"Blaise, could you stay behind for a moment, please?" Ms. McAllen sweetly asked, and you nodded. She did sometimes ask you to stay behind, but that was usually just to spend a little extra time with you after class, and since most of the time hers were at the end of the school day, it made sense, there was nothing else for you to do. You even sometimes accompanied her on errands, which she appreciated, you could see she enjoyed the company. But at this time, it was slightly odd.
Having heard her, Jen went to stand next to you, and Lillian did the same as well.
"Oh, don't you worry. It's just a very minor thing, just need Blaise for a little bit" Ms. McAllen said to the girls, but Lillian could tell it was mostly directed at Jen, and she got the message. She discreetly nudged her and mouthed her that they needed to go. Outside the classroom, and after walking out of earshot, Jen frowned.
"Why did you make us leave? We shouldn't leave Blaise alone with her!" She crossed her arms
"She said she wanted to talk to him alone. I don't know why, or what she was going to talk about, but it would've been rude to stay... besides... is that jealousy?" Lillian said, serious at first, but then she gave her a smug teasing smile, further annoying her friend.
"I-It's not jealousy! But I think she gets a little too touchy-feely with him" Jen replied
"Which wouldn't be a problem unless someone felt jealous" Lillian grinned
"She's a teacher... I don't think it's right..." Jen huffed, but she looked away while she blushed, both from anger and embarrassment.
"Do you really think Blaise's gonna fall for a woman that might be twice his age?" Lillian raised an eyebrow
"She is? I didn't even know how old she is..." Jen also raised an eyebrow upon hearing that
"I don't know. For all I know she could be 22, or she could be well over 35, who knows" She shrugged
"But that doesn't change the fact that you seem to consider her a threat"
"I'm just worried she could try... something... inappropriate... she's a teacher, she has some kind of power and authority..."
"Jen, Blaise is 6'3". If she tries anything funny that he doesn't agree to, I'm pretty sure he can very well defend himself or run away" Lillian said in a deadpan tone, and also giving her a look fitting for that statement. Jen simply huffed in frustration and looked away again.
"I think that's the part you're afraid of... that he may agree..." Lillian giggled, and Jen angrily punched her in the shoulder for it.
"Relax. Lulu doesn't eat students for breakfast. I'm sure it's something silly. Let's go" She said, patting her friend's head, and the two headed for their next class.
Meanwhile, in the classroom, the first thing Ms. McAllen did was to close the blinders and lock the door, which made you tense up a little. She then gestured you to take a seat, and there was a hint of seriousness in her look, so you obeyed without questioning, at least for now.
"Uh, so... what is it? Looks like it's something serious" You said in a rather casual tone, hoping to lighten the mood, but it didn't seem like it worked too well, as she took a deep breath before speaking.
"It is something very serious, I'm afraid" Ms. McAllen replied
"I-Is something wrong?" You asked, getting a little nervous, since you had never really been in trouble at school, let alone in one of the class you usually did the best. Ms. McAllen quickly caught on your worried face and gave a soft chuckle, lightly caressing your face in a way you couldn't determine whether it was motherly or flirty... kinda like how Sheila tended to do.
"Yes, but not with you, honey" She said, and sighed again "We as a school are in deep trouble"
"W-Why?"
"Well, you see, before I tell you, I need you to promise that this conversation will stay between the two of us. I trust you not to be a very gossipy kind of guy, but just in case... not even your two friends can know..." She said, in a kind of dead serious tone you only ever had heard in Arianna before. You quietly nodded, feeling as if speaking would be disrespectful in this situation.
"Thank you for understanding... and the reason I asked for your silence is because this is one of those things only we teachers and school staff are supposed to know"
You nodded again, understanding, at least vaguely, why she seemed concerned and apprehensive before.
