Chapter 6

~New Characters Introduced~

Brawly, Marcus, Pryce, Whitney, and Erica

Original Date of Post: 08/19/2007

Narrator: Keeping a secret, no matter what it is can have some major repercussions. One day even lead to serious conditions like ulcers. Trust me, I know that from experience. But in the end, it’s up to you to make the call to let the secret out, or keep it locked in the closet.

Marisa: (Sighs) That's enough math problems for the decade. Now to work on the English final.

Miss Agatha: Working hard?

Marisa: Huh? Oh hi, Miss Agatha. Yeah, I wanted to get some last minute work done for finals week. The library is nice and quiet at this time.

Miss Agatha: Well, don't stay too late. Wouldn't want you to spend the night at the school. I'll see you tomorrow morning, dear. (She walks away)

Marisa: Hmm... (Yawns) Maybe I should call it a night. I better head home. (Walks out of the library) Huh? The light in Professor Elm's classroom is still on. Maybe he's still here so I can ask him something. That's convenient. (Looks in the window) That's odd, it's empty. Guess he forgot to turn off his... (The closet door opens) Huh? (Rebecca walks out)

Rebecca: I'll see you tomorrow. (Professor Elm walks out the closet)

Elm: You got it. (They kiss)

Marisa: (Whispering) Oh my God! My teacher is a sex pervert! I’ve got to go to Principal Oak! (She runs to the front office) Crap! No one is here! Wait a second, Miss Agatha couldn't have gone that far. (Runs to the front door) Crap, her car is gone!

Rebecca: I know what you saw! (Marisa gasps)

Marisa: You’re damn right I saw it! You're having sex with our teacher in the closet? That's disgusting!

Rebecca: I don’t want you to tell ANYBODY about this.

Marisa: I can’t sit by and have this continue. It is wrong for a teacher and a student to have sex with each other.

Rebecca: Listen freshman, if you tell Principal Oak, Professor Elm is going to get fired and then I’ll have to be transferred to another school. I want to stay here and graduate with my friends in May.

Marisa: There’s no silver lining to your story whatsoever! Every thing about this is making my skin crawl.

Rebecca: Keep in mind that I am 18 and I’m not living at home with my parents. I am entitled to live out my life the way I want to.

Marisa: You can’t keep on having sex on the premises. Chances are that someone might catch onto your dirty, little secret. But I guess that part has already happened.

Rebecca: No one is going to find out, as long as you keep your trap shut. You’ve only been here for less than one semester, but you’ve made quite the reputation for yourself. I have heard that you are nothing more than Mary’s assistant in the office. But then, there are the rumors that fly that say you’re a world-class snitch. That’s right! I know that with anything bad, you’ll go straight to the principal. (Marisa growls) If you know what’s good for you, keep your damn mouth shut or there WILL be hell to pay.

Marisa: Or what? (Rebecca walks up and pulls out a knife)

Rebecca: Use your imagination, nark! (The next morning at the school pool)

Brawly: (Yawns) Time for an early-morning dip! (Rapid swimming in the pool) Huh? Guess one of the dudes beat me to the punch. (Walks towards the edge) Huh? That dude's a chick! (Misty swims towards him) Howdy!

Misty: Can I help you?

Brawly: Oh, I’m sorry. I was just watching you do laps around the pool. Don’t worry; I’m not a stalker or anything like that. I’m actually on the school’s swim team and I was gonna do a few warm-up laps.

Misty: Oh I'm sorry, let me get out of your way.

Brawly: Ah, don't worry about it. Since there's no practice it's free to use. So go ahead and continue.

Misty: Well, thank you.

Brawly: You have wonderful form in the water. (Misty blushes) I was wondering if you would be interested in coming by tomorrow morning to meet the coach.

Misty: The coach?

Brawly: Yeah, of the swim team! I saw you in the water and I can tell you off the back that you are a lot faster than most of the other guys on the team.

Misty: You really think that I’m good enough for the swim team?

Brawly: Trust me on this one. Almost forgot! My name is Brawly.

Misty: Nice to meet you. My name is Misty.

Brawly: Just come by here tomorrow morning and meet Coach Pryce. (Outside Scott's office)

Marisa: (Thinking) Okay, this has to be taken care of now. If someone else catches them, the administration will find out that I knew and I will get in trouble. I've seen what happens to those who withhold information of importance. I gotta get Principal Oak aware of this situation without me getting stabbed. I guess I’m going to have to expose those two by myself. But, how am I going to be able to do that?

Marcus: Little buddy!

Marisa: Marcus! Perfect timing! I need your help!

Marcus: You need my help? So, what can I do for you?

