Part I: Disciplinary Procedure
There was much ado at Kellerman High, once classes were out. A small group of eager freshmen, inquisitive sophomores, excited juniors, and intrigued seniors were gathered outside the main entrance, chatting excitedly while waiting for their rides.
“Well?” one younger freshman asked, a sandy haired boy, “Was there a catfight?”
“That’s not what I heard,” interjected a goth junior, a nearly sadistic grin on her face, “I heard it was a brawl. Blood and everything. Maybe even a broken bone.”
“But how did it happen?” another freshman asked.
One of the senior girls elaborated, “Apparently Brie Beckett was bullying one of the girls in Elly Walker’s movie club. Elly stepped in and told her to back off. I dunno what kind of fight it was but it was a fight! They got hauled off to Adler’s office…”
All those in earshot winced… As far as they were concerned, both girls were doomed.
Adeline Adler was one of those people that you could look at and just think “sharp”. The45 year old was tall, lean, and hard, black hair kept in a perpetually tight bun, and bright green eyes that stared out from behind thin rimmed glasses. She was very much a rules person. Her rules to be honest, but in the five years she had been principal at Kellerman High, slowly the official rules shifted to accommodate her. School never ended early, tardiness was a detentionable offense, teachers accommodated to her every whim, and students knew to keep a low profile.
And now she was dealing with two students who had made the mistake of getting her attention. Sitting behind her dark wood desk, she looked at the two eighteen year olds’ files while eyeing them from behind her glasses.
Elly Walker seemed very chastened, a timid look on her face as she kept her head down, knees pressed tightly together in her simple jeans, fondling a loose thread from her blouse. Elly was a pretty girl, brown hair flowing over her shoulders, a spray of freckles across her face and light brown eyes that gave her a soft look. She was fit though, being a part of the track team and competing in both javelin and long distance running. Based on her file she excelled in history, english, art, and home ec class. She was a member of the drama club and had even started a film club, apparently a refuge for the outcasts and losers of the school. A regular high school saint.
Brie Beckett was both alike and unlike Elly, as though each was the mirror image of other personality wise. She had an air of annoyed indifference around her as she leaned back in her chair, one leg crossed over the other in her tight skirt. Her nonchalance could be heard in her blowing bubblegum bubbles that went off with a sharp “crack!” every minute or so. Blonde haired and blue eyed, with flawless pale skin, she was very much an ice princess, not giving away any emotion besides the feeling that she really didn’t want to be there. Brie was also quite the student as well. High scores in math, science, and the lead soprano in the choir made her no academic slouch. She also was on the volleyball team before moving to the cheer squad in the winter. But while Elly was a kind and welcoming presence, Brie was a force of her own. The popular girl, she seemed to enjoy tormenting those who annoyed her, and that could be anyone from someone who talked too much to someone who had a stutter. And so she had since become a feared presence among students just below Adeline herself, which the principal found impressive.
Finally after a long silence, Adeline set down the files and steepled her fingers, looking over each of them. Elly avoided her gaze while Brie met it.
“Girls, there is a time and a place for lively debates and questions of others judgement but letting it come to blows in my school is not one of them,” she broke the tense silence. “This is a place of learning and instruction that cannot be maintained without strict adherence to order.” At that last word she slammed her hand down on the desk. Neither girl flinched. A pity. It usually worked on the weaker students.
“So…” she spoke slowly, “What do you have to say for yourselves?”
Silence. Then Elly spoke up. “Mrs. Adler I-”
“Ms. Adler if you please, Ms. Walker, I’m not a married woman. Use proper titles.”
“Y-Yes… sorry, I feel bad about fighting but Brie was picking on a friend of mine. I got in her way and she pushed me and I’ll admit she got my blood up.”
“I see… and what noble individual proved worthy of you getting your blood up?”
“Jenny Blair…”
Adeline was well acquainted with Ms. Blair. Jenny was well known as a social pariah due to the large orthodontic headgear she had to wear. No surprise she had garnered the attention of the venomous Brie.
