2:05 pm

Vernon sighed as he went back to get his jacket from the faculty restroom. He was shocked to find he had the paper toilet seat sticking out of his pants after the fact. He face palmed as he realized he looked like a complete jackass in front of the detainees. He could only imagine they were making fun of him now. It was bad enough that the entire school thought he was a big joke.

He didn't feel like going back to his office since it was still a mess from the coffee incident. Plus he was bored. He didn't want to spend a whole Saturday in there. Wandering the halls was already becoming monotonous. He had nothing else to do.

He decided to head to the basement for a little 'study break'.

******
The Library

A thick haze hung in the air. The crew was chilling on the couches in the back of the library. Brian was wearing sunglasses and looked decidedly more relaxed. He burst into a fit of chortles, stamping his feet. Sheila held a joint in her hand, blowing smoke rings out her mouth. Bender lit a match under his teeth and lit up a joint for Claire. The princess tried to inhale...then coughed.

"Ohhh, I forgot t' tell ya, Sandy," Sheila jeered, imitating Rizzo from Grease. "You shouldn't inhale unless you're used to it."

Bender and Brian laughed at the imitation. Claire glared at her with a glazed look.

"God! You're such a bitch sometimes!" Claire said annoyed.

Sheila cackled raucously. Brian took a hit and exhaled, then proceeded to try to catch the smoke with his mouth and eat it. The girls laughed.

"Chicks cannot hol' their smoke," Brian said in a funny voice. "Dat's what it is."

"Sure we can," Sheila responded as Groucho Marx, holding the joint like a cigar. "More than you ever can."

Claire, Bender and Brian laughed as the Comedian did some voice impressions of a few select characters: the Stooges, Groucho and Chico Marx, Mork from Mindy and Mork, Monty Python, June Cleaver, John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John from Grease, Sean Connery as James Bond. Mary Tyler Moore. Mae West.

"Is that ALL you can do, Teacher's Pet?" Bender asked, chuckling.

Sheila took the joint and blew stream of smoke. She got up and demonstrated Groucho's stooped walk, then attempted to do a side pratfall on her ass...unfortunately, due being high as a kite, she smacked her head on the floor as well. Bender, Claire and Brian laughed hysterically. She shook her head like Moe Howard the Stooge after hitting her head on the floor.

"You're fuckin' nuts, Teacher's Pet," Bender said, shaking his head.

"Why, thank you, kind sir!" she said in Eliza Doolittle's Cockney accent, getting up and doing a dizzy curtsy.

Claire took a hit. Then blinked her red, puffy eyes, grinning vapidly.

"Do you know how popular I am?" she began ranting. "I'm so popular...everyone loves me so much."

Bender and Sheila were chuckling.

"So, Sheila," Claire asked. "What were you like at your last school?"

"Pretty much an ass clown," she said giggling.

Bender laughed at the Comedian's misstep in her speech.

"You mean class clown," Brian corrected.

"Either way," Sheila said with a shrug. "Aside from that, I threw some pretty great parties at my place."

"Oh yea?" Bender said intrigued.

"Yea. There were times Chris and Mom had to go on weekend retreats for Army, that's when a party was happening. I'd have a cover to stay at my best friend, Zoey's, while they were away, then we'd go back to my place and throw a party."

"Very cool," Claire said smiling. "I expect an invite to your next one."

"It might be a while before I do. That came to an end when they came home a day early," Sheila said. "They were pissed."

"Bummer," Bender said.

Brian held up a hand for a high five; Bender gave him one, only to knock him on his back. Sheila and Claire laughed. The Comedian got up from her seat to join him on the floor, looking at him.

"I dinnae know if he can' hold it anymore, Captain!" Sheila said, imitating Montgomery "Scotty" Scott from Star Trek.

Brian's mouth dropped open upon hearing the redhead imitate a character from one of his favorite shows.

"Do Spock!" he said laughing.

Sheila lowered her head, trying to put on Spock's most serious face, then gave him the Vulcan salute.

