{"id":1261,"date":"2021-07-15T16:03:50","date_gmt":"2021-07-15T23:03:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/annroberts.net\/?page_id=1261"},"modified":"2021-07-15T16:03:50","modified_gmt":"2021-07-15T23:03:50","slug":"keeping-up-appearances","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/annroberts.net\/index.php\/general-fiction\/keeping-up-appearances\/","title":{"rendered":"Keeping Up Appearances"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pl-1261\"  class=\"panel-layout\" ><div id=\"pg-1261-0\"  class=\"panel-grid panel-no-style\" ><div id=\"pgc-1261-0-0\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-1261-0-0-0\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_sow-editor panel-first-child panel-last-child\" data-index=\"0\" ><div class=\"panel-widget-style panel-widget-style-for-1261-0-0-0\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-editor so-widget-sow-editor-base\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t>\n<div class=\"siteorigin-widget-tinymce textwidget\">\n\t<h2>Keeping Up Appearances<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"pg-1261-1\"  class=\"panel-grid panel-no-style\" ><div id=\"pgc-1261-1-0\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-1261-1-0-0\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_sow-image panel-first-child\" data-index=\"1\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-image so-widget-sow-image-default-13f2a8b12fcc-1261\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t>\n<div class=\"sow-image-container\">\n\t\t<img \n\tsrc=\"https:\/\/annroberts.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Keeping-Up-Appearances-1-229x300.jpg\" width=\"229\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/annroberts.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Keeping-Up-Appearances-1-229x300.jpg 229w, https:\/\/annroberts.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Keeping-Up-Appearances-1.jpg 761w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 229px) 100vw, 229px\" title=\"Keeping Up Appearances\" alt=\"\" \t\tclass=\"so-widget-image\"\/>\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div><div id=\"panel-1261-1-0-1\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_sow-button panel-last-child\" data-index=\"2\" ><div class=\"panel-widget-style panel-widget-style-for-1261-1-0-1\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-button so-widget-sow-button-atom-35500a5eb44b-1261\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t><div class=\"ow-button-base ow-button-align-center\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.bellabooks.com\/product\/9781935226437\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"sowb-button ow-icon-placement-left ow-button-hover\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" \t>\n\t\t<span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tBUY\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"pgc-1261-1-1\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-1261-1-1-0\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_sow-editor panel-first-child panel-last-child\" data-index=\"3\" ><div class=\"panel-widget-style panel-widget-style-for-1261-1-1-0\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-editor so-widget-sow-editor-base\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t>\n<div class=\"siteorigin-widget-tinymce textwidget\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 style=\"margin-bottom:20px ;display:block;width:100%;margin-top:10px\">Keeping Up Appearances <\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<style>\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t#tab_container_1239 {\r\n\toverflow:hidden;\r\n\tdisplay:block;\r\n\twidth:100%;\r\n\tborder:0px solid #ddd;\r\n\tmargin-bottom:30px;\r\n\t}\r\n\r\n#tab_container_1239 .tab-content{\r\n\tpadding:20px;\r\n\tborder: 1px solid #e6e6e6 !important;\r\n\tmargin-top: 0px;\r\n\tbackground-color:#ffffff !important;\r\n\tcolor: #000000 !important;\r\n\tfont-size:18px !important;\r\n\tfont-family: Arial !important;\r\n\t\r\n\t\tborder: 1px solid #e6e6e6 !important;\r\n\t}\r\n#tab_container_1239 .wpsm_nav-tabs {\r\n    border-bottom: 0px solid #ddd;\r\n}\r\n#tab_container_1239 .wpsm_nav-tabs > li.active > a, #tab_container_1239 .wpsm_nav-tabs > li.active > a:hover, #tab_container_1239 .wpsm_nav-tabs > li.active > a:focus {\r\n\tcolor: #000000 !important;\r\n\tcursor: default;\r\n\tbackground-color: #ffffff !important;\r\n\tborder: 1px solid #e6e6e6 !important;\r\n}\r\n\r\n#tab_container_1239 .wpsm_nav-tabs > li > a {\r\n    margin-right: 0px !important; \r\n    line-height: 1.42857143 !important;\r\n    border: 1px solid #ced6db !important;\r\n    border-radius: 0px 0px 0 0 !important; \r\n\tbackground-color: #e1e9ee !important;\r\n\tcolor: #000000 !important;\r\n\tpadding: 15px 18px 15px 18px !important;\r\n\ttext-decoration: none !important;\r\n\tfont-size: 15px !important;\r\n\ttext-align:center !important;\r\n\tfont-family: Arial !important;\r\n}\r\n#tab_container_1239 .wpsm_nav-tabs > li > a:focus {\r\noutline: 0px !important;\r\n}\r\n\r\n#tab_container_1239 .wpsm_nav-tabs > li > a:before {\r\n\tdisplay:none !important;\r\n}\r\n#tab_container_1239 .wpsm_nav-tabs > li > a:after {\r\n\tdisplay:none !important ;\r\n}\r\n#tab_container_1239 .wpsm_nav-tabs > li{\r\npadding:0px !important ;\r\nmargin:0px;\r\n}\r\n\r\n#tab_container_1239 .wpsm_nav-tabs > li > a:hover , #tab_container_1239 .wpsm_nav-tabs > li > a:focus {\r\n    color: #000000 !important;\r\n    background-color: #e1e9ee !important;\r\n\tborder: 1px solid #ced6db !important;\r\n\t\r\n}\r\n#tab_container_1239 .wpsm_nav-tabs > li > a .fa{\r\n\r\nmargin-right:5px !important;\r\n\r\nmargin-left:5px !important;\r\n\r\n\r\n}\r\n\r\n\t\t#tab_container_1239 .wpsm_nav-tabs a{\r\n\t\t\tbackground-image: none;\r\n\t\t\tbackground-position: 0 0;\r\n\t\t\tbackground-repeat: repeat-x;\r\n\t\t}\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\r\n\r\n#tab_container_1239 .wpsm_nav-tabs > li {\r\n    float: left;\r\n    margin-bottom: -1px !important;\r\n\tmargin-right:0px !important; \r\n}\r\n\r\n\r\n#tab_container_1239 .tab-content{\r\noverflow:hidden !important;\r\n}\r\n\r\n\r\n@media (min-width: 769px) {\r\n\r\n\t#tab_container_1239 .wpsm_nav-tabs > li{\r\n\t\tfloat:left !important ;\r\n\t\t\t\tmargin-right:-1px !important;\r\n\t\t\t\t\t}\r\n\t#tab_container_1239 .wpsm_nav-tabs{\r\n\t\tfloat:none !important;\r\n\t\tmargin:0px !important;\r\n\t}\r\n\r\n\t#tab_container_1239 .wpsm_nav-tabs > li {\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tmargin-right: 8px !important;\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t}\r\n\t#tab_container_1239 .wpsm_nav{\r\n\t\t\t}\r\n\r\n}\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n@media (max-width: 768px) {\r\n\t#tab_container_1239 .wpsm_nav-tabs > li {\r\n\t\t\t\tmargin-bottom: 8px !important;\r\n\t\tmargin-right:0px !important;\r\n\t\tmargin-left:0px !important;\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t}\r\n\t#tab_container_1239 .wpsm_nav{\r\n\t\t\t}\r\n}\r\n\r\n\r\n\t.wpsm_nav-tabs li:before{\r\n\t\tdisplay:none !important;\r\n\t}\r\n\r\n\t@media (max-width: 768px) {\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t#tab_container_1239 .wpsm_nav-tabs  li  a  i{\r\n\t\t\t\tdisplay: none !important;\r\n\t\t\t}\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t.wpsm_nav-tabs{\r\n\t\t\tmargin-left:0px !important;\r\n\t\t\tmargin-right:0px !important; \r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t}\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t#tab_container_1239 .wpsm_nav-tabs > li {\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tmargin-right: 8px !important;\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t}\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t}\t\t\t\t<\/style>\r\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"tab_container_1239\" >\r\n\t \r\n\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"wpsm_nav wpsm_nav-tabs\" role=\"tablist\" id=\"myTab_1239\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li role=\"presentation\"  class=\"active\"  onclick=\"do_resize()\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#tabs_desc_1239_1\" aria-controls=\"tabs_desc_1239_1\" role=\"tab\" data-toggle=\"tab\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>ABOUT THE BOOK<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li role=\"presentation\"  onclick=\"do_resize()\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#tabs_desc_1239_2\" aria-controls=\"tabs_desc_1239_2\" role=\"tab\" data-toggle=\"tab\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>BACKSTORY<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li role=\"presentation\"  onclick=\"do_resize()\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#tabs_desc_1239_3\" aria-controls=\"tabs_desc_1239_3\" role=\"tab\" data-toggle=\"tab\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>EXCERPT<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li role=\"presentation\"  onclick=\"do_resize()\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#tabs_desc_1239_4\" aria-controls=\"tabs_desc_1239_4\" role=\"tab\" data-toggle=\"tab\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>VIDEO<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/ul>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t  <!