Linda's Story

Where'd You Here That Kind Of Language?

Linda O'Shea looked down at her hands as she sat in the plastic chair of the principal's office. Oh her right sat her new boyfriend, sitting with his arm behind the back of the chair. Beside him was as a kid named David, who looked flushed, tired, and somehow high-strung.

Linda bounced her knee nervously, not understanding how it all went wrong.

~~~~~~~~~~

~Four weeks earlier~

"Danny, I think David's up to something that's no good."

"How come?" Danny slammed his locker shut and walked with Linda to the school doors.

"Jimmy brought something home a few weeks ago. He said it was from David. Some cheap, over the counter equivalent to Tylenol. I've seen many a Tylenol pill in my day, and those aren't it. And he keeps bringing them back."

"Okay, What do you suppose we do?" Danny was trying to get Linda to think like a cop, claiming the knowledge would be beneficial no matter what field of profession she was going to go into.

"We gotta watch Jimmy and David for a while. When we know it's something bad, we could, uh..... maybe we could get it for evidence to show to your Dad or grandpa?"

"I knew you were more than just book smart," Danny praised his girlfriend who only shrugged.

"Those detective shows are paying off!"

"I think you just like ogling the hot guys."

"The formula works!" Linda tried to defend herself, because, if she was being honest, the hot guys definitely helped with her viewership.

~~~~~~~~~~

"What's this about? Is Danny okay?" Mary Reagan walked in looking concerned, while her husband behind her looked ready to kill someone.

"I'm fine, really." Danny sat up straighter, but still acted like he didn't do anything wrong.
Dave's parents came in next, looking angry and annoyed that they were called out of work.

"What did you do this time?" Mr. O'Shea, Tony, grumbled at his daughter as he sat down with his wife.

"Mr. and Mrs. Reagan, O'Shea, and Holmes, I'm glad you could come," Principal Sharma said in a serious tone.

"Could you hurry it up? I left a girl under the dryer," Mrs. O'Shea, Marni, chewed her gum loudly, causing Linda to blush.

"It seems as though all your children have been participating in... extra curricular activities."

"What kind?" Frank asked almost gruffly; he wanted to get straight to the facts.

"We found these in the students' possessions." He placed three orange bottles on his desk.

"Daniel Fitzgerald Reagan!" Mary's shrill voice carried over the other chatter.

"I can explain," Danny held up his hands, hoping against hope that his parents would have an open mind.

"Me too. I can explain too," Linda looked to her parents. Tony looked almost like David, and Marni looked interested in the bottles.

"Who wants to start?" Frank crossed his arms, upset this was the reason he got called out of work.

"I can." Linda spoke up, her heart pounding. She stayed silent, thinking of the best way to break the news.

"Well?" Tony raised his eyebrows. "Out with it!" He kicked Linda's chair, something that did not go unnoticed by the Reagans.

"A few weeks ago, Jimmy brought home some pills. He told me they were the generic brand of Tylenol, only stronger and cheaper. They were not Tylenol. I asked him where he got it...."

~~~~~~~~~

~Two weeks earlier~

"From Dave!"

"Dave is selling over the counter drugs?" Linda crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one foot.

"No, Tylenol. Well, kinda. It's stronger and better and cheaper. Want one?"

"No, I don't want one!"

Jimmy shrugged and popped one in his mouth. He dry swallowed the pill, "suit yourself."

~~~~~~~~~~~

"I told him no, of course," Linda continued with her story. "Danny and I thought if we could get some, we could bring it to an authority- in this case, Chief Reagan," she motioned and looked at him. "Then he could show it to you, Mr. Sharma. And then David would be made to stop." She turned to her parents, "we were just collecting the incriminating evidence we needed to obtain in order to show that David was a drug dealer."

"Huh?" Tony uncrossed his arms and leaned towards his daughter. "Where'd you learn to talk like that?"

"From Danny. He's been teaching me some stuff."

Danny looked at his parents a little guiltily, "I figured it was good for her to know, being a female in New York and all."

"What does being a girl have to do with anything?" Linda put her fists on her hips, even though she was sitting down.

"N-nothing! It's just- you're sixteen and pretty and a girl, and those are rapists very favorite targets." Danny stumbles trying to get his foot out of his mouth.

"You think I'm pretty?" The blonde smiled, relaxing her defense.

"That doesn't matter right now," Frank spoke up. "David, were you selling drugs?"

"They aren't bad, man," David answered, clearly drugged up now.

"There you go. Principal Sharma, I suggest you hold a seminar, where a police officer can come talk to your students about drug safety."

"Or chief!" Danny offered, proud of his dad's new position as Chief of Police.

"That's a really good idea, Mr. Sharma. I've been reading health magazines and doctor magazines, and it's a really good idea to teach on good and bad drugs." Linda agreed with Frank.

"You read doctor magazines?" The principal asked.

"Better get an early start if I wanna be a nurse, right?"

Sharma ignored her statement, "Mr. and Mrs. O'Shea, Reagan, you may leave now. I'd like to stay and talk with David."

The two families stood up and walked out into the hall.
It was the end of the school day, so all the kids were outside or getting ready for their after school activities.

"I guess I'll see ya tomorrow, Linda." Danny smiled as his siblings started gathering together.

"Is something wrong?" Joe asked before Linda could respond. "Why are you here? What happened?"

Linda giggled before her Dad grabbed her wrist. "Come on, Linda. We're going home."

"Bye," she waved at the Reagans over her shoulder.

"Mom, What happened?" Joe tried again while Danny watched Linda getting dragged out of the school. He hoped she wouldn't come in tomorrow with a bruised wrist or shoulder.