“Ms. Beckett, what great crime did Ms. Blair commit to warrant your attention?”
“I wasn’t bullying her,” Brie replied, mild indignation evident in her voice, “Her headgear looked crooked so I was helping her… adjust it…”
“Liar!” Elly exploded, “You tangled her hair in it and had her pinned against the locker!”
Brie just scoffed and examined her nails, “Any proof?” She looked up at the principal, “Ms. Adler, this is ridiculous, she has no proof I wasn’t helping her. It was just me, Jenny and her there.”
“And where is Ms. Blair?”
Brie just gave a sly grin, “She decided to go home early…”
“You mean you threatened her to go home for the weekend before she could be questioned and could tell everyone what a bitch you are,” Elly grumbled.
“Ms. Walker, language. And I’d not be too confident Ms. Beckett, I could just ask Ms. Blair after the weekend.”
Again Brie just shrugged, “Of course, though next week is Conferences Week and it won’t be your highest priority.”
Now Adeline had to be impressed. She’d be too busy Monday to investigate this and in all honesty had no real desire to do so. Brie had covered all her bases.
“Irrelevant,” she just waved her hand, “You were both caught fighting in the hallway and that is enough to punish both of you, regardless of who started it. I’ve called both your parents who will be coming in shortly to hear my punishment for the both of you. I’ve yet to decide on it but four weeks of detention for each of you is well within my rights.”
Elly blushed in shame and outrage at what she might consider an unfair punishment while Brie’s mouth just dropped open in indignation at her plan going up in flames. Both seemed to be ready to say something when the intercom on her desk sounded off.
“Ms. Adler?” the kindly old voice of her secretary, Mrs. McGregor came over the speaker, “The young ladies’ mothers are here. Should I send them in?”
“Yes, please do,” Adeline responded before looking to the door. To say she was intrigued at her new guests would be no small statement.
First in absolutely had to be Mrs. Beckett. Tall, leggy and in a business skirt and suit jacket, she exuded an air similar to Adeline, one of undeniable control and nearly authoritarian command. Her wavy blonde hair hung around her face as her high heels clicked along the tile floor.
Following her was apparently Mrs. Walker, also no slouch. She was tall and curvy with long curly brown hair. She had a pretty look like her daughter with bright cheery eyes, though now they seemed a bit more clouded with something more dangerous. The common eye would say that Mrs. Beckett was more fit than Walker, but Adeline could tell that beneath the brunette’s curvy body was a fair bit of hard muscle. In simple sneakers, running shorts and a gym t-shirt, it was obvious she had just come from a workout.
Adeline motioned for each of them to sit on either side of their daughters as she stood to greet them.
“Afternoon ladies, I apologize for interrupting your Friday but this is an issue that needs to be addressed. I am Adeline Adler, the principal, and you are?”
Mrs. Walker held out her hand which Adeline took, feeling the strength in it, “Megan Walker.” Mrs. Beckett followed suit, her hand smooth and cool but a lean power behind it, “Cynthia Beckett.”
“Charmed,” Adeline nodded as she sat, “Now, to the problem at hand. These two young ladies were caught fighting in the hall. Elly claims Brie was bullying another student while Brie claims she was just helping her. Regardless this led to an altercation which speaks against the professionalism I rely on this school to have.”
“Oh dear,” Mrs Walker covered her mouth, looking at her daughter who bit her lip in shame.
Mrs. Beckett just seemed nonplussed, “Are you certain this one,” she gestured to Elly, “Didn’t just assault my daughter? My Brie could have just been defending herself.”
“That doesn’t sound like my Elly,” Mrs. Walker replied sternly, “I taught her not to fight unless a friend was in trouble and… well Brie does have a reputation for being less than kind.”
“Excuse me?” Mrs. Beckett exclaimed, “What exactly are you implying?”
