Chapter 4

When the teens arrived at the school Tuesday morning, they noticed that a large crowd was gathering at the main doors. When they got closer they saw that a few kids had already begun undressing, but groups of kids immediately surrounded them in human screens, blocking any view of them. Then the groups began escorting the naked students to the doors. Cynthia tried to count the participating students but wasn’t able to see them clearly to tell exactly who was naked. Suddenly Mr Davis and Mr Cirota appeared at the doors.

Cirota called, “Students, what are you doing? You can’t shield the Program students that way—they have to be seen!”

Everyone completely ignored Cirota as the human shields composed of the anti-Program platoon kids pushed past him and into the school, where they escorted the Program students to their home rooms.

During the home room period, the announcements came on.

“Your attention, please, this is Mr Davis. This morning, when the Program students disrobed, a number of students blocked them from being seen. This is not acceptable and if it continues, those doing it will be punished. The Program students must be available for viewing at all times and to allow Reasonable Requests. That is all.”

During the next class change, the siblings saw how the human shield idea had evolved into a working technique. It seemed like everyone was getting into the act now; this was like a huge new game. There were enough kids participating in the human screens so that those blocking the participants could stay in position, walking with the group for a while and as they walked, others would join the group and replace them. Those kids would then peel off and join another group, if one was nearby. Davis and Cirota were in the hall, trying to grab kids out of the many who were just shuttling around between the shield groups. Kids being grabbed just shook off the officials’ grasps and moved away while the mass of moving, ever-changing groups just traveled inexorably along to their destinations while Davis and Cirota just looked on in frustration, unable to break up the phalanxes of students surrounding the Program kids.

Of course, everyone was having a great time with the choreography of this great dance and the racket in the halls was enormous, completely drowning out Cirota’s attempts at shouting for attention. The announcement system again came to life at the bell beginning the net class.

“Students, what I saw in the halls is completely unacceptable,” Davis announced. “I will not tolerate this attempt to make light of the responsibilities of the Program students to show their bodies and to allow them to be examined by other students. This will stop immediately, or we will force everyone involved to be drafted into the Program immediately, and for an entire month. That is all.”

When the announcement ended, there was a murmuring and sounds of muted mocking laughter in the classroom and the teacher called for order. He looked around the room and then at a sheet of paper.

“We have two Program students this week, Roger and Cynthia Denison. You both missed class yesterday and you’re supposed to be in the Program. Why are you wearing clothes?”

“Sir, we didn’t get a chance to give you our passes from yesterday, and no, we’re not in the Program,” Roger responded as he handed their excuse slips to the teacher.

“You’re on the list here,” he said, waving the paper.

“The list is wrong since we updated it with our declining to participate, sir,” Cynthia said.

“You can’t just remove yourselves, you know.”

“Without being impertinent about the matter, sir, our non-participation has effectively removed us, wouldn’t you say?” she went on.

“Regardless, this is an anatomy class and I need the two of you naked as demonstration models.”

Meanwhile the heads in the classroom were moving back and forth as the verbal exchange continued.

“Not possible, sir; we respectfully decline,” Roger said. “You can use any of the demonstration materials you used the last time you taught this class; if they weren’t adequate for instruction, I’m sure you wouldn’t have used them.”

Chuckles from the class.

“We need to tape this class session for the school website...”

“Excuse me, sir?” Roger interrupted. “Exactly how does a class video contribute to the instruction in this class? If you need to post something, post the instructional materials that you show us.”

The class erupted in hooting and laughter.

“Now, sir, can we please just proceed with the class? Just forget we’re here, okay? Thanks.” Roger said as he seated himself.

“Well, then, I suppose there’s nothing I can do to convince you...?”

Both Roger and Cynthia shook their heads. After shuffling some papers around, the teacher looked up and asked the class to open their texts to the first chapter, on the human skeletal system.

“I was going to start on the reproductive system today, but instead let’s begin with the body’s support framework...”

Then a messenger appeared with a note and handed it to the teacher. He read it and looked up.

“Cynthia and Roger Denison. Mr Davis wants to speak to you.”

The two exchanged glances, nodded, and went to the door.

Cynthia asked, “You think this is the enforcers?”

“Maybe not. This might be over the resistance movement.”

It turned out that Roger was correct. As soon as they entered Mr Davis’ office, without even greeting them, he began questioning them.

“I see that both of you are still failing to participate in the Program and learned this morning that yesterday you disobeyed a direct request from your psychology teacher, Miss Mason, about classroom participation. The school will need to make an example of you so that other students will understand that not participating will not be accepted. Do you have anything to say?”

“No, sir, other than repeating what we said yesterday,” Cynthia said. “Not only are we morally opposed to that nonsense, our parents have also forbidden us to participate.”

“You also threatened yesterday to disrupt the operation of the Program. Is what I observed this morning outside and in the halls something you arranged?”

“We didn’t arrange what you saw, but it was based on some ideas we had and shared with others. What you saw was the reaction of other students to the Program. I think that virtually everyone opposes it. This has obviously turned into some kind of civil disobedience,” Roger commented.

“I think that you did orchestrate this, and I’m ordering you to stop it right now. I want the two of you to go on the PA system and ask the students to stop.”

“Sir, we will neither make any such announcement nor ask anyone to stop doing what they are voluntarily doing,” Cynthia said mildly.

“If you don’t, I will suspend you indefinitely.”

“That’s a dangerous threat to make, sir. Would the school board support you in the lawsuit that we would file over your improper use of authority? Is there any evidence of our breaking a rule established by the school district?” Cynthia asked, speaking more forcefully. “May we return to classes now? We answered your questions, sir.”

“You can go for now, but I’m going to look into how you’re involved in this interference with the Program. If I learn that you’re leading this interference movement, I will suspend you, understand?”

He waved them out of his office and they returned to class. The rest of the class passed without any further difficulties and the class change afterwards was just as tumultuous as the previous one had been; Davis, Cirota, and a number of teachers were in the hall trying to corral kids from the passing phalanxes; those kids simply twisted aside and melted away as soon as someone tried to grab them. A few were caught and they indignantly claimed that they were only passing through the mobs of kids and, without any evidence to the contrary, had to be let go.

The twins and Ayame parted; she going to her Civics class and they to Economics. After second period ended, since it was Tuesday, they had a study period instead of gym.

“Say, Cyn, maybe I should go see Coach Jerter and calm him down from my missing practice yesterday. I’ll be back before the end of the period,” Roger said, getting a hall pass from the study hall proctor.

Roger came back after a half hour. “He wasn’t too angry; he had heard about what we did to the two coaches Monday morning and thought it served them right. I guess there must be some bad blood among the coaching staff. But I have practice tomorrow through Friday from 6 to 7:30 a.m. and that scrimmage meet on Friday at 7:30 p.m.”

Then one of the other students in the study hall class came over and whispered, “Hey Denisons, you guys need to hear this one. I was in first period gym today and we did the locker room switch drill. Wow, did that freak out the teachers! They tried to get us to switch back to the way they wanted, but us Marine kids refused and all the others just went along. They made lots of threats but what could they do against an entire class of kids? Fail everyone? They got hoarse screaming but everyone just ignored them and kept on dressing. I heard that almost the same thing happened in the boys’ lockers with all the girls being in there. But it was the men teachers and they didn’t know where to look—or not to look. My girlfriend said that they were yelling but looking in the opposite direction. Too funny!