-- Tab panes -->\r\n\t\t\t\t\t  <div class=\"tab-content\" id=\"tab-content_1239\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div role=\"tabpanel\" class=\"tab-pane  in active \" id=\"tabs_desc_1239_1\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Women with secrets. Each with her own reason for keeping up appearances at Cedar Hills Elementary, a school that boasts high academic standards and a spotless reputation.<\/p>\r\n<p>Principal Faye Burton has recently begun a relationship with coworker Andrea \u201cAndi\u201d Loomis, a woman who lives in fear that their homophobic boss will learn the truth and fire them both.<\/p>\r\n<p>High-powered, formidable attorney Constance \u201cthe Steamroller\u201d Richardson is plotting an appropriate and highly visible revenge against Faye and Andi on behalf of her autistic nephew, a boy she adopted when her sister died. He is the reminder of a debt she owes. One that she can never repay.<\/p>\r\n<p>Eighth-grader Pandy Webber has decided she wants to live\u2014maybe. She has a new life at Cedar Hills but memories of the past constantly intrude and threaten her mental stability and her future.<\/p>\r\n<p>Set against the backdrop of middle-school, Keeping up Appearances is a tense and absorbing story, rich in immediacy and authenticity, about LGBT teachers and their students of today, navigating their way through their classrooms and campus politics and the dangerously rooted prejudices of our 21st century America.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div role=\"tabpanel\" class=\"tab-pane \" id=\"tabs_desc_1239_2\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Writing as Therapy<\/p>\r\n<p>Sometimes authors take their own advice and write to feel better. It\u2019s a form of cheap therapy. Usually, this type of writing is journaling and never escapes the author\u2019s most private notebook\u2014but sometimes it does.<\/p>\r\n<p><em>Keeping Up Appearances<\/em>, the humorous romance between a principal and a special education administrator, allowed me to share many of the stresses I faced as a school principal, the shotgun decision making I employed every day, and the nearly unbelievable situations I confronted\u2014like the gallon Ziploc bag of marijuana a teacher found. Most of the school situations mentioned in the book really happened, although all of the names were changed to shield the innocent and the guilty. And as my wife knows, the romance was complete fiction.<\/p>\r\n<p>One of my favorite things during the ten years I served as an administrator was the name game. It became an advice blog that I periodically share because\u2026well, people need help when naming their children.<\/p>\r\n<p>The Name Game \u2013 A Life Sentence for Some<\/p>\r\n<p>I\u2019m a collector. I collect names. For years friends and colleagues have added to the list of unique, interesting, sometimes horrifying and utterly amusing choices parents make for their offspring. The greatest thing about collecting names is the lack of storage necessary. I don\u2019t need fancy plastic tubs or a place in my closet. When we move to Oregon, they\u2019ll fit anywhere in the car, even in the tailpipe.<\/p>\r\n<p>Here\u2019s what\u2019s important to remember: your name defines you, and once you were old enough to make a mark on the world (right around kindergarten), your name connoted different emotions and feelings from others. For right or wrong, teachers roll their eyes if they see the fourth \u201cJones sibling\u201d on their class list since the previous three were hellions. Your name can determine whether you get the societal stink eye or the red carpet treatment. And once you\u2019re branded, it\u2019s hard to undo the image.<\/p>\r\n<p>I\u2019ve come up with a few thoughts based on my years of collecting names that I\u2019ll share with you.<\/p>\r\n<p>Ann\u2019s Naming Rules (Most names mentioned come from my personal collection.)<\/p>\r\n<p>1. You want a name to grow up with, one that can celebrate youth.<br \/>That\u2019s difficult to do if your name is Jasper. The kindergarten teacher will be looking around for the janitor, not a towheaded child sitting in the front row.<\/p>\r\n<p>2. You want a name to grow old with, one that will sound mature when the kid is nominated for the Supreme Court or named Ambassador to France.<br \/>Disney Magic and Secret Box will be overlooked for some guy named John.<\/p>\r\n<p>3. A child\u2019s name shouldn\u2019t be interchangeable with a pet\u2019s name.<br \/>We did name our cat Kevin and he didn\u2019t seem to mind. He was a cat. With that said, I wouldn\u2019t name a child Lucky, Trixie or Cookie.<\/p>\r\n<p>4. Not all biblical names are a guaranteed good choice.<br \/>It\u2019s one thing if you want Matthew, Mark, Luke, John or Mary but avoid Dodo, Basemath, and On. Yes, there was a guy named On, probably before we discovered prepositions. And I\u2019m surprised we haven\u2019t seen more traditional schooling advocates taking Basemath.