Tuesday- The Next Morning

Ten minutes before the first period, Rica, Nicky, and Samantha opened a fire exit door in a hidden stairwell in their school building.

“Haaa, I thought the alarm would go off!” said Nicky, stepping out to the city sidewalk.

“Nope! I told you it wasn’t connected, and nobody comes down here anyway,” said Rica with a smirk.

Within moments two young high school boys ran inside the opened doors laughing and hugging Nicky and Samantha.

“Aaah, get off me boy!” cried Nicky as her young attacker, Daronte, kissed her on the cheek, and stroked her long brown hair.

His buddy, Keith, encountered the same protest from Samantha, “Hi, I don’t like you Keith!” she lamented.

As the boys molested the pretty girls, Rica shook her head at the fake resistance Nicky and Samantha put up, “Tch! I can’t believe y'all dragged me down here so y'all could make out with these stupid boys!”

Daronte, still hugging and holding Nicky hostage, turned to Rica, “Stop acting like that, you know you like to watch, heh!” He reached out and pinched Rica’s belly.

“Ugh!” Rica cried, and play punched Daronte’s arm, “Keep your hands over there!”

Nicky agreed with Rica and grabbed Daronte’s face, forcing his sight back on her. “Yes, keep your hands and eyes on me!” said Nicky, squinting at the athletic young man.

“Tch! Come on girl, I’m just playing!” he said, but quickly glanced back in Rica’s direction when a slender woman walked into the stairwell behind her.

“Oh shit!” Daronte yelled, and within a blink of a second, he and Keith bolted back out the fire exit door. Leaving the girls to their fate.

“Ahem! Ladies!” growled the woman.

Rica, Nicky, and Samantha all turned and faced the evil Dean of St. Mary’s High School for Girls. The infamous disciplinarian, Ms. Sandstrom!

“Eeeep!” they cried.

While Nicky and Samantha stood frozen, Rica attempted diplomacy, “G-Good morning Ms. Sandstrom, *gulp* you look nice today-”

Ms. Sandstrom slapped the ruler against the wall, and glared at the girls.

“You three, my office, now!”

Mischief

Dan arrived at school early with a pep in his step. As he entered the building he examined his notes with plans to use more playful but rigorous math problems for his freshman class.

My students are so much smarter than they let on, so it’s important I push them to their full potential-

“But we didn’t do anything!” cried a student in the dean’s office.

Oh? That’s Samantha's voice.

As a former dean in his last school, Dan’s curiosity forced him to peek in the office. Inside, Ms. Sandstrom stood before Rica, Nicky, and Samantha. As Dan stepped in the doorway, Ms. Sandstrom spotted him and tried to greet him, but Rica spun around first with a wide-eyed smile.

“Mr. Capra!” she yelped.

Nicky and Samantha also cheered him seeking his rescue. Dan couldn’t help but laugh.

“Heh, heh. Good morning, ladies. I see your trouble-making started early today!”

“No Mr. Capra, we’re innocent, we didn’t do anything!” they cried.

But Ms. Sandstrom had none of it, “You didn’t do anything? So you three didn’t open the fire exit door on school property to let those hoodlum boys, from that high school down the block, in here to do immoral things-”

“No we didn’t!” the girls cried, turning to Dan with teary eyes.

Rica reached out and tugged at Dan’s shirt sleeve, “Mr. Capra it’s not fair!” she said facing him.

Dan smirked at her obvious plea for help, “Yup, life isn’t fair Rica, but what can you do~heh, heh.”

“I know that, but you’re fair, aren’t you Mr. Capra?” she whispered.

“Eh?” Dan blushed at her direct question. “Well..heh, I certainly try to be.” Then an idea struck him, “Ms. Sandstrom, I think I can assist in the discipline of these three young ladies for their academic betterment,” he said.

Ms. Sandstrom raised her eyebrow, “Oh? What did you have in mind, Mr. Capra?”

