Sixteen Scandals
Copyright© 2026 by Zappedfan
Chapter 3: Twenty Torpedoes
“Hey. Edna Jackson. Fordham University.”
“Oh, Hi. I’m Bobby Dolan. I go to City University.”
“Mind if I join you?”
“Be my guest.”
Edna placed her tray down across the table from Bobby. Fifteen female cadets took note of this out of the corner of their eyes. Edna pointed at bobby’s wedding ring.
“So, you’re married,” She started, “That’s not so common for a twenty-one year-old these days.”
“Oh, I’m twenty-three,” Bobby answered.
“Me, too!” Edna exclaimed, happy to meet a classmate her own age, “I had two years prior service before college.”
“Not me,” Bobby answered, “I got a job in I.T. right out of High School. But you can only go so far without a degree. And we want to have more children.”
“More?” Edna asked, “You have children already?”
“One,” Bobby replied, “A girl. Three years old.”
Oh great, Edna thought, now I’m not only going to spy on another woman’s husband but also some little girl’s Daddy.
“Do you mind if I ask,” Edna started, “Why did you get married so young?”
“It was my duty,” Bobby answered.
“Oh!” Edna smiled nervously, “I’m, sorry I didn’t mean to pry.”
Bobby responded, “It’s okay. A lot of people ask.”
Fine, Edna thought, not only is he nice, he’s noble, too. This would be so much easier if he was a Jerk like Mike Driver.
Edna felt lots of things at once; growing friendship with Bobby, guilt about her impending betrayal of that friendship and a little bit of romantic interest.
As she finished her meal, she could only bring herself to ask, “Are you going to the Military Competitions this evening?”
“I’m not any good at that stuff.” Bobby answered.
“That’s why you need it,” Edna concluded as she walked away.
On the way towards the Military Competitions, Claire McGrisken and the St. John’s girls caught up with Edna.
“Wow, you sure had a lot to say at dinner to that THIRD FLOOR male Cadet,” Claire said, “One of the Twenty Torpedoes!”
“The what?” Edna asked.
“Well if we’re the Sixteen Scandals, we need a name for them, right? And they each have one torpedo.”
“That’s perverted,” Edna replied.
“Says the mastermind,” Claire mocked.
Edna then thought that if she, herself, didn’t look at Bobby, then she wouldn’t be personally violating his privacy. There would still be Greg Williams, Mike Driver and seventeen others. Of course, that wouldn’t protect Bobby’s modesty from the rest of the Sixteen Scandals. But she could only do what she could do.
“Well, don’t worry,” Edna said to Claire, “I didn’t tell Bobby anything. He’ll parade in front of you tomorrow morning, just as clueless and just as naked as the rest of them.”
Then Edna sneered at Claire, “You’ll see his torpedo.”
“Okay,” Claire concluded, “Rehearsal after the competitions, right?”
Edna nodded.
Edna went on to win most of the Military Competitions. She noticed two things. One was that Bobby cheering for her. He was just so nice.
The other was that none of the Hofstra female cadets were there. Most of the Hofstra male cadets were there but not Nancy Peters or the other three Hofstra female cadets. Were they up to something? But Edna dismissed her concern. After all, it was Nancy who gave that “One for all and all for one” speech that convinced the others to go along with her scheme.
After competitions everyone retired to the barracks.
Claire and the St. John’s girls decided they would shower after the rehearsal and be in their uniforms before reveille in the morning. So, they were in their bathrobes as they watched Edna un-screwed the air-chase vent from the female drying room wall.
As Edna’s Fordham classmates silently slid one of the extra mattresses into the air chase, Edna removed the screws from the wall vent and replaced them with wooden dowels that had metal screw tops superglued onto one end. Claire was impressed.
The Fordham classmates then placed the blackened cardboard into the air-chase out of sight and looked at Claire to make sure she knew where it would be. Claire nodded. Edna put the vent back onto the wall. The dowels slid easily into the screw holes. It looked like it was still screwed in.
Edna now backed off and nodded to Claire. Claire gently and quietly pulled the vent off the wall and lowered it to the floor between the bench and the wall. Claire let her three classmates climbed into the air chase first. They left just enough room for Claire to join them. Edna had a surprise planned for the next part.
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