"Live long and prosper, Brian Johnson," she spoke in a semi-decent Spock voice.

"I think I love you," he blurted out.

Sheila looked at him, blinking with confusion. She was unsure if she heard him correctly or if it was from the haze of the dope. Then burst into a fit of giggles.

"What?" she said laughing.

"What?" he echoed, laughing.

The two of them burst into silly giggles. The redhead gazed at Brian lying on the floor with his sunglasses. She wasn't sure what it was about Brian that attracted her. He was really adorable. So sweet. She kept staring at his lips. Untouched and desirable, a forbidden fruit that tempted her. She had to have a taste again. Feeling bold with a mixture of the high and her raging teenage hormones, Sheila propped herself up on her forearm and hovered over Brian.

"Permission to come aboard, Captain?" she said, imitating Lt. Uhura.

Upon hearing this imitation and being referring to his absolutely favorite character from Star Trek, the geek was absolutely delighted! Brian felt his face heat up when Sheila got close to him, however he didn't feel as nervous as usual. His high had given him a new found chillness. He couldn't help but chuckle at the Star Trek, reference.

"Permission granted, Lieutenant," Brian said in his best Captain Kirk voice.

She giggled at his voice imitation; it was still adorable. She leaned down to kiss him; she brushed her nose against his. His lips parted as if by instinct, feeling her hot breath just hovering above his lips. It teased him. She planted a soft kiss on his lips. He pulled away momentarily.

"Is this the promise you made in the hallway early?" he asked.

The redhead gave him a sensual smirk, pushing his sunglasses up to look into his blue eyes, which were puffy and bloodshot.

"I always keep my word...Captain," Sheila responded breathless.

The nerd smiled, chuckling giddily. Sheila was just irresistible: her flaming copper hair, the permanent smirking lips, her green eyes.

She leaned back in to kiss him again. Her scent enveloped him; it smelled green and the outdoors; fresh cut hay and green apple shampoo. Brian cupped Sheila's cheek, softly kissing her lips. He was stoned and an inexperienced kisser, so he couldn't really find his rhythm. Once he kissed Sheila, he slowly began to find his rhythm.

Her lips teased his, making him hungry for more. Her tongue brushed his lips, tracing the adorable shape. It sent shocks of absolute pleasure throughout his thin body.  In any ordinary circumstance, he'd be nervous out of his mind while doing this, but he was more focused on Sheila. The way her lips felt, the way she tasted, how soft her hair felt as he cupped the side of her face. His long fingers tangled her red hair. His face grew hot, becoming a blushing mess at all of this. He could've sworn he heard the heavenly choir and the second chorus from Meat Loaf's Paradise on the Dashboard Light somewhere.

Sheila shifted herself in a more comfortable position so that she was on top of him. She inhaled Brian's scent. He smelled very clean and pure: Dial soap, laundry detergent mingling with the smoky scent of dope. Her hand went to his face, caressing his jawline with her thumb. Her fingertips trailed down to the collar of his green sweater, caressing his sweat damp neck; his pulse was racing. She went to his hair and massaged his scalp, earning a soft moan from the nerd.

Shifting a bit, Brian wrapped his free arm around Sheila, planting his palm on her waist and pulled her closer until she was pressed against his thin frame. Her breasts flattened against him. God! She was so warm and soft!

He became hungrier for more kisses as he felt her tongue sweep the underside of his bottom lip. When she poked the crease of his lips, he parted his lips slightly. He turned even redder when he felt her tongue slide into his mouth. She brushed his braces, poking and teasing his own tongue. Oh! She tasted so delicious!

Brian panted as he got more into the kiss with the girl. Her tongue caressed his with sensual strokes. His followed hers into her mouth where she gave it a saucy suck. Oh God! He felt electricity pulse throughout his entire body to the tips of his fingers and toes. He let out a needy moan. The things she did made him want more! He felt a stirring in his loins and heat pooling in his lower belly. The sensation was similar to the time he reached puberty and read his first dirty magazine that his friend, Dwight, lent him. But this felt more powerful. It was real. A real girl was actually kissing him. Something he could only dream of happening.

