Where Did the Time Go? : Part XXXVII
Wilma Director put the paper down on her desk and took off her reading glasses. She then used her free hand to turn the print around so the two teens could see it. "Would the two of you care to explain this?" she asked evenly.
Kim and Ron looked at each other for a moment. The chairs they were seated in were just far enough apart to make it uncomfortable to hold hands. Given what they could see in the picture, they weren't sure if that would be wise as the moment, though they wanted to anyway. Ron nodded almost imperceptibly to her and she turned to face the principal.
"That was right after last week's Prom committee meeting, right before we went home."
Principal Director sat back in her chair, idly playing with the temples of her glasses. "This could not wait until you got there? Perhaps you felt that such activities would be frowned upon by your parents?"
Ron answered that time. "We were just playing around. It was kind of an anniversary thing."
"I see. So the two of you think that playing around on the school grounds is appropriate?"
"We were reenacting something that happened last year." Kim pleaded. "It was just a kiss, I swear."
Wilma sighed. "Miss Possible, since we had our little talk last fall I thought you had become a model student. There were no more incidents, you followed my instructions about your communications device and except for an incident that happened outside of my authority you have not allowed your missions to intrude on your school time and work.
"However, you have seemingly done everything in your power to secure yourself an exemption from all of this, including going over my head. That, Miss Possible, undermines my authority. I'm the captain of this ship and you should have been satisfied with my final word on the matter. Fortunately for you, your actions in this regard have been legitimate, going though proper channels and therefore I cannot and will not take any action against you. In fact if it were not for the blow to my pride involved, I would be proud of such initiative.
"This matter, though, is something totally different. It is a clear violation of the rules you said you would follow. That goes for you as well, Mr. Stoppable."
"But Doctor D, that was long after school was over. Even the meeting was over…and all we did was kiss."
She sat up a little straighter in her chair. "Number one, classes being over has no bearing on this matter. Number two, the meeting being over does not matter. You were on school grounds for an officially sanctioned function and until you set foot off this campus you are still bound by those rules. Number three, that kiss, any kiss is specifically prohibited in our Public Display of Affection policy.
"I want to believe the two of you. In fact I do believe the two of you when you say it was just a kiss. However, you may not be aware of this, but the two of you do have a certain reputation, one that I have seen firsthand is at least partially earned. Of all the couples in this school, the two of you seem to garner the most attention. You are role models for the greater part of this student body. For the most part, I believe the two of you have displayed great maturity in your handling of the situation.
"To you, it might be as simple as a kiss. To you it might be just playing around, repeating something that has happened before. I am quite well aware of the incident last year, let me assure you and if I had been in charge then there would have been repercussions for what happened, which, I might add, was against the rules then as well.
"Mr. Stoppable, do you know what some of the students call the two of you?" She stood up, leaning over her desk toward the cowering teen.
"Uh, I've heard Rock Banner calling us the 'Stoppables?'" He tried giving her a weak smile.
"That, or the 'old marrieds' or 'Kim and Ron, the four legged, four armed, two headed monster' or any one of a dozen other names they have for a couple the rest of the school seems to consider already married…with all that implies.
"I'm sure the two of you have heard the rumors. I'm not about to believe that your other friends haven't brought some of this back to you. Have you considered what such a reputation might do to others, especially those who look up to you?"
Despite the distance, Kim reached out and took Ron's hand. "I always thought they would look at us and see what a real loving couple was supposed to be."
Wilma sat back down, steepling her fingers. "That may be true when it comes to the more mature students but have you considered we have children here as young as twelve? True, for the most part, the younger students are fourteen to fifteen and the one twelve year old and the three thirteen year olds are mature for their ages, but we have eighteen and nineteen year olds with the emotional growth of ten year olds. They look at the two of you together and, pardon my directness, all they see is the sex.
"One might assume, if they did not know the two of you well, that a kiss like that," she tapped the picture for emphasis, "is merely a prelude to intercourse. Did you know we have four girls in the student population who are currently out of class on maternity leave? One of those girls is fifteen. Also, I have had to discipline some students for engaging in sexual activity on campus.
"That kiss may be as innocent as the two of you claim. In fact I believe it most likely was. I have no idea what you may have done after leaving here and frankly, speaking purely as the chief administrator of this school, I don't care."
She leaned a little closer to them. "Speaking as the mother of two, I actually do care. For the most part the two of you have been a shining example to the other students here. You're not perfect by any means but you have shown great maturity and class. I would hate for that to be thrown away or besmirched by a reputation that might not be earned." She looked directly at Kim. "I know you are one of the brightest students here but matters of the heart can cloud even the best judgment. There is also the matter of human biology and certain natural urges involved there. I'm not your mother, so my only advice to you is to remember to keep your wits about you.
