Chapter 23
(9:04am, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2006)
The Middleton High readerboard said "Happy Singles Awareness Day" as today was Valentine's Day. In the spirit of the holiday, all of the halls of the school were decked out with red heart paper cutouts as well as cheap Smarty-Mart brand paper cutouts Cupid about to shoot off his arrow.
All of this imagery made Kim very uncomfortable as she was heading towards her locker. Kim was wearing her plaid-shirt and dark denim baggy overalls outfit topped with brown boots. She had a heavy jacket earlier because it was cold outside but she tied it around her waist.
She felt uncomfortable because she saw Tara with Josh and Jessica with Steve and a few other classmates and seniors with their significant others. And in the back of her head, Junior Prom was gonna come in the next three months. Bonnie was going to laugh with all of her other mates on the Wicked Cheers, which consisted of the Ashleys, Hope, Amanda, and Sarah as she comes into the gym...without a signifiant other.
She took a deep breath and opened up her locker as Wade came on.
"Anything yet on that insect helmet?" Kim asked.
"I have not heard any news since it was stolen." Wade replied.
"We'll have to narrow down our list of suspects." Kim said, "We at the very least know that it isn't Drakken and Shego because they are still in prison for the whole mind-control shampoo plot."
"So who would be next?" Wade asked.
"I would guess the next one would be Killigan because he did try and steal the helmet once before from Acuna."
"More than likely so." Wade replied.
"You got any movement on him?" Kim questioned.
"Not as of yet, but I will be the first to inform you if he does." Wade insisted.
"You comp-rock, Wade!" Kim replied with a smile before the screen faded to black.
Monique then came up next to Kim's locker, sporting another long CB dark-denim dress, pink high heel boots, and giant hoop earrings.
"Hey, Kim, you wanted to talk one-on-one? Well, ya girl's here!" the fashionista exclaimed.
"Monique, I'm glad you're here but I prefer the one-on-one girl-only chat away from school." Kim insisted, "Bonnie could have one the Ashleys stationed to spy on us!"
Monique whispered, "Good point. So...your room?"
"Most defs my room!" Kim insisted. "And the trap door locked. We don't want those nosy Tweebs either."
"Agreed." Monique replied. "So you going to head to G-Hall this afternoon for R&J practice?"
"I don't have much of a choice." Kim replied, "Gotta get that other arts credit somehow to graduate. Still it feels weirdish..."
"How come?" Monique asked.
"That the first Romeo and Juliet practice is held...on Valentine's Day..." Kim said, shuddering, "I don't know. Something just feels off."
(4:15pm)
Kim went with her backpack with the Romeo and Juliet script inside to the G-Hall auditorium, where the first practice was to be held at. It only seated around 300 people.
She took a deep breath.
Okay, Possible. Remember what Mom said before...It's only a play!
Kim opened up the doors, and there was the entire Drama Class there. It was about 25 students, plus the much-feared Glee Three and Barkin.
"You're 15 minutes early, Possible. I like that!" Barkin said with a slight smile, "Now where is Stoppable?"
"He should be here...I hope..." Kim said with a slight worry.
Ron was never the best when it came to promptness on time.
(4:28pm)
Ron then made it through the double-doors of the small auditorium. He also had his script in hand that was, thankfully for him, not missing any pages.
"I had to get through the maze of hallways, but I finally made it!" Ron said, out of breath.
"You made it to practice, Stoppable..." Barkin exclaimed before he muttered, "...barely."
Barkin then turned his attention to the other students.
"Okay, people! Since you are all present with no unexcused absences, the Glee Three will happily cut off time of your practice, just for today! But if you screw up on the lines that are assigned to your scripts, highlighted by my trusty yellow highlighter..." he proclaimed while holding up the yellow highlighter that had been with him for a few years, "...we will make future practices a bit longer!"
"And..." he continued, "...the Glee Three will be watching your every move on stage. So make sure to follow their instructions! As stated before, the performance will be a 25% weighted test to your final grade for this semester."
The other 28 students that were on stage looked at the trio of drama students with wary anxiety. The cold dead eyes of Vancec Ment, Cara Van and Laramaie Tara were all looking at them, waiting to purge any concepts of individualism from their bodies.
"We demand that you act as one!" Vance proclaimed.
"Or you will receive a failing greade from Barkin!" Laramie hissed.
Barkin also gave the scripts of the Romeo and Juliet play to the Glee Three for the first time, since all of the other students had their scripts beforehand.
Those three all opened it for the first time and they were stunned to learn that something odd has happened to their version of the play.
"Mr. Barkin...?" Cara asked.
"What is it now, Van?" Barkin sighed. He wanted to get this overwith as much as the other kids were.
"Certain parts have been blackened out from the play! And the script is in regular modern English instead of Old English!" Cara exclaimed, "Why is this?"
"A few aspects of the play have...what do you call it...objectionable material in it. Furthermore, the people who spoke Old English have been dead for nearly 800 years." Barkin explained, "The arts division of the school board screened through the script and made the changes in order to meet approval from the school board so that it can be seen and understood correctly by your mamas and papas."
"This is obscene! This is an insult to the work of Shakespeare!" Vance yelled.
"The Immortal Bard must be spinning in his grave at Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire as we speak!" Laramaie shouted.
"We are not going to perform this so-called play approved by the district!" Cara chanted.
Barkin furrowed his glare at the three, for he had a weapon up his sleeve.
"Maybe you can take your 'protest' in front of Mrs. Veronica Rockwaller and her Swatter!"
The mere metnion of the head disciplinarian/superintendent of the MUSD and her infamous wooden paddle that she owned sent a shock of fear through the Glee Three.
"No! Please!" Vance pleaded, his resistance breaking down very quickly.
"We don't want to be paddled!" Cara whined while getting down on her knees and begging for forgiveness.
Laramie cried, "I don't want my buttock to be red!"
Barkin smiled, now that he had utilized fear to its most potent through the MUSD.
"Now you three WILL be using the school-approved version of the play and have the students perform to it!" he demanded.
The three of them acknowled with a mere whimper, "Understood!"
Little did Kim know that Amanda was grinning from the assistant director's chair. She had a vile ace up her sleeve.