Marisa: Get your camera ready. We’re going to expose a teacher!

Marcus: Sounds exciting and creepy! (In Professor Elm’s classroom)

Sakura: So this guy wants you to be on the swim team?

Misty: Yeah, I don’t know if I should do it.

Sakura: Come on Misty! I’m sure you’ll have a blast.

Misty: It’s not that I won’t have fun. It’s just that I’m worried about overdoing things by adding one more thing to my list of priorities. I’m worried that I’ll get overwhelmed by all of this. (Marisa enters the classroom) What’s up?

Marisa: Huh? Oh nothing.

Sakura: You seem quieter than usual this morning. What gives?

Marisa: Oh, it’s just that it’s getting close to final exams and sometimes I get a little worried.

Sakura: I see what you mean. I’m a train-wreck during this time. I do demand perfection after all. Except, I’m not feeling worried about any of my classes this year. (Professor Elm enters the classroom)

Elm: Alright class, for the period, I just want you to stay here and study. I’ll be in another room taking care of some business. (He leaves the room)

Misty: Just study?

Sakura: Something doesn’t seem right about that man. But if it keeps him away from the classroom, I’m all in favor for it.

Marisa: Hmm. (Pulls out a cell phone and starts texting)

Sakura: What are you doing?

Marisa: Oh, just telling one of my friends a funny joke. (In another classroom)

Marcus: (Yawns) Huh? (Looks at his phone) Excuse me Teacher, I gotta...go to the bathroom. (In the hallway) Okay, where is this guy? Ah-ha, there he is!

Professor Elm: (Humming) Huh? (Turns around) Strange, I could have sworn someone was following me. (Continues walking)

Marcus: (Sighs) That was a close one. He almost spotted me! Back to the trail. (Professor Elm goes into the classroom and into the closet) Now where did he go to? Damn it, he's gone. If Marisa thinks she can throw me on some wild goose chase, she's got another thing coming!

Miss Agatha: Young man, where's your hall pass?

Marcus: Oh Miss Agatha, right here. Just going to the little boy's room.

Miss Agatha: Alright then, get going. (In the closet)

Rebecca: What took you so long?

Elm: I had a class to stall. Remember? I can’t help but think that you should be in class right now as well.

Rebecca: Please! You know that I have late arrival status this year, which makes it even easier. I don’t have a first period so that we could see each other more often.

Elm: And what about all of your other classes? You’re crippling yourself, not to mention myself as well.

Rebecca: You know as well as I do that we can’t be out in public or anywhere near my apartment complex. People kind of frown upon a teacher doing a student!

Elm: We can’t keep doing this here!

Rebecca: It’ll only be for a couple more months. (After first period)

Marisa: So did you get any incriminating shots?

Marcus: I really couldn’t get anything except your teacher walking through the hallway. He thought he was being followed and so I hid and I sorta...lost his trail.

Marisa: Which means he must have ducked out in some other classroom. Rats! I can’t certainly use those to prove anything to Principal Oak. Okay, I guess we’re going to have to try again tomorrow morning.

Marcus: Before I progress with you any further, I demand to know what's going on! I left my math class in the middle of a very important lecture for some goose chase!

Marisa: Oh for the love of Buddha! I’m going to whisper it in your ear, but you are to never tell anybody about this. (She whispers)

Marcus: Holy crap! That’s disgusting! Are you sure?

Marisa: I’m positive. I saw the two of them leaving a closet last night. They both looked very sweaty and they were fixing themselves up and they kissed on the lips. Who does that?

Marcus: And I know that you wouldn’t lie to me, little buddy.

Marisa: Exactly! So you’ll still stick with me tomorrow?

Marcus: Not a problem! Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go to the bathroom and retch because of what you just told me. (The next morning at the school pool)

Misty: I don’t know about this Brawly.

Brawly: I’m sure you’ll do great Misty. (Boys grumbling)

Misty: I’m all for the idea of being on the team, but I didn’t realize that I would be the only girl on the team.

Brawly: Pay no attention to those idiots! They’re just afraid, that’s all! (Boys grumbling continue) Hey, shut up! (A door opens) Uh-oh, Icy Pryce is here!

Misty: Icy Pryce?

Brawly: Yeah, that’s kind of his nickname. Pryce has got kind of a reputation of being a bit of an old crank. But in all fairness, I’m sure he’s going to love you and put you on the team.

Misty: (Sarcastically) Oh, that makes me feel better!

Brawly: Good morning Coach Pryce.

Pryce: Brawly…Who is this girl?

