New Kid on the Block
MacGyver arrived at the school early Thursday morning. He was hoping to have some time alone to look around before taking the official tour. He pulled into the staff lot and parked his Blazer next to a dark red, modestly appointed Chevy Cavalier with a window sticker sporting the words "Chevy Thunder". Mac chuckled. It certainly wasn't a muscle car, but he could see it was well-maintained, well-loved.
He looked up at the old brick school building. It was two stories high and 'L' shaped. From his previous visit, he knew the short leg of the 'L' housed the administrative offices and teachers' lounge. He slowly walked across the large parking lot, trying to avoid puddles of slushy snow while looking to see what kind of security system was already in place. He noticed a small camera perched on each corner of the building which was better than nothing, but was it enough?
MacGyver saw the teaching staff beginning to arrive so he joined the little parade that led him through the front doors and into the warmth of the old building. He was about to head to the offices when he heard laughter and talking coming from down the long corridor. Curious, he followed the noise to a large recreational room. Much like in L.A., a number of vending machines lined one wall and there were metal picnic tables set up in a corner. In the opposite corner, there was an old television set surrounded by overstuffed couches that had seen better days. There was also a pool table, a pinball machine and a few arcade-style video games. Voices continued to fill the air and Mac noticed a small group of women chatting as they put away various cleaning supplies. His gaze immediately landed on Evelyn. Though short in stature, her red hair stood out making her immediately recognizable. But it was the brunette standing next to her that captured his interest.
Since no one had noticed him yet, he knocked loudly on the door jamb. "Excuse me, ladies," he called politely.
Five heads swiveled around to face him.
"Oh, Mr. MacGyver! We lost track of the time!" Evelyn was the first one to speak. "I hope you weren't waiting long."
"Not at all," Mac replied. "You have quite a recreation room here."
"Thank you," the older woman replied. "We wish we had more to offer the students, but we generally rely on donations."
MacGyver thought that odd since Pete had assured him the Academy received sufficient funding. He'd have to look into that…later. Right now his attention was fixed on Joanna. Clad in faded jeans and an oversized Green Bay Packer sweatshirt, she looked as good as she had the day they met…if not better. Her face was free of make-up, her wispy bangs fell just above her eyebrows, and the diamond studs in her earlobes twinkled in the sunlight pouring through the windows. Out of shameless curiosity, Mac looked down at her hands. No ring today. Hmmm.
Joanna made her way quickly towards him, her gaze not quite meeting his but landing somewhere around his chin. The other women resumed their chattering.
"Nice outfit," he said with appreciation.
Joanna quickly glanced down at her clothes as if she had forgotten what she was wearing, a guilty look flooded her face. "Oh, well, we're cleaning today…" she let the sentence hang.
"You a fan?"
"Of cleaning? Not really, but it needs to be done."
"No, I meant the Packers."
Joanna's cheeks grew warm. "Yep! Born and bred," she answered. How could she have been so stupid to misunderstand his question? "You?"
"I'm not much into football. More of a hockey fan myself."
"Oh," she replied flatly.
"I apologize for keeping you waiting," she changed the subject, her professional veneer now firmly in place. "Please follow me to my office and we'll begin your orientation." As she stepped past him, he caught the distinct scent of coconut radiating from her hair. He breathed in deeply to savor the smell.
Now, Mac had traveled all over the world and was the first to admit that he had admired and enjoyed the company of quite a number of beautiful, exotic women including the many young, blonde beach bunnies he had left behind in L.A. But it wasn't until now, as he watched Joanna's hips sway to a steady, unpretentious rhythm, that he realized how much he missed good, old-fashioned, down-to-earth, Mid-Western girls. Um, women.
"Aw man, what am I thinking?" he muttered, as he wiped his hand down his face. She's just part of my assignment, no one special, he tried to convince himself, yet from the first moment they met he had felt…something.
"I'm sorry, did you say something?" Joanna asked as she turned around to look at him.
"Um, no…nothing," he replied, surprised to see they were already at her office door.
"Please come in and have a seat," she motioned for him to enter ahead of her.
He obeyed, once again inhaling the sweet coconut scent as he stepped past her.
Settling into the chair behind her desk Joanna addressed him: "I thought we'd start off by me giving you an overview of our program and expectations before touring the facilities. Hopefully you'll have the opportunity to meet the majority of the staff today as well."
"Sounds like a plan." MacGyver couldn't help noticing she had yet to make eye contact with him. Was it simply shyness or something more?
