Okay - I know I said I was gonna merge the stuff on this daft story already - but had the following in mind. Didn't join everything though - I have the feeling that I've left an opening for what might happen at the soiree I mention? Might get interesting.
BTW? Don't be scared of duplicating somebody else's pieces - may give us something to talk about.
Hope that you enjoy this.
BTW? Don't be scared of duplicating somebody else's pieces - may give us something to talk about.
Hope that you enjoy this.
Miss Savage:
I couldn't help but see how
helpless Jackie had become - and saw that Pamela (the class hussy) seemed to
have taken our poor little male over.
That gave me an idea. Didn't do anything
but mull it over in my head to make sure I had it right. Then I excused myself and went to make sure
that headmistress could see me - didn't want any time made available to my
sweet little boy - wanted events to sort of 'overcome' him? When I found that Miss Strang was available,
I immediately made an appointment for fifteen minutes later.
Miss Strang:
I must admit to some surprise
when Miss Savage appeared in my office with that new boy. "Oh DEAR! " I thought to
myself. "Is he raising more
trouble?" But then I saw the gleam
in Miss Savage's eyes, and I had them sit down, wondering what might be going
on. "May I be of some help? I asked
pleasantly.
Jack Swanson:
I had NO idea what Miss
Savage wanted from me. She just seemed
pleasant enough and chatted about trivialities as she led me to the headmistress's
office. I wasn't flummoxed for very long
though after we sat down.
"I realize" Miss Savage started "that this young man
may feel that I have 'something' against him - or even the male sex?" She blinked at me.
"Oh no ma'am." I gulped.
"Wonderful!" She continued. "It has just dawned on me, how wonderful
a chance to teach my young ladies something about real life I have, with a
young male in my class."
"How so?" Miss
Strang asked, sitting down herself, just across from us.
"Well? I mean no disrespect of course." Miss Savage said sweetly. "But my girls are NOT very prepared for
real life. Once they graduate from here,
they find out that men control a great deal of society - and? To be perfectly honest, it takes my young
ladies a long time to learn how to fit into a world where men are king."
She smiled sweetly at me. "But
seeing YOU now? It gives me what I
thought would be a great idea!"
"But I don't understand
dear?" Miss Strang
interrupted. "You know very well
that I think highly of your ideas. I've never
questioned you before. Why should I do
so now?"
Miss Savage explained. "Well?
I know that this young man has certain doubts about me, and my way of
thinking. I'm sure that he considers you above reproach - so I thought it a
wonderful idea to bring the three of us together - and if he has any
misgivings, I'm sure he won't hesitate to tell you.
I'd had a bad feeling during
this whole episode. I heard the bullshit
Miss Savage was spouting. ME? Bitch about one of her ideas - in front of
Miss STRANG? I couldn't help but
snigger under my breath as Miss Strang nodded in agreement. Thank God neither of them heard me. Miss Savage continued.
"It's quite simple
actually. What I'd like to do is 'split'
my class into two. One of the groups
will be males both outside and inside the classroom. The other group will be female. I'd want HIM to critique the ones acting as
male. Let them know where they've gone
overboard - or did more than the normal male."
This didn't sound TOO awful
to me, and I felt a surge of relief.
That didn't get a chance to last too long.
"Sounds wonderful to
me" Said Miss Strang. "I think
it an excellent idea. Don't you agree
young man?" she asked me.
I shrugged. "Can't see anything wrong."
"But I'm still confused." Miss Strang said. "I still can't see why you brought this
young man to sound out a perfectly sound idea?"
Miss Savage looked
confused. "I'm sorry to have
bothered you headmistress - but I really thought he'd complain terribly. I had
no idea that he would be this reasonable."
I started to get a dreadful
sinking feeling. " .I....
I ... I don't understand Miss
Savage?"
Miss Savage looked a little
discomfited. "I'm SO sorry
Jackie. Didn't think you'd feel
comfortable criticizing girls who are larger and physically stronger than
yourself. Wanted to make sure that Miss
Strang also approved - because I don't want anyone to accuse me of being biased
against the male sex."
Alarm bells went off in my
head. "But you WILL back me against
the bigger girls, Miss Savage?"
She patted my arm." Of
course, dear boy. But outside of
class? I won't have much authority over
them . . ."
"You're NOT implying
that your girls would be unfair? Surely NOT?" Miss Strang interjected.
"Not really - but there
may be one or two girls who don't always play by the rules?" Miss Savage said.
"But surely that's
easily solved?" Miss Strang said
thoughtfully. "Jackie will simply
tell you if any girls are mean to him?"
They both stared at me.
"I guess so." I answered weakly. Christ on a cross! I was being put into a position as tattle
tale? My life would be a total misery!
But worse, far worse was to
come.
