Confessions from the Principal's Chair (14 page)

Just then Coach Pickle yelled, "Game's over. You did a good job of following the rules. Get your towels and dry off. Bell's about to ring."

"Coach," I shouted. "I have one announcement." I walked over to the Student Council table and climbed on it. "Prairie Dogs!" I yelled. "The weatherman says tomorrow may be our last day of Indian summer. Let's meet the sun with skin! No dress code for tomorrow. Wear short shorts, crop tops, let those midriffs show, tank tops, muscles shirts, no rules!" The crowd cheered. I stood on that table and looked out at the Prairie Dogs, and I knew I was having my last look at them as their principal.

I climbed down and looked around for Kash, but I couldn't see him in the group of wet kids who were hurrying toward the school door. I would have to wait to tell him who I was and who had written the note.

I made my way back to the office. Mrs. Simpson was at her desk. "Well," she said, "I have to say it wasn't as bad as I expected. I can see why the kids enjoyed it so much." She had a little smile around her lips, and I was pretty sure she had thrown the balloon at me.

I smiled back at her. "I'll be in my office for a while. Please see that no one disturbs me. After I change my clothes, I have a very important phone call to make." All the time I dried and dressed, I planned what I would say on the phone. When I was dressed, I took the phone, asked for a number in Chicago, and made the call that would change all our lives.

Chapter 9

H
ere is what happened later, and I've pretty much put it all in order as far as when it happened. I called Marcy Willis, and I told her that I was sorry. At first she thought it was a trick of some kind, but before I hung up, she knew I was serious.

I confessed all about being principal to Rendi, who tried to act like she thought what I did was terrible, but who couldn't carry off the part about being mad at me because she was so proud of the part about me helping Serenity.

I went to school Wednesday thinking the new principal might make me roadkill. "Just sit over there," Mrs. Simpson said when I came into the office. "The
principal"
(she gave me a hard look) "is on the phone with the superintendent. They are deciding what to do with you. We don't like being lied to around here."

I couldn't say I was sorry for what I had done. I mean it was a great amount of fun and besides, I really learned a lot. I could see, though, that Mrs. Simpson resented being fooled by a kid, and I honestly did feel bad about that.

"You were so nice to me," I said, almost whispering. "I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings."

She looked up at me. Her eyes were cold at first, but then they changed, and a little grin started around her mouth. "Well," she said. "I did hit you with a water balloon. We'll call it even. You won't get off so easily in there, though." She leaned her head toward the principal's office.

I went over to sit down, and after what seemed like a long time, Ms. Miller came to the door to call me into her office. She was a pretty woman, dressed very stylishly in gaucho pants with boots. Her neck was the perfect length too. I figured even Angie Bradford would have to approve of her looks. "I have your beads and things." She pointed to a box with my stuff in it. "I'll give them back to you if we don't need to hold them for evidence."

I swallowed hard. Did she mean there would be a regular trial with a judge and everything? "You may sit down." I took the chair beside the door, and I wondered how long I would have to sit there.

Right off she wanted to know why I would do such a thing. I tried to think of some good-sounding reason, but I couldn't. "Well, it wasn't premeditated or anything." I knew people got in less trouble for crimes if they weren't planned.

"I guess when I got the chance . . . I mean Mrs. Simpson told me to come right into my office." I shrugged. "I guess the temptation was just too great."

Ms. Miller told me that some of the teachers had asked her not to be too hard on me. That's when she smiled at me for the first time. "I think Coach Pickle is disappointed that you won't be his boss," she said, but then she brought up Madam Zelda.

I confessed that I knew the phone bill was going to be pretty bad, and Ms. Miller said I would have to pay it. I thought I would ask my grandparents for the money, but Ms. Miller said I should have to work for it. She called Rendi, who called Judy, and they all decided that I could work in the cafe after school until my bill was paid.

I did not tell Ms. Miller about the phone call I had made to Chicago, because nothing was definite yet. When I first called, it seemed like no one would talk to me, but then I got hold of the right person and got listened to. Still, the people in Chicago had to have a meeting or something and then if they decided to "explore the possibility further" (their words), they would call the school to verify that I hadn't made the whole story up. I thought it would be best if the people in Chicago told Ms. Miller my stupendous idea.

