Post by darkstar on Oct 24, 2007 7:18:42 GMT -5
The principle’s brown high heeled shoes tapped on the green tile floor as she walked down the hallway. Students ducked to the side as Ms. Jones made her way to the office. She glanced at a student that had dropped his books in front of the lockers, “Nelson, straighten that collar, this is educational facility not a late night party with your friends.” As she passed him Nelson stuck his tongue at her back. Without looking back, Ms. Jones chirped out in a sing-song voice, “Detention, Nelson. You should have better manners. So uncivilized.” She turned into the office leaving Nelson to stare at her as the bell rang.
“Morning, Ms. Jones,” said an elderly lady at the secretarial desk, “You have a call on line two and there is a man from a book company in your office. Also your day care called and said you will have to pick up Jesse early today.”
“Did they give a reason why, Mary?” inquired Ms. Jones as she filled up her cup at the office’s coffee machine.
“They said there was an illness in the family. They are leaving for a hospital in San Francisco at Three o’clock.”
“Hmmm… I’ll have to send them a card. Call Thomas Williams to the office, he got in another fight yesterday. This means a suspension for him,” Ms. Jones took a sip of her coffee, “but I hate talking to his parents. They are always arguing.”
Mary sniffed, “It is no wonder Thomas is always in trouble. A family like that? They need some counseling.”
“I agree,” Ms. Jones sighed, “ask the people calling if they could hold a little longer. I am going to see what this man from the book company wants.” Smoothing the front of her suit, she walked into the back room of the office. “What can I do for you, sir?” she asked politely as she sat down at her desk. She examined the man in front of her. He was middle aged and had a brown business suit and a suit case. His hair was a light brown with streaks of grey. He did not have a beard but his face was so scraggly that Ms. Jones doubted if he had shaved in a while.
Reaching into the suit case, the man addressed her, “Ms. Jones, my name is John Tweed and I am a representative of K & H Books, Inc. It has been made known to us that you have not had a book sale at her school since you entered this occupation. We at K & H Books would like to offer you the chance to hold a book sale of which 10% of the profits go to the school.” He handed her a catalog showing the different books that would be in the book fair. Ms. Jones glanced through the catalog before setting it down and looking up at Mr. Tweed.
“Mr. Tweed, I hope you realize that this is a high school?”
The man looked puzzled, “Well of course I do! I would have to be witless to not know that.”
Ms. Jones smiled charmingly, “Then may I enquire, Mr. Tweed, as to why you are showing me books that would not be mature enough for a first grader?”
Mr. Tweed narrowed his eyes, “Ma’am, the standards are not what they used to be. Children now days are not at the same level we were at their age…”
“Am I to assume you are insulting my pupils?” Ms. Jones asked quietly.
Mr. Tweed looked flustered. “Jesus, lady! Why do you have to be so dang…”questioned Tweed as he waved his hands about in the air.
Ms. Jones stood up, “If you cannot act like a civilized human being, than I am going to have to ask you to leave the school grounds.”
“Now look here…” said Mr. Tweed as his face reddened.
Ms. Jones slammed her hands down on the desk, “Leave. Now.”
Mr. Tweed looked like he was about to argue but then turned and left, slamming the door behind him. Mary peeked in slightly alarmed, “Is every thing okay miss?”
“Yes Mary,” Ms. Jones said wearily, “I will take that call now though.” Mary turned and went to patch the call to Ms. Jones’s phone. Ms. Jones picked up the coffee that had gone lukewarm during her talk with Mr. Tweed. She grimaced as she took a sip then put the coffee down as the call came through. Ms. Jones picked up the phone, “Hello, This is the Sydney High School. What can I do for you?”
“This is Steinberg Academics. We are a text book company and wondered if you be in the market for new academic books for your students,” said a young man, “All of our texts books are made of recycled paper and are eco- friendly and all texts books are high quality and inexpensive.”
“I am sorry but you will need to take that up with the school board. I am transferring you over now. Good bye.” Ms. Jones walked to the door of her office. Softly turning the handle she slowly pulled it open, she hoped the day would not get any worse. As she walked into the front room, she saw Thomas Williams sitting in one of the plastic chairs kept in the office. Thomas had been leaning back but as he saw the principle he sat up and pulled his hands out of his pockets. Ms. Jones turned to look at him better.
“Do you know why you are here Thomas,” Ms. Jones asked amicably. Not looking like he wanted to answer that question, Thomas nodded up and down. “Good,” said Ms. Jones, “but this is your third strike and I could suspend you. But I have decided not- for now. If I hear you are in any type of trouble at all, I will walk you out that door myself. Is that understood?” Grinning wildly, Thomas shook his head again and left the office.