"I assume you're familiar with the basic concept of Challengers Academy having visited the one in L.A." she began and Mac nodded. "There are some differences between us, however. For instance, we have class year round. Summer is a time for students to either catch up or work ahead. We also require that students remain on the premises from 9am to 4pm. We try and keep their academic schedule light so they can use the rec room or computer lab when they're not in class." Joanna continued her monologue and stopped only to answer any questions MacGyver was able to get in when she took a breath, but he didn't mind. In fact, he enjoyed hearing the passion and dedication in her voice. She clearly cared for the school and, as she put it, 'her' students.
Suddenly, MacGyver heard Joanna's stomach rumble with hunger causing her to look up at the clock above the door.
"Oh dear," she moaned apologetically. "It's already lunch time and you must be starving!"
'I could eat," he smiled lazily. "I saw a restaurant on my way here, do you want to go out and grab a bite?"
Joanna's expression closed in a flash and MacGyver realized he had already pushed her too far. "It could be a working lunch, talk more about Challengers," he back-peddled, but her expression remained unchanged.
"No thanks, I have work to catch up on," she replied stonily. "Perhaps some other time."
Sensing his dismissal, MacGyver nodded his head in agreement, got up from his chair and walked out the door, closing it behind him. Evelyn was standing in the hall.
"So, how did it go?" she asked.
"I thought everything was going great, until I asked her to lunch," he frowned.
"Shot you down, did she?"
"Like a heat-seeking missile," he grumbled.
Evelyn put her hand on his forearm, "Don't give up. Jo isn't one to trust easily, but once you earn it, you'll see it was worth the effort."
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True to her word, Joanna spent the afternoon giving MacGyver a tour of the school and introducing him to the faculty. The first floor of the building was dedicated to staff offices and multipurpose rooms. There was a large room that served as the computer lab and learning center, much like the one Hines had showed him in L.A. This was also the domain of Mrs. Lynn Wade, a middle-aged woman of medium height, graying hair, and stern expression. She was all business, and Mac could appreciate that…to a point.
Next door was the freshly cleaned recreation room where he had found Joanna that morning, and at the end of the hall was a large gymnasium. Rickety wooden bleachers flanked the faded markings of a basketball court. The hard wood floor was scratched and stained, and the basketball hoops lacked nets. This was so different than the one in L.A.
"So," MacGyver ventured, "what kinds of sports programs do you offer here?"
"Basketball," Joanna replied, her tone clipped. "Mr. Kowalski is the coach, you'll meet him in a few minutes."
"Just basketball?"
"Yes," Joanna answered. Seeing the questioning look in MacGyver's eyes she sighed and continued, "All other team sports require gear and equipment we can't afford right now. As it is, all our basketball games are played on the road because, as you can see, our gym isn't quite up to par."
"So I suppose a hockey rink is out of the question?" Mac quipped, curious to see her response.
"Do you have any idea how expensive it is to buy the necessary gear, much less rent and maintain the facility?"
"I do. I grew up playing hockey. It's a great sport for kids who need to let out some frustration without breaking the law."
"I suppose," Joanna said simply and headed back the way they had come, pointing out the large kitchen and cafeteria on the opposite side of the hallway. She pushed open a heavy metal door that led to a stairway. She explained that all the academic classrooms were on the second floor. That way, when school wasn't in session, the doors to the stairway could be locked allowing kids to still have access to the areas on the first floor in an effort to keep them involved in Challengers rather than street activities.
There were only three rooms in use upstairs. The first one belonged to Ms. Candace "Candy" Miller, the English teacher. Tall, young, and fit with bushy blonde hair she practically purred a greeting as Joanna introduced her to MacGyver who politely shook the teacher's hand despite his fear of being impaled by her long fingernails. He snuck a peek at Joanna standing behind him and noticed her shoulders had slumped and she looked sad. No, not sad really, more like resigned. Was this yet another piece to add to the Joanna Fairfax puzzle?
Stepping into the classroom across the hall, Mac was introduced to Mr. Todd Simmons, the math and social studies teacher. Joanna explained that, with low enrollment numbers and lack of qualified instructors, teachers might be called on to teach more than one subject. MacGyver estimated Todd to be about his age and height, though lankier with dark, shiny hair slicked back from his face. After the two men exchanged handshakes and some small talk about sports, Mac turned to head back to the doorway Joanna had retreated to, but a strong hand on his shoulder stopped him.