"As to the matter at hand," She took the picture and put it in a file. "I believe this to be a one-time event. There have been rumors otherwise but I have learned to take that with a grain of salt, especially when I am free to consider the source and the subject." She paused, meeting eyes with both of them in turn. "There are people who will do anything to either get back at people or try to build themselves up by knocking others down the social ladder. I don't like being used as an instrument for that purpose. Unfortunately, in this case there is more than just rumor. There is evidence to back it up. I have no choice but to act in accordance with this evidence.
"It is clear from this photograph the two of you participated in a flagrant PDA on school property. By your own admission you were on campus for an authorized function. Seeing that there have been no warnings about specific incidents," She looked Kim straight in the eye once more, "I will treat this as a first-time offense. Kimberly Anne Possible, Ronald Eugene Stoppable, consider this a formal warning. Public Displays of Affection are not permitted and will not be tolerated." She pulled two warning forms from the file. Both were already filled out, awaiting only their signatures. She handed a pen to each of them in turn before returning the forms to the jacket.
"Since this was a flagrant and deliberate violation of the rules, I'm assigning one unit of detention to each of you." She said as she returned the folder to a locked file cabinet.
"I thought you said it was just a warning?" Ron looked stricken.
"A warning for the action, detention for the flagrancy." She sat back down, staring at the two of them, daring them to protest any more. After a few moments of silence she sat back in her chair, smiling. "Your detention will be held this coming Monday, so as not to interfere with cheer practice or your duties on the Prom Committee. You will both report to the Home Economics room, where I will personally give you your detention assignments." She turned her attention to other work still on her desk. "That will be all."
Wilma looked up as the two of them left, smiling just a bit once they closed the door. She would never admit it to a student, but she had been tickled to death when she learned what the two of them had done the previous Friday. With a little digging she learned it had, surprisingly, been almost all Ron's doing.
The detention was actually quite deliciously devious on her part. The rules only called for the warning and she really didn't want to drop the hammer on them for what was, after all, just a kiss but the regulations were clear and the evidence convincing. Perhaps when they were given their assignments in detention, they would figure out what she was up to.
Wilma Director (who never used her married name professionally) was just as addicted to steak as Kim Possible and she was extremely upset she had missed out on Ron's cooking that night, being dragged instead to a hot dog stand by her husband and two small boys. She made a mental note to stock the Home Ec room with just the right things for him to recreate his fare from that night.
There were other issues to attend to. She touched her intercom. "Mister Barkin, could I see you for a moment?"
It only took him a second to get there, standing ram-rod straight in front of her desk. "Reporting as ordered, Doctor Director."
"Steve, drop the military crap for once, okay? You don't have to stand at attention in my office any more."
He immediately changed his stance…to a picture perfect display of 'parade rest.' Wilma rolled her eyes slightly. You can take a man out of the Marines and all…
She pointed at the locked file. "Who gave you that picture?"
"I don't know. It was shoved under my door in an unmarked envelope."
She steepled her fingers again. "According to Stoppable and Possible, that occurred directly after last week's Prom Committee meeting. That means the only people authorized to be on campus at that time were those students participating and staff. I would like to think if one of our faculty or service personnel were to have observed their actions and wished to report it, they would have done so openly. That leaves either one of those students or somebody who was on campus illegitimately."
"Outside of our visit to the meeting, I was patrolling the grounds. There was no one else here, I can assure you. I personally saw to it my charges in detention hall left the campus promptly after I dismissed them." He reported in crisp, formal tones.
"So that would lead me to believe one of the other eight students is responsible for that photograph. Now, I don't like putting stock in rumors, but I can think of only one of them who would potentially have an axe to grind with the two of them."
He thought for a moment. "I wouldn't know about that, but one of the committee members is also a photographer for the school paper and yearbook. That would not mean anything in a court of law, however."
"It means plenty in the court of Wilma. I think we are both talking about the same person."
Barkin nodded. "Should I have her sent in?"
"Don't make an announcement over the PA. Go take her out of class yourself and bring her here. Don't mention what this is about, only that she's been called to my office."
"Understood." He stood there for a few moments, still standing exactly the same way he had been.
"Steve, I don't have to say dismissed. Go get her."
While she waited she pulled a copy of the student handbook out (she had a number of fresh copies stored in her desk.) With a yellow highlighter, she circled a particular section that dealt with privacy issues. Then she got out a copy of the yearbook/paper guidelines and highlighted a section there as well.
"You wanted to see me, Doctor Director?" Bonnie asked, poking her head in the door.
"Have a seat, Miss Rockwaller." She waited a few minutes as the (in her opinion) underdressed Senior took the indicated chair.
Finally, she asked, "Are you aware we have a policy about privacy where our students are concerned?"
