by Jessie Wolf
“You can’t do that to us! We’re the ones who put this school on the map! We’re the ones who…” Bethany should have taken a better look at the lay of the land as it was before launching into her little rant.
“Miss Hightower! One more word out of you and I’ll have you removed from the campus. After which you’ll be turned over to the local police and tried for trespassing on private property. Which I’m sure your new sponsors will find quite upsetting! Do I make myself clear?!” Doc. Brim must have known more about Bethany than he was letting on. I think I’ll need to have a little talk with him one evening where it’s just me and him.
Whatever it was that he knew, it sure had the desired effect on Bethany. “Yes, sir. Please don’t tell my sponsor. I promise I’ll follow the rules and behave myself.” When she finished she bowed from her waist then sat down without another word. However Janet was not so easily cowed nor was she going to let Bethany just back out gracefully.
“You, fat traitorous, cow! Stand up for yourself or turn in your pin and leave the ‘Heathers’. Remember we’re the ones who run this school! When my daddy hears what’s going he’ll straighten out these fools, and we’ll be back on top like always.” If Bethany’s new sponsor was who I thought it was I needed to step in before she got herself into some real trouble. Even though I can’t stand the ‘Heathers’ there is one thing I won’t do and that includes letting someone bully someone else into sticking their neck out when it could get them killed. Thankfully Bethany made my choice a whole lot easier.
Standing up Bethany, along with the three girls who were with her that day, all pull off their ‘Heather’ pins and threw them at Janet. “I am not going to let you and your bullshit get me any deeper into trouble, Janet.” Holding up her left hand to show Janet. “I have already paid the price for believing your crap once. I won’t do it again. If I were you I’d think about what you’re doing, before you get yourself into deep that you’ll lose something trying to get out.” I watch as the four of them walk away from the ‘Heathers’ table.
“You’ll pay for this insult. No body walks away from the ‘Heathers’, do you hear me, nobody.” Janet just kept getting herself in deeper and deeper. I was waiting for the Headmaster to come down on her. She had to have enough rope to hang herself by now.
“Miss Smyth, you will report to my office, now.” Professor Recco called out. What the hell why is he the one to rein her in. then his next words give me all the info I need as to why. “You have your choice, my office and a chance at leniency or the Headmasters and full suspension. Which shall it be?” For the first time this evening Janet Smyth showed some smarts. She turned away from her table and head for the door. “Very wise choice, Miss Smyth. I’ll be along shortly, oh and if you’re not waiting for me in my office within the next ten minutes security will be notified and you will be escorted off the property.”
Once she was out of the hall doctor Brim took over once again addressing the student body. “Ladies as right now the curriculum has been changed regarding certain subjects. Before you only needed a pass or fail in Citizenship and Moral Conduct, this is no longer the case. From now on if you receive or have received a grade less than a two point oh, you’ll be required to repeat the course. The same goes for Modern History. This is in compliance with the rest of the schools within our system. Also, part of your grade in C and M will be based on the way that you treat your fellow students and conduct yourselves while on campus. In other words this school will no longer tolerate the intolerance towards alternative life styles and/or race, religion, sex or sexual orientation.” You could have heard a pin drop at this announcement.
Once he had finished speaking the overhead projector came on. Within a few minutes the scene of what had happened outside of the second floor bathroom was being played for all to see. Within minutes the whole school body was laughing out loud. Everyone at my table was giggling their collective heads off at seen the four miscreants getting hit by their own weapons of humiliation. Now I know that I did not set this up and neither Dee De or Charlie. Looking around the table at the others I can tell that they had no hand in this either. Or so I thought, it was her look of smug revenge that gave her away. That was when I remembered what her original crime was that had brought her to House Nakatoma. Susan Whitehorse was a hacker, and she was good enough to have not only uploaded the video to the schools system, but not get caught when she did. As for where she got the video, I was the one who had sent it to her.
Leaning over so she would be the only one to hear me. “Please tell me you didn’t post that from your room system.”
She gave me a look that said ‘I’m not that dumb.’ “No, I used the terminal in the library to set it up. Please, remember this is not my first time doing this. Besides if they did think I did it they would have to explain why there is no originating code on that video.”
Now I was the one to sit back and think. Why wasn’t there an origin code on the video?
Because we set it up that way. (Charlie)
“What do you mean Charlie?”
Well it was easier to hide the fact that we stripped security feed that way. (Dee De)
If I could have laughed at the smugness of their answer I would have, so I just giggled at how easy it was to set up the ‘Heathers’. If they keep to their normal pattern of activities I should have all the ammunition I need to get rid of them once and for all. Sure they can still try to humiliate me off of school grounds, but there I can use my tried and true method of pound them into submission. Sure it’s not as fun as driving them crazy, but it is a sure fire way of solving a problem.