<\/p>\r\n<p>5. Grammar and parts of speech have no place in naming a child.<br \/>For example, don\u2019t name your child after your favorite conjunction. The kid named Or will always be looking for someone else.<\/p>\r\n<p>Most recently, I\u2019ve heard of an Emily\u2019s. No, that\u2019s not a spelling error. The girl has been named her possessive. I guess her parents want it very clear that she owns everything (kinda like a certain former president\u2026).<\/p>\r\n<p>6. Weird spellings of normal names are not cute, and that includes putting punctuation in a child\u2019s name.<br \/>You might think you\u2019re being unique, but after so many years of having the wrong name on the seating chart or correcting the teacher, your kid will come home and demand to be called by his boring, simple middle name. Most recently there was Cam\u2019ron, and I love, Le-a. If some of you are thinking that\u2019s Leah, nope. That\u2019s Ledasha, because the dash isn\u2019t silent! Today my wife came home and told me she\u2019d met Roque. You might think, Rokay? No. Think \u201cI am a Rock,\u201d Rock and Roll and rocks in my yard.<\/p>\r\n<p>And I hate to think we\u2019re headed for names that are symbols like &amp; and #, but it\u2019s entirely possible. However, Ampersand and Hashtag will definitely be picked last for the kickball game and be unable to fill out the personal section of the SAT.<\/p>\r\n<p>7. Don\u2019t \u201cGo Seuss\u201d on your kid with a cutesie name just because it makes you giggle every time you say it.<br \/>I really had a kid at my school named D\u2019las because he was \u201cda last\u201d one.<\/p>\r\n<p>8. If you\u2019re considering an unusual name, run it by a test group of folks who\u2019ll be honest with you. If you say it, and they look at you like they have indigestion, think again.<br \/>I had a trio of siblings with unusual, wonderful names for the late 80\u2019s: Blue, Chaison, and March. The names fit and worked. Unfortunately, I\u2019ve also had Groundfinish, Exploit, and Delivrance, although clearly someone needed to buy more vowels for him. Even worse, those poor children were refugees who were steered wrong by some sadistic worker at the refugee organization.<\/p>\r\n<p>Shakespeare said, \u201cA rose by any other name is still a rose.\u201d Yeah, sure. Tell that to the kid named Exploit. Think long and hard, my friends, especially before you name a child Caliban. (Look that one up if necessary.)<\/p>\r\n<p>What are some of your favorites or least favorites? I\u2019d love to collect some more.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div role=\"tabpanel\" class=\"tab-pane \" id=\"tabs_desc_1239_3\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><p style=\"text-align: center;\">Chapter One<\/p><p>2004<\/p>\r\n<p>If she was fired, Faye Burton knew she could always get a job at that new place that had just opened, Starbuck\u2019s. She\u2019d spent her college years mixing coffee drinks long before employees were called baristas and soy latt\u00e9s were fashionable.<\/p>\r\n<p>She gazed out the expansive windows that surrounded her office at Cedar Hills Elementary School, watching the seventh and eighth graders change classes. As the principal she shouldered the responsibility of educating over one thousand students, supervising ninety-eight employees, coddling seven hundred different sets of parents\u2014many of whom were involved in messy divorces\u2014and managing a sixteen million dollar facility. And the rumor at the district office was that the new superintendent wanted her gone because she was gay.<\/p>\r\n<p>She let out a deep breath and watched the students cross the courtyard area. A few engaged in playful shoving, unable to keep their hands to themselves, and some boy-girl couples hugged before heading to class. It was only the fourth week of school and halos still hung over most of them. Although a few of the girls were questionably dressed for the one-hundred-and-five-degree Phoenix heat, Faye found no reason to jump from her chair and run outside to impose discipline on any of the pre-teenagers.<\/p>\r\n<p>They entered the buildings and she realized it was nearly ten o\u2019clock\u2014time for her first monthly meeting with the new superintendent, Dr. Bill Gleeson. She\u2019d only met him twice, once at a meet-and-greet before the school year began and at their first administrative meeting.<\/p>\r\n<p>She remembered the look on his face when she\u2019d offered her hand after the assistant superintendent initially introduced them. His smile cracked slightly as if it was painful to touch her.