Dan displayed his printed notes, “Here’s the plan I wrote for St. Mary’s after school tutoring program and, if you think it’s fair, these three young ladies can be our first sign-ups and take an extra course of math for detention tonight!”

“What? Nooooo!” cried Nicky and Samantha.

“Hee hee, I don’t mind,” Rica chuckled.

“Why Mr. Capra, that’s a fabulous idea. However I don’t think three students are enough for a tutoring class,” said Ms. Sandstrom.

Dan nodded, “Oh I agree!” he glanced down at the girls. “And that’s why these three girls will sign up seven more students for tonight, or, they’ll have to attend every night for a week!”

“Every night? Your punishment is cruel and unusual!” cried Nicky and Samantha.

“Don’t worry, we can get girls to sign up,” said Rica, smiling at Dan.

“Ok, enough!” scolded Ms. Sandstrom. Her voice forced the girls, and Dan, to snap to attention.

“Now listen, you three young ladies are catching a break because of the hard work of Mr. Capra here, and if it wasn’t for him I’d be speaking with your parents right now!” Ms. Sandstrom growled and slapped her ruler on her desk.

“Yes, Ms. Sandstrom, we understand!” cried the girls.

“Hmph! I’m sure you don’t understand so I’ll tell you now. If I find out you skipped Mr. Capra’s tutoring session or failed to represent yourself as professional ladies of the prestigious St. Mary’s School for Girls,” She squinted and lowered her voice to a dark whisper, “Then I promise you ladies, there will be repercussions.”

“Eeep! Yes Ms. Sandstrom!”

As the girls and Dan stood at attention, Ms. Sandstrom leered at them through closed eyes.

“Now you ladies get to class, and Mr. Capra, a word please.”

“Yes, Ms. Sandstrom! And thank you for saving us Mr. Capra!” laughed the girls as they raced out of the office.

Ms. Sandstrom squinted extra evil at Dan. “I see they’ve taken a liking to you, Mr. Capra.”

Dan blushed, “Not at all, I’m just a novelty at the moment to them. I’ll wear off soon heh heh!”

“Right, I’m sure you will.”

Wealth and Resources

Ms. Sandstrom closed the office door.

“Mr. Capra. Before you head to class I wanted to tell you I read your initial proposal and curriculum for your after-school math program and charity, and I must admit I’m impressed.”

“Really? Thank you, Ms. Sandstrom, well you see for ninth-”

“Ahem, you can spare me the details I’m already sold,” she said with a warm smile.

“Oh, sorry!” He stepped back embarrassed, “Forgive me, passion project and all.”

“I understand, and it’s a fine project. But let me give you some advice from a veteran teacher of this school and a native New Yorker.”

“Of course, all advice is welcome.”

She leaned in, “Mr. Capra, the young ladies in this school have many tools they use to get their way among faculty, other students…and young men.”

Dan nodded, “Well I suppose you’re right, with them all being teenagers and all-”

“Haha, Mr. Capra I don’t blame you for staying safe and generalizing about all teens, but I assure you that the young ladies of wealth and resources that attend St. Mary’s in New York City are an entire species unto themselves. Do you follow me?”

Dan paused and considered the statement before responding. “Ahh, I think I do. And yes Ms. Sandstrom, I will pay attention to how I relate to students here.”

“Good! See that you do, and keep your feet on the ground, and I’ll certainly help you when you need it.”

“I will, Thank you Ms-”

“Not a problem, now get to class, Mr. Capra.”

“Right. We’ll talk later!” Dan gathered his notes and hurried out of the office.

“And Mr. Capra?”

He turned, “Yes, ma'am?”

Ms. Sandstrom, a slim brunette of thirty-seven, paused before dispensing further advice to the handsome teacher about a certain black-haired student. Then curbed her words.

“Just don't over-complicate things, and you’ll be fine.”

Dan smiled, “Alright, good advice. Thank you again Ms. Sandstrom.”

And with that he hustled down the hall to prepare for his second-period class.

…..