"Things are changing fast, Blaise. In ways we usually don't imagine... And, in another school in this district, there's this crazy Principal that is looking to bring back physical punishment into all nationwide education programs, starting from middle school" She began explaining
"Many think this is less about that wacky project of hers and more of a power play to gain fame and prestige, as well as possibly taking over control over the District's education policies, or even the whole countries if she can help it"
"That sounds terrible" You said, cringing at the idea of getting physical punishment at school, from which you knew a little bit about from your mom's stories growing up in Mexico, which was far less progressive about such things in those times.
"Oh, you've got no idea, hon. You really have no idea how bad it truly is" She shook her head
"But you said that's in another school, why is it a problem for us?" You asked. In response, Ms. Lulu grabbed her thermos, whose cap doubled as a drinking cup, and served a cup of coffee for herself.
"Would you like any?" She asked
"I'm fine, thanks" You politely declined. You very rarely ever drank coffee, and somehow managed to get the 'wake-up' effect from drinking chocolate milk every morning anyway. She knew that and smiled, she then sipped some of that coffee.
"And you're right not to want it. Milk's healthier" She laughed a little, then sighed again, as if struggling to compose what she wanted to say.
"Anyway, it is a problem for us, because that snake, against all odds, defeated the system meant to block her from bringing forth her ridiculous ideals"
"Wow..."
"It's gonna sound crazy, but please, believe me when I tell you that this is all for real. I wouldn't be this worried for a prank" She said
"You see... I don't know how on Earth she managed to, but she got her hands on tech that almost looks out of this world"
Your eyes widened. You were expecting this story to be a wild ride already, but it just got wilder.
"She... she somehow invented a way to... shrink stuff..."
"Shrink?"
"Y-Yeah. To make things really really small... people included" She abruptly added and sipped more of her coffee. Now you understood why she needed that. It sounded utterly crazy, but with how serious she was being about it, you didn't feel it was right to doubt her.
"And what does the bitch- ah, excuse my language there, sorry... And what does this mad woman decide to use that kind of tech on? It can grow stuff too. She could use it to, you know, make food larger to feed more people, or use shrinking in some way to help doctors, or even help science in some way... But noooo... what this... woman, if she could even be called that... is to use that tech to 'discipline' rebellious students"
"She what?!"
"You heard me, hon. She wants to make students small so teachers can punish them in ways nobody had ever conceived. I've got a couple of contacts in that area, and they've told me quite a few horror stories... tiny students trapped in shoes for hours, under their teachers' feet, inside sweaty socks, even inside mouths, for frick's sake..." She took another deep breath and had a bigger swig of coffee before she continued
"BUT... and here's the but... I don't know the legal mumbo-jumbo involved, but apparently, there are some restrictions or safeguards that need to be passed to approve any kind of new disciplinary measures, and those were pretty harsh, in fact, it was mostly set up for her to fail from the very beginning, so these mad plans would crash and burn right off the bat"
"It definitely sounds terrible. What happened then though?"
"She was required to train all of her teachers in handling and performing the disciplinary measures she wanted to bring forth, requiring extensive hours, but also, volunteers. They couldn't just shrink students nilly-willy to do as they pleased on them, oh no. Not even students in detention could do. They needed to recruit volunteers, and they needed to make sure that either the volunteers' parents wouldn't know or wouldn't raise a stink about it. So, as you can see, it was pretty much supposed to be impossible for her to beat these odds" She said and you nodded, but knew there was more to it "Yet, she managed to beat them all"
"But how?"
"She offered extra credits for volunteering into her crazy program, and a few students initially showed up and agreed, but when someone told them what it really was about, they all left... well, all but one..." She explained
"With that one volunteer, this freaking mad woman managed to complete all of the teachers' required training hours to get them certified. Back to back, every.single.one. Over a long period of time, and enduring the harshest punishments they could dish out.
"Just one student did it all? But why?"
