The Wednesday Wars

The following week, Mrs. Sidman announces the members of the varsity cross-country team and congratulates Holling specifically for coming in with the fastest time. Holling is afraid of being alone with his teammates, and his classmates loudly berate him for running so fast only because he was trying to escape rats. Holling's classmates all throw wadded paper at him, and Holling explains that this happened because Mrs. Baker was in the office, learning that American troops have begun Operation Pegasus, an operation to find missing soldiers like Lieutenant Baker.

Holling also notes that Mrs. Sidman has replaced Mr. Guareschi as principal for unknown reasons. On her first day, she greets all the students and even stares down Doug Swieteck's brother. At the same time, President Johnson announces that he's not going to seek another term in office. Holling listens to his dad and his sister argue over who will win, Bobby Kennedy or Richard Nixon. After the news that night, Holling learns too that Kowalski and Associates is going under, leaving Hoodhood and Associates to rule the town. When Holling asks what will happen to the Kowalski family, his dad shrugs and says that architecture is a blood sport.

At lunch recess the next day, Meryl Lee announces that she might be moving. Holling doesn't know what to say, so he says nothing but "toads, beetles, bats." They decide to pretend that she's not moving, and there are moments when Holling thinks they both know what the other is thinking, which he reasons is probably how Romeo and Juliet felt.

Holling continues to run cross-country every day. He gets faster, though he learns the hard way that it's dangerous to run in front of angry eighth graders: they pulled his pants down when he tried. Mrs. Baker doesn't understand why Holling won't run in front and takes the month of April to coach Holling on his running. Because Holling is running all the time, Meryl Lee is annoyed that he's not around to work on their "California Gold Rush and You" project.

One afternoon, while Holling and Meryl Lee work on their project at her house, Mr. Kowalski comes home and says that he heard that Martin Luther King, Jr. was just shot and killed. Meryl Lee and Holling watch Walter Cronkite announce it on the news. That night, Heather doesn't come down for dinner, and the next day, riots break out in major cities. On Tuesday, all of Holling's school watches Martin Luther King's funeral on television.

Before Holling goes to bed, he reminds his dad the next day is Opening Day at the Yankee Stadium, and that he promised to drive them there and write a note to get him out of track practice. Holling ends up writing a note himself and asking his dad to sign it. Coach Quatrini barely agrees to excuse Holling, and Mrs. Baker assigns Holling his full day's work in the morning. At 12:11 P.M., eleven minutes after Holling's dad was supposed to pick him up, Holling calls Hoodhood and Associates. The secretary explains that Mr. Hoodhood has other things that are more important on his calendar for the afternoon than a baseball game.

Holling returns to Mrs. Baker's classroom, humiliated beyond belief as his classmates trickle in after recess and realize what happened. At 1:55 P.M., when the rest of the students are at Temple Beth-El or Saint Adelbert's, Mrs. Baker suggests that she could take Holling to the game, assuming his mother is okay with it. Holling ends up asking his sister, who doesn't care, so he and Mrs. Baker drive to the city. They reach the stadium at the bottom of the third inning and find their seats with Danny, Mr. Hupfer, Doug, and his dad.

Holling loves every bit of the game. Horace Clarke tosses balls to the boys, and Mr. Hupfer buys everyone hot dogs. After the game, Joe Pepitone and Horace Clark call up to Holling, Danny, and Doug to come down. As the boys scramble over the fence, Joe Pepitone notices Mrs. Baker and asks if she's "that dame" who ran in Melbourne. Mrs. Baker admits she is, and Joe Pepitone calls over other players who saw that race and admire Mrs. Baker.

Mrs. Baker asks the players to show them around the stadium, and they agree. When they finish the tour, Holling happily throws balls with the players and runs around the outfield. Mrs. Baker asks what the scaffolding is for, and Joe Pepitone that the stadium needs repairs, and their boss is on the lookout for a classical architect. Mrs. Baker asks to meet the boss, and Joe says he'll introduce her to him if she can hit one of his fastballs. Mrs. Baker stays at the stadium that night, while Mr. Hupfer drives Holling home.

Two days later, a photo of Mrs. Baker, Danny, Doug, and Holling with the Yankees graces the front page of the Home Town Chronicle. When spring break rolls around, Holling, Danny, Mai Thi, and Meryl Lee hang out every afternoon at Woolworth's. Heather hangs out with a guy named Chit, who drives a yellow VW bug.

When Holling returns to school, Coach Quatrini announces that the varsity team must run three miles 35 seconds faster than Holling's tryout time. The eighth graders spit to the side so that it flies back and hits Holling, but he runs carefully to avoid their abuses. Afterwards, Coach Quatrini announces that they'll all be running at a meet on Saturday, and the winner will receive a $100 savings bond. Holling's family seems reasonably supportive at dinner, though Heather declares he'll die.

Holling asks how long until Heather goes to college, and his dad states that she won't be going to college. She insists she'll be going to Columbia University. As Holling's dad crushes a lima bean, he says that there aren't even any classes going on—the entire school is on strike. He insists that college is the craziest place in a crazy world right now, and she'll stay home and be safe. Holling's mother says nothing.

Holling's family is still asleep when he heads for school on Saturday morning. Holling feels mostly asleep as he walks through the fog and boards the bus. When Danny's race starts, Holling cheers with the Hupfer family and Meryl Lee. Danny pulls to the front of the large pack, and he's in the lead at the end of his fourth lap. Holling and the crowd watch for Danny when the group comes around again, but they don't see Danny until most of the runners have already passed. Finally, they see Danny limping with bloody knees. Holling knows the eighth graders tripped him. Danny finishes almost last, and his parents comfort him.

Holling lines up for the varsity race behind all the eighth graders. Mr. Hupfer finds him and gives him a note from Danny: "beat the pied ninnies." He tells Holling to run the others into the ground. When the race starts, Holling manages to get to the front of the pack, and he trails the eighth graders from Camillo. As Holling comes around for his first lap, he sees Danny up and cheering, Meryl Lee with a rose, and Mrs. Baker standing next to her. He continues to trail the eighth graders lap after lap. On his last lap, Mrs. Baker tells Holling to pass the eighth graders. He waits for his chance and does as he's told. When he wins, Mrs. Baker picks him up, and Meryl Lee kisses him.