Chapter 2
The willowy brunette school nurse had probably been as shocked to see the half-naked figure of Kenny Matthews standing before her as Kenny had been to see her. She'd been passing the arcade when the commotion inside the auditorium had come to her attention. Her first thought was that someone might have injured themselves, and, naturally, she'd hurried in to assist. But, even in her own state of near shock, Glenda was perceptive enough to catch the meaning of Superintendent Rathley's remark. It would be just like him to try to place all the blame on Jimmy Russell.
During her time at the school, Glenda had found Jimmy an extremely interesting subject. He was such an alienated and bitter youngster, yet he was obviously sensitive and intelligent. She had secretly taken a special interest in him for the past several months. She wasn't even sure why she'd done it, nor had she given her own motives much thought. But, during that time she had observed one thing clearly enough; Superintendent Rathley didn't like Jimmy.
Some of his objections to the young boy's behavior were understandable enough. Jiminy was rowdy and vulgar and he was a troublemaker, but, at the same time, he had an almost magnetic masculinity. And Glenda could not help but suspect sometimes, that the pudgy and unattractive superintendent bore a kind of jealous resentment toward the boy. One thing was certain; the superintendent had never shown any consideration of the factors that contributed to Jimmy's belligerence.
Clear as her own assessment of that facet of the situation might have been, Glenda would have to sort it out in her mind later. During the first few minutes after she had slipped through the curtain to find herself confronted with the shocking scene backstage, she was only able to respond by instinct. She managed to avert her eyes long enough to allow little Kenny Matthews, the reputed school egghead, to dress without him having to worry about her watching him. For a brief instant she met Jimmy Russell's gaze, and, in his disgusted eyes, she was able to fathom that his response to and evaluation of the situation was virtually the same as hers. She tried to look at him with some kind of
reassurance and hope before he turned away.
Then, when Superintendent Rathley, aided by the custodian, herded the three teenagers out of the auditorium and back down the arcade toward the main classroom building where his office was situated, she followed. And already she had begun to construct her own plan of action.
By the time the group made their way up the main steps to the building, a virtual mob of students had assembled to follow them, and Glenda couldn't help hearing their snide remarks circulating through the crowd the lewd references to Sylvia as a slut and to the fact that it was about time that someone let little Kenny get his first sexual experience, though that was expressed in much different, much more shocking terminology. For a few minutes he was engulfed by the crowd and she was just able to work her way free and slip into his the office before the superintendent closed the door.
"And to what do we owe your presence here, Nurse Simmons?" the superintendent said, looking at her with a sneer. "I don't think we have a medical problem."
Glenda shifted her gaze from the plump squat man to the three teenagers, Kenny and the girl obviously very frightened, Jimmy Russell merely angry and resentful. Then she looked back at the superintendent, wetting her voluptuous lips with a gentle flick of her tongue before she spoke.
"I was a witness. I think I should be here."
Superintendent Rathley hesitated for a moment. It appeared he was about to say something else, then evidently he changed his mind. At last he nodded.
"Very well. If you think you must be in on everything that happens around here...." He sighed and turned his attention to the tall sensuous blonde student.
"I should have thought, Sylvia, that now that you've got that high school juvenile delinquent picking you up every afternoon in his sports car you'd at least be able to wait until after school hours to start
comporting yourself like a whore."
He let the words hang in the silence for a moment, then shifted his gaze to Kenny.
"I'm most disappointed in you, young man. It wouldn't be flattery to point out that you are far and away the most promising student we have. It would be a genuine shame to have to expel you." The superintendent took a deep breath, pausing before he let the sly smile creep over his lips as he looked abruptly at Jimmy Russell. "But, fortunately for you and for Sylvia, I think it's obvious enough who is the real culprit in this affair. What do you have to say for yourself, Russell?"
Jimmy glared silently at the superintendent for a moment.
"Nothing."
