by Kelly Charlton

Created on: June 02, 2010

Coupons

            Arriving late, Charley Gartlan pulled into the parking lot of Sunshine Smiles Alternative High School and had just started to open her classroom door when the voice of God, as she fondly referred to the voice of her principal, boomed over the loudspeaker for all to hear.

            “Ms. Gartlan and Ms. Katwell, you are to report to my office immediately!”

            Jesus H. Christ Charley thought.  It’s only 8:30 in the morning. I’m hung over, and his majesty is already riding my ass. I wonder what I did this time.

            Turning from the door, Charley noticed Matty Katwell, the physical education teacher at Sunshine Smiles standing at the edge of the blacktop, clipboard in hand, recording the laps of her students as they walked around and around the yard. For what must have been the hundredth time that year, Charley couldn’t help but think that the whole P.E. area strongly resembled a prison yard and that the obese youngsters dragging their asses around, as if enduring some form of unbearable torture, were getting ready for their future lives in jail.

            “Christian, why don’t you burn a calorie!” Ms. Katwell yelled at one of the kids who had decided to stop walking and was now standing and socializing with a student who was ditching another class.

            She looked toward Charley.

            “Any idea what this is about?” she asked.

            “Nope. And I don’t really care,” Charley replied.

           

            As Charley and Matty sauntered slowly toward the office, Betty Marshall, another teacher at the school and Charley’s good friend, called out across campus for Charley to come to her room. Matty, always one to follow directions, continued toward the office and her impending doom while Charley approached Betty.

           

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