The alarm goes off on Abby's nightstand. She reaches out, shuts it, and groans, "It's not Monday morning already, is it?"
"We can pretend its not." Tom says still half-asleep.
"Think we can get my new geometry class to pretend, too?"
"Ah, give them the day off." he jokes.
"That would certainly make me popular. Give Elizabeth another day off, too?"
"It'll make you very popular with Elizabeth as well."
"And maybe give her an excuse to chicken out entirely." Abby sits up and throws off the covers. "Time to get this day started, I guess."
Meanwhile in Nancy and Elizabeth's room. Nancy awakens and sees her sister is already getting ready. "Did I oversleep again or are you up early?"
"Early." Liz says. "I wanted to be the first in line for the bathroom."
"You going back to school?" Nancy asks between yawns.
"I guess." she says.
"Good." Nancy goes to try to beat the line for the bathroom. She sees all her siblings waiting in line. "She's still in there eh?"
"Yep." Mary says. "Hey Dotty are you almost done!!"
"A little respect for the elderly, ok?" Dotty answers. "Takes longer to put on the war paint."
"Stop kidding around you're not old!!" Nancy says.
"On Monday mornings I am."
"We all are." Mary says.
Dotty emerges. "It's hopeless. Might as well let the next one in."
"Don't be silly you look beautiful." Mary says as she claims the bathroom.
"Flattery will get you nowhere--except into the bathroom."
"Hmm in that case." Nancy pays a compliment to everyone who is ahead of her in line.
"Not going to work, kid," Joannie says.
"But it worked for Mary."
"I'm not Dotty."
"Yeah but you're a real nice sister and I love you a lot."
"I love you a lot, too. But you're not jumping the line."
"Darn."
Joannie smiles and then bangs on the bathroom door. "Come on, Mary, hurry up!"
"I just got in here!! And Nancy no compliments are not going to get me out!!"
"There's a guy out here who says he's madly in love with you." Nancy says.
"Neither will imaginary men!!"
"They'd have to be imaginary to be in love with Mary," Joannie stage whispers.
"I heard that and you will pay dearly!!" Mary says.
"Don't worry I'll get you into the witness protection program." Nancy assures Joannie.
"Get me into the bathroom."
"I can't even get my own self into the bathroom how will I accomplish that miracle?"
Joannie shrugs.
Nancy ponders for awhile and then says in a panicked tone. "Oh no Joannie what's wrong!! Oh no Mary hurry let her in!!"
Mary comes out all worried. "What's wrong?"
Joannie slips into the bathroom and leaves Nancy to explain.
"Hey Mary." Nancy tries to play it off.
"Little sister I will get you back for one." Mary tells her.
Joannie hurries through getting ready, hoping to save her sister.
"Come on Mary lighten up a little."
"No I don't think so."
"Bradford's don't hit other Bradford's remember?"
"There's an exception to every rule."
"That's right, Mary," Joannie says, tapping her on the shoulder.
Nancy slips into the bathroom leaving Mary to explain.
"I was just trying to scare her relax." Mary says to Joannie.
"Methinks the lady doth protest too much."
"Ha ha."
A little while later at the breakfast table.
"Is there any jelly left?" Nancy asks.
Tommy passes down an empty jar.
Nancy examines it. "I guess not."
"Sorry." Tommy says.
"Not your fault."
Tommy just shrugs.
"Hey Dad have you given anymore thought to what we've talked about?"
"Yes and I still don't like it."
"Can you not like it and just wish me luck?" She asks hoping.
"I'll give it more thought." Tom tells her.
"Thanks Dad."
"Don't thank me yet." Tom says.
"Where's Abby and Elizabeth?"
"Upstairs, I think Abby is giving Elizabeth a last minute pep talk." Tom says.
"Oh ok."
Upstairs, Abby knocks on Elizabeth's door.
"It's open." Elizabeth replies as she changes her clothes for the third time.
"You just about ready?" Abby asks.
"I don't know what to wear." she says with frustration.
Abby laughs. "Not again."
"What?" she asks not knowing why she is laughing.
"About the fourth outfit I changed into your father threatened to send me to school in nothing at all if I tried to change one more time. First day jitters?"
"And how." Elizabeth says.
"Only way to get over first day jitters is to just get through the day. Why don't you come downstairs and have some breakfast before we go?"