"Hey, man," Todd whispered in MacGyver's ear, "don't waste your energy on her. You'll never get anywhere with the Ice Queen."
"Is that so? I thought she might be married or engaged since she wears a ring."
"No way, man! And if she keeps going at this rate she never will be. She's shot me down every time I've asked her out. Says she doesn't date co-workers. Guess us lowly teachers aren't good enough for her," Todd said with a sneer.
"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," Mac said as he walked toward the door, keeping a more colorful reply to himself. He decided he didn't like Todd.
"And last but not least," Joanna said as entered the classroom next to Todd's, "this is Mr. Walter Kowalski, the science teacher and basketball coach.
Walter looked up from the newspaper he had been reading. Mac shook the older man's hand and then surveyed the room. He let out a long, low whistle as he took in the state-of-the-art laboratory and was drawn to the huge glass and metal cabinet that housed various supplies and chemicals to be used in experiments. Clearly this was one aspect of Challengers where no expense had been spared.
"Wow," MacGyver finally spoke. "I could have some serious fun with all the stuff you got here."
"Knock yourself out," Walter responded. "I never use it. Don't even have a key to that cabinet. Don't want these darn kids getting a hold of stuff they don't know how to use." Mac raised a questioning eyebrow at Joanna who simply shrugged and rolled her eyes.
"So," Mac thought he tried another topic. "How's your basketball team doing this season?"
His question was met with a grunt from Walter whose attention had already turned back to his newspaper. Joanna motioned MacGyver to join her in the hallway and he happily obliged.
"Talk about a disgruntled employee," he complained.
"He's just counting the days until he can retire this summer. Good science teachers are hard to come by. I'm hoping you'll have some free time to spend with the class and show them some experiments and stuff. I hear you're pretty good at that," she said, her lips turning into a hint of a smile. Reaching into her front jean pocket she pulled out a small silver key and held it out to MacGyver. "Here's the key to the cabinet," she said slyly as she dropped it into the palm of his hand. "And as for the basketball team, they have yet to win a game this season."
"Ouch! That's gotta be tough."
"Yeah, but there's not much you can do when your players keep fouling out. They'd rather fight than play by the rules. One game all but four players fouled out giving their opponents the equivalent of a power player for the last 8 minutes of the game!"
Mac caught her use of the hockey term and smile inwardly. "Shouldn't that have been an automatic forfeit?"
"Yes...no…I don't know," she threw her hands in the air. "This is a recreational city league for alternative schools and clubs. It isn't sanctioned by WIAA." At the questioning look on MacGyver's face Joanna explained further. "The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. It's my understanding the other team was asked if they wanted a forfeit, but they chose to keep playing."
"Rub some salt in the wound."
"Something like that."
Mac realized that as they had been talking Joanna had led them back to the office area. She was standing in front of the office door next to hers. She reached in her pocket and pulled out another key. "The phone and computer are already connected. Let us know if you need anything else." And with that she disappeared into her own office, or refuge, as Mac was beginning to think of it.
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Friday, the final day of winter break, was a whirlwind of activity at Challengers. The first item on MacGyver's agenda was to meet with Officer Carl Wilson, a large, burly African-American man Mac found easy to talk to. Officer Wilson was a retired police officer and Challengers' first line of defense. Uniformed and armed with Mace, he had been with the school since day one and manned the guard booth at the front door. No one got in or out without going through Officer Wilson.
After some polite conversation to break the ice, MacGyver decided Carl was a trustworthy man and had the makings of a valuable ally so he decided to ask the question that had been niggling at him ever since he received this assignment.
"Officer Wilson," he began.
"Please, it's Carl when the kids aren't around."
MacGyver smiled. "Alright, Carl. I've been curious as to what happened with the previous security advisors."
"Humph!" Carl grunted disgustedly before launching into his tale. "The first guy was sent out by the Phoenix Foundation to get things up and running. He was good. Real good. Unfortunately, national security apparently trumps a non-profit school and he was reassigned back to L.A. Left poor Ms. Evelyn high and dry, so to speak. Phoenix didn't have any qualified men to send so she had to hire from the outside. The next dude was wound tighter than a Rolex knock-off. Thought he was a darn drill sergeant. No way was Ms. Jo gonna let him bully her kids around like that! Then this last guy," Carl shook his head sadly, "afraid of his own shadow, he was. Cowered at even the thought of an aggressive student. Slipped his letter of resignation under Ms. Evelyn's door after everyone had left for the night."