<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cMs. Burton, I\u2019m pleased to meet you,\u201d he\u2019d said woodenly. \u201cCedar Hills is a school capable of greatness. My secretary will schedule a meeting with you so that we can discuss my vision.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>She\u2019d nodded and he\u2019d walked away without another word. She knew what he wanted\u2014higher test results. In the year she\u2019d been there, she\u2019d raised the test scores significantly but it wasn\u2019t enough. The school\u2019s lackluster performance had forced her predecessor\u2019s resignation and she\u2019d inherited a talented but unruly staff that made ridiculous demands and accusations, like the bizarre first grade teacher who claimed the fax machine was racist. The road of change would take time but she wasn\u2019t sure Bill Gleeson would wait. Cedar Hills was a school filled with the sons and daughters of lawyers and doctors, all of whom believed their children were geniuses bound for college.<\/p>\r\n<p>She popped two antacid tablets and heard a knock at her door. Jonnie Clark stuck her head inside.<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cHey, is now an awful time?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s always a great time for you,\u201d she said, instantly cheerful. \u201cWhat\u2019s up?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>Jonnie shut the door and plopped into a chair. She was an amazing school counselor and incredibly mature for thirty. Her body was lean from kickboxing and she often wore retro clothing like bell-bottom pants and knitted sweater vests. She always had a cause and she advertised them on the back of her beat-up Honda Civic.<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cI need your help. It seems that an eighth grade boy peed on a fourth-grader.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>She threw up her hands. \u201cWhat? Are you kidding? How did this happen? Were they messing around at the urinal?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cActually he was in the next stall. It\u2019s kinda freaky\u2026\u201d She made an arch with her index finger and giggled. Faye joined her and they howled until they cried.<\/p>\r\n<p>Jonnie clapped her hands. \u201cOkay, enough. We\u2019ve got to get serious. I need you to talk to\u2026.\u201d She paused and snapped her fingers. \u201cWhat\u2019s his name?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cPeeboy,\u201d Faye said.<\/p>\r\n<p>They laughed again. Jonnie took a stress ball from Faye\u2019s desk and threw it at her. \u201cC\u2019mon, Faye. We\u2019re serious now. This child\u2019s been horribly violated.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re absolutely right. I\u2019d die if someone peed on me.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>They went down the hall to Jonnie\u2019s office and interviewed the whimpering fourth-grader, determining that he could offer little as a witness. All he\u2019d seen were large black canvas sneakers when he\u2019d looked under the stall so he knew the kid was much older. He left and a sweet acrid scent filled the room. Jonnie thrust a paper in Faye\u2019s direction.<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s this?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a requisition for a case of air freshener and I\u2019d better not hear any crap about it.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>Faye had just returned to her office when her radio squawked. \u201cOffice, I need a wheelchair in the gym, stat!\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s going on, Coach?\u201d she asked, bolting out the back door toward the gym.<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cThird-grader down,\u201d Coach Fleming responded.<\/p>\r\n<p>Faye glanced over her shoulder and saw Nurse Chang hustling across the courtyard, pushing a wheelchair. Inside the gym a little girl with pigtails writhed on the floor, cradling her right arm. The rest of the class hovered nearby and her friends wailed in sympathy for their fallen classmate.<\/p>\r\n<p>Faye said into the radio, \u201cFront office, send Ms. Clark down here immediately. I\u2019ve got a room full of crying students.\u201d She turned to Coach Fleming, a fifty-something bull-dyke with a pompadour hairstyle. \u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>She shrugged with the complacency of a veteran teacher. \u201cShe was climbing the rope and lost her grip.\u201d No other explanation was necessary.<\/p>\r\n<p>As they wheeled the student back to the Nurse\u2019s office, Faye heard the ambulance in the distance. By the time they\u2019d called the parent, the paramedics had arrived. Faye stepped out of the way and heard shouting.