I left the office knowing I had lots of detention to do and lots of work as a waitress in front of me. All over the building that day you could see a lot of skin. I mean they couldn't make everyone go home and change could they? When I went into second period English class (I didn't make it to first period because of all the waiting and discussing in the office), all the kids stood up and cheered, even Nicole. Mrs. Hoover, the teacher, asked me where I wanted to sit, and I was thrilled because there was an empty seat right behind Kash Edge, but I was disappointed because he didn't mention the note. I mean, I was pretty sure he had figured out by that time that I wrote the note, don't you think?

The
Opal
show came to Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Prairie Dog Town, Oklahoma! Yes! You heard me. That was the phone call to Chicago. I called up the producers of the show and told them my story. I told them everything, all about Denver and the Six-Pack and Marcy and the slight misunderstanding that made me the principal and about Serenity and the Purples. BTW, I guess I didn't really tell them everything because I did not mention Kash Edge. I mean what could I say except that he obviously was not interested in being my boyfriend and that at first I thought it was because of Nicole, but it wasn't, so then I was pretty sure it was because of my long neck. The producers had to talk before they called the new principal, but I think I told you that, and I don't want to go repeating myself and stuff. Anyway, by noon, we knew the show was coming, and everyone thought that was so cool and they seemed to think I was cool too.

On the day before the show was filmed, I woke up really excited. I guess everyone in the whole town of Prairie Dog Town (which of course is not a huge amount of people) woke up excited too. I mean, everyone knew Opal would be coming to our town tomorrow. The filming would take place in the gym, where a temporary stage was being built on one end of the basketball court.

I had talked to the producers plenty, and they had spent lots of time with Coach Pickle getting stuff ready in the gym. On that morning before the show, I woke up knowing I would see Ivory and Katie again. At first I thought the show was going to bring all five remaining members of the Six-Pack, but then they decided to leave off Felicity, Taylor, and Stephanie because that would be too many to interview. I was glad. I mean, it would be hard enough to face Ivory without her followers to give her strength.

They were being flown into Oklahoma City, where they would be met by one of the TV producers who would bring them to Prairie Dog Town. Mrs. Morford, Katie's mother, was coming with them. So was Marcy Willis. They would be staying at a motel in Ponca City, but the producer would bring them to our school just about the time school was out for the day.

The Denver girls were going to be the guests of our school for a big pizza party and dance in the gym after school. My favorite of the
Opal
team was Shan, a cool woman with the most beautiful straight black hair. She wore it twisted and hanging down her back. She liked me too. I could tell she wasn't just being nice to me because it was her job and stuff. Shan called me at home before I left for school that morning. "Great news, Bird, I am going to the airport in Oklahoma City with a cameraman to get shots of the kids as they come off the plane. I have permission to take you to Oklahoma City with me so you can meet your friends and ride back here with them. We just need to make sure your mother is cool with that."

I twisted my face into all sort of contortions and tried to think what I wanted to do. I knew it would be a blast to ride with Shan. We would talk heart-to-heart all the way, and she would tell me more funny stories about things that have happened on the show. The thing was, though, if I went I would be standing there in the airport when the girls came walking off the plane.

I didn't mind seeing Marcy because we'd made our peace, and I would be glad to see Katie. Ivory, that was completely different. Oh, sure I knew she had mixed feelings. I mean it was exciting to get out of school and go flying off to be on the
Opal
show. Shan had told me that Ivory told everyone she had learned her lesson. None of that fooled me. I knew Ivory had to resent what I had done too, and Ivory always made people pay.

"Bird?" Shan said into the phone. "Are you there? What do you think?"

"Oh," I said. "Thanks a lot. That would be a lot of fun, but, you know what, I really need to be in English class today. We are all doing research papers, and I got off to a late start. I guess I'd better stay here."

"Bird," said Shan, "is there something else going on here besides a research paper? Is there something we need to talk about?"

"No," I lied. "I'm just worried about getting my paper done." I told her good-bye and hung up, feeling like a coward for being afraid to face Ivory. I guess you can figure out that I didn't accomplish much on my paper or anything else that day.

Serenity was excited about getting the works from the hair and makeup people before the show the next day. At lunch the two of us mostly talked about what we would wear and how we would have our hair done. Of course, I kept my eye on Kash, who ate with a group of boys at the next table. Principal Miller called the eighth grade into the cafeteria during last hour to talk to us about how to act at the party. She stood up in front of us and held up her hand until we were perfectly quiet. "There will be TV cameras there, people," she said, and she moved her head, looking into all of our faces. "Don't do anything to make your parents or your school ashamed of you."