He felt her break away to kiss his neck. She trailed wet kisses up and down the pale column, giving it licks and sucks. Closing his eyes, his breath hitched. A shiver of pleasure ran down his spine. He had never experienced this before and it felt absolutely amazing! He hooked one leg around her waist. Her hands mussed up his blond hair. A moan slipped from him when she teased his Adam's apple. His pants began to feel tighter. He squirmed a bit, trying to relieve his discomfort--hoping and praying she didn't feel the growing problem in his pants. She'd think he was a pervert or a weirdo. Yet, her kissing and sucking his neck was too irresistable for him to think straight. It felt so good! He wanted more.

Bender gestured to Claire silently to the two horny geeks making out in a hot, yet sloppy mess on the floor. He grinned salaciously, chuckling. Then he hooted loudly, making the two of them look up: they were rosy cheeked, wet lipped and breathless.

"Dweeb, we're all glad you're getting your freak on," Bender quipped. "But don't make a show out of it. Get a fucking room."

The two of them separated. They wiped their chins, which were covered in saliva, straightening themselves out. They sat up and went back to the couches.

Soon, the sound of loud rock music blasted from a smaller room inside the library got their attention. The door whipped open and Andrew emerged from a wall of smoke, taking a hit from a joint. Andrew unzipped his hoodie sweatshirt and started pumping his fist to the music. He took off running through the library, dancing at a million miles a minute, executing a series of acrobatic cartwheels, somersaults and vaults over the bookshelves. Brian whistled loudly.

"WHOO!" Sheila cheered. Then imitating a sports commentator, "Looks like Clark's getting heated up...and boy is he going a million miles a minute with those moves...and my! He's a regular Mary Lou Retton!"

Andrew jumped on a bench, pulled off his sweatshirt and beat his chest like a gorilla. The four of the detainees began to hoot and holler at the unexpected display from Andrew.

Everyone started giggling like giddy goofballs. Andrew dances back into the room and slammed the door. He pumped his fists and then screamed...causing the window in the door to shatter. Allison looked on from afar, intrigued.

"Who taught YOU to dance?" Sheila taunted. "John Travolta's...grandmother?"

Upon hearing this taunt, Andrew stepped through the broken glass door, looking at Sheila with a challenging look.

"Hey, Funny Girl!" he called out. "Think YOU can do better? How 'bout a dance off?"

"What're the stakes, Sporto?" Sheila asked.

"If you win, you get my varsity jacket," he said. "If I win, you have to write my essay."

"Let's dance, Fred Astaire!" Sheila said, getting up from her seat. "But I get to pick the music."

The detainees shouted with approval as the red haired comedian went to join Andrew in a dance off. The athlete smiled with approval.

"Alrighty! Let's do this, Ginger Rogers!" he joked. "What will we be playing?"

Sheila laughed as she was called this, on account of the double meaning to this nickname. "I wanna rock out."

"You got it!"

Andrew looked at a few tracks, carefully selecting a rock track and hit the play button. It was AC/DC's You Shook Me All Night Long. Sheila grinned as she heard one of her favorite bands playing. The beat started pumping through the speakers as she began to face off with Andrew.

"Show us what you got, hot shot," he challenged.

Sheila nodded her head to the beat of the music. While she knew she wasn't excellent dancer, she considered herself to be decent. She pantomimed the strumming of the guitar. She mouthed the lead singer's words, launching into some power rock moves, swaying her hips, shaking her head; her fire hair whipped through the air. She pantomimed Angus Young playing air guitar.

"BOOM! Top that, sporto!" Sheila challenged.

Andrew looked a bit nervous.

"Dude, I'm not that great!" Sheila said. "Go ahead. Show me what you got!"

Andrew launched into his own routine. While it was decent, it wasn't as great as Sheila's. She turned to the group.

"Survey says?" she said, imitating a game show host.

"Sheila," Brian said.

"Andrew," Allison said.