<br \/>Assistant Principal Pete Salinas burst into the lobby, followed by a screaming woman who quickly gained the attention of the other adults nearby. She waved a pink paper in her hand, which Faye knew was a disciplinary referral.<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cYou fucking spic! How dare you suspend my kid?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>Pete crossed his arms and stared her down. \u201cMa\u2019am, this conversation is over. I will not tolerate such blatant racism.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m going to the district office, you stupid wetback! Let\u2019s see if you have a job at four o\u2019clock!\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>The woman turned on her heel and nearly ran into Bill Gleeson, who stood like a tree. His neutral expression never changed as she huffed past him. He seemed not to notice her or the stretcher that flew out the door, surrounded by three paramedics. His gaze remained locked on Faye, who turned to Pete.<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cI take it that didn\u2019t go too well.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>Pete grinned and Faye saw the twinkle in his eye. He loved confrontation with unreasonable parents.<br \/>\u201cI see you have company,\u201d he said. \u201cHave fun.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>Faye painted on her pleasant expression and greeted Gleeson. Once they were sequestered in her office she made a joke to lighten the mood.<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cWell, Bill, you\u2019ve just seen elementary school at its most interesting.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p><em>Shit. I just called him Bill.<\/em><\/p>\r\n<p>He withdrew his gold pen from his breast pocket and made some notes while she sat in the awkward silence, listening to the pen scratch against the paper. \u201cI assume this is an unusual morning, Ms. Burton.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>She chuckled. \u201cSomewhat.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cYou seem to have more than most,\u201d he said blandly.<\/p>\r\n<p>She shifted in her seat. \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>He shuffled through some papers on the clipboard until he found one close to the bottom. \u201cAccording to our records, my office has received five parent complaints since the beginning of the year and the union has filed an official grievance on behalf of a teacher about her evaluation from last year. Most important,\u201d he said, withdrawing a memo, \u201cConstance Richardson has called the state department of education to complain that Cedar Hills is prejudiced against her son Armour and trying to force him out because of his special needs. She\u2019s demanding that his opportunities be expanded and that he be placed in a physical education class. She faxed this complaint to Andrea Loomis, our new special education director, and threatened to file it with the state and go to the media.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>Faye scanned the memo and shook her head. The back of her neck felt hot. \u201cThis is entirely baseless.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>He looked at her curiously. \u201cIs it?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cYes,\u201d she said, defensively. \u201cConstance Richardson regularly makes our lives miserable, but A.J. as we call him, doesn\u2019t even belong at Cedar Hills and certainly not in a P.E. class. He\u2019s a danger to the campus,\u201d she added.<br \/>Gleeson wrote down her statement on his pad but showed no reaction and eventually said, \u201cI\u2019ve asked our new special education director, Ms. Loomis, to visit with you about this situation. It needs to go away.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cI wish it were that easy. Ms. Richardson is a high-powered attorney who\u2019s never been told no.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>Gleeson didn\u2019t respond and his gaze returned to his clipboard. \u201cI\u2019m confident Ms. Loomis can take care of this.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>He returned to scratching the paper and more silence ensued. She glanced around her office, suddenly wondering how many boxes she would need to pack her personal belongings. He checked a few more notes and cleared his throat.<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cDo you have a response for the other complaints?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cNo. There will always be parents who don\u2019t like the fact that we hold their children accountable. Mr. Salinas has the unpleasant task of handling discipline and he is frequently the target of abuse.