Facing Mean Old Mr. Graves Chapter Two |
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The sound of the clock ticking on the wall above the table, seemed to wiggle its way through Wendy�s slumber. As her eyes slowly opened, she focused on her roommate who lay lifeless in the bed across from hers. Wendy tipped her head back and looked out the window. The small panes of glass held a tiny amount of frost in each corner and a trickle of cool air seeped through the old windows. Wendy stretched and yawned, then jumped out of bed. She stood on the small braided rug between her and Jessica�s bed and wiggled her toes. Her slippers sat beside the closet on the other side of the room. Wendy squinted her eyes and concentrated on the slippers as if she were blessed with some magical power and they would suddenly float across the room to her. Finally Wendy shrugged her shoulders then ran across the cold hardwood floor, grabbed her slippers, then jumped onto her bed and danced around the covers until her feet felt warm again. Jessica peeked out from under her covers when she heard her friends bed squeaking. �Are you inventing another Indian dance?� she asked. Wendy balanced herself in the middle of her bed, slid one slipper on, then the other. �No. The floor�s cold and my feet were freezing,� she replied. Wendy and Jessica both looked up as they heard a door from across the hall open and close. Giggles, and the patter of Mary-Janes echoed down the hall. �Oh I don�t want to get up and I don�t want to go to school. I want to hide in here all day,� Jessica cried. She snuggled down into her bed and pulled the covers over her head. �You have to get up. We have to get down to breakfast before all the warm pancakes are gone.� Jessica let one eye peek out from under the covers. �I�d rather stay in bed and be warm than have warm pancakes, besides Daddy grounded me to my room remember?� Wendy jumped on her bed twice, let her butt bounce on the mattress then landed feet first onto the oval braided rug. Wendy reached back and rubbed the seat of her britches with both hands as she walked to Jessica�s bed. �He grounded both of us, not just you, and that doesn�t start until after school is out for the day and besides that, I�m not gonna face mean old Mr. Graves alone.� She grabbed the covers and peeked under at Jessica. �Time to get up!� Oh sometimes I don�t know if I like you at all.� Jessica cried. With a quick kick, her covers went flying off the end of the bed. Jessica hopped up and danced around the cold hardwood floor. Wendy giggled. Jessica gathered up her navy blue school uniform and the girls headed out the door to take a shower. Wendy returned to the room before Jessica. She checked the time, then quickly put her pajamas away. She straightened her covers, then turned to Jessica�s bed. She picked up Jessica�s covers and tossed them onto her own bed. Then one blanket at a time, she made up Jessica�s bed. After all, It had been her fault that Jessica was being punished. She gathered their school books together and sat them on the table beside the door. She couldn�t help but wonder what Mr. Graves would have to say to the two of them. If it were at all possible to avoid, Wendy cared not to have him for a teacher next year. She was sure after today, he would remember her forever. Wendy sat down in the window seat and stared out into the Heavy, dark gray clouds that filled the sky. Large raindrops fell against the pains of glass and washed away the frost from it�s corners. I hope this doesn�t mean winter is here. Fall hasn�t even happened yet and my birthday is in a couple weeks. Wendy though of her 11th birthday. She had been in a foster home with the Graham�s and her last birthday had been overlooked. She so wanted to have a special birthday this year. Still she hadn�t told anyone and she doubted if anyone even knew. �Are you ready to go? Wendy turned from the window. Jessica had returned to the room. She grabbed her sweater and stood by the door. Wendy crawled from the window seat and ran her hands down the back of her jumper smoothing out the wrinkles. I�m as ready as I�ll ever be,� she replied. The girls made it down and through the line before the pancakes got cold. They took a seat on the far side next to the windows. The rain beat hard against the large cafeteria windows as the wind swooped across the courtyard and took brown and gold colored leaves with it. Wendy�s tummy tightened when Mr. Parker entered the cafeteria. She stuck her elbow into Jessica�s side, then pointed. �I wonder if he knows?� �Daddy didn�t say he was going to tell principal Parker did he?� Jessica asked. �No he didn�t say, but when he sees me sitting outside his office today after school, do you think he�ll ask me what I�m doing there?� �If your lucky, maybe someone else will misbehave during the day and he won�t pay much attention to you sitting there.� I certainly hope not. I don�t think I�d be able to find the words to explain to him just why I did what I did. If I couldn�t convince Daddy of my good intentions, then Mr. Parker certainly won�t buy it either. �Well I told you not to sign Daddy�s name to my note.� "Jessica. I was just trying to keep you out of trouble.� Jessica sat down her glass of milk and stared at Wendy. �Yet somehow Daddy figured it out. We both got grounded and have to explain ourselves to Mr. Graves. At least I don�t have to sit outside the principals office as a reminder to behave.� Wendy took offense to Jessica�s tone. She picked up her tray and started to leave. �Wendy, I�m sorry. I didn�t mean it!� Jessica stood and ran to catch up with Wendy. �We shouldn�t fight.� �That was a mean thing to say!� �Good morning girls.� Wendy and Jessica turned. �Morning Dad,� Jessica replied. Wendy kept silent. �Are you two done with your breakfast?