"Aaah!" Miss Savage sighed happily. "I'm SO glad I asked for this meeting
Miss Strang! I definitely was puzzled by
what I had in mind. No offense to my
young ladies that I designate as 'boys' - but I could see that some of them
might take advantage outside of my class room.
Now I see a solution."
Miss Strang nodded
encouragingly.
"Naturally? I thought of having Jackie in amongst the
'boys'. That way he'd be in closer
contact. But now I see it! I'll put him in with the 'girls!"
"What?" I cried out. "You CAN'T mean this, Miss Savage!"
She patted my arm again. "But can't you see Jackie? This way, you'll be amongst girls who are
always at the receiving end of male macho behaviour. You'll really see how it is. And?
If you have any complaints about the boys? I'm sure that the other girls will back you
up!"
"But it's not
FAIR!" I said, almost weeping.
Miss Strang glared at me now.
"Well? I must say that you didn't
seem to object when Miss Savage indicated that she wanted some girls to
basically change their personalities to become boyish? But you feel it unfair that YOU be asked to
change your behaviour pattern?
You are somebody SPECIAL?"
"No. No.
No." I tried. "I'm not . ."
"Enough of
this!" Miss Strang said, looking at
her watch. "I have a meeting
scheduled soon. I think you have a most
interesting experiment Miss Savage.
Please keep me informed!"
I was walking back along the
corridor, when Miss Savage suddenly put her arm around my shoulders and pulled
me in close to her. "Doesn't this
sound like FUN Jackie?"
I couldn't answer.
Mrs. Swanson:
Sometimes I think that Jack
has been put on this earth to do nothing but disturb my peace of mind. I'd had a wonderful idea and wanted to spring
it on him as a surprise. He'd been
moping around for days now and as I joined him in our apartment for lunch, his
face was tripping him even more than normal.
Naturally, I asked him what
was the trouble, but for some reason, he always halted when Rose was serving
us. As she'd already approved my plans
for that evening - and said that she would be more than happy to act as maid
for a little soiree I had in mind, I didn't want him to find out about it yet
so was quite happy to hear his complaints in a disjointed fashion.
I'll admit. I was busy planning out the piano music I
wanted to play that evening. Some swing,
some blues. Nothing classical - just
music that was decent for listening. But
Jack kept on interrupting me! Something
about some social experiment that Miss Savage had introduced that morning. Finally, I lost patience!
"Jack! For goodness sake! Would you stop nattering and tell me what the
matter is? You are driving me
nutty!"
Rose was tidying off the
sideboard at the time, and smiled at my outburst.
Jack paled. "Miss Savage has divided the class into
boys and girls!" Then he looked as
if he's burst into tears! "And
she's made me a GIRL!"
I saw Rose shrug - but did
feel that something was wrong. "I
can't say that I feel that this is right?
Not quite fair." I said.
Jack gave me a watery
smile. "That's what I told
her!" he said forcibly. "But
she feels that if she's asking a lot of girls to act like boys? It's only fair that she asks one boy to act
like a girl!"
That made me pause. "Well dear? That sounds reasonable. After all . ."
He interrupted me. "A girl
mom! A GIRL!"
That got my dander up - I can
tell you. I drew myself up. "You
find something wrong with girls? How
DARE you!"
He was close to tears. "I didn't men to offend you mom. I'm sorry - but . ."
"Well, it's nice you can
apologize. I wasn't going to tell you -
but I've invited a number of your classmates for a little music and canapés this
evening. I think it's high time you
started being more sociable. Met your
classmates in a more informal basis."
For some reason. I'll swear
that my son got pale. He gulped. "You didn't ask the whole class?"
"Course not, silly! Not enough room in here. Just about ten or so."
"I've forgotten the
names." I admitted, but got Miss
Savage's recommendations."
He got even paler. "Don't remember?"
"No. I'm sorry dear." Then I remembered. "Pamela?
That seems to be a name I remember.
But you can introduce us all formally when they get here."
Rose smiled. "I'm sure that I'll know them all - so
that I can introduce them if necessary."
"You coming too?" -
and I'll swear that my son wailed as he asked her.
"Of COURSE!" she
said. "Wouldn't miss it for the
world!"
1 comment:
Reading this now, as we wait for Part 5 of Jack and Rose, makes us realize how clever Carrie is being with the relationship between these two characters. Rose has had complete control over Jackie ever since they first saw one another, and this control continues even when the teachers are around. Once Carrie has completed her Jack and Rose sections we will see the true extent of the teachers contempt for Jack, as he will doubtless then be revealed to everyone as having chosen the role of maid rather than trying to compete with the other students. By then, having tried to pass himself off as Elizabeth the maid, he will have earned himself a new name, a new role and a new gender. Miss Strand, Miss Savage, Rose, and especialy Pamela, should all be satisfied that they have prepared him for a suitable future career.
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