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cWould you say Mr. Salinas is competent at his job?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cAbsolutely. He\u2019s one of the best assistant principals that I\u2019ve ever known.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>Gleeson checked his notes again. \u201cHmm. Well, he has more suspensions than any other AP and most of those complaints I mentioned before involve him. I\u2019ve also found him to have a\u2026 how can I put this? A rather unpolished demeanor.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>Her eyebrows shot up. \u201cExcuse me?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>He carefully set his pen down on the clipboard and faced her directly. He smoothed his silk tie, displaying his perfect manicure. \u201cMs. Burton, I\u2019m going to get right to the point. I have concerns about the leadership of this school. While I do believe you and Mr. Salinas are competent educators, I\u2019m not sure that you can effectively project the image that I feel is necessary to move Cedar Hills to the level of the other schools.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>She narrowed her eyes and held his gaze. He sat across from her in a dark blue suit that she imagined was tailor-made. There was not a lint ball visible and his tie was perfectly knotted. She didn\u2019t dare look down at her thirty dollar cotton pants or her Sears button-down shirt. And she knew that if Pete appeared at the door, Gleeson would automatically frown at his rumpled pants, stained tie and disheveled hair that always seemed to fall in his face. Clearly she and Pete would never win best-dressed awards.<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cIf that\u2019s your impression then I welcome your suggestions to improve the image of Cedar Hills. I\u2019m sure Mr. Salinas would as well.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>He nodded once, his chin lowering just enough to make the gesture visible, and then asked to see some classrooms.<\/p>\r\n<p>They walked in and out of the various wings, Gleeson scribbling on his pad and ignoring Faye. As they stood in Ruby Taylor\u2019s art class, watching the seventh and eighth grade students create watercolor paintings, she calculated her monthly bills, reviewing the steps to make a double-shot espresso. He was out to get her and if Constance Richardson filed a complaint with the state, he would gladly provide the moving boxes for her.<\/p>\r\n<p>Once they\u2019d left the art class Gleeson turned to her, his finger pointed, as if he was about to begin a lecture. A shrill cry tore through the hallway. The door to the art room burst open and two figures poured out, a boy holding a colorful picture and a girl chasing after him. In a second Faye realized what was happening and stepped out of the child\u2019s path, but Gleeson, the interloper, remained rooted in place. Before Faye could pull him aside, the yellows, reds and greens of the watercolor pressed against his powder-blue shirt and the boy crashed to the floor.<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cOh, my God,\u201d the girl wailed.<br \/>Gleeson stared at the mess on his chest and looked at Faye, his expression unforgiving.<\/p>\r\n<p>Faye turned her gaze to the girl in black jeans and a Melissa Etheridge T-shirt. She was rail-thin and her uneven spiky haircut was definitely a home job.<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cPandy, what happened?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cHe got upset because Ms. Taylor said it was time to cleanup.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>All three of them stared at the boy, who, although he was only a year younger than Pandy, was much smaller than the other seventh graders. Pandy held him in place and he stared at his ruined painting. She whispered to him and he nodded. When he looked up, he strained his neck dramatically to see Bill Gleeson\u2019s face, which must have seemed a mile away.<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cDr. Gleeson, I\u2019d like you to meet Pandy Webber, one of our student mentors, and this is her mentee, A.J. Richardson.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>Gleeson shot her a knowing glare but said nothing.<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Ms. Burton,\u201d Pandy said. \u201cHe ran out so fast.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s okay, Pandy. I\u2019m sure you did your best to stop him.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>A.J. laughed and pointed at Gleeson\u2019s shirt, the wet paint reminding Faye of a bad Picasso. 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