"Wow," Mac responded, shaking his own head in disbelief. Whatever he had expected to hear, it certainly wasn't that.
"Well, now that I'm here we'll get things back on track," he confidently promised Carl.
"Good to hear," the officer smiled widely showing off a straight row of pearly white teeth. "And if you need any help, just you let me know!"
"Thanks Carl, I'll be sure to do that."
Back at his office, the other teachers were beginning to gather in the teachers' lounge next door. The aroma of Italian cuisine filled the air.
"MacGyver," Ms. Evelyn called to him. "Please fill a plate and join us."
Mac loaded a plate with various pasta dishes and bread sticks before joining the fiery red-head.
"It's become a back-to-school tradition to cater in lunch for the staff before the new semester starts. Gives them a chance to catch up with each other and show them our appreciation before the chaos begins on Monday!"
MacGyver looked around the room as teachers and other staff members chattered quietly between bites of food. Some of the faces were familiar from yesterday, some he had not yet met. He frowned slightly when he realized a certain brunette was missing from the festivities.
"She took a plate back to her office," Evelyn leaned over and whispered to him as if reading his mind.
"Of course she did," he muttered before taking a heaping bite of eggplant lasagna.
After the luncheon, Mac stayed behind to help Evelyn clean up. He also had some things he wanted to discuss with her.
"Well," Evelyn addressed him before he had a chance to speak. "What do you think of Challengers so far?"
"Actually I was hoping you had some time to talk about that," he replied.
Evelyn dumped the last pile of disposal plates in the trash. "Let's go to my office and chat."
Back in the administrator's office, Evelyn took a seat behind her desk and pinned him with a no-nonsense gaze as he settled in across from her.
"I assume you have some questions after your little tour yesterday?"
How did this woman read his mind like that?
"As you know, Mr. MacGyver," Evelyn continued, "this school is essentially a pilot project due to the success of its predecessor." Mac nodded but remained silent. "Unfortunately, we have run into some unanticipated developments. I'm sure you can see that we have somewhat of a mismatched patchwork of teachers. Good instructors are hard to find and even harder to keep when you ask them to work year round and carry a heavier load than their colleagues in the public sector. We've spent a lot of money in an effort to improve our staff, but we have seen little return on our investments. This is especially frustrating because it takes funds away from other areas of the school."
"Such as the rec room and the gym." Mac was beginning to get the picture.
Evelyn sighed. "Yes. Those are two examples. Building upkeep is another. We are becoming more and more reliant on staff and community volunteers to help out."
"But Pete assured me you had plenty of funding to cover all your expenses?"
"And we did! But it takes more than money to keep a school running. It takes people, Mr. MacGyver. People who are willing to invest their time and energy to help our students. People who care about our community and the changes that need to be made in order to keep our children safe and allow them to succeed in life."
"But I'm sure if you told Pete—"
"Peter knows. He's doing all he can, but at the end of the day all the Board cares about are the numbers. And quite frankly, ours aren't looking very good."
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MacGyver stared out his office window as heavy gray clouds blocked out the sun. A snowstorm was predicted to hit the area that evening and most of the teachers and staff had already headed home. He was still trying to wrap his head around everything Evelyn had told him. At least it was now clear to him why Pete had asked him to report his observations and opinions about the school. Perhaps a narrative explanation of the data could sway the board to continue the funding.
A knock on his door startled him out of his reverie and Ms. Evelyn walked in.
"MacGyver, go home. It's late and there's nothing more for you to do today. Besides, you'll need to rest up for Monday," she teased.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," he agreed, running his fingers through his hair.
As Mac was gathering his things to take home, he heard Ms. Evelyn knock on Joanna's door and the muted sounds of a conversation. He stepped into the hall to find Joanna bundled up and loaded down with her purse and briefcase.
"Now you two go home. I don't want to see either of you until Monday morning," Evelyn ordered.
"I guess we better do as she says," his comment directed toward Joanna.
"Yeah," she replied in a tired voice, taking one last look at the paperwork on her desk. "There's nothing that can't wait a few days."
"Well, I guess I'll see you Monday," Mac offered, as he made his way to the Blazer.
"Yep," Joanna replied. "Bright eyed and bushy tailed!" Her attempt at enthusiasm falling short as she headed toward the car next to his.
"Wait a minute!" He stopped short. "You're 'Chevy Thunder'?"
She flashed him a mischievous smile as she slipped into the driver's seat, the first flakes of snow beginning to fall.