Unfortunately, Doctor Brim is on top of it before I even get a chance to play my next card. “The following students will report to the Headmasters office after diner, Miss Selina Kyle, Miss Duela Dent, Miss Priscilla Rich, and Miss Deborah Domaine.” Damn that man is more on the ball than I thought, as I was about to find out. “Also, Mrs. and Mrs. Nakatoma will you two be as kind as to join us at that time. I would very much like to get your take on what happened in front of the bathroom on the sophomore dorms second floor.”
Standing up I nod my head to him. “We will be more than happy to help any way that we can to solve this matter as we were the intended targets for this prank, sir.” I quickly sat back down not giving him any more information than necessary.
“Thank you, young lady. Now everyone please enjoy your meal.” With that he effectively shut down the discussion. Everyone turned to their own tables and their meals. The discussion at my own table centered on how the video got up loaded to the overhead projector for the dining hall. Naturally I keep my mouth shut. One of the hardest lessons I ever learned was you don’t rat out your IT personal.
No matter what you do never piss off the people who get you food, water, gas, and ammunition or those that take care of their computers and their networks. It just isn’t conducive to a happy life style. Those people can mess with your pay, time off, and a whole slew of things that can make your wish you were dead. So Susan’s secret was safe with me. When Fuyuko started to comment that it was Susan who did the deed I kicked her under the table.
“Ow! What was that for?” Fuyuko began to rub her shin where I had kicked her.
Leaning over and whispering in her ear. “I know that you think Susan did that, but one of the rules in this type of warfare is you never expose your IT people to unfriendly fire. You protect them at all costs and keep them out of the lime light.”
I must have said the right thing because every time after that if someone even thought it was Susan, Fuyuko was quick to redirect the conversation away from her. After about a half hour or so people began to take their trays up to the return counter. I had noticed that most of us were done and that the Headmaster had left already. “While it looks like it’s time to go. Come on Alice it’s time to face the music.” I picked up my tray and was followed by her as we first returned our trays and told my sisters and the Princess’ party we will see them later.
Cissy stopped us before we got too far. “Maiha, please don’t get yourselves into trouble over me. If the Headmaster asks why you did what you did just give him my name and I’ll take whatever punishment he is going to hand out to you.”
Giggling I shake my head no. “Sorry, Cissy, but I don’t let someone else take my punishment for something I did, not ever. Besides unless I am mistaken it will be the ‘Heathers’ that attacked you that are going to be facing the music, not us. Now run along with Daniela and finish getting to know her.”
“Ok. But don’t let them try and turn this around on you. They always get those that defend themselves into more trouble by making it look like they were defending themselves.”
“Oh I fully expect them to try that. The only problem is that there is video evidence showing them as the aggressors this time. There is no way they can talk themselves out of this. Besides, their biggest supporter is no longer in charge. Like I said earlier the times are a changing.”
Chapter 5
As Alice and I neared the Headmaster’s office I could hear Selina doing her level best at trying to make-out that the video was a fake. That somehow it was all some grand conspiracy to make the ‘Heathers’ appear to be the ‘bad guys’ in all this. That they were the ones who were being wronged. Of course she had to have someone to blame and we were to be their target. “I swear, sir that video has to be some sort of fake. There is no way we ever try to something like that to another student. The first thing every ‘Heather’ learns is to respect our fellow students.”
Now normally I would have just let things play out, but if the gutter snipe was going to start out lying I might was well have some fun with her. Knocking on the door to Headmasters office and waited to be told to come in. “Just a moment, Miss Kyle. Yes come in.” I opened the door and led Alice into his office. “Aw, Mrs. Nakatoma, thank you for coming. May I enquire as to how long you and your lovely were waiting to come in?”
“No more than thirty seconds, sir. Just long enough to hear Miss. Kyle accuse us of trying to place the blame for this afternoon on us.” Looking over at Selina I gave her a grin that let her know that I was on to her scam. “If I may point out a minor fact here?” at the Headmaster’s nod I dropped the bomb I had been holding. “That recording was from the security camera video. There is no way that I or any of my family could have stripped that feed from the security servers.” Yes, I know I just lied through my teeth, but they don’t need to know that. Besides, I can’t strip the video feed, only Dee De or Charlie can do that and technically neither one of them are a part of my family. They are a part of me and legally they’re both machines and there for not really alive.
Hay! Who are you calling just a machine?! (Dee De)
Yah! Just because we’re made up of silicon and nanites doesn’t mean we’re not alive?! (Charlie)
“Sorry, about that guys but I have to keep the fact that you two are there hidden from the rest of the world. Remember if anyone were to find out that I’m not technically a ‘second generation’ Death Dealer, but a secondary configuration first generation Omega/Assault class Death Dealer they’ll start screaming for our heads on a stick.”
“She’s lying sir. That video is nothing but a fake.” Selina was doing her best to try and discredit the video.
