Jealousy at TAC

by Richard Pinkerton

‘Mr Harris! Right on the dot. Take a seat.’

  The crazy Englishman sat down in front of Mr Luxton’ desk. Luxton had no intentions on wasting time with niceties and intended on getting straight down to business. ‘Two things I wanted to discuss, Mr Harris… I’ll get the more unpleasant stuff over and done with first, because the sooner the matter’s dealt with, the happier I’ll be.’

  ‘Whose complained about him this time?’ Mr Harris asked.

  ‘I assume you mean Rex Cassidy?’

  ‘Who else?’

  ‘Well, I’ve had complaints right across the board, but it’s been Mr Sanders who’s made a big issue.’

  ‘Ah Reverend Flanders. What’s his problem?’

  ‘Well that for one thing… that nickname. Rex calls him that all the time.’

  ‘I know.’ Mr Harris chuckled. ‘He’s even got me calling him that now.’

  ‘Mr Harris, the teachers in this school have enough trouble with Rex, especially when it comes to him calling them nicknames, without you encouraging him.’ Mr Luxton tapped his desk rapidly with his pen. It was bad enough having to deal with a rebel teenager, without having to deal with a rebel teacher too. He could see this meeting was going to really try his patience.

  ‘I’m not encouraging him. It just sort of caught on.’

  ‘Well it’s disrespect and we can’t have our students disrespecting the staff, can we now, Mr Harris?’

  ‘Give the lad a break; he’s just having a bit of fun.’

  ‘At a teacher’s expense? Mr Harris, when Rex Cassidy came to this school, you were asked by the former principal to keep an eye on the lad to make sure he toed the line. You’re responsible for trying to set him on the right track. You were given that role, because he thought that with your military background you could instil some discipline into this boy. I’m beginning to wonder whether he made the right decision. According to other teachers in this school, you encourage his behaviour, not dissuade it.’

  ‘Well, to be honest I don’t see what the problem is. Some teachers in this school are just a little over sensitive, that’s all.’

  ‘Look, I know the guy is a likable kid, in fact I can’t help but like him myself. He has a lot of charm and he’s basically a really great guy, but we can’t just stand by and allow him to get away with everything he wants to. He disrupts classes, has no respect, doesn’t do as he’s told, and never turns up for detentions. If it wasn’t for the bribe his parents pay to keep him here, he wouldn’t even be at this school, he would have been expelled ages ago.’

  ‘What can you do?’ Mr Harris smirked.

  ‘Well the question really is what are you going to do? Are you actually doing anything to try to and get this lad to conform?’

  ‘So that’s what it’s all about is it? Conformity?’

  ‘It’s...’

  ‘You want this boy to conform to some antiquated convention of what a student should or shouldn’t be? Are we living in Japan or China or some country like that? Mr Luxton, is there no room in this school for individuality, freedom of speech or revelry? If you really want a school full of robots why don’t you go climb aboard a space ship and take a trip to the Delta Quadrant. I’m sure the Borg can teach you a thing or two.’

  ‘Now come on, Mr Harris, I think you’re getting a little carried away there. I don’t think we’re asking too much for the students of this school to give us a little respect and to behave themselves while they’re here. As far as I’m concerned, they can do what they like outside the school ground, but while they’re here they abide by the school rules. We have school rules for a reason.’

  ‘Well I still don’t see what the big deal is. I never have any trouble with Rex. In fact, if I have anything to say about it, I’d say he was a model student. He’s a great athlete, superb fitness, great attitude to team sports, willing to rise to any challenge...’

  ‘That’s beside the point! His education doesn’t revolve around physical education, you know.’

  ‘The problem as I see it is the faculty itself. Sure, most of the teachers in this school know what they’re talking about. They know their subjects, but when it comes to discipline, they know absolutely nothing. On top of that, they have no idea how to relate with students at all, they’re totally out of touch. If they could see things from the student’s point of view, maybe they’d get along with them better.’

  ‘You’re not exactly the most popular teacher in this school either, you know. Students are always complaining about your extreme methods.’

  ‘The students in this school are soft!’

  ‘Maybe, but I don’t think that you’re in any position to talk about how teachers should relate to their students.’

  ‘Well it doesn’t make any difference. That’s still the problem as far as I can see. Normal discipline isn’t going to work on Rex Cassidy.’

  ‘So we let him get away with everything, do we?’

  ‘He’s not that bad. So a few teachers can’t handle him? Big deal.’

  ‘He has been here a year now and everyone is telling me that your methods have achieved nothing. He is still just as bad.’

  ‘Oh, come on, they’re exaggerating. I’ve seen marked improvements in his behaviour. Most of those teachers he had last year don’t even have him now. Miss Tantic doesn’t. In fact, if you talk to her, she’ll tell you that her impressions of Rex have changed radically and as for Bronson, he’s dead, but he was the main one who campaigned to have Rex expelled last year... along with the old principal who’s in jail for murdering Bronson because he was such an unreasonable stuck up prat. Now you have Ms Cann who used to complain about Rex all the time too. Now all she can do is sing his praises. Are you still trying to insist he’s just as bad now? How would you know for sure, when you weren’t even here a year ago?’

  Mr Luxton sighed in frustration and shook his head. ‘Alright. I guess you’re right. I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt on this one and trust that your methods will continue to bear fruit.’