"Yes, one student, with that one student that snake of a principal got what she wanted. Officially, he simply signed up for the program, fully consenting to it, but my contacts have told me that they had a secret agreement that was off the records, in addition to extra credit, he was going to be given a nice, fat scholarship..."
"Oh, so it was for money" You said quietly
Having heard her, Jen went to stand next to you, and Lillian did the same as well.
"Oh, don't you worry. It's just a very minor thing, just need Blaise for a little bit" Ms. McAllen said to the girls, but Lillian could tell it was mostly directed at Jen, and she got the message. She discreetly nudged her and mouthed her that they needed to go. Outside the classroom, and after walking out of earshot, Jen frowned.
"Why did you make us leave? We shouldn't leave Blaise alone with her!" She crossed her arms
"She said she wanted to talk to him alone. I don't know why, or what she was going to talk about, but it would've been rude to stay... besides... is that jealousy?" Lillian said, serious at first, but then she gave her a smug teasing smile, further annoying her friend.
"I-It's not jealousy! But I think she gets a little too touchy-feely with him" Jen replied
"Which wouldn't be a problem unless someone felt jealous" Lillian grinned
"She's a teacher... I don't think it's right..." Jen huffed, but she looked away while she blushed, both from anger and embarrassment.
"Do you really think Blaise's gonna fall for a woman that might be twice his age?" Lillian raised an eyebrow
"She is? I didn't even know how old she is..." Jen also raised an eyebrow upon hearing that
"I don't know. For all I know she could be 22, or she could be well over 35, who knows" She shrugged
"But that doesn't change the fact that you seem to consider her a threat"
"I'm just worried she could try... something... inappropriate... she's a teacher, she has some kind of power and authority..."
"Jen, Blaise is 6'3". If she tries anything funny that he doesn't agree to, I'm pretty sure he can very well defend himself or run away" Lillian said in a deadpan tone, and also giving her a look fitting for that statement. Jen simply huffed in frustration and looked away again.
"I think that's the part you're afraid of... that he may agree..." Lillian giggled, and Jen angrily punched her in the shoulder for it.
"Relax. Lulu doesn't eat students for breakfast. I'm sure it's something silly. Let's go" She said, patting her friend's head, and the two headed for their next class.
Meanwhile, in the classroom, the first thing Ms. McAllen did was to close the blinders and lock the door, which made you tense up a little. She then gestured you to take a seat, and there was a hint of seriousness in her look, so you obeyed without questioning, at least for now.
"Uh, so... what is it? Looks like it's something serious" You said in a rather casual tone, hoping to lighten the mood, but it didn't seem like it worked too well, as she took a deep breath before speaking.
"It is something very serious, I'm afraid" Ms. McAllen replied
"I-Is something wrong?" You asked, getting a little nervous, since you had never really been in trouble at school, let alone in one of the class you usually did the best. Ms. McAllen quickly caught on your worried face and gave a soft chuckle, lightly caressing your face in a way you couldn't determine whether it was motherly or flirty... kinda like how Sheila tended to do.
"Yes, but not with you, honey" She said, and sighed again "We as a school are in deep trouble"
"W-Why?"
"Well, you see, before I tell you, I need you to promise that this conversation will stay between the two of us. I trust you not to be a very gossipy kind of guy, but just in case... not even your two friends can know..." She said, in a kind of dead serious tone you only ever had heard in Arianna before. You quietly nodded, feeling as if speaking would be disrespectful in this situation.
"Thank you for understanding... and the reason I asked for your silence is because this is one of those things only we teachers and school staff are supposed to know"
You nodded again, understanding, at least vaguely, why she seemed concerned and apprehensive before.
"Things are changing fast, Blaise. In ways we usually don't imagine... And, in another school in this district, there's this crazy Principal that is looking to bring back physical punishment into all nationwide education programs, starting from middle school" She began explaining
"Many think this is less about that wacky project of hers and more of a power play to gain fame and prestige, as well as possibly taking over control over the District's education policies, or even the whole countries if she can help it"
"That sounds terrible" You said, cringing at the idea of getting physical punishment at school, from which you knew a little bit about from your mom's stories growing up in Mexico, which was far less progressive about such things in those times.