Mary looked up from her papers, “Ms. Jones, it is time for you to pick up Jesse.”
Ms. Jones smiled and looked at Mary. “Our work never ends does it Mary?” Mary just laughed and returned to her paper work. Ms. Jones grabbed her car keys and walked off to face the world.
“Morning, Ms. Jones,” said an elderly lady at the secretarial desk, “You have a call on line two and there is a man from a book company in your office. Also your day care called and said you will have to pick up Jesse early today.”
“Did they give a reason why, Mary?” inquired Ms. Jones as she filled up her cup at the office’s coffee machine.
“They said there was an illness in the family. They are leaving for a hospital in San Francisco at Three o’clock.”
“Hmmm… I’ll have to send them a card. Call Thomas Williams to the office, he got in another fight yesterday. This means a suspension for him,” Ms. Jones took a sip of her coffee, “but I hate talking to his parents. They are always arguing.”
Mary sniffed, “It is no wonder Thomas is always in trouble. A family like that? They need some counseling.”
“I agree,” Ms. Jones sighed, “ask the people calling if they could hold a little longer. I am going to see what this man from the book company wants.” Smoothing the front of her suit, she walked into the back room of the office. “What can I do for you, sir?” she asked politely as she sat down at her desk. She examined the man in front of her. He was middle aged and had a brown business suit and a suit case. His hair was a light brown with streaks of grey. He did not have a beard but his face was so scraggly that Ms. Jones doubted if he had shaved in a while.
Reaching into the suit case, the man addressed her, “Ms. Jones, my name is John Tweed and I am a representative of K & H Books, Inc. It has been made known to us that you have not had a book sale at her school since you entered this occupation. We at K & H Books would like to offer you the chance to hold a book sale of which 10% of the profits go to the school.” He handed her a catalog showing the different books that would be in the book fair. Ms. Jones glanced through the catalog before setting it down and looking up at Mr. Tweed.
“Mr. Tweed, I hope you realize that this is a high school?”
The man looked puzzled, “Well of course I do! I would have to be witless to not know that.”
Ms. Jones smiled charmingly, “Then may I enquire, Mr. Tweed, as to why you are showing me books that would not be mature enough for a first grader?”
Mr. Tweed narrowed his eyes, “Ma’am, the standards are not what they used to be. Children now days are not at the same level we were at their age…”
“Am I to assume you are insulting my pupils?” Ms. Jones asked quietly.
Mr. Tweed looked flustered. “Jesus, lady! Why do you have to be so dang…”questioned Tweed as he waved his hands about in the air.
Ms. Jones stood up, “If you cannot act like a civilized human being, than I am going to have to ask you to leave the school grounds.”
“Now look here…” said Mr. Tweed as his face reddened.
Ms. Jones slammed her hands down on the desk, “Leave. Now.”
Mr. Tweed looked like he was about to argue but then turned and left, slamming the door behind him. Mary peeked in slightly alarmed, “Is every thing okay miss?”
“Yes Mary,” Ms. Jones said wearily, “I will take that call now though.” Mary turned and went to patch the call to Ms. Jones’s phone. Ms. Jones picked up the coffee that had gone lukewarm during her talk with Mr. Tweed. She grimaced as she took a sip then put the coffee down as the call came through. Ms. Jones picked up the phone, “Hello, This is the Sydney High School. What can I do for you?”
“This is Steinberg Academics. We are a text book company and wondered if you be in the market for new academic books for your students,” said a young man, “All of our texts books are made of recycled paper and are eco- friendly and all texts books are high quality and inexpensive.”
“I am sorry but you will need to take that up with the school board. I am transferring you over now. Good bye.” Ms. Jones walked to the door of her office. Softly turning the handle she slowly pulled it open, she hoped the day would not get any worse. As she walked into the front room, she saw Thomas Williams sitting in one of the plastic chairs kept in the office. Thomas had been leaning back but as he saw the principle he sat up and pulled his hands out of his pockets. Ms. Jones turned to look at him better.
“Do you know why you are here Thomas,” Ms. Jones asked amicably. Not looking like he wanted to answer that question, Thomas nodded up and down. “Good,” said Ms. Jones, “but this is your third strike and I could suspend you. But I have decided not- for now. If I hear you are in any type of trouble at all, I will walk you out that door myself. Is that understood?” Grinning wildly, Thomas shook his head again and left the office.
Mary looked up from her papers, “Ms. Jones, it is time for you to pick up Jesse.”
Ms. Jones smiled and looked at Mary. “Our work never ends does it Mary?” Mary just laughed and returned to her paper work. Ms. Jones grabbed her car keys and walked off to face the world.