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- 05/31/2021
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
Adam Blake - 43. Chapter 43
That evening at home, Billy asked me how the day went. I knew he was referring to the test we talked about last night. “His father came to the school I think with the intent of taking him home. I let him take and finish the test under the monitoring of the teacher who gave him the test. He had perfect answers, the teacher agreed to change his score.”
“Something else is bothering you?”
“When did you get so perceptive. The Board is meeting Monday. I think they'll ask me to resign.”
“Why, that’s crazy?”
“Well, you know I can be a little crazy as well. In the short time I have been there, I sort of upset the status quo. I have a male secretary, and he isn’t gay. He said he wanted to break the floor since the ladies are breaking the ceiling. The office furniture I bought, because I didn’t want the old fashion stuff, I bought a stand-up desk among other things. I eat in the cafeteria rather than the Staff Dining Room, and I’m getting the teaching staff to eat there as well. I have formed the Knights of the Square Table, of which we just accepted an ambassador today.”
“And you have done all of that in less than a week. What will you do in a month?”
“I don’t know, I may not be there.”
“If they ask you to resign will you?”
“No, they can fire me and pay off my contract which would amount to three years of pay with the penalty.”
“Then what will you do?
“Open my own school. Let’s go for a walk, I need to relax a little. Scotty, you coming?”
He came and we headed out in another direction on another trail. Scotty saw some wildflowers he wanted to pick for his mom and Gram. He picked, I held.
“I’m worried about you.”
“Billy, I’ll be ok. There are a lot of people pulling for me.”
We crossed over another trail that looked like it might head back to the cabin. It did and I met Marie as she was getting out of her boat. “I heard you had an interesting day today.”
I looked at Billy, Mom. “Nothing unusual, normal stuff when you upset the old apple cart for a new one.”
She laughed, “Well I guess that’s one way of putting it. I’ve been invited for dinner.”
“Let’s go and see what mystery meat we’ll have tonight” I forgot Scotty was there.
“Mystery meat what is that?”
“Billy, don’t say it”
He didn’t say it but he wiggled his fingers. “No, I’m not going to eat snakes or worms.”
Billy started to laugh, “He’s teasing you, Scotty. Gram and your mom wouldn’t do that.”
Mom had baked ham, Jen had made a cake. Scotty smiled when he saw the ham I think he was really worried about the worms. After dinner, we sat on the porch and talked about various stuff. You know how you start talking about the weather and that leads to the biggest snowfall in the last thirty years which leads to melting down and floods which leads to the lake overflowing, and it goes on and on. Scotty saw a falling star, “Make a wish” He did, Jen told him not to tell anyone or it won't come true. It was late, I had school tomorrow, so I walked Marie to her boat. A quick kiss and I was heading back to the cabin as she was heading across the lake.
Four came very early, I really didn’t feel like running but I knew Billy would want to run. Warm-up at 4:30, we ran till 5:30, cool down, shower, breakfast on the road at 6:30.
I arrived at 9:30 but my morning was clear except for the testing center. James had a list of 60 boys, the whole student body signed up. “James, do you know of a pizza place that delivers and doesn’t charge an arm and a leg?”
“Yes, there is one in my town that is reasonable. I can pick it up. Doc you know when you will start cleaning the room?”
“Next Tuesday if I’m still here.”
He started to laugh.
“James, have you found my lodgings?”
“Yes, I’ll show you at lunchtime. It’s on the third floor.”\
“Well, at least it isn’t in the basement.”
“Good morning Jane, come with me while I get a cup of coffee.”
“I can’t”
“What do you mean you can’t”
“I’ve been told if I want to keep my job, I can’t interact with you except on official business.”
“Ok, if that’s the way she wants to play it. Monday’s Director meeting is going to be very interesting.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I think I may have found my exam center monitor. James as Director of Education it’s my responsibility to ensure that the students receive an appropriate education in line with the tenets of this school and the student population. So as such, I think we should have a testing center to provide sufficient time to take tests and in an atmosphere that isn’t intimidating.”
“Is that going to be your position on Monday?”
“Yep, let’s go for coffee. You can sneak a cup to Jane”
The rest of the week was as normal as it would get. More of the staff came to the cafeteria for lunch, they didn’t all join the Knights, but we set up a few tables so they could eat and not be a part of the Knights. I also found out they had to pay for their lunch at the Staff Dining Room, the fees charged in the cafeteria was significantly less and for some things, like coffee it was free.
I spent part of Thursday and Friday getting my quarters ready. They were on the third floor, I was ok with that. The Knights came and help me clean, including windows. Thinking about these students' background, and their cleaning, was a way for them to show their appreciation for what I was doing for them.
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
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