Elizabeth takes one last look in the mirror and sighs. "I guess I can't do any worse damage."
"I promise you, we will both survive the day. And if you need me, I'll be right down the hall."
Elizabeth nods and goes downstairs.
"You look wonderful honey." Tom says.
"Thanks." Liz replies not looking up.
"Everything will be fine you know." Nancy says.
"Yeah." She says not quite believing.
"It will be."
"Thanks."
"Anytime honey."
Elizabeth picks at her breakfast. ~This day better go fast~
Tommy is trying to finish his school work at the breakfast table before returning to school after his suspension.
Mary's hoping that she's completely ready for a test she's having that
day.
Abby walks in and pours herself a cup of coffee. ~I hate classroom
teaching. This day better go fast.~
"Good Morning, is that all you are having?" Tom asks.
"I'm not very hungry," Abby says. She stops drinking the coffee and just plays with the cup.
Tom chuckles. "You all look like you are going to an execution or something."
"Thanks a lot Dad." Liz says sarcastically.
Tommy just takes his pencil and erases his paper.
"Tommy, you just erased your whole paper," Abby points out. "It couldn't have been that bad."
"It's English Comp." Tommy says. "Need I say more."
"Then you shouldn't have waited until the last minute." Tom lectures.
Abby shoots Tom a dirty look. "It's due today?" she asks Tommy.
~What?~ Tom asks.
Tommy nods.
"If you can get an extension, I'll work with you when we get home this afternoon."
"Really?" Tommy asks. "Thanks, I could use your help."
"All you need is to apply yourself." Tom says.
"No wonder you were so late getting to bed last night," Abby says to her husband. "You were staying up late getting your teaching degree."
"Abby, may I speak with you in the other room." Tom asks.
"If we make it quick."
They go into the study. "Why are you jumping down my throat for? It is Tommy who messed up."
"And he's going to keep messing up as long as you keep telling him he's not good enough."
"Oh please, he just isn't trying hard enough."
"Oh please yourself. Writing isn't something like breathing, that people do naturally. Just because it's your talent doesn't mean it's Tommy's."
"Then he should of asked 'me' for help."
"You wouldn't have let him just ask. You'd have made him beg."
"What does that mean?"
"Don't you see, Tom? Every time it comes to writing, it's never about what he writes or how hard he tries. It's about getting your approval, and he never gets it. No wonder he's frustrated."
"I'm not an ogre, you know."
"Well, maybe just a little bit," Abby tries joking.
"OK, I'll back off a bit."
"Why don't you let me handle Tommy and his schoolwork? After all, that is what I do best."
"It's a good thing too, or we wouldn't have met." Tom smiles.
"I might have been a lawyer, and you might have hired me to defend you when the kids sued you for driving them crazy."
"You are good at settling cases."
"So you'll lay off Tommy about his schoolwork?"
"Only if you keep tabs on it."
"That'll be easy enough--I'll see his teachers every day."
Tom laughs. "My poor son."
"Poor him? Poor me. He'll probably teach my classes the best way to get under my skin, just to keep me out of his business."
"Well I knew he wasn't a dummy." Tom chuckles.
"Must take after you."
Tom nods.
Tommy knocks on the door.
"Come in."
"As much as I hate to bearer of bad news. It's getting late."
Abby groans.
"My sentiments exactly," Elizabeth sighs.
"It'll be all right." Nancy tries to assure her.
"Thanks,"
Nancy gives her a hug and so does Mary.
Abby gathers her books and bag. "OK, let's get going, or we never will."
Tommy and Elizabeth gather their things.
When they're done, Abby takes the keys to the station wagon and drives them to school.
"Well, here goes nothing." Elizabeth sighs as they pull into the parking lot.
"It won't be that bad," Abby says, trying to convince herself as much as anyone.
Elizabeth walks into the school by herself. Tommy turns to Abby "Should I follow her?"
"Let her do this on her own. Later on today, though, you might want to check up on her. And on me."
"Who's going to check up on me after English?" he quips.
"I will. Do you want me to talk to your teacher before?"
Tommy nods.
"OK. Which period do you have English and where can I find your teacher?"
"3rd, and probably Mrs. Hendry is in the Lounge."