“That is quite enough Miss. Kyle. And as for the video being fake, it is far from it. I took the liberty to stop by the school security office before coming here. I was able to watch the raw footage on their monitors. Now I know for a fact that there was a good deal more to what went on in that hallway this afternoon. Now do you want to try a different line of defense?” Doctor Brim sat there quietly waiting for her or her friends to come up with a new line or to just accept the fact they were busted. When nothing was said after five minutes of waiting he made his move. “Very well then, Mrs. Nakatoma, do you have anything to say to these young ladies before I hand out their punishments for this afternoon?”
“Yes sir, I do.” Turning to look at the four of them. “If it were up to me you four would be on your way to one of the Military Academies right now, but luckily for you that decision is not up to me. As it is if I were you I would take this chance and think long and hard about what kind of person you want to be. Because I will be honest with you here and now. My family just crushed seven High Families Houses on the field of battle and destroyed everything they had tried to do. I put six of those Heads of House behind bars for High Treason. All of whom are now awaiting the executioners pleasure. If you think I wouldn’t to do the same to you, you’re sadly mistaken.” Turning back to the Headmaster “They’re all yours sir.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Nakatoma.” Looking at the four girls who were very close to tears and were at this point scared out of their wits. The poor things were practically shaking in their shoes. I guess my little speech about destroying their families along with them must have really hit home. I guess that there are ways of removing an enemy from the field other than total destruction. “Are you young ladies ready for your punishment?” A collective ‘yes sir’ came from them. “As Mrs. Nakatoma, has pointed out I can send the four of you to one of the Military Academies, but I think that you can turn your collective acts around. So I’m going to show you a little compassion and give you a second chance. Before you go thinking that you can go back to doing whatever you have been, remember this warning, one step out of line, one infraction of the rules, no matter how small and you’re on a transport to H.M.A. or one of the other Military Academies. Am I understood?” once again there was a collective ‘yes sir’ from the girls. “Very well then, you are all restricted to the school’s campus for the next six weeks there will be no passes into town on the weekends, so after those six weeks you will be required to have either your parents or a staff member escort you off campus for one month following. During the six weeks you’ll be required to work all three meal shifts as bussers in the dining hall and one shift in the kitchen as dishwashers during the week and all three on the weekends. Also if you allow your grades to slip during this period it will be extended until they reach expectable levels.”
“Excuse sir, but I would also like to make a recommendation.”
“What might that be, Mrs. Nakatoma?”
“As you know I also have a punishment for my own transgression this afternoon.” When he nodded his head that he could see where I was going with this I continued. “I believe that they should have a point of reference for their behavior and how it is counterproductive to society. I believe that a twenty page paper on the juvenile justice system of the late twentieth century and its failure to rehabilitate those individuals led to the earlier riots and civil disobediences of the early twenty-first century and were all contributing factors to our current justice system.” As I outlined the grounds for the paper I heard a small groan from the four of them. I think they need an even bigger incentive to accept this little project. “Of course if they don’t want to do it as part of their punishment I can always assign it to them in class and make it account for fifty percent of their grade. This way if it is done as punishment I can make it an extra credit assignment.”
Salina was quick to grab the none too stubble hint. “We’ll do it as part of our punishment. It shouldn’t be too much harder to do on top of our regular homework. Do we have a deadline for when we have to turn it in, and who do we turn it into?”
Damn, the girl is quick, it’s a shame that she got caught up with such a rotten bunch of kids like the Heathers. The Headmaster looked over to me before speaking. “If I remember correctly the Lady Maiha was given a similar assignment, however I will not set the same timeframe. You have until the end of your six weeks to have it written, proof read, and turned in. as this is a Citizenship and Moral Conduct assignment you will however turn them into Mrs. Nakatoma. Before you girls complain or object, please understand that Lady Maiha who is also Mrs. Nakatoma, has a twenty-five page paper on the roles of Death Dealers in our military structure and how they came about that is to be
ready in ten days that she has to present to both me and Vice Headmaster Recco.”
“Um… may I ask a question sir?” it was Priscilla Rich, until now she had mostly just stood back and let Selina do all the talking. When he nodded yes, she continued. “Why is it that you keep referring to Maiha or Alice by two different names? What I mean to say are they Mrs. Nakatoma or are they Lady Maiha and Allison?”
“I can see where you would be confused young lady, just are your friends are by this situation. The reason I have been using the two names is to differentiate between their status as first members of the schools teaching staff and their positions as students. When I say ‘Mrs. Nakatoma’ I’m referring to them as teachers. However when I say ‘Lady Maiha or Lady Allison’ they’re students. Do you understand now Miss Priscilla?”
“Oh yes, sir. I just couldn’t figure out why you were doing it.” She then turned to Alice and me. “How do want to be addressed, Mrs. Nakatoma? I don’t want to get into any more trouble by making a mistake when addressing you.”
Now this was a tricky question. I turned to Alice as she had a more recent experience with something like this. Thankfully she took the hint and answered for both of us.
