“Now, see?” Ally responds. “That’s why you’re the teacher and not me. You are goofy and bullheaded, but you have a heart that’s willing to learn and grow. You can be the sweetest woman among us all when we don’t have to put up with that stubborn nature of yours. But that, too, is something you are actively working on by yourself. Keep it up, kid!”
Sighing in contentment, Duplica asks, “So, that being said, if I’m patient about it, do you want to hang out when we’re both done? I’ll try not to be annoying if you can’t find time.”
“Of course, we can hang out,” Ally agrees. “And I know you won’t be pushy if I have to change my mind. After all, it’s not related to your class, so I don’t have to worry about arguing with you over it, he he!”
“Oh, ha ha.” Cat rolls her eyes, as if J. can see this. “Okay then, we’ll hang out whenever you can. Now, I had better call Doug to see how he’s doing.”
The voice on the other end questions Cat’s sense of timing. “Do you not have a field trip to lead, woman?”
“I got it under control, sis. Your daughter’s education is not in jeopardy over a phone call or two. Our schedule is exactly where I’ve been planning it to be all day…every second, heh heh heh.”
With a laugh, the voice says, “I see then. Well, Lady Duplica, I shall let you talk to Doug since my every second is apparently under your control, ha ha.”
“Ha! I wish. Okay, I’ll talk to you later, hon. Bye!” This ends the call with Ally J., but you’ve already heard the plan, so you know we aren’t leaving the school any time soon, so let’s check on other people.
Really, there’s not a whole lot going on so that even the two couples just stare into space, hoping the head teacher will remember what she’s supposed to be doing right now.
Owan looks over at Jo Meyers and asks, “Mom, do you think you need to ‘kindly’ remind Lady Duplica of the time?”
Jo barely hears this as she’s been happily staring at the same spot on the ceiling for a good few minutes now. However, she does acknowledge this request. “Baby, we are on schedule. Trust us. Maybe that is your exam for the day.” After this is said, Jo focuses even more intently and dreamily on that spot above her.
Still over by the vending machine, Mercy looks at Paul who has been sitting at the table with Kammy for some time now. Since the hallway between the machines and the lunch area is fairly long, Mercy has had to adjust her location a bit so she can just barely catch a view of Paul’s person partially visible around the corner down the hall, but this suffices her as she’s very comfortable sitting where she is. She even catches a little nap while waiting.
“Kammy,” a desperate Faye finally breaks the silence, “what did you do this time?”
“What are you talking about? I did nothing,” is the quick answer.
Trying again, Faye broadens the audience. “Guys, who broke the parents?” But at the very formation of these words, Duplica suddenly ends her phone call and signals for the other teachers to join her by the students.
“My little lovelies,” Duplica warmly addresses the class, “are you ready for a delicious course of education?”
The teens all give a nervous, “Uh, yeah?”
Pointing eagerly to the sky, Cat shouts, “Then let’s get cracking!”
“Cat, oh, Cat,” Mercy raises her hand like a twelve-year-old and asks, “Can I pick the method of travel this time? Can I? Can I?”
Inner Man Theatre 