A big yellow school bus screeches to a halt outside of William Clark Elementary School. The air is filled with laughter as the kids file out of the school. Then all is silent. Just before the school bus driver slams the door, something comes tumbling down the stairs. It sounds like "rolling thunder and era" . It's the voice of Ulysses rodriguez, who is the best friend of marvin. He's a year younger than marvin and looks up to him like a "big brother." Other kids call them nerds, dorks, and "mega-geekazoids" , but they're friends. Even though it's an accident, marvin brushes himself off and says it was just an accident. Everyone laughs at the big movie star, marveling at his ability to make his fans happy. They all scratch the janitors' broom closet and marvin says he's going to prove himself one day.