Chapter 21

I set Beth and Holly to doing homework after a quick snack of chicken Quesadilla, then spent some time in the garage doing multiple fast reps of light iron, followed by inverted crunches. When I was pleasantly sore, I took my shower, and started dinner, scalloped potatoes with ham bits and saucy cheese. Setting the oven timer, I had time to make a good start on my own homework before dinner.

After dinner, Beth asked me when we could start on her music studio, and I had to put her off until the weekend, as we didn't have transportation to get materials. On second thought, I told her we could do some prep work, clearing the furniture out to the garage, tomorrow after school. That way, we could get the materials on Saturday, if we could drag Dad away from the sweet heap project for a few hours, and start with the sound-proofing in the afternoon and on Sunday after Church.

I woke up in the middle of the night from being crowded out of bed. I was half way off the side, displaced by two little girls and a mutt. I stood, tucked everyone in, and wandered off to the girl's room, to curl up in one of their beds under pink Disney princess blankets. I slept very soundly, and didn't wake up until Holly shook me, saying that it was a dirty trick to leave them all alone in my bed to try to turn off the alarm.

My logical response that they were certainly not alone was not well received, and I got kicked out of my sister's bed. Standing in front of the bathroom mirror brushing my hair and teeth, I had to laugh at the absurdity of the situation, and the grin was on my face the whole morning.

When my Miss Tiff asked what was so amusing, I related the whole story to her, and she was amused also.

"Do you usually find stray females in your bed?" she asked waspishly. I explained that I often found a sister or two in my bed in the mornings, but the female stray was a new addition. Tiff gave me a waver on Dee, and accepted that the little blisters were grandfathered in. I am certain she was just jealous because she wanted to wake up in my bed. I tried to make it up to her by letting her lean against me all lunch period.

The whole culture of the school was vastly improved, a more integrated, tolerant climate of bonhomie and egalitarianism. The more conservative Seniors were very confused, and a small handful tried to pretend to the old guard status quo. but they were just ignored as passe. The new rainbow color guard was entrenched and acting loud and proud, irrepressible and unified for emotional freedom.

The Cheerleader Coven had gone inactive, three or four having been uglified out of school, and the rest had learned to behave better, perhaps recalling the phrase "ugly is as ugly does" and going out of their way to be nice to others, volunteering for charity work after school, visiting old folks and shut-ins, organizing toy drives leading up to Christmas, and having their good works reinforced by improvements in their beauty. They were on their way to becoming a bunch of do-gooders.

I wonder if there is a similar reason that bad witches are portrayed as ugly hags.

The cronies found themselves without role models to emulate, half following the reformed witches into good works, the other half trying to become hangers-on to the popular group, who didn't want or need the adulation, and tried to shake them off and ignore them. A few learned to form their own opinions and beliefs.

I tried to integrate, and interact with various groups, 'stirring the nutrients'.

The week flew by, and Friday after school I made a snack for the girls consisting of chips and dip, since there wasn't much left in the house to eat. I had added dog food to Mom's shopping list, since I didn't think it was healthy for Dee to eat so much people food. We would see what became of that idea, I didn't have high hopes of it sticking unless I got a vet to back me up for health reasons. Maybe we would just have to shop extra.

For dinner I made hamburger stew, with carrots and potatoes, frozen peas and onions. Since I had an extra hour, because Mom was getting the groceries, it simmered long enough, and I spent the time lifting weights. Since Miss Berrigan was doing aerobics in Gym, I had been doing alternate days of torso, arms and legs.

I had ridden the bus to school that morning, instead of walking or biking, just to check in with Keith on the Miss Berrigan front.

When he saw me he gave me a big grin, and enthused "Dude, I have to really thank you for tipping me to Holly! We fit like hand and glove." at my incredulous look and the fingers of one flat hand into the palm of the other in the 'time out' and 'TMI' or Too Much Information sign, he swung an embarrassed backhand in my general direction, and groused without losing his grin "not like that!, well, anyway, that isn't how I meant it. No, Zap, she is perfect for me, we are mucho compatible, too. Did you know she was a Music Major in college? Yeah, not much career opportunities there." he continued looking wistful and abashed. Somehow I suspected he was also a Music Major.