"I know… and if you decide to fire me for it; I understand."
Sandlake chuckled softly. "You don't know how much I thought about it… until yesterday. See, my daughter's last wish was that I'd go to church, just once. So I went to her church yesterday and the message as on Overcoming Obstacles. A lot of what they said made sine, so I went home and thought about it, and prayed for the first time in twenty years. By the end of the night I decided my daughter had been right."
"About what?" Jeremy asked wondering if he was going to be fired r not.
"Everything! There was absolutely NO reason to divorce Rachel, and… I really DID need God. So, just as I was about to talk to the superintendent and tell her I was going to fire you; I decided to renounce my title as Principal and assume the role of Vice Principal."
"You mean to say that you were going to get rid of me… but decided to boost me to a higher position instead?" Jeremy asked confused.
"Exactly! With my current situation I figure that you could do a better job of getting everything running correctly. And isn't that what Jesus did for us? I mean he could, and SHOULD have destroyed us… but instead he gave himself so that we could be in a higher place close to God."
Jeremy just stood there, not sure exactly what to think, the man standing before him now was, just a few short das ago, totally against anything that had to do with God; u here he was now fully understanding one of the most vital things. "Sir… isn't everything already running properly?"
"It is.. I just thought we could get a Club 121 started up… maybe lax the rules a bit, and strengthen them I other areas." Sandlake said, just as Stacey and Dani came strolling back from the candy machines, arms full of different snacks…. well as much as three dollars would buy.
"Well… if you are sure… I'd be honored." Jeremy said cautiously. "I know exactly who I want to lead it! Stace, Dani, get over here!" he shouted in their direction.
"Yes?" Stacey asked nervously, she was positive that they were in trouble.
"How would you two like to help lead Club 121 with Shayna and Shelby leading it as well?" Jeremy asked the girls.
Dani and Stacey's faces lit up and they both replied with a loud, squeally 'yea' then they ran off into the senior hallway to their lockers.
"Girls?" Jeremy said. "Talk to Shayna about it... and get back to me at the end of the day, all four of you.'
"Ok" Dani said, then they turned back and went to their lockers.
"Club 121?" Stacey asked bewildered. "I knew Principal Sandlake would be depressed… but to go against his own rules?"
"Um... Stace, I think it's a well-thought-about thing."
"Really?" Stacey wondered out loud while opening her locker, Dani started to spin in the combo to her own locker, which was to the right of Stace's.
"Well… yea… I mean, it seems like he did. A club isn't 'easy' to start, so it's really not something that can be a spur-of-the-moment type of thing."
"Hey, your bro was wondering where you were this morning!" Shayna said coming around the corner to her locker.
"We hitched a ride with Andy. You are NEVER going to guess…" Dani exclaimed, but was stopped mid-sentence by a strange female's voice.
"SHAYNA!" a burnet girl with auburn highlights cried out.
"Yes?" Shayna asked confused and eyeing the girl who stood about for inches then her.
"Where were you yesterday, I didn't see you at church?" The burnet asked.
"Um... I was there… but… WHO are you?" She asked a little snobbish like.
"Got in a fight with Shelbs." Dani assumed, not needing to ask.
"Yea," Shayna rolled her blue-gray eyes at the mention of her sister's name.
"Amanda, duh!" The burnet answered as if Shayna should have known.
"AMANDA?!?!? But… you are shorter than me… but you aren't!"
"Well, Shayna, I'd say it's possible to grow in three or so years, wouldn't you? And what was that about? You are NEVER snobby to ANYONE!"
Shayna stuffed her backpack into her locker and stole Stacey's lip-gloss from the locker to her left; which was actually Dani's locker but they really paid little attention whose stuff went where. "Got in another fight with my sis, who talked mom into giving her a lift to school… making me have to ride the bus, while she took MY explorer cause 'mom's car is out of gas`" Shayna said mockingly. "But was I offered a ride…. NO!"
"Sorry." Amanda said not really paying attention.
"What was it about this time?" Stacey asked waiting for her lip-gloss so that she could shut her locker.
"She wanted to drive, and se doesn't even have her permit yet!"