"Nothing?" the superintendent asked, a smile on his lips. "That's about the extent of the cooperation I would have expected from the-likes of you." He paused. "I think it's quite obvious you wouldn't have been present in the auditorium if you hadn't engineered this affair. I don't doubt in the least that you shamed poor Kenny into putting himself in that position. I'm not sure what kind of persuasion you used on
Sylvia, but I hardly doubt that it was formidable. Unfortunately, I no longer have the authority to expel a student. Such action has to be approved by the school board. That's why this matter has to go before them. But when it does, I'm going to recommend your expulsion as the responsible party in this affair, and a lesser discipline for Kenny and Sylvia."
Glenda took a deep breath. She knew what she was about to say was going to put her own job on the line. There had already been enough friction during the course of the school year between her and Superintendent Rathley, but she couldn't just sit by idly and watch this kind of injustice being perpetrated. She had to speak up.
"I protest," Glenda. said.
The superintendent looked at her sharply, his face reddening. "I beg your pardon?"
"I said, I will protest," Glenda repeated.
During the brief moment of silence that followed, the superintendent's face grew even redder, and Glenda thought she could almost hear his angry hastened breathing.
"You'll protest?" he asked in a quavering voice.
"Yes," Glenda answered softly, nodding her head. "And I will insist upon testifying before the board."
"Testifying to what?"
"I will testify to the fact that your placing all the blame on Jimmy is mere conjecture. I will testify to the fact that I'd noted in your attitude toward him a certain unmistakable prejudice. I will testify that, in my assessment of the events as I saw them, and I saw every bit as much as you did, I feel you are making Jimmy a scapegoat. And I feel you have some ulterior motive for this." Glenda managed the faintest smile as she saw the alarm in the superintendent's face. "And that's something I really don't think you want to go into before the school board, Mr. Rathley."
"Aren't you getting a little way out of bounds, Miss Simmons?" the superintendent asked. "On trial here are Jimmy and those two."
"Let me put it differently, Mr. Rathley," Glenda said, changing the tone of her voice and smiling almost warmly. "I'm just as shocked as you are about what had happened today But do you really think it would be in the students' best interest to have this brought before the school board? Do you really think it would be in Jimmy's interest to be expelled?"
"I think it would be in the interest of this entire school!" the superintendent retorted angrily. Then he sighed, looking down at the floor for a moment. "Perhaps, however, the matter does warrant a little more consideration. You three students may go on to your classes. I'll expect you back here at the beginning of your last period when we'll continue with this unpleasant discussion."
Kenny Matthews glanced about nervously, clutching his books to his chest. then quickly passed Glenda and went out the door. Sylvia followed, then Jimmy, dragging his feet, moved by more slowly. When they were alone Glenda turned back to the superintendent.
"I'll tell you right now, Miss Simmons, I don't like your attitude. Let me make it very clear that I don't appreciate this kind of interference."
Glenda looked silently, expressionlessly, back at the older man for a moment, then turned abruptly and walked out the door into the crowded hall. The idea hit her as she glimpsed Jimmy Russell, flanked by several other boys who were badgering him for an account of what happened, turning the corner to start down the hall to his one o'clock class. It was completely insane. But, difficult as what she wanted to do was, Glenda knew it was her duty. She hesitated but a moment, then hurried after the boy.
"Jimmy," she called anxiously. The youngster stopped, looking around silently. In his face Glenda saw not one bit of appreciation of her intervention on his behalf, but then she hadn't really expected to.
"Jimmy, could I talk to you alone for a minute."
With a shrug the boy moved away from his companions, looking at her with resentment and almost derision. Somehow, however, Glenda managed to meet his icy gaze with an expression of warmth.
"Jimmy, I'd like to see you this afternoon after school."
"I don't need any lecture from you, nurse."
"I don't want to give you a lecture," Glenda said with a persistent smile. "I just want to spend some time with you take a walk or go have a Coke."
For a moment, the boy hesitated, looking at her strangely. His gaze dropped for an instant down to the inviting swells of Glenda's breasts, clearly outlined in her tight-fitting nurse's uniform. Then he looked back at her face and shrugged.
"Sure, nurse."