“I’m implying the open secret that your daughter is a bully and vindictive, spiteful girl!” Mrs. Walker shot back, clenching her fists as she looked over at the blonde.
Mrs. Beckett didn’t stand down at the death glare, in fact standing up, “As opposed to your daughter who just wastes her time with frivolous classes and clubs instead of something useful. But no, I’m certain that degree in ‘Neo-classical Romantic Literature’ or whatever will be real helpful when she’s sleeping on the curb.”
“Better she is well liked and homeless than rich and hated like you and your daughter.”
“Trust me, I believe she will be well liked by the men she blows to make ends meet the little tramp-”
SLAP
The room was silent and even Adeline was surprised as Mrs. Walker leaned over and smacked Mrs. Beckett hard across the face. The room went still for a moment before Mrs. Beckett lunged at the brunette, the two grappling with each other.
“Kick her ass mom!” Brie yelled.
“Sweep the leg!” Elly advised.
Adeline was quickly between the two mothers, pushing them apart and into their respective chairs. “Ladies please! Some decorum!”
Mrs. Walker swallowed hard but sat down. Mrs. Beckett visibly grit her teeth in frustration before following suit. With the situation now under control, Ms. Adeline sat on her desk. Both women and their daughters were quite hot and she had been half tempted to let things escalate. And then she got an idea…
“Well then,” she sighed dramatically, “It seems that there is some bad blood that needs to be sorted out before any kind of punishment will work. Yes, I’ve seen this kind of thing before. The girls will continue to fight until one comes out the victor so I suppose the solution would be to let them.”
“What!?” Mrs. Walker exclaimed.
Adeline raised her hands placatingly, “With rules of course. Wrestling I imagine. I am well against girls fighting but wrestling is an honorable passtime and no doubt a good substitute for a hallway brawl. But if you are worried for your girl getting hurt you are more than welcome to join her.”
That got both mothers’ attentions, and Adeline could tell the idea of getting their hands on each other was now paramount, regardless if they thought it would stop their daughters’ arguments. The daughters seemed intrigued too, eyeing each other mistrustfully.
“So how about this,” Adeline toyed with a pen, “Sunday afternoon you will all meet here at the gym at 1:00 PM. Feel free to tell your husbands that you are just going to a small school function-”
“Widowed,” “Divorced,” Mrs. Walker and Mrs. Beckett said respectively. This was even better than she thought.
“I see. Well in any case meet at 1:00 PM. We shall use the boxing ring in the weight room. Standard tag team wrestling rules with elimination by either submission or pin. If a wrestler’s partner is eliminated they must continue the match alone. Double teaming allowed for twenty seconds after each tag and if an opponent is thrown in the other team’s corner. Winning daughter only gets a warning, the loser gets the four weeks of detention. Sound fair?”
Both Becketts nodded enthusiastically. Mrs Walker gave a firm nod while Elly’s was a little more hesitant.
“And who will ref?” Mrs. Beckett inquired.
“Why myself of course,” Adeline grinned, “I’m well versed in wrestling rules and I am the main neutral party and authority figure.”
This seemed to satisfy both moms who agreed to it. Adeline’s grin didn’t go away till much later after they had left the room. She spent the next hour fantasizing about what it would look like, two strong beautiful mothers and their youthful daughters going at it. She worked later than usual, wanting her Sunday to be clear, and so it was after sundown that a knock came at her office door.
“Come in,” she answered, thinking it was just a member of the cleaning staff. Instead, Cynthia Beckett entered, her business attire slightly unbuttoned to reveal ample cleavage and a long leg now devoid of any hose.
The blonde gave a sultry grin, “Ms. Adler, glad I caught you. I just wanted to go over the rules with you a little and make sure you will be a… fair ref…”
Adeline gave a rather feral grin as she slipped out of her heels and unbuttoned the top of her blouse, “Of course… shut the door and we can… discuss things in peace.”
She had forgotten to mention in the meeting that when she wrestled, she always loved to be a heel.
(to be continued...)
