The Baddest Kid in Sixth Grade — J. Walker

The first day of middle school is hard. Even harder is the first day of middle school where your two older brothers are known as troublemakers. Nick Pearson just wants to make friends and have them remember his name; Nick, not Nate. The trouble is that at Woodson Middle School everyone already knows his brothers, Dan and Rob Pearson. As soon as the teachers find out he's a Pearson they go from nice to nasty. In first period with Mr. Green, after an embarassing trip to the front of the class, Nick is happy when class is over and runs out of the room. But he's in such a hurry that he forgets something, forcing him to return to the class after everyone has left. He searches high and low around his desk at the back of the classroom -- a seat given to him by Mr. Green -- and it's nowhere to be found. At that moment, Nick sees it on Mr. Green's desk. Great! By lunchtime, a brand new baseball cap, animals running around the hallway, and a flooded boys bathroom forces Nick into the spotlight. After telling the truth to his best friend, Chris, Nick begins to wonder if he should come clean to the principal to clear his name and risk losing his new friends. He decides to keep a low profile and makes it home without causing anymore trouble. Now, the entire school knows him as the baddest kid in the sixth grade, at least for now.