Brawly: This here is Misty Waterflower and she wants to tryout for the team. (Pryce gives her a cold stare)

Misty: (Thinking) Now I know why he's called Icy Pryce. He has a cold stare that's as icy as the arctic itself.

Pryce: You know that we haven't had a girl on the team in years.

Brawly: I promise you this Coach; she is fast in the water.

Misty: I promise I’ll do my best.

Pryce: Hmm…Talk is cheap, little missy. Let’s see how you are in the pool and we’ll go from there. (Misty dives into the pool and rapidly paddles)

Brawly: Alright!

Pryce: Whoa!

Boy 1: That chick is fast!

Boy 2: Faster than me!

Boy 3: Who does this chick think she is?

Brawly: That's the way, Mist! (Pryce walks to the edge)

Pryce: That's enough of that. (Misty swims to the edge) Well young lady, that's the kind of stamina and speed I love to see.

Misty: (Thinking) Huh? He's smiling? Wow!

Pryce: Welcome to the team! Alright boys, let's welcome our newest teammate, Misty. (Single clap) You're all dismissed. (He walks away)

Brawly: You did it Misty! I knew you could. (Boys groaning)

Misty: (Sarcastic) Gee, they’re real supportive!

Brawly: Don’t mind them. All of the other boys are jealous because they can’t swim laps the way you can.

Misty: I sure hope that the others can accept me as a teammate.

Brawly: Eh, don’t worry about that. The point is that you got through to Icy Pryce and that’s one hell of an accomplishment. Besides, if you have any problem with anybody on the team, you can always come to me. You just tell me who’s giving you a hard time and I’ll deal with them personally.

Misty: Thanks Brawly. (In first period)

Sakura: Congratulations!

Marisa: Way to go!

Misty: Thanks you guys. I was a little worried, but now I’m glad that I’m on the team. As long as Brawly is there, I feel safer.

Sakura: Brawly, huh?

Misty: Don’t get any ideas, he’s just a friend.

Marisa: Hey, it’s quite alright if you found yourself another crush. Sophomore, decent grades, and on the swim team. He's pretty clean on the records.

Misty: Have you been reading permanent records?

Marisa: Who wants to know? (Professor Elm enters the room)

Elm: Alright students, I want you to sit here and study for the period. I’ll be back. (He leaves)

Misty: Strange? I guess we’re all going to get an A in the class at this rate.

Sakura: Huh? I want to at least earn my grade. This is pathetic! (Marisa gets up) Now where are you going?

Misty: Yeah. Professor Elm told us to sit here and study.

Marisa: Yeah, well he doesn’t control my bladder. I’m going to the bathroom. (She leaves)

Sakura: That’s even stranger! (Outside the classroom)

Marcus: He went into the empty classroom again.

Marisa: Right, I kind of figured that’s where he was going. Come on, I came up with another plan. (Outside the other classroom)

Marcus: So what’s the next plan?

Marisa: You see that fire alarm right by the room? I want you to pull that and then run like hell. (Marcus gasps) Don’t worry, the school doesn’t have any cameras and all I have to do is make sure the coast is clear before you do anything.

Marcus: Sometimes I wonder what I keep getting myself into.

Marisa: Well now we're going to nail the sex pervert. Get ready.

Marcus: Yeah but at the risk of getting detention for life by pulling the...

Marisa: Coast is clear. Do it now! (Marcus pulls the alarm and runs away) Now to find Miss Agatha. (Students walk out of the classrooms and out the exits) Ah-ha! Miss Agatha!

Miss Agatha: Marisa, come on let's get outside now.

Mary: Hold on Miss Agatha, look at this.

Miss Agatha: Someone pulled the fire alarm. I should have known, some coward did it to get out of a test. Happens all the time.

Marisa: (Thinking) Time to nail them. (Aloud) Maybe they're hiding in that classroom.

Miss Agatha: When I get a hold of the delinquent, he's getting detention until his wedding day. (Opens the door) Alright, the jig is up!

Mary: You think they can be in that closet?

Marisa: Might be. (Miss Agatha opens the door)

Elm: Um...Oh...Mi-Mi-Miss Agatha. I can explain.

Mary: Yikes.

Miss Agatha: You...with a student? Professor Elm, pull up your pants and get to my office, right now! You, little missy, you come with me. Mary and Marisa, go outside and find Principal Oak. (They leave the classroom)

Mary: There's not enough electroshock therapy in the world to make me forget what I saw in there. (Marisa texts on her phone)

Marisa: (Thinking) Checkmate. (Outside the school)

Marcus: (Checking his phone) Checkmate.

Narrator: Moments later, among the peers.

Whitney: And he wasn’t wearing pants!

Erica: No pants, you say? My word!

