May 30th 2023

Chapter 150
We Have Troubles Brewing

Morgan had told her how it felt like they were walking on eggshells, every time they went into the school now, and Maya hated the way that didn't feel inaccurate. Her friend, band mate, and colleague had said as much on the day when she'd shared what Vice-Principal Song had told her, and it was the exact way of describing what it felt like to be out there most of the time now. Sandra Davenport finally had her next move all lined up, and if that wasn't bad enough, she hadn't made it yet and she was relishing the unspent power they were allowing her to hold. Maya was doing her best not to let it show that she was aware of anything, as much to keep the principal from gaining any further ground than she had any claim to… as to protect her connections and her allies, like Alistair Song.

It had made her hesitant to even bring it up with anyone beyond Lucas, or Ella, especially anyone who'd be in the school and under Davenport's power in any way. She had only ever told Morgan about it, and this because the music teacher had caught her with her guard down. She knew how much Morgan had been struggling with holding it together ever since the new principal had come into their midst… almost two years ago, if that was at all possible… and as much as they were all doing everything in their power to get her gone, this could have been the thing – if mishandled – to turn right back around and bite them in the…

"Good morning, Mrs. Friar," a voice cut off her train of thought, startling her, and she turned to find a friendly smile. "Sorry about that, I didn't realize you were so focused…" Alistair chuckled.

"I don't know about 'focused,'" Maya sighed, taking a breath, and letting it out. Looking at him again, she frowned. "I'm afraid to ask, but I'm looking at you right now and I don't think I like that look. It's happening, isn't it?"

"Announcement's going out this afternoon," the vice-principal nodded with sincere apology in his eyes. Maya wasn't surprised by this, she'd been bracing for it for so long now that it could have been an overdue relief, this thought that they wouldn't be waiting anymore. And yet…

"Right… Right, okay," she slowly nodded, absently pacing in place for a moment or two. "No way around it now, is there?" she looked back to Alistair. They were getting to be good friends now, the way she'd be good friends with all of her daughters' friends' families, but with their being colleagues on top of it, there was a growing sense of solidarity. He didn't appreciate the direction that the principal was taking either, and he did what he could to make things better from his position without losing it, but he wanted to do more, and she knew it. This helped… but in the end, as they had already seen, it wasn't always enough.

The announcement wouldn't come until later, after lunch, so all she could do now was go on with her day. Morning classes went along, as they had done for the last few days. Once the students started to arrive, and the bell rang, she would be alright. She would carry on, and she would be alright because she would be in her element. In between classes, she would be back to her eggshells, which today felt particularly loud and sharp.

"Everything alright?" Betsy asked when she came along to find her, just ahead of the lunch break.

"Depends, ask me again in a few hours," Maya told her as she stood and moved to leave her class with her, so they might head to the gym. Her assistant coach had the courtesy not to inquire any further, and Maya was grateful as ever for this.

They were getting very close to the end of the year and, for that, had scheduled additional practice sessions with the cheer squad, including the occasional lunch period. Maya and Betsy arrived to find everyone either in the midst of or already done with their meals, sitting in and around the stands.

"Hey, Maximillian, give us a hand?" Maya called out, smiling as she saw the look on the Farrell boy's face, as though he'd just been called out by a parent seeking to embarrass him. He wasn't upset, but he'd still roll his eyes. He'd already finished eating by the looks of it, so he'd get the 'privilege' of helping to get everything ready for the others. Did she actually call his best friend by her full name to differentiate them? She could have, but this was much funnier.

Also on hand in the gym that day, exceptionally, were Michelle Day and the knitting club. They wanted to have one last big project before the end of the year, and whether for reasons of member overlap or their rise in popularity, they had decided to turn their attention to the cheerleaders. They were making a whole load of pom poms, in the school's colors, mounted on key chains. There would be enough for the squad, their families, and whoever else at the school went ahead and ordered some. So far, they numbered in the hundreds.

"They're kind of cute, aren't they?" Lydia asked, smiling as she held one of the little things and let it dangle from her finger. "I wasn't sure people would actually want them that much. I mean, the parents, sure, because that's what they do, but not everyone else… Not that it says anything about you and the other parents," she added after a beat, as though she'd realized that she might have come off in some way offensive. Maya gave a half-hearted sort of wounded look before putting an arm around her husband's young cousin.

