Fellowship Ch. 02

I was so relieved that no one—not even Bobbie Brinkman—seemed to be interested in me or my supposed "crush" on Miss Treadway anymore. By the time I got to fourth hour, Mr. Beale was already fed up with all the talk about Coach Stalcup. We were supposed to be doing a project in Government where we get to pretend that we are running for an election. Each of us had to make up our own political party first. Then we were supposed to be working on creating a platform we wanted to run on and stuff like that. But almost ten minutes into class, Mr. Beale made us all get our textbooks and read quietly to ourselves because he thought that would shut us all up.

So, today I decided to skip lunch again and go see Miss Treadway in the girls' PE office. Miss Treadway and Miss Larsson were both in the girls' PE office when I got there. I was worried for a few seconds that they might kick me out and tell me to go to lunch, but neither of them seemed to mind I was there. Miss Treadway was absorbed with writing stuff in her grade book/lesson planner. Both teachers were sitting there with their ubiquitous cups of coffee and some sandwiches since it was their planning period and they were both eating lunch. There was a transistor radio perched on a stack of papers on the desk between them. It was speaking importantly to itself in a crackling muted monotone voice. I guessed it was either the news or some talk program that was on.

"Hey, young lady! Isn't it lunchtime? What brings you up here?" Miss Larsson asked.

Miss Treadway cleared me a spot and told me to sit down. No one offered me a sandwich or coffee, but I didn't really care. I started gushing about how the whole school found out what happened with Coach Stalcup. I told them both that I heard he'd gotten Cassie Carlson pregnant and that he was dating Miss Court at the same time. I had to lower my voice to almost a whisper a couple of times because Miss Court actually passed the office more than once. Thankfully, she didn't come inside. Miss Larsson fixed me with an expression resembling faux outrage. She shook her head slowly in mock disbelief.

"Oh...that man!" She said.

Miss Treadway kept writing in her book and messing with some other papers as if I'd said nothing. Something was definitely up!

"You both...knew about this...for months." I said. "Didn't you?"

Miss Treadway looked up from her papers first at me, then Miss Larsson.

"Sinful!"

Now I became intensely curious. For months on end, I've carried around this fear and paranoia of being caught with Miss Treadway. Forever Bobbie Brinkman has been accusing me of having a crush on my gym teacher—her aunt CJ. I couldn't help but notice now that since my last date with Jason Pope, Bobbie has mysteriously backed off. I know that several weeks ago,Miss Treadway said she'd had a talk with Bobbie and some of the other girls in future leaders' about not picking fights with each other, but I couldn't help but wonder if this was no accident. I really wondered now if Coach Stalcup was caught in the act of fucking Cassie on purpose.

"Did you...or Miss Larsson tell Miss Court about Coach Stalcup?" I asked.

I never got the answer I was looking for. Miss Larsson finished her sandwich and coffee and excused herself. Miss Treadway continued with her paperwork, pausing for a second to take another bite of her sandwich.

"Romans chapter eight verse thirteen says 'If you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the spirit you put to death the evil deeds of the body you will live'" She said. "Spoiled children like Coach Stalcup want more than what God is willing to give to them, and it is a shame. They get what they get."