“I’m flagging the entry,” Wyler said.

He took a bright red metal clip from his pocket and snapped it onto the top corner of Matty’s card.

“Inaccurate military claims won’t be allowed on stage at Friday’s assembly,” Wyler said.

He spun on his heel and walked back to the main office’s double doors, holding Matty’s form flat against his chest.

Mrs.

Thorne moved between the double rows of wooden desks carrying a stack of blue papers.

She held a silver ballpoint pen sideways between both thumbs as she handed the worksheets back to her sixth graders.