To the reviewers:
To BahamutEpyon: Thank you, I will.
To Agent Silver: Ha ha, that was good for a laugh.
To Pheonix Master: Hey, well the problem with my fanfiction is that sometimes you have to think while reading it.
To Shadowhawk: That's a fabulous idea! But is the reviewer's box really a good place to put it? I mean, you could have emailed me.
To Lady Kayoss: Actually the phrase is Reggie's playing with fire. Keep reading.
To moonjava: Thank you.
Read and review!
Chapter 10: Intrigue at the Winter Dance
3:35 pm, Mr. Weatherbee's Office
"Octavius, I have some serious concerns about your fitness for teaching," Mr. Weatherbee told the rookie teacher. "Now, I know you like the job and you're certainly enthusiastic about science, and the kids are learning loads…but you do know there are standardized tests. You rarely, if ever, teach the material covered in the Graduation Qualifying Exam."
"I seem to recall that you hired me to teach chemistry and physics, not filling in bubbles," Octavius replied. "I teach my students almost everything I know about science. I also teach them how to think independently and creatively."
"Well, I'm all for that," Mr. Weatherbee said, "but still, our federal and state funding comes down to those test scores, you know. We need the money."
"So," Octavius said, "for a couple hundred thousand dollars you are willing to let your students absorb the message that learning is a joyless succession of hoops through which they must jump like circus lions, rather than a way of understanding and mastering the world, and that to think for themselves is heresy?"
Mr. Weatherbee had to think on this speech for a bit; his intelligence was several substantial notches below Octavius', and he had never faced a really smart teacher.
Finally the principal groaned. "Just cover the material on the tests. No more, no less. We need that money. If you don't start playing ball, I might just start listening to Coach Kleats and Mr. Mantle about canning you."
"It is my opinion that constant standardized testing will no more address the problems in this school than constantly putting an overweight person on the scale will cure obesity. A measure of a person is—their integrity, their morality, their courage—well, I'm not exactly sure, but it certainly is not a number. However, I am not the principal. But you can chew on that for a while, Waldo. Good day."
Weatherbee grumbled. No one in the school ever called him by his first name. "Good day to you too, Otto," he muttered.
9:00 pm, Riverdale High School gymnasium, start of the Winter Dance
Reggie Mantle and a tall, raven-haired beauty wearing a dark green cloak crawled in the attic rafters, high above the gymnasium. Reggie carried a large black garbage bag, the contents to be revealed shortly.
"You know you're going to get in so much trouble if they catch you," the girl said in a slight European accent. The girl was Princess Victoria von Doom, the sultry exchange student from Latveria, and the best mind for dirty schemes Riverdale High had to offer, with the exception of Reggie himself. "They refused you your dance tickets. Everyone's heard. We have to be careful."
"Yeah, Princess, but I wouldn't miss this for the world." Reggie grinned. "Look, they're doing a new thing this year. Along with the usual Snowball King, Queen, Prince, and Princess, they're going to be voting on teachers for the Faculty Royalty. I've got it all set up." Reggie began to tie a rope to a very large bucket. "Got the pulleys, Princess?"
"Check," Victoria replied, and began connecting the pulleys to the rope in an elaborate configuration.
"I've got it all set up. I've made sure Octavius and Grundy get the vote for Faculty King and Queen."
Victoria checked that the knots were secure. "So the two teachers go up on stage and get crowned."
"Oh the Mad Doctor will get crowned all right." Reggie snickered as he dumped the contents of the heavy plastic bag into the bucket and arranged its many arms inside. "How will he like a nice—(plop)—wet—(plop)—slimy—(plop)—gooey—(plop)—dead—(plop)—octopus—(plop plop)—falling on top of him?" (plop!)
Victoria let out a small laugh. "An octopus for an Octopus," Victoria agreed. "I couldn't have done better."
Below the rafters…
Veronica, her hair and face styled immaculately as usual, wore a sequined, floor length dress in her favorite color, red. Betty, escorted by her "friend" Adam Smith in his tuxedo, wore a mid-length aquamarine gown from a thrift shop. As Jughead left his own sapphire-gowned date, the tricky redhead Trula Twist, for the food booths, Archie took his place by Veronica's side. The local rock group, Josie and the Pussycats, three girls who wore leopard spot jumpsuits, were performing a nice, slow song perfect for dancing. Midge in her silver number, her ever-faithful and ever-jealous Moose by her side, was handing out ballots, along with Chuck Clayton, head of the Decoration Committee and resident artist.
All of the students were handed two ballots each.
Snowball Dance King and Queen:
Archie and Veronica
Betty and Adam
Jughead and Trula
Midge and Moose
Chuck and Nancy
Snowball Dance Faculty King:
Coach Kleats, gym
Dr. Octavius, science
Mr. Murphy, history
Snowball Dance Faculty Queen:
Miss Grundy, English
Coach Grapple, gym
Miss Tempera, art
Archie picked up a pencil (not many to go around), and smiled at his date. "Let's vote for ourselves, Ron, to hell with false modesty."
"Why be modest, Archie, when you don't need to?" Veronica replied, smiling back.
And so the Winter Dance began.
