The Wave by Todd Strasser Read Free Book Online

although listening to her father talk about his golf game sometimes bored her to death. It was better that he was easy-going, rather than a worry-wart like her mother, who was probably the brightest and most perceptive woman Laurie had ever encountered. She practically ran the county’s League of Women Voters by herselfand was so politically astute that aspiring politicians seeking local offices were always asking her to advise them.
    For Laurie, her mother was lots of fun when things were going well. She was full of ideas, and you could talk to her for hours. But other times, when Laurie was upset about something or was having a problem, her mother was murder—there was no way to hide anything from her. And once Laurie had admitted what the difficulty was, she wouldn’t leave her alone.
    When Laurie started telling them about The Wave at dinner, it was mostly because she couldn’t stand listening to her father talk about golf for another minute. She could tell her mother was bored too. For the last quarter hour Mrs. Saunders had been scratching a wax stain out of the tablecloth with her fingernail.
    “It was incredible,” Laurie was saying about the class. “Everyone was saluting and repeating the motto. You couldn’t help but get caught up in it. You know, really wanting to make it work. Feeling all that energy building around you.”
    Mrs. Saunders stopped scratching the tablecloth and looked at her daughter. “I don’t think I like it, Laurie. It sounds too militaristic to me.”
    “Oh, Mom,” Laurie said, “you always take things the wrong way. It’s nothing like that. Honest, you’d just have to be there feeling the positive energy in the class to really get what’s going on.”
    Mr. Saunders agreed. “To tell you the truth, I’m for whatever will make these kids pay attention to anything these days.”
    “And that’s what it’s really doing, Mom,” Laurie said. “Even the bad kids are into it. You know Robert Billings, the class creep? Even he’s part of a group. No one’s picked on him for two whole days. Tell me that isn’t positive.”
    “But you’re supposed to be learning history,” Mrs. Saunders argued. “Not how to be part of a group.”
    “Well, you know,” her husband said, “this country was built by people who were part of a group—the Pilgrims, the Founding Fathers. I don’t think it’s wrong for Laurie to be learning how to cooperate. If I could get some more cooperation down at the plant instead of this constant back-biting and bickering and everyone trying to cover his own you-know-what, we wouldn’t be behind in production this year.”
    “I didn’t say that it was wrong to cooperate,” Mrs. Saunders replied. “But still, people have to do things in their own way. You talk about the greatness of this country and you’re talking about people who weren’t afraid to act as individuals.”
    “Mom, I really think you’re taking this the wrong way,” Laurie said. “Mr. Ross has just found a way to get everybody involved. And we’re still doing our homework. It’s not like we’ve forgotten about history.”
    But her mother was not to be appeased. “That’s all very well and good. But it just doesn’t sound like the right thing for you, Laurie. Babe, we’ve raised you to be an individual.”
    Laurie’s father turned to his wife. “Midge, don’tyou think you’re taking all this a little too seriously? A little bit of community spirit is a terrific thing for these kids.”
    “That’s right, Mom,” Laurie said, smiling. “Haven’t you always said that I was a little too independent?”
    Mrs. Saunders was not amused. “Honey, just remember that the popular thing is not always the right thing.”
    “Oh, Mom,” Laurie said, annoyed that her mother would not see her side of the argument at all. “Either you’re being stubborn or you just don’t understand this at all.”
    “Really, Midge,” Mr. Saunders said. “I’m sure Laurie’s history teacher