Chapter 5

Her table was seated or standing on the marble front steps, the standing girls were extremely décoritive, the seated were stunning. Students throughout the rest of the school used other means of ingress ... the behind the auditorium set of double doors ... the several rear single doors, access through the gym... ‘stay off the court’ ... a privileged few came in through the ‘plant’ ... the domain of the custodians.

Only the équipe de la saison ... football in the fall, basketball during the winter, baseball in the spring ... and The Table ... used the stained glass double double doors that led them past the Superintendents Office on their left and the auditorium on their right. All others were informed that ‘this’ was the property of the elite ... she was the only freshman to use those doors more than once.

Those unfortunate enough to be bused to school used the rear doors. The buses had parked in front of the school ONCE, years ago. ONCE and never again. The Super made such a fuss about it.

“Nobody told us,” said a chorus of drivers.

“You should have known,” said the Super.

“Why would we?” four part harmony.

“Graduates from here know the rules,” Again the Super.

And then came the disaster.

“We’re not from here.”

The Super rounded on the contractor, “You HIRED away from town!”

The school attorney was summoned.

“Says right here, ‘Local drivers.’”

The contractor was the low bid ... and from out of town. He could supply older buses. Buses out of compliance with the huge out-county system.

The bus contractor had the decency to blush. He also didn’t abide by the contract. Simply a case of a school board out of touch with reality ... again.

The new contractor might not have had the low bid ... but he was within a dollar of the old one. And he was local.

Local hired drivers knew not to park in front.

Amber walked up the sidewalk to the marble steps ... she was greeted by all and sundry. The principal opened the double double door... 20 mimnutes later the tardy bell rang.

The start of a new week. Amber was just as bored as she was last week... 20 years before.