"Oh, you've got no idea, hon. You really have no idea how bad it truly is" She shook her head
"But you said that's in another school, why is it a problem for us?" You asked. In response, Ms. Lulu grabbed her thermos, whose cap doubled as a drinking cup, and served a cup of coffee for herself.
"Would you like any?" She asked
"I'm fine, thanks" You politely declined. You very rarely ever drank coffee, and somehow managed to get the 'wake-up' effect from drinking chocolate milk every morning anyway. She knew that and smiled, she then sipped some of that coffee.
"And you're right not to want it. Milk's healthier" She laughed a little, then sighed again, as if struggling to compose what she wanted to say.
"Anyway, it is a problem for us, because that snake, against all odds, defeated the system meant to block her from bringing forth her ridiculous ideals"
"Wow..."
"It's gonna sound crazy, but please, believe me when I tell you that this is all for real. I wouldn't be this worried for a prank" She said
"You see... I don't know how on Earth she managed to, but she got her hands on tech that almost looks out of this world"
Your eyes widened. You were expecting this story to be a wild ride already, but it just got wilder.
"She... she somehow invented a way to... shrink stuff..."
"Shrink?"
"Y-Yeah. To make things really really small... people included" She abruptly added and sipped more of her coffee. Now you understood why she needed that. It sounded utterly crazy, but with how serious she was being about it, you didn't feel it was right to doubt her.
"And what does the bitch- ah, excuse my language there, sorry... And what does this mad woman decide to use that kind of tech on? It can grow stuff too. She could use it to, you know, make food larger to feed more people, or use shrinking in some way to help doctors, or even help science in some way... But noooo... what this... woman, if she could even be called that... is to use that tech to 'discipline' rebellious students"
"She what?!"
"You heard me, hon. She wants to make students small so teachers can punish them in ways nobody had ever conceived. I've got a couple of contacts in that area, and they've told me quite a few horror stories... tiny students trapped in shoes for hours, under their teachers' feet, inside sweaty socks, even inside mouths, for frick's sake..." She took another deep breath and had a bigger swig of coffee before she continued
"BUT... and here's the but... I don't know the legal mumbo-jumbo involved, but apparently, there are some restrictions or safeguards that need to be passed to approve any kind of new disciplinary measures, and those were pretty harsh, in fact, it was mostly set up for her to fail from the very beginning, so these mad plans would crash and burn right off the bat"
"It definitely sounds terrible. What happened then though?"
"She was required to train all of her teachers in handling and performing the disciplinary measures she wanted to bring forth, requiring extensive hours, but also, volunteers. They couldn't just shrink students nilly-willy to do as they pleased on them, oh no. Not even students in detention could do. They needed to recruit volunteers, and they needed to make sure that either the volunteers' parents wouldn't know or wouldn't raise a stink about it. So, as you can see, it was pretty much supposed to be impossible for her to beat these odds" She said and you nodded, but knew there was more to it "Yet, she managed to beat them all"
"But how?"
"She offered extra credits for volunteering into her crazy program, and a few students initially showed up and agreed, but when someone told them what it really was about, they all left... well, all but one..." She explained
"With that one volunteer, this freaking mad woman managed to complete all of the teachers' required training hours to get them certified. Back to back, every.single.one. Over a long period of time, and enduring the harshest punishments they could dish out.
"Just one student did it all? But why?"
"Yes, one student, with that one student that snake of a principal got what she wanted. Officially, he simply signed up for the program, fully consenting to it, but my contacts have told me that they had a secret agreement that was off the records, in addition to extra credit, he was going to be given a nice, fat scholarship..."
"Oh, so it was for money" You said quietly
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May 12, 2023
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