Battle of the Classes (Chapter 4)

The next day, the event continued. Andrea was forced to sit on the bleachers with other kids who couldn't participate in the games. They had to watch everything from the sidelines. That day, the three teams partook in a game called "Lie Detector". For the game, a person from each group had to sit in a chair hooked up to a lie detector next to them. Madeline was one of the people picked to sit down. She sat near Lizzie's fellow redheaded cheerleader, Kari, and Madeline's own friend, A.J. As teachers helped the selected seniors get hooked up, everyone waited by socializing.
"Hey, guys," said Skye to her friends. "I was just talking to Jessika, Andrea's friend. Guess how she spells 'clothes'."
"How?" asked Debra.
"C-L-O-A-T-H-S."
Lizzie and Debra laughed.
"That's not how you spell 'clothes'!" said Lizzie.
"I know, right?" agreed Skye, giggling.
"She forgot the E!"
Skye and Debra fell silent and stared at Lizzie who continued laughing.
Soon, another teacher -- a man, balding and tall, with a stomach -- grabbed everyone's attention. "Settle down, you spoiled children. Okay, now this game is simple. I ask you a question and you have to answer it honestly. Every honest answer is worth a point. All you have to do is not lie. Got it?"
The three contestants agreed. Madeline flirtatiously waved at her crush, Allen Hoss, who was afar with the crowd. He politely waved back but didn't show that much interest.
"Okay, question one," started the teacher. "Where are you?"
Kari answered, "Laguna Beach."
A.J. answered, "At school."
Madeline answered, "Here."
The needles on all of their machines were calm, slowly drawing out their bodily activities in small zigzags.
"Okay, good," the teacher commented. "Question two: What is you middle name?"
Kari answered, "Ann."
A.J. answered, "Jonathon."
Madeline answered, smiling at Allen, "Je m'appelle Louise."
Again, their needles were calm.
"Okay," said the teacher. "Question three: When was the last time you peed yourself?"
Kari answered, "When I was... nine."
A.J. answered confidently, "Seven and a half."
Madeline answered, "I haven't peed myself since I was six."
Everyone's machines, except for Madeline, was calm. Some of the seniors from the crowd laughed when they saw the needle on her lie detector made big zigzags.
"Wait, I change my mind," said Madeline, feeling the embarrassment coming. "I was seven."
The needle still made big zigzags.
"Eight. Nine?"
"You only need one answer," reminded the teacher. "Okay, question four: Have you ever eaten something off the floor?"
Kari answered, "No."
A.J. answered, "Yes."
Madeline answered, "No."
Again, her needle was not the calmest when measuring her amount of deception. More seniors laughed this time.
"Question five," started the teacher, "do you wash your hands every day?"
Kari answered, "Yes."
A.J. answered, "Yes."
Madeline answered, "Yes."
Her needle made big zigzags again. Kari and A.J.'s lie detectors were the calmest.
"Oh, come on!"
"Madeline, stop lying!" demanded Skye.
"I'm not lying!"
Her needle continued to make very big zigzags on the polygraph.
"The lie detector even says you're lying," noticed Skye.
"Madeline, when you lie and everyone else is telling the truth," started Debra, "that makes it more embarrassing."
"Whatever," said Madeline. "I'll try to tell the truth this time."
"Question six," the teacher started, "have you ever forgotten to brush your teeth?"
Kari answered, "Yes."
A.J. answered, "No."
Madeline answered, "No."
Still, her needle made more rapid, bigger zigzags than the other ones. Almost every senior is laughing at Madeline.
"Okay, maybe I forgot to brush once."
The needle continued to draw faster.
"Twice? Three times? Okay, ten times."
The needle still went crazy on the polygraph. Even Kari and A.J. began laughing.
"This is an outrage. I'm not lying. Allen!"
Allen shook his head and looked away from Madeline. Everyone's laughing grew louder and harder. She could barely hear her thoughts.
"Why did we pick Madeline to go up there when we know she lies?" asked Skye.
"Because you thought it would be funny," responded Debra.
"Oh, yeah. And it is."