Whitney: Yeah, Miss Agatha and the two office narks saw it with their own eyes.

Erica: Sometimes I wish I could sell out like Mary and Marisa, so I could see some exciting stuff like that.

Misty: My sisters were right, he is a pedophile.

Sakura: I knew that guy was no good. I knew I couldn’t trust him.

Ash: He’s not a Catholic Priest is he?

Drew: Boy, you’re an idiot! Catholic Priests go for boys, and he’s a…

Daisy: AN ADULTERER! I KNEW IT!

Lily: And I didn’t know that Rebecca was such a closet slut.

Violet: Literally! (Winona walks up)

Lily: Hello Winnie!

Violet: Winona, we just heard the awful news.

Winona: What news?

Daisy: What the? Have you been under a rock? Your so-called friend was just caught with her pants down.

Violet: Literally!

Winona: What are you talking about?

Daisy: Rebecca was caught screwing Professor Elm in a closet.

Winona: What?

Lily: Yeah. Sorry to hear that your friend is a total closet slut!

Violet: Literally! (Winona runs off)

Daisy: (Yelling) It’s not like it wasn’t obvious! (A little later outside the principal’s office)

Mary: She’s out here if you want to speak to her before Principal Oak does.

Winona: Thank you Mary. (Mary leaves)

Rebecca: How are you doing Winnie?

Winona: I should be asking you that question.

Rebecca: Eh, I’ll live. I guess they had to find out sooner or later.

Winona: Rebecca, you and I have known each other for many years. In that time, we never held any secrets from each other and we told each other everything. Now all of a sudden, things have changed and you end up screwing the teacher. I demand to know what was going through your mind. What possessed you to do such a thing? (Rebecca turns away) Look at me when I’m talking to you!

Rebecca: It started back in my junior year, last year. I had Professor Elm as my English teacher. Nothing really happened until the last day of the semester. It started out with a kiss and then it went straight to sex. It was magical and weird at the same time. All this semester, we’ve been hiding out in closets and such. But because of me, Professor Elm is getting fired and I’ll be transferred to a different school.

Winona: I’d be lying if I said you don’t deserve it.

Rebecca: I knew you were going to be like that. I’m sorry Winnie.

Winona: Don’t apologize to me. What you should do is apologize to Professor Elm for costing him his job. Even though I have my theories that he’s guilty more so, you should still do it.

Rebecca: No, it is my fault. I kept insisting that we meet in the closet every morning. It was my fault for this whole ordeal.

Winona: Hmm.

Rebecca: I’m feeling bad for this whole semester. I’ve changed drastically. I’m finding myself doing things I’ve never done before. I’m sleeping with a 40+ year old teacher, who I can’t help but think was a virgin until I got through to him, I’m skipping classes, threatening freshmen girls with knives, and I just can’t live with myself now. (Starts crying)

Winona: Come here Rebecca. (They hug) You don’t have to hide in the closet anymore. (In the courtyard after school)

Marcus: So what’s the word, little buddy?

Marisa: It’s all been taken care of. Rebecca is being transferred to another school and Professor Elm is getting fired.

Marcus: What’s with the sad tone? I thought you would have been happy to get rid of the perverted teacher. You’ve been set on having him out of the school since the semester began.

Marisa: No, I’m happy that we sent that pervert packing. I’m just a little worried that my name will be dragged through the mud. But considering that I made it through the whole day without being called into the principal’s office, I’m guessing Rebecca didn’t tell them that I knew for the last 48 hours.

Marcus: Very comforting to know.

Marisa: Since Rebecca is going to another school in a different state, I won't have to worry about my life being in danger anymore.

Marcus: Very good.

Marisa: Now that the hard part is over, we have to vow that we will NEVER speak of this incident ever again. No one must know about our grand plan.

Marcus: We take it to the grave!

Marisa: Exactly. (They shake hands) Man, what a day!

Marcus: You can say that again! Say, when you and Miss Agatha opened the door, you didn’t happen to catch any…you know? (Nervous giggle)

Marisa: Holy crap! You’re worse than Brock! Hmph, my lips are sealed!

Marcus: Hey, don’t put me under that category! Come on little buddy, out with the details.

Marisa: No, I get sick to my stomach just thinking about this.

~*Preview*~

Sakura: It's been two months since I last saw Shelly in school. I'm worried if she got sick or hurt or moved or dropped out OR WORSE! I can't take the thoughts anymore. I have to see her just to ease my thoughts. Winona, I know you may think she's no good, but I believe she's one of the kindest girls I ever met. And if you don't want to accept our friendship, then stay the hell away from me. Next time on Romance 101, Chapter 7...See you next time!