from Tech Club to his Gamer Club. Using a loophole in the bylaws, he attempted to take all the Tech Club’s money, but a last-minute intervention by Gaby saved them. Hashemi says, “The entire Student Council, including the classroom representatives, votes on the budget” (21). If they can get 75 percent attendance from the classroom representatives to meet quorum, they can stop the process, but all the Executive Council needs is a majority vote. If Wilton wins as treasurer, Naomi takes the secretary spot, and Keith wins the presidency, then the trio will have the majority vote. Jackson attempts to calm Hashemi’s anxiety asserting Gaby will win, but Hashemi wants Jackson to devise a plan to steal the election and stop Keith. Hashemi reminds Jackson about the Mid-Day PDA when Jackson was caught kissing someone. Keith may have a vendetta against the Tech Club, but he is going after Gaby to spite Jackson. Jackson has not spoken to Gaby since she slammed the door in his face on the Fourth of July.

Jackson’s Father Donald is a special agent for the IRS Criminal Investigation Division, but still cooks dinner once a week to help his wife, Miranda, who is a professor at Ohio State University. Over dinner, the family discusses his parents’ upcoming work travel plans. Donald is investigating a money laundering case and Miranda is attending a conference to give a talk on the olfactory nerve in river trout. Donald reminisces about a con his father pulled involved chimpanzees. Miranda halts Donald saying to Jackson, “You do not need to hear another story about your grandfather’s life of crime” (24). Jackson’s parents are pleased he has stayed out of trouble the last few months, but they are concerned about his social life and suggest he attend the formal with Gaby. Jackson asks if their sudden interest in his love life has to do with his brother Samuel’s college dropout girlfriend from Boston, but they assure him it does not. Feeling uncomfortable with the intrusion on his privacy, Jackson moves to leave the kitchen but not before his mother mentions the rift with Gaby. Donald says he still cannot believe Jackson had the guts to kiss Katie Accord, the superintendent’s daughter. Miranda stops Donald from pressing further, but Jackson leaves them to argue while he checks his email in his room. In his inbox he finds a message from Lincoln Miller, the chair of the Student Honor Board, calling a meeting about the election for the following morning.

Gaby attends Lincoln’s meeting in the library with Charlie and Fiona. Omar smiles at her from across the room, but so does Keith with a wink. Charlie says he intends to watch her back against Keith, but Gaby insists she does not need anyone’s help. Lincoln begins the meeting by addressing the crowd and acknowledging their concerns over Keith’s late entry into the race. He explains that Dr. Kelsey used his privilege of administrative oversight to allow the last-minute entry. Mr. Pritchard admits Keith handed in his application late, but Dr. Kelsey allowed it due to the flexibility in the bylaws. Mr. Pritchard also announces the office will be counting the votes, not Lincoln and, despite Lincoln’s demands for an explanation, adjourns the meeting. Mr. Pritchard tells Gaby he is glad she is running and assures Lincoln he will investigate the matter of the vote count later. Keith approaches Gaby and asks to speak with her privately before making a snide comment to Charlie. Charlie reminds Keith about Jackson’s victory at the Shakedown in Shimmering Hills and the Blitz as the Fitz. Keith claims Jackson stole the video games and rigged the basketball match. Before leaving Charlie warns, “Don’t talk to him for too long. You know rats carry germs” (34). Keith shakes Gaby’s hand and assures her he means no ill will but reveals he is stealing part of her platform rhetoric. As Gaby walks away, she notices Jackson watching the entire scene from afar.

Jackson enters the library and tells Gaby he wants to volunteer for her campaign committee. Gaby is not wearing her contacts due to allergies, and Jackson likes the way she looks in glasses. He compliments her idea for an organic food bar in the cafeteria but insists she needs his help to defeat Keith’s underhanded tactics. Omar storms into the library confused about the meeting location as someone taped a note to the library door stating the meeting was moved to the auditorium. Curiously, the clock is stopped. Gaby eyes Jackson accusingly and tells Omar to gather the rest of the committee for a debrief. Gaby tells Jackson she does not need his help and tosses a crumpled piece of paper at him. She awkwardly hugs Omar who stumbles over a bookshelf leaving the library.

Hashemi meets Jackson at his locker the next day and reports that Megan got the copy of Ultimate Fantasy IV from Stewart Hogan. Jackson realizes Keith bribed Stewart to drop out of the election by giving him the game. Jackson races to find Charlie and tell him the news, but Charlie ignores him until Jackson admits he was right and agrees to pay up on their bet. The boys go to meet Bradley Boardman, the main office volunteer. Bradley tells Jackson that he knows all about his famous capers like hacking into the school computer system to extend lunch period and stealing the Riggins Middle School goat mascot to sell on eBay. Bradley shares that while working in the office, he overheard a meeting between Dr. Kelsey and Roderick Sinclair about Keith’s late entry to the election. Bradley thinks he overheard the two men negotiating a deal securing Keith’s victory in exchange for a donation to the school. Jackson takes detailed notes and thanks Bradley as he leaves. Charlie assures Jackson they can trust the tip, but Jackson wants to obtain proof before they accuse Dr. Kelsey of bribery, and he will start by talking to Keith.

Jackson corners Keith, who makes a derogatory comment about Charlie, and the boys move the argument to the science wing. Self-consciously, Keith wonders if the staring classmates are thinking about Jackson’s other capers but criticizes himself internally for worrying about it, remembering he is a Sinclair. Keith sneezes and Jackson comments smugly about his allergies. An argument ensues and Jackson accuses Keith of bribery while Keith threatens to shut down the Botany Club. Jackson demands Keith tell the truth about why he is running for president. All the Sinclair men have attended Winstead Academy, and Keith admits he is trying to pad his resumé to gain admittance to the posh boarding school. He also admits he promised the Gamer Club new equipment if he wins.

Jackson arrives at the school office for his weekly meeting with Dr. Kelsey. Ms. Caroline Appleton, the administrative assistant assumes he is in trouble commenting, “Boys like you are always up to one thing or another” (51). The other assistant, Mrs. Goldman, offers him candy as she tries to win tickets to the Sk8tr Boiz concert. Marcelo Calderon enters the office with red, irritated eyes. While Mrs. Goldman deals with Marcelo’s illness, Jackson studies the lock on Dr. Kelsey’s door. It is a Guttenbabel 4200, and the lock has flummoxed him ever since he and Katie tried to break into Kelsey’s office to retrieve her confiscated cell phone. In a flashback, Jackson returns to the moment he tried to pick the lock unsuccessfully and spotted Keith and Dr. Kelsey approaching the office. To disguise his break-in, an attempt and get back at Keith for dumping Katie two weeks earlier, he planted a kiss on Katie. Jackson was proud of his triumph over Keith, but the stunt cost him his friendship with Gaby. Back in the present, Jackson meets with Dr. Kelsey, who questions him about his early arrival at school several days in a row. The administrator thinks his interrogations intimidate Jackson, but the teen is unmoved and directly addresses the suspected corruption of the election without naming any names as Rule Number Four states, “Never rat. No matter what” (55). Dr. Kelsey already knows about Keith’s gift of the video game to Stewart and sees no harm in the gesture. He admits Roderick Sinclair offered a donation which he intends to use to purchase a fancy espresso machine. Jackson is sickened to realize the principal is in on the election takeover. After the meeting, he leaves a note on Charlie’s locker calling for a meeting at four o’clock to discuss his plan. Jackson knows Gaby requested that he not get involved, but he feels compelled to seek justice.