Abby looks at her watch. "I'll look for her. I still have a few minutes, and I'd rather not sit in the classroom waiting to see how late my class troops in."
"Have fun," Tommy jokes and walks to his locker.
Abby takes a last look in Elizabeth's direction and then heads off in search of the teachers' lounge.
The lounge is filled with teachers talking about their weekend.
Abby looks around for her friend Anne Cavalussi, or at least someone who's willing to take pity on the new girl in town.
"Hi, you must be the new teacher." one of the men teachers says. "I'm Bill Thomas, Auto Mechanics."
"Abby Bradford, and you're right. Was I being that obvious?"
"You looked like you were ready to walk out that door and never come back." he smiles. "Which would be a pity."
"Oh, I hope I wasn't that bad. I don't walk out easily."
"Really, maybe we should find out say this coming Friday night?" he touches her hand.
"I'd have to check with my husband and kids first," Abby says.
"Do what I do, tell them you have a school board meeting."
Mrs. Hendry see what's happening. "Bill, leave her alone and pick on someone your own style-- say the ladies that hang outside the bars." Bill murmurs something and leaves.
"Thanks," Abby says to the teacher who intervened. "I'm Abby Bradford- -I'm substituting for the geometry teachher for a few weeks."
"Phyllis Hendry." She says. "Bradford....Bradford...any relation to Tommy Bradford?"
"Guilty as charged--I'm his stepmother. You're his English teacher, right?"
"I try to be anyway." she sighs.
"He's a bright boy," Abby defends Tommy, "but when it comes to English,
it's tied up with a lot of things other than just your class. I was planning
to start tutoring him again in it, if you'll
let him have an extension on the paper he's supposed to hand in today."
Phyllis thinks about it for a moment. "Usually I would say No, but since there are other insinuating circumstances here like his sister Elizabeth, I'll bend a little. How about if it is due next Monday?"
"Perfect. I'll have the whole week to torture him."
"Hmmm...Maybe he would prefer the 'F' " she jokes.
"I'm pretty sure he would, but he's used to my nagging already."
The first bells ring. "The war begins. Would you like me to show you
to your classroom?"
"I suppose I do have to go into battle. Thanks."
Phyllis shows Abby to her class.
Meanwhile a couple of Tommy's friends are keeping an eye on Elizabeth ready to pounce on anyone who gives her trouble.
Elizabeth opens her locker and a bunch of condoms fall out. Some laughs are heard in the background.
Tommy's friends glare at those who are laughing and some of them stop while some continue. Seeing that they're outnumbered they decide to help Elizabeth. One of them gathers up the condoms and trashes them. "Whoever did this is just an idiot." One of them says to her.
"Yeah." she says sadly "I better get to class."
"Do you need an escort?"
"That's Ok." Liz says not knowing who this new guy is.
"I'm a friend of Tommy's. My name is James."
"You know my brother?" she asks.
"Yes I do, hey if you don't feel comfortable with this I understand."
"Forgive me for being rude, just having had a lot of trust lately."
"It's cool."
"I guess it'll be all right if you walk with me to class." she says.
Tommy sees this and smiles.
James also smiles and walks her to class.
Abby takes a deep breath, clutches her books, squares her shoulders and walks into her classroom, where the kids are acting all rowdy.
"All right, settle down," Abby says in her best drill sergeant voice.
Paper Airplanes are flown across the room.
"Hey man did you hear?" One the guys says not having heard Abby. "We have a sub."
"All right party!!" His buddy says.
Abby looks over the room, then lets out a shrill whistle. "OK. Football players, line up at the blackboard. Now."
They look at her and then one of them smiles and says. "Anything for you."
A Couple of jocks walk up to the blackboard
Abby puts a play on the board. "OK, let's see if you can tell me why this play works."
They proceed to tell her why it works.
Abby then shows them, through geometry, how to make the play work even better.
"Wow that is cool."
"OK, now you give me a play and let's pull it apart."
"Ok." One of the guys puts a play up on the chalk board.
Abby makes a few changes and explains the theorems behind them.
"Where did you get this method from?" One of them asks.
"Football is just applied geometry. If you sit down and learn something these next few weeks, your coach will thank you."
"How come nobody else showed us this?" one of them asks.
"Yeah." The others ask.