� �Yes sir,� Jessica replied. Wendy nodded. �Mark looked at his watch. �Well I have quarter to Eight. That gives the two of you fifteen minutes to go and visit with Jessica�s teacher and explain things to him before school starts.� Mark reminded. �Dad, couldn�t you just........ Mark raised his brow. �Uh never mind,� Jessica whispered. She grabbed Wendy�s arm and ran from the cafeteria. The girls walked back to their room, grabbed their books, then headed back downstairs. As they entered the school hall, many of the classroom doors were open and awaiting the return of its students. Wendy and Jessica approached Mr. Graves� class with caution. The door was ajar and Jessica could hear the scratching of chalk. She knew her teacher was placing today�s assignments on the board. Jessica peeked through the opening of the door. Wendy stuck her head in just below. Mr. Graves sat the chalk down then turned toward his desk. Wendy and Jessica jumped up, then threw themselves against the wall. Wendy looked up at Jessica. �Do you think he saw us?� �I don�t think so, but it don�t matter much cause we have to go in anyway.� As the door crept open, the light from the classroom spilled into the hall. The girls eyes widened as they turned their heads and looked up. Mr. Graves stern solemn face stared down at them as he stood holding the door. �Well good morning Jessica, I was beginning to wonder if you were going to make it before the other children. Do you have a note for me?� Mr. Graves held out his hand. Jessica swallowed hard. �Well Mr. Graves, that�s sorta what I came to talk to you about.� Mr. Graves stood to the side and held the door open. Jessica and Wendy scurried into the room. Mr. Graves closed the door, walked past the girls and headed toward the front of the class. Wendy and Jessica followed close behind. Mr. Graves took a seat at his desk. Wendy and Jessica took a spot in front. As Jessica opened her mouth to speak, Mr. Graves held up his hand. �The assignment that I gave you, Is it finished?� �Yes sir,� Jessica replied. She sat her books down on the desk behind her and took out the paper. �It�s right here Mr. Graves.� He thumbed through the pages, then set it down on his desk. �It looks as though it is an acceptable enough job. Now for the note from your father. I expect you did have him sign it.� Jessica looked at Wendy, then back to Mr. Graves. Frightful thoughts of what her teacher might do to her ran through her mind. She swallowed the lump in her throat, then reached into her pocket. �I have it right here but�..� �Young lady! If you hand me a note that hasn�t been seen or signed by your father, then I shall send you straight to Mr. Parker.� �Daddy did see the note sir,� Wendy chimed in. �And what is it that you have to do with all this young lady?� Wendy looked down at the floor. �I�ve been really bad. Before Wendy could give the note to Daddy to sign, I signed it.� Her confession floated across the desk. Mr. Graves eyes widened and his brow raised. He reached across the desk and snatched the note from Jessica�s hand. Jessica and Wendy stood close to each other as Mr. Graves opened and examined the note. �Well if that don�t beat all. You have quite a talent young lady!� He looked down at the note again, then back to the girls. �This is outright disrespect. I think the best thing to do with this situation is to take the two of you to see Mr. Parker right now! Mr. Graves stood and headed for the door. �No Mr. Graves please let me explain,� Jessica cried. She stayed right on Mr. Graves heels �Please Mr. Graves.� Jessica cried. �We�ve already been punished,� Wendy yelled. Mr. Graves� stopped just short of reaching for the door. �If it�s true that you�ve been punished, then the note was indeed seen by your father.� �Yes sir. He saw the note but he said he wouldn�t sign it and that we could explain it to you ourselves.� �I�m listening,� he said. Jessica explained how she worked on her homework then told Wendy of the trouble. How Wendy signed the note while she had gone to the bathroom and how she had to explain it to her father. She then told Mr. Graves of her punishment. �Jessica please take a seat at your desk.� Jessica turned and seated herself. Mr. Graves took Wendy by the arm, led her back to his desk, seated himself in his chair, then stood her in front of him. �Should I put you across my knee and show you what happens to little girls who do such as you have done.� Wendy�s bottom lip quivered at the thought. Remembering what she had been told to do, but had hoped she wouldn�t have to. She knew she had no choice but to confess. �I�ve already been spanked,� she whispered. �What was that young lady?� �Daddy put me across his knee last night and spanked me. I won�t ever sign another note again. I promise.� �I do believe you won�t. I received a note from your father just this morning about all of this. Both of you did just as he told you to do so I believe you both learned your lesson and no more will be said of it. Let me remind you both, if anything like this should happen again, it�s to Mr. Parker you both will go. Understood?� �Yes sir,� Jessica replied. �Yes sir.� �Well school has started and you need to get to class.� Jessica stayed seated. Mr. Graves opened his door and let the children in, then he walked Wendy to her class. The girls sat in silence over the watchful eye of their father through lunch and at recess the girls sat quietly in the hall outside Mr. Parkers office. At the end of school, Jessica retreated to her room and Wendy reported to the bench outside Mr. Parkers office. Her tummy knotted every time she heard footsteps or the opening of any doors in the hall. She crossed her fingers and hoped Mr. Parker wouldn�t happen by. He never did. |