"They're very cute," she agreed with her, and Lydia nodded with a smile.

Heading out of the gym after practice was dismissed, Maya was briefly taken back to her eggshells as she considered just when the announcement would be made. All Vice-Principal Song had been able to tell her was that it would be after lunch, no further specifics given than this. Maya was already foreseeing spending her extended afternoon break in her classroom rather than out at her old bench, in the event that the announcement would not yet have been made by then. She was not going to miss it.

Walking through the halls, she passed Angel Ríos as she went, exchanged a brief nod with him on the way. He would be graduating very soon, and just now she was sort of glad that he would be out of here, if only so that he wouldn't have to deal with Sandra Davenport anymore. He was so aware of how little she deserved her post, a post that should by all means have gone to his mother, and in turn the principal seemed to look at him like she knew the two of them would never get along and she always half suspected him to do something in retaliation.

The period after lunch, with the freshmen, went by without a single chime of an announcement, and so Maya settled in for a long wait. She might have decided to take up paper and pencil as she sat in wait, especially as she'd already seen to it that Lucas' father wouldn't bring Aubrey out to the school that day once she'd heard that the announcement was coming, but she knew without ever trying that it would be no use. Her thoughts would be too divided to accomplish anything she wouldn't want to immediately crumple up and toss away, possibly burn to ashes instead. So, she did the next best thing she could do at a time like this and set herself to cleaning.

She gave the supply closet a good sprucing up, organized the bookshelf, cleaned the counters, the sinks, every station, and every stool, swept the floor… The whole classroom was nothing short of resplendent by the time she was done, and by that point it was nearly time for the juniors to come along for last period. No announcement yet… She was exhausted. Had there been some misunderstanding? Or a rescheduling of some kind?

"Alright, what's going on with you?" MJ immediately asked, the moment he walked into his sister's classroom. She gave him a look, not following. He answered by waving his arms around the room, pointing out the source of his curiosity. She kept a clean room, always, but she had to admit that the place suddenly had a start of the year freshness to it, either that or a 'the queen is coming' vibe. She only managed to open her mouth to speak before the familiar bell of the PA system kicked in, and she paused, looking up.

As natural as Sandra Davenport sounded while she spoke – natural for her at least – Maya couldn't help but picture her, sitting in her office with her false nature on display, like some cartoon supervillain. Would she actually look like that? Probably not. Did Maya suddenly feel inspired to draw her just like that? So much that her fingers itched. Either way, the announcement was made, and, on the surface, it didn't come off so bad. All she said was that, in the coming fall, a series of new sports and clubs would become available, and that information about all of this would be sent to their parents so they could all look it over together. To the unadvised ear, this was good news. How could it not be?

There was a lot of chatter in the class after the message had ended, and Maya didn't try to put an end to it. As it was, she was too caught up in her own head to do a thing about it. After telling the juniors about what they were supposed to do that day, she went and sat at her desk. She had barely come around to considering what it would all mean that she felt her phone vibrate and she looked at the screen. A message had popped up, from Morgan, and it was just what she'd been thinking: this was only step one. All this attention would be directed over to these new additions to their school, and they'd be glad for it all… not thinking of what it would have to mean. All these new things would require funding, and where else would it all come from but away from existing elements… like the arts. They might not get shut down outright, not at first, but if they couldn't keep afloat, they would soon sink and fade away.

"So, what are we doing about it?" Lucas asked, that night, when Maya got around to telling him all about it. She looked at him, and his face just said it all, so much that she wanted to (and did) kiss him. They were in a position to do something, both of them, and they would.

"We can't just rush in right away. We have to figure out when the right moment will be. Let her think she's got the upper hand for a while. The kids deserve to have a great end of the year," she reflected. Lucas hummed his agreement, cheek pressed to the side of her head. "Hey, want to see what I made earlier?" she turned her eyes up to him and he smirked. Of course, he always would, so she went ahead and showed him her depiction of Sandra Davenport in her office, basking in her master plan.

"Did I ever tell you how the witch in Snow White used to spook me when I was little?" he asked her, and she snorted. Cartoon Davenport did sort of look like her, didn't she?

"Your dad might have mentioned it. Don't worry, I'll keep you safe."

TO BE CONTINUED


See you tomorrow! - mooners