Nicole walked beside me as we left the cafeteria. "We aren't even wearing our jackets to the party," she told me. "I mean they told us to wear them on the show tomorrow, and it's not like we are giving up the group or anything." She reached out and squeezed my arm. "Tonight, though, we just want everyone to consider themselves purple."

"That's amazing," I said, and I smiled at her like what I said was a compliment. I knew Nicole and I would be butting heads in the future, but for a few days, I just wanted peace.

The eighth-graders, all thirty of us, were in the gym. when the girls from Denver came in. Ivory walked in front of Katie, and Ivory had her arm looped through Marcy Willis's like Marcy was just the most important person in the world to her. "Oh, gag," I said, but no one heard me because Principal Miller and Coach Pickle were up on the stage. She was clapping while he cheered and made motions for us to cheer too.

What happened next really amazed me. I made my way up to the stage because Principal Miller had asked me to be up there when the girls introduced themselves to our class. Coach Pickle handed me the microphone. "These are my friends from Denver," I said, but I felt funny saying it. Katie was my friend and now maybe Marcy, but I knew Ivory wasn't. One at a time the girls took the mike and said their names.

"Let's give them all a big Prairie Dog welcome," said Coach Pickle, and the kids clapped again. "All right," said the coach. "Fill up on pizza and dance, dance, dance."

I went down the steps with the Denver girls right behind me. Everybody hugged me. "You look taller," Ivory said. She stepped back from me to sort of study me. "No, maybe not taller, maybe it's just that your . . . " She stopped like she had just caught herself, but, of course, I knew she was doing it on purpose.

"Were you going to say my neck is longer?" I shook my head. "I hope so. In Oklahoma a woman with a long neck is considered beautiful. You know, like stretched out lips are in some African tribes? We actually have a machine here in the gym for girls to stretch their necks on."

Ivory stared at me, but then she laughed and put her hand on my shoulder. "Bird, you're wicked! For just a minute I believed you!"

Katie was standing right beside me and we were talking when I heard, "My name is Kash. Would you like to dance?" For a minute I thought he was talking to me, but, of course, I knew his name. I saw he was looking at Katie. Ivory knew who he meant too, but she acted like she didn't. I'm telling you the truth. She jumped in front of Katie, took Kash's hand, and walked off with him.

I almost died right there on the gym floor. Another boy came over and asked Katie to dance, and then a guy asked Marcy. This was weird. At all the dances I'd been to in Denver, the boys stood in one group and the girls in another. They looked at each other for a long time before a few brave boys asked someone to dance. But Prairie Dog Town was different, and there was Ivory dancing away with the boy I loved.

I stumbled out of the way, and Serenity found me leaning against a wall. "Don't worry," she said.

"About what?"

"About Kash dancing with that Ivory girl. I heard Coach Pickle tell the boys he'd make them run a zillion extra laps in gym if they didn't pay special attention to the visiting girls and stuff."

I had never said a word to Serenity about liking Kash. "What makes you think I care what Kash Edge does?"

She laughed. "Come off it, Bird! Like you aren't watching him every minute!"

"Let's get some pizza," I said.

Serenity wanted to take some of her pizza out to her pigeons, and I went along. Feeding Winston and Churchill was certainly better than watching the dancers. We sat on the steps, and the birds came right up to eat out of Serenity's hand. "You know Coach Pickle would have a fit if he saw you feeding those birds. He doesn't want them hanging around the gym."

"You don't have to be the principal anymore, remember?" She tore more pizza into little pieces and held them out to the birds. "Coach Pickle is too busy making boys dance to worry about two little birds right now. Just think, tomorrow Opal Gentry will be right here in Prairie Dog Town, and we will be talking to her. How many people will be watching, do you think?"

"I don't know, but I'll ask Shan." I sighed. "I'm wondering if Richard will be watching." (I had told Serenity about my father, even showed her the picture, but I guess she didn't remember his name.)

"Who's Richard?"

"My father, remember? I mean, I know most of the audience will be women, but if he is still painting he might have a TV in his studio."

"Are you hoping he will call you?"

I shrugged. "I guess. Let's go back inside." The pigeons followed us to the door, but we shooed them away. Inside, the music had changed to a slow song. The two other Prairie Dog Town boys had left their Denver partners, but Kash hadn't. Five or six couples danced in the center of the floor, and there were Kash and Ivory right in the middle of them. She had her hands locked behind his head. His hands were on her waist, and they moved slowly together.