This was a fun little piece to write. I needed to give Mac a little boost... even if she does get into troughble. This scene is a bit similar to the Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsey Lohan version of the movie... though I love all fifty versions that I have seen. I just really loved how Lindsey put that jerk of a teacher in his place. I had to have Mac have her fun.--S.K.

Overreaching

"Mom, civics should be easier for you... even with Pruitt. We're having a mock trial... I am the prosecutor." Mac heard Becca tell her as she stepped into the classroom.

"What? I haven't done that in years." Having learned her lesson, Mac sat in the back of the room. "I don't even know what the trial is about."

"Read my notes, they're on the legal pad in my big purple folder."

Mac pulled out the notes and began to read. Fortunately her daughter's handwriting was much clearer than her's and her notes were very textbook and she could stylize her case easily from it. "Thanks Becca." She whispered as she continued to read through. It looked like it was a murder trial. Pretty straight forward. Kind of like the OJ trial in the nineties. Mac remembered studying that trial and wondered how such a perfectly executed case by the state failed. "Where were you planning to go with this Becca?"

"I don't know, I'm not a lawyer." Her daughter answered. "I want it a little lighter the brown makes me look old."

"Becca, please keep it respectable... no extensions, no crazy colors please," Mac whispered.

"Did you say something Miss Calloway?" Mr. Pruitt asked

"No sir," Mac answered having a real big problem with the word now. She was always taught that people earned their respect. She didn't see why her daughter had to be subjected to this on a daily basis.

"Very well then, would you care to come up to the prosecutor section? Court is about to begin."

Mac frowned; she knew she would lose if he were going to be the judge. She sat next to the assistant D.A. who just happened to be Mike. Mac bristled at the sight of the young man that had caused her daughter such grief. She looked at the Defense table, and saw Horace sitting there. She just didn't know whether he was the Defendant or the lawyer.

Horace looked up at her and mouthed the word 'what?' at her. Mac rolled her eyes as only Rebecca would and looked away. In spite of Mr. Pruitt, Mac did have great fun that class as she argued against Horace. She was impressed at how eloquent her son was; yet it was clear that he hadn't done his homework. He was just good at arguing with Becca. Unfortunately the buttons that he pushed to win each argument didn't work. He stared at Mac, perplexed because the things that would normally make her angry just seemed to roll of her back.

The closing remarks were great. Especially Mac's and she knew it. When she was done however, Mr. Pruitt said, "The jury will strike the prosecutor's closing statement."

"What? On what grounds?" Mac asked furiously.

"You were overreaching, Miss Calloway."

"Overreaching? That was a perfectly executed assessment of the trial," Mac stated approaching the bench. "Is it just me but is your honor's judgment a bit skewed."

"Perfectly executed? How many times have you taken the Barr Exam Miss Calloway?"

It only took me one time you bald-headed moron, she thought as she glared back at him. "What is your problem Mr. Pruitt? I'm guessing you voted for PresidentBridges and are taking the fact that President Allen has taken over his seat out on her daughter. Or maybe..." Mac stopped and noticed the handwriting on a piece of paper on his desk. "You're Herbert Pruitt!"

"Watch your tongue, young lady."

"Herbert Pruitt... You are the conceited little pitcher that took the Barr with me... I mean my mom and asked her out right afterwards... and she shot you down. Now you have been taking it all out on me!"

"That's enough, young lady."

"That was like a hundred years ago man... Besides, she was engaged to my dad, and you're way too short for her." By now Horace had Mac by the arm and was pulling her out of the class.

Once outside, Horace began to smirk. "When did Mom tell you that story?"

"Oh a while ago, it was a girl thing," Mac lied She hoped that Becca hadn't heard what had just happened; she was so ashamed of herself.

"Way to go Becca," Horace said and walked away leaving Mac standing outside of the Principal's office.

"Yeah way to go mom... that was kind of awesome, except I'm going to have to come and get you now. You will be in detention during lunch."

"Crap," Mac said, pushing open the door.