Disclaimer: Do not own Ant Farm

Chapter 14

The next day started out with a rough morning for Olive. Principal Skidmore had arrived from airport interrogation the night before, cross as ever. Back at the hotel room, instead of sleeping, Skidmore had spent all night ranting and raving about inconsiderate airport security. Olive didn't get a moment's sleep, and unluckily, Skidmore's indignity about the whole incident spilled over to the next morning.

The whole morning still, she had to put up with Skidmore's complaints about airport security. Olive tried her best to tune her Principal out. The lady was just going in circles now, repeating the same things over and over again.

She thought about the rest of her Ants. She envied them right now. They probably had a blast, partying all night. She was sure that the London Suite, situated in the secluded West Wing of the hotel, was virtually soundproof from the outside. They could've spent all night partying and bother nobody.

She imagined Chyna and Fletcher, dancing on top of the center tabletop, belting out tunes to their favorite pop songs. She imagined Gibson chasing after any Ant nearby and begging them to play some mahjong with him.

She sighed. Instead she was up all night listening to her principal's voice, and now her whole morning was locked up because today is when they must meet with the diplomat and his star swimmer of a son.

She waited with Skidmore in some outdoorsy café where one part of it was connected to the hotel and the other part was wide open and spilled out to the beach. She felt the breeze of the Pacific ocean. It was still somewhat hot for her taste but the breeze made the air bearable.

"So why am I here again?" She asked Skidmore. "You're not just meeting with the swimmer, you're meeting with a diplomat. I'm sure the father speaks English and you wouldn't need me to translate."

Skidmore scoffed. "You didn't think I'd thought of that? No, you're here for more than mere translation. The diplomat is skeptical of sending his son all the way to another country to join a group of kids he may not be able to get along with. I'm sure you, with all your perkiness," Skidmore mocked, "and rah rah spirit can convince father and son otherwise."

"Oh, so I'm supposed to befriend the boy."

"More than that, if it comes to it."

Olive stood up and squealed. "WHAT?"

"Oh relax. All I'm saying is that you charm the boy a little bit. An American girl like you, beautiful, and speaks perfect Japanese – I'm sure there's not a single boy over here that wouldn't be falling head over heels for you."

"Oh you're devious."

Skidmore wasn't at all offended. She flicked her head. "I know!" She exclaimed.

Skidmore's self – adoration was interrupted by a not so discreet ahem.

Olive looked up, and the world spun on her head.

She looked to Skidmore, who was no longer smiling in self - bathing smugness about her evil cunning. Instead, Skidmore had an ugly look on her face, and her nostrils flared.

If evil principal ladies could breathe fire…

"You," Skidmore churned the words out.

It was the same man who had Skidmore held in an interrogation center at the airport.

"Yes, me," the Japanese diplomat answered in the affirmative. His face gave away nothing. It was like stone when he met Skidmore's glare head on, but Olive could've sworn when he turned to face Olive that he sent her a wink, just between the two of them.

And then there was the..

"And here's my daughter, Janice. She is the swimmer that you desperately wanted to meet," he spoke to Skidmore.

"So you're Goro Takahashi?" Skidmore asked, and then she looked to the Janice skeptically, "And you're supposed to be the world class athlete the likes of nobody has never been seen this side of the Pacific?"

Janice smirked. "All that and then some."

"Wait, hold the phones. She was supposed to be a he. And I was told he didn't speak a lick of English."

"We wanted to keep my daughter shielded from the public limelight, until we thought she was ready."

The confident look on Janice's face told Olive that she was definitely ready.

Skidmore chewed on Takahashi's words carefully. "That makes sense," she said thoughtfully.

"After some careful research, and prodding from plenty of politicians, all signs pointed to you," Takahashi said to Skidmore. "I was fairly confident that you were the one that I could entrust to take my daughter under her wing. Everybody I talked to sounded very confident about you. I received nothing but glowing reports and recommendations. But then there was the airport incident."

Takahashi let the last words hang in the air a bit.

Olive could sense a shift in Skidmore. Gone was the outright anger and the fire breathing dragon act she had going on. Skidmore stood up and looked completely unrecognizable in her personality.

"Oh, that!" She laughed it off, as if what happened back at the airport was nothing more than mere spilled milk. "That was nothing! I admit I might've gone overboard yesterday just a teensy, little bit, but that was because I was so concerned about the safety of my daughter."

Skidmore dramatically wrapped her arms around Olive for emphasis.

"Olive told me that she wasn't your daughter. You're her principal."

"You didn't let me finish! I meant I love her like a daughter! I treat all the children at the Ant Farm like they were mine!"

Olive narrowed her eyes. Skidmore was lying through her teeth.

"And that's exactly how'd I treat Janice." She flashed Janice a wrinkled, cheesy, smile. Janice just shot her an icy, unconvinced grin.

Skidmore seemed to recognize something in Janice. Olive could sense a light bulb flashing in Skidmore's mind. "You know what, Diplomat Takahashi? If you would just – let me have a minute to talk with dear Janice in private. I'm sure I can enlighten her as to the wonders of the Ant Farm," she said with great fanfare.

Takahashi seemed to think about that for a second. "Ok, but you two have to be right where I can see you."

"You know what, we'll be just right over there," Skidmore pointed to a spot on the beach.

While Janice and Skidmore made their way over to talk, about whatever it was Skidmore wanted to talk about, Olive was left alone with Takahashi. She could feel Takahashi examining her carefully. Olive couldn't help but squirm a little.

"So am I going to regret this?" He finally asked. "Would sending her to San Francisco to join your Ant Farm be a mistake?"

It was an honest question, and it deserved an honest answer.

Olive thought about Skidmore. Yes, she was conniving, and selfish. She thought only for her best interest. It amazed Olive that she was able to stay at Webster High as a principal for so long. Skidmore definitely was the down side to joining the Ant Farm.

But then she thought of Angus, who was the most brilliant person she had ever known when it came to computers. He came off as a creep sometimes, but he was a good friend and he was funny without knowing he was. Fletcher was her dear friend – he had a really quirky personality and despite boyish good looks, he was completely hopeless when it came to girls. But when you arm him with any drawing, painting, sculpting or chiseling material, he was able to make art that looked like they would one day belong in a museum. Finally, she thought of Chyna. Her best friend. Strong-headed and stubborn, but charming. She almost single handedly turned the Ant Farm upside down ever since she arrived at Webster High her first day of school.

They were all weird and unusual in their own way, but they made great friends. Olive realized that she would rather face high school with them than endure grade school without.

If Janice wanted to join this merry band of super weird kids, she should, Olive realized.

She looked to Takahashi, and she said, in perfect Japanese: "No, it wouldn't be a mistake."

Takahashi smiled a genuine, deep smile. Olive knew that he sensed the sincerity in her answer.

"Then it's settled. She's going to San Francisco."