"Sorry, Andy," Claire said apologetic. "I'm gonna have to go with Sheila."

"Sheila by a mile," Bender answered.

"Three to one," Brian announced. "Sheila wins!"

"Hand it over, Sporto!" she said with a smug grin.

As reality dawned on the athlete, he tossed his beloved letterman jacket to the Comedian who had a giant shit eating grin on her face.

"Here," he said defeated. "You won it fair and square."

Sheila saw the crestfallen look on Andrew's face when she caught the jacket. It would've been cool to have it, but she felt really bad that he had to give up his most prized possession over a stupid dance off. With a kind smile, she handed it back to him. The athlete looked surprised and confused.

"Lesson of the Day," she said. "Never make a bet when you're on a 'study break'."

Andrew smiled appreciative as he got his jacket back. "Thanks, Funny Girl," he said. "That's pretty cool of you."

"I still get to keep the title, right?" she joked.

"Totally."

Andrew took Sheila's wrist, raising it in the air like they were in a boxing match.

"Sheila: Shermer High Dance Champion. 1985!" he announced.

Sheila put both hands in the air triumphantly as the other detainees cheered on. Sheila made exaggerated cheering noises.

******
2:23 pm
The Basement

Vernon fingered through the confidential files, reading each one carefully out loud with interest. He was always intrigued by what each student's file said.

Usually he would spend a Saturday during detention reading the files, given he was the only one in charge those days. It sucked that he had to be stuck at Shermer babysitting the ones who broke the rules. It was the perfect time of day to read the confidential files. There was no principal sniffing around.

Vernon didn't think he was doing any harm by reading the files. He had to know what made everyone tick. Which ones were the good ones. Which ones were the troublemakers. Which ones had problems with drugs, dysfunctional family, trouble with the law, psychological problems, etc. After all, knowledge was power. He could use this information and make sure these shits didn't dare defy his authority.

He continued to thumb through the files until he found the transfer student's file. He had to find out more. There were notes he had briefed earlier. Upon opening it, ignoring the photo of Sheila, he skimmed her contact information, making careful notes about her stepfather's contact number. He would definitely call him sometime today after detention. He wanted to know what made the transfer student tick.

STUDENT PROFILE

"Sheila Elizabeth Donovan is a 17-year-old female high school student who is funny, cheerful, charming, and intelligent. Student is excellent academically, but exhibits behavioral issues with poor impulse control, expressed by teachers...

-Student stated that her parents divorced at age 10 and mother has remarried at age 12. Student is unwilling to accept mother's remarriage; claims stepfather is 'mean' and treats her like an Army cadet. Stepfather and mother deny these claims. (Dysfunctional family problems. Vernon remarked.)

-Student shows difficulty with coping with divorce; has expressed she is to blame and is unwilling to accept father's departure. (Absent father and self-blaming for divorce. Vernon thought. That certainly would fuck up a person.)

-Student shows difficulty coping with rejection and expressed feelings of abandonment and anger over parents' divorce. (Quite interesting. She's afraid of being rejected and has fear of abandonment, maybe some anger issues.)

-Student displays poor impulse control and demonstrates attention-seeking behavior with the use of comedy (e.g. jokes and pranks); student is reported to be obstreperous during classes; has been repeatedly warned by staff about behavior..."

Vernon chuckled to himself as he read the word 'obstreperous'. It was the perfect word to describe the red haired miscreant. She was exactly this.

Obstreperous.

His eyes went to the next paragraphs.

"-Student displays difficulty coping and controlling anger appropriately and becomes argumentative. Reports from staff state that when student is provoked, she will argue with peers or staff, varying on situation. Student has a history of fighting with other students (Hot tempered. Vernon thought. Oh yea. He remembered her little outburst of anger in his office when she was defending Bender.)

-Student is reported to occasionally reject authority, varying on situation. (No surprise there.)

-Student has received 9 detentions during the semester due to disruptive behavior in class; 6 for causing mischief including pranks on students and staff, 2 for showing off, 1 on account of fighting with peers and staff...(Surprise! Surprise!)"