"Shay, it's OK… she's just excited about being able to get her permit I a month or so, it'll cool down, in the mean time, Principal Sandlake said…"
"Sis, next time you hitch rides with anyone, tell Mom, Dad, or me first, OK? You had EVERYONE searching the WHOLE house… until Dad found the little post-it-note… that was stuck to the backside of our cereal bowl!" Jimmy said in a chastening tone to his older sister.
"Ok, sorry, it was a little short notice… and the post-it-note was on the TABLE… not cereal bowl!"
"Oh… so THAT'S what was underneath my cereal bowl.. I just thought it was a random piece of paper, it stuck to my bowl cause I spilt some milk on it on accident." Stacey said with a nervous giggle.
Dani shut her locker and shook her head, even though she knew it could have just as easily happen to her. The two girls couldn't help but laugh after trying to hold it in for about ten-seconds."
"In that case... I'm sorry for getting onto you, that's Mom's job, and I shouldn't have done it." Jimmy apologized.
"What are you doing in the senior hall anyways?" Stacey asked.
"My first class is on the end of this hallway… so I better be going that way." Jimmy said, and then he left for his first class to wait for Cindy to get there.
"So what were you going to tell me?" Shayna asked Dani anxiously.
"Oh, yea… Blockwest is starting up a Club 121 and he wants us to lead it… and your sister. We have to go to his office after last hour with our decision."
"And Sandlake Okayed it?" Shayna asked suspiciously.
"Yea. So you up for it?"
"Yea!" Shayna said… then she remembered Amana was standing right next to her. "Oh, you guys remember Amanda, right? Amanda, That's Stacey, and that's Dani. Dani, and Stacey, that's Amanda."
"Nice to see you again." Dani said
"Um… I don't really remember you that well... so nice to meet you again!" Stacey chimed in.
"Hey, any of you know where room 307 is?"
"Yea, that's right next door to our class; just follow us!" Stacey invited her. "Anyone want a Starburst?"
"I'll take one!" Shayna said.
"Pink?"
"Of course!"
"Can I have one?" Amanda asked.
"Sure, what color?"
"Berry."
"Here." Stacey said tossing the Starburst over to Amanda.
"Thanks!" The girl's all walked up two flights of stairs to the 300's.
"Ok… 307 is straight in front of us… we are next door in room 309." Dani pointed to both of the rooms. "We'll meet you after class and see where all your classes are!"
"Ok!" Amanda said disappearing into her classroom. Stacey, Dani, Shayna also went into their room next door. They picked out their usual seats and talked until everyone else in the class had found their way to the class. After the last late bell rang about two students rushed into the room and class started.
"Class… today we will be having a surprise oral exam. For the exam you will be grouped into two's and three's and you will tutor two or tree of the kids in Mr. Excidment's class, and be nice to the freshmen… this is for a grade." That being said the teacher grouped everyone up, Stacey, Dani, and Shayna were one of the five groups.
"Isn't your bro in Mr. Excitement's class?" Shayna whispered.
"I think so… but I believe he's second hour. At least let's hope he is. I feel sorry for the person that gets to 'tutor' him… and double that if Cindy is in his group," Dani replied quietly, and shivering at the thought that some poor senior might have to tutor Jimmy AND Cindy.
"Ok, Neutron, your group is number one. Fintout, two; Henderson, three; Lilton, four; and finally, Zinderdord's group is number five. As said before, Mr. Excidment has numbered off his kids as well, find your matching number and that's who you are going to tutor."
"Good morning Retroville High. As I am sure most of you are aware by now, my only daughter, Harmony, died Friday night. The funeral is tomorrow after school at Real Faith; and anyone who wishes to attend may." The principal said over the intercom. "Also, Club 121 will be starting up this Wednesday before school in the commons, their first OFFFICIAL meeting will be announced later."
"If you have had your Bible taken away from you in the last year or so, please come and retrieve it sometime today. Bibles without names in them or not claimed by next Friday will e donated to Real Faith's youth program. Now, would you please join me as we say the pledge of allegiance? 'I pledge allegiance, to the flag, of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, individually, with liberty and justice for all.' Thank you and have a great day!"
After the announcements and all the class returned to chatting for about thirty seconds until Mr. Excidment's class got there. "Ok, so look for kid holding up one finger." Stacey said… which is when Dani saw two kids holding up one finger, and what she thought was her worst nightmare come true!