"I haven't been spreading rumors." Bonnie responded apprehensively.
"Why do I find that statement hard to believe? What I do believe is that you have not done as directed when the school year began. You have not fully apprised yourself of the rules set forth in the student handbook, nor have you fully read and understood the guidelines you are bound by in your capacity as yearbook photographer." She pointed to the open pages on her desk.
"I read them." Bonnie protested.
"Well let me refresh your memory. 'Privacy between students is protected by both law and school board regulation.' It goes on in detail about the spreading of rumors and such, but that is not what I am concerned with. However, this part I am interested in your take on. 'Students may only be photographed by other students when they are aware their picture is being taken.' Here is the same thing repeated in the yearbook staff guidelines."
She held out her hand. "May I please see your camera?"
Bonnie's eyes shot up. "I…It's not with me."
"Then where exactly is it? I would think a member of the yearbook and paper staff would have their most important tool with them at all times."
"It's in my locker."
Wilma stood up. "Very well, let's go get it."
"I'll be right back." Bonnie said, getting up quickly.
"No, we will go get it." She motioned for the girl to walk ahead of her. It didn't take long, since Senior Hall was in the main building.
Tentatively, Bonnie handed the small camera over once she opened her locker.
"Where is the memory card?"
The tanned cheerleader blanched noticeably. "I, uh, think I might have left it at the photo shop. They were supposed to make prints for me."
"That's very interesting, Miss Rockwaller. Would that happen to be Reager's Photo Finishing? That would make sense, as they are fairly close by."
Bonnie nodded hesitantly.
"Good, then let's go retrieve the card. I would like to see what is on it."
"You can't do that." Bonnie pleaded. "I know copyright law says a photographer owns their own work and it's my camera and memory card."
Wilma shook her head. "That pertains to professional photographers. That card contains pictures for the yearbook and they are specifically owned by the school. Again you should check the guidelines I was showing you. Now, let's go to my car, we can be there inside of five minutes."
Bonnie's frown got deeper. "I…I think it may be in my purse." She slumped her shoulders as the principal held out her hand. After a moment of digging she put the postage stamp sized card in her palm.
She wasn't about to put it in the camera and play back the contents right there in the halls, fearing there might be things of a more personal nature on the chip. Instead she led the student back to her office, where she plugged the card directly into her laptop.
The pictures there were mostly of mundane school activities. At least the girl had the sense not to have used the thing in the locker room or some other place. Finally, near the end of the file she found a trio of similar pictures, one of which she had a copy of in the file cabinet.
Turning the computer around, she showed Bonnie the slightly fuzzy picture of Kim and Ron kissing in front of her open locker. "Now, is it possible you either asked their permission to take this picture or told them afterwards you had done so?"
Bonnie sat there for a moment, gears turning in her head. Finally she hung her head. "No ma'am."
Closing the laptop, she leaned back in her leather chair. "So, you are in direct violation of the privacy rules."
"Yes ma'am."
Wilma leaned forward, pointing her index finger at the teen. "I don't know what is going on between you and those two. I was a teenager once myself and I know how important all this 'Food Chain' crap can seem at that age but this sort of thing is nothing short of vindictive and I would think a young woman your age would have the maturity not to engage in it. Did you know if they had been engaged in something more serious than simply kissing you could be exposed to legal action from them, regardless of whether they were breaking regulations themselves? Spying on other students to get them in trouble is not your job. I do not use hallway snitches and frankly I can't stand that sort of activity. I have faculty and staff whose job it is to enforce rules and regulations. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes ma'am." Was all Bonnie could get out.
"Good. As of this moment you are off the yearbook and school paper staff. You are to turn in all materials you have regarding that work and delete all files on this or any other storage device you possess once that work is turned over. Your byline will be removed from the yearbook even though I would not expect any of your work will find its way into the final submission anyway. Furthermore, I am assigning two units of detention, during which you may not participate in any extra-curricular activities save cheerleading events and the only reason I am excluding that is because I do not wish to injure the rest of the squad due to your lack of judgment." She sat back once more and filled out the necessary forms. Finally she looked up at the stricken student. "That is all, Miss Rockwaller, you may go."
As the door closed she let out a big breath. She was treading on dangerous territory where the memory card was concerned, considering Bonnie Rockwaller was in fact a legal adult. If there had been pictures of a more personal nature that could have led to other problems for her.
Wilma had a pretty good idea what was going on between the couple and the girl and she knew not all of it was as simple as a teenaged rivalry. She had no clue why Rockwaller had been included in whatever went down with her sister's organization but that definitely had something to do with it.
Hopefully her actions would nip this Possible/Rockwaller war in the bud. Then again, she did remember what it was like to be a teenaged girl and that worried her.
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