"God! No wonder you're such a pain in the ass, Donovan," Vernon muttered with a chuckle, shaking his head.

Carl Reed had pretty much finished up for the day. He heard muttering coming from the filing room. Intrigued, he went to investigate and found the vice principal reading the files. He smirked, leaning against a dusty file cabinet. It was pretty clear the man was completely unaware of the janitor's presence. He watched as the man thumbed through the file he was holding, picking out a page.

Vernon moved on to the transfer/expulsion letter, reading it with intensity.

From Staff Sgt. Christian and Mrs. Darcy Bennett

To Mr. Edward Rooney, Dean of Students

CC: Mr. Gary Marshall, Principal, Mr. Richard Vernon, Vice Principal,

Shermer High School, Shermer, IL 60062

To Mr. Rooney, Wallace and Vernon,

We hereby request kindly to issue a transfer certificate for our daughter, Sheila Donovan, to your school.

We express our gratitude to your staff for your kind cooperation and understanding and hope you will accept her on such short notice. Due to unfortunate circumstances, our daughter, Sheila, was expelled from Dewey High on the grounds of...

"Afternoon, Dick," Carl said.

Vernon glanced over at the sound of his name. His gray eyes widened as he was startled by the sudden presence of the janitor. Crap!

"Hey, Carl!" he said surprised, shutting the file quickly and tucking it away. "How you doing?"

"Good," the janitor responded with a chuckle, aseeing how embarrassed Vernon was for getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Good. What's up?" Vernon said in an attempt to hide his embarrassment.

"Not much," he said. "What's happening? What are you doing in the basement files?"

"Oh nothing, nothing," Vernon said dismissively. "Just doing a little homework here."

"Homework, huh?" Carl said.

He stepped up closer, looking at the open filing cabinet.

"Confidential files, huh?" The janitor commented. "Seems you were looking at something pretty interesting."

"Look, Carl," said Vernon. "This is a highly sensitive area and I-I tell you something...certain people would be very, very embarrassed."

"Why are you lookin' at the files, Vern?" he inquired.

Vernon swallowed. "I had some concerns," he reasoned. "Legitimate concerns. About the new girl."

Sure you did. Carl thought skeptical.

"Didn't Principal Wallace warn you already about unauthorized reading of confidential student files?" the janitor asked. "Didn't he tell you not to do that again?"

Vernon knew this was true. According to Principal Wallace, he had received some complaints by specific students claiming that Vernon had supposedly targeted them for harassment with the use of their personal information. While there wasn't any solid proof regarding his actions, he had been given a warning. Should Vernon be caught red handed, it would be goodbye Shermer. He hoped he could reason with Carl into staying quiet about this. He couldn't lose his job. This would ruin him.

For the first time in 22 years as an educator, he was actually scared. He was trembling.

"Well...I would really appreciate it if-if, we could keep this between us," Vernon replied nervously.

Carl shook his head. He knew about Vernon's actions. He knew what he was doing was wrong.

"I dunno, Vern," Carl said. "This is the second time you've done this."

"Please, Carl!" The man begged. "I-I'll do anything. If Wallace found out, it'll ruin me."

Carl considered it keeping his mouth shut, given they were somewhat friends and Vernon was the reason he got a job at Shermer. He decided to offer his silence for a price.

"What are you gonna do for me, man?" Carl asked.

"What would you like?" the vice principal asked.

"You got fifty bucks?"

Vernon stared incredulous at the janitor. "What?!"

"Fifty bucks. Either that or I go right to Principal Wallace first thing Monday morning."

Sighing in defeat, he reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet. If Carl's silence was worth keeping his job, fifty bucks was worth it.

"Um...thanks," Vernon said appreciatively.

"Mm-hmm. I'll keep quiet about this for now," Carl said. "See you later, Dick."

He went to leave when Vernon called out to him. Truth be told, he really needed a friend to talk to after a long day.

"Wait! Do you...want a beer or something?" Vernon asked.

Carl shrugged. "Eh, what the hell?"