Principal Markham’s door was at the back, closed to the rest of the office, but Mrs. Qwirkle was at her desk, as usual, moving large stacks of paper from one side to the other, and rearranging them so quickly, the children wondered if she was choosing the papers at random.
Luca looked first at Mrs. Qwirkle, then to his left, and into the nurse’s office, where Nurse Barker was helping Dillon to flush sand from his nose with a little squeeze tube and a glass of water.
Dillon looked at Luca, and Luca tried to smile his encouragement. Luca had been the one who helped Dillon to get into Miss Penney’s class. Dillon was an only child and didn’t know how to request a good teacher. Luca’s mom had done it many times and gave Luca the form for Dillon’s mom to fill out. Dillon liked Miss Penney too, and he was glad to be in her class.
Dillon smiled back at Luca, but then suddenly he sneezed, and he knocked the glass from Nurse Barker’s hand, soaking her clothes with water, sand, and who knows what else. Dillon grit his teeth, embarrassed, and apologized quickly before getting up and hustling back to the playground.
Emma saw this last bit and raised her eyebrows but said nothing. She gently nudged Luca to remind him why they were in the office.
“Um…hi,” Luca began.
Mrs. Qwirkle looked up sharply from her paper party at the two young students in front of her. She squinted slightly, the reading glasses resting so far down her nose they looked like they might fall off and splash into her enormous coffee cup.
Mrs. Qwirkle was old. Bo said she was two hundred years old, but Luca was almost positive she wasn’t that old. Maybe ninety, though. Who could tell?
“Yes, who’s there?” she said, looking in their general direction, but apparently not seeing them. What was that smell? Luca felt sure that it wasn’t coffee.
“It’s me, Luca Levi, and…” Luca looked at the floor.
“Emma. Emma Ledger.” Emma spoke with her head quite high, like her neck was stiff.
“And what can I do for you two children, hmmm?” Mrs. Qwirkle spoke slowly but a little rudely, as though the words tasted bad on her tongue. It seemed possible to Luca that her tongue was probably what tasted bad.
“We’re wondering, please, if maybe, please—” Luca began.
“We’re looking for some advice,” interrupted Emma, giving Luca a confident look. “I would like to find a new best friend, and you work for the principal, so you must know everyone, right?”
“I’m not so sure about this anymore,” Luca said quietly, as Mrs. Qwirkle suddenly became interested in her fingernails.
Emma ignored him. “So, Mrs. Qwirkle, can you help?”
“Emily, was it?” Mrs. Qwirkle began but didn’t wait for an answer. “Emily, I’m not sure what you want me to do, but I can tell you that it’s above my pay grade. Now, off to class with you.”
She went back to moving papers around her desk and did not look at Luca or Emma again.
The two walked back to the playground sadly.