  ‘What I’d like to see is you do something about old Neddy Flanders. He’s completely unprofessional.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Well... the fact that he preaches to his students. He will unashamedly stand up there in front of the class telling them how they need Christ in their lives and all that. Do you condone that?’

  ‘No... That’s not right at all. He has no business doing that here in this school. Look, I’m seeing him soon so I’ll have a word with him then, but I want you to continue to give him the respect he’s due. He’s new to this school and he’s having a little trouble fitting in.’

  ‘I’m not surprised. He’s a bible thumping bigot and a bleeding hypocrite to boot.’

  ‘Well let’s give him a chance. Hopefully he’ll realise that there are certain standards we expect of him both in class and out of class. You can go now.’

  Mr Luxton shuffled some papers around on his desk and Mr Harris left. No sooner had he gone when a knock came at the door and Ms Cann entered. ‘Can I have a word please?’

  ‘Make it short, Ms Cann, I have another appointment in five minutes. By the way, how are you feeling?’

  ‘Much better thank you. I definitely needed that day off, but I’m fully recuperated now.’

  ‘What can I do for you?’

  ‘I wish to make a complaint.’

  ‘Oh, no. What’s wrong this time?’

  ‘It’s that horrid girl. She even has a sister here now.’

  ‘Wait. Horrid girl? Do you mean Vanessa Dante?’ Mr Luxton’s mind immediately thought of her mother, Grace and he nearly smiled at the vision in his mind. There was one extremely gorgeous woman that he would give anything to have sitting with him in his office right now.

  ‘Of course I mean her! Now she has a sister here who is just as immoral as she is.’

  ‘What? Oh, you mean, Nadia Harrison? From what I understand she’s straight.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘She
likes boys.’

  ‘Well I don’t know about that, but I saw the both of them with Rex Cassidy this morning. They were supposed to be in class, but they were out the back of the school, involved in a.... in an orgy!’

  ‘What?’

  ‘They were there behind the trees, kissing and touching, all three of them together!’

  ‘Were they naked?’

  ‘No, but he had his shirt unbuttoned with their hands all over his chest and he was touching them... you know, touching them where he shouldn’t! It was despicable! Two girls and one boy like that and those two are sisters! That makes it doubly as immoral!’

  ‘Did you say anything?’

  ‘I saw them, when I was doing my rounds. I saw them!’

  ‘And you didn’t say anything?’

  ‘Of course I did. I told them to get to class right now.’

  ‘What did they say?’

  ‘That horrible girl, Vanessa. Ooooh, she makes my skin crawl. She said... she said, “Care to join us Ms Cann?”’

  Mr Luxton nearly let out a burst of laughter, but managed to hold most if it in.

  ‘What’s so funny? How can you just laugh at that? It’s disgusting! It’s perverted!’

  ‘I think she was just trying to get a rise out of you, Ms Cann. I don’t believe she really wanted you to join them. Did they stop after you told them to?’

  ‘No! They kept on going. They completely ignored me. I couldn’t stay around there. I had to go. They’re probably still there right now, committing their perverted acts. Remember last term, you said if I caught them doing something like that you would expel them! I demand you expel Vanessa Dante right now.’

  ‘Whoa, hold on, hold on. Apart from skipping class, she really hasn’t done anything that serious. Besides, why pick on her? Rex and Nadia were also there.’

  ‘She’s the ring leader. She’s the one that gets them to do all those disgraceful acts.’

  ‘I don’t think so, Ms Cann. From what I understand, Rex himself is often the instigator. As for Nadia, I don’t know enough about her to judge her.’

  ‘Nadia should be kept away from her. If she’s not careful Vanessa might turn her into... one of those!’

  ‘Ms Cann, it doesn’t work that way. You don’t get turned into things like that. You either are or you aren’t. Let’s not get carried away here. The only problem I can see here is that the three of them were not in class when they should have been. Yes, what they were doing does appear to be very inappropriate, but there is no reason to expel anyone, let alone Vanessa specifically. In fact, it’s beginning to look to me like you have it in for this girl.’

  ‘No, I don’t, I just don’t like the way she behaves.’

  ‘It used to be the same with Rex, but after he stuck up for you against those gang members at his birthday party, you seem to have changed your opinion of him.’

  ‘Well, I realised just what a nice boy he was.’

  ‘But yet according to you he’s still indulging in perverted and immoral acts. So why single out Vanessa? Because she’s gay?’

  Ms Cann’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t reply.

  ‘That’s all I can see here. It’s you taking a disliking to her because of her sexual preferences. That’s discrimination, Ms Cann and we can’t be seen to be supporting that.’

  ‘But she... but she...’

  ‘I’m sorry Ms Cann. But I think we should just leave it.’

  ‘Are you even going to put them on detention?’

  ‘I see no point. I’ll get someone to take a walk out back and see if they’re still there. If they’re still not in class, we’ll take it further. Alright?’

  ‘Alright,’ grumbled the elderly teacher. ‘But this isn’t the end of this. I’m not going to give up. We can’t have this sort of behaviour going on in this school, we just can’t!’

  Mr Luxton sighed and watched her leave. ‘Never ending drama,’ he said to himself after she’d gone.