"Probably because you were too rowdy to let them. OK, guys, back to your seats."
They go back to their seats.
"OK. Open your books to page 124 and let's work these problems through."
"Can I go to the ladies room?" One of the girls asks.
"Just come right back--I don't only do football in this class."
"Ok." She goes to the ladies room for a cigarette. ~I wonder what else she has planned?~
By the time the girl gets back Abby has the students crowded around her desk.
"Welcome back," Abby says to her. "Quick--what's your favorite band?"
"Styx, who else?"
"Of course--who else? OK, these," she moves a few things on her desk,
"are the band members. It's a live concert, and they're throwing out copies
of their new tape. Let's work out the theorem for the arc it'd have to
take to get to you."
"Ok," they work on the theorem.
Abby manages to get through class and hopes that during recess this group passes along word to the next to behave.
During the break Abby goes in search of Tommy and/or Elizabeth.
Tommy is at his locker.
"Got you your extension," Abby says. "Your paper is due next Monday."
"Thanks, how is your day going?"
"Better than I thought it would. Only three paper airplanes so far. Have you seen Elizabeth?"
"Earlier, she had a locker full of condoms."
Abby grimaces. "She didn't walk out, did she?"
"No, I have friends who are staying close to her."
"Good."
The five minute bell rings.
"Don't forget--this afternoon, we're working on your English paper," Abby says as she gets ready to go back to class.
"Today? I was suppose to check out a band."
"This morning we agreed it would be today. Don't start playing games with me, Tommy, now that I've gotten you the extension."
Tommy sighs. "Ok, I'll be there."
"You're worse than my geometry students, you know."
"How so?"
"At least they don't try to make me feel guilty when they try to get out of learning something."
"Sorry, its just English isn't exactly my idea of fun."
"We've been over all this before. Give English a try without worrying about your father's reaction before you say you don't like it. After all, all great rock and rock stars wrote lyrics, too, didn't they? English might be worth something after all."
Tommy nods. "I'll be ready after school."
"I'll treat you to some of the ice cream I've got hidden in the back of the freezer."
Tommy smiles. "You mean, Dad hasn't found it yet?"
"He has, but it's too exotic for him. Now if I tried hiding chocolate or even worse, vanilla..."
"Boring."
"More of the good stuff for us," Abby notices kids and teachers going into their classroom. "We'd better get going."
"I guess." Tommy shuts his locker.
"Don't you sound enthusiastic," Abby notices. "The teachers here seem pretty nice--aside from that Auto Mechanics letch," she shudders.
"Oh I see you met him." he laughs.
"Not as much as he'd have liked me to meet him," Abby answers.
"I know, he is always hitting on the teachers or the mothers." he says as they walk to class.
"In a way, I'm glad it wasn't just me."
Tommy stops at a door, "This is where I get off." he jokes.
"I'll see you later. And don't try to duck out, because I know where you live."
Tommy shakes his head and walks into class.
After Nicholas gets home from school. Nancy who had taken the day off from work approaches him. "Sam has his appointment this afternoon."
"Do we have to do this?"
"Yes Nicholas we do."
"OK." he sighs.
They leave for the vet.
After her last class Abby gathers her books and goes to wait for Tommy
and Elizabeth.
Tommy and Elizabeth walks out to the station wagon. "Can we get out of here?" Liz asks.
"Sure. You OK?"
"Just fine." Liz sarcastically states. "Peter's friends wish me well on the trial."
"And the ones who aren't his friends?"
Liz shrugs. "James was nice."
Tommy smiles. ~My plan is working.~
"The others will be, too. You'll see."
"I suppose." she says. "How was your day? Tommy told me about Mr. Thomas."
Abby turns around to look at Tommy. "Just don't say anything to your father about that, OK?"
"Are you kidding?" Tommy says. "Let's not unleash the green eyed monster."
"You've got that right. We've got enough to deal with right now."
"How did your classes go?" Liz asks.
"Ok, I guess. Not too many airplanes, and only one spitball."
"They are so childish." Elizabeth comments.
"They're high school kids. I just don't usually get them in mass quantities."
"Hey, was that a shot?" Tommy asks.
Elizabeth snickers.
Abby joins in her laughter.
"What's so funny?' Tommy asks.
Abby shakes her head. "Ask your father."