Read me like a poem

Prologue

On a cold winter day, fog rose up along the walls of Welton Academy, giving it an almost ghostly appearance, which made its headmaster, Mr. Nolan, proud and happy.

He enjoyed instilling fear in the students, and the gothic structure of the building illustrated his desire to frighten the poor children whose parents 'abandoned' them at this institution. He affirmed to every newspaper that ever did an article about Welton that his job was to give students the best gift a child could receive: maturity.

Nolan had received that same call, informing him that Mr. Brown, the headmaster of the public school of Vermont, was eager to pay him a visit due to the fact that he had in mind some sort of 'deal' that would greatly interest Nolan.

Smoking his pipe as usual, he watched as a car approached the parking lot, currently empty except for a couple of vehicles belonging to some of the cleaning staff, since it was the Christmas holidays and the school was deserted. All the teachers and students had gone home to celebrate the holidays with their families.

A few minutes later, he heard a knock on his door.

"Come in!" he exclaimed, putting out his pipe.

Mr. Brown entered his office, and Nolan gestured for him to sit down.

"To what do I owe this pleasant surprise, Mr. Brown?"

He sat up straight, adjusted his jacket lapels, and clasped his hands as if he were about to deliver news of utmost importance.

"Mr. Nolan, as you well know, among my students I have the three girls with the highest scores in the national YSE exams in Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Literature, and Music."

Nolan nodded, somewhat uncomfortable. The YSE (Young Scholars Examination) were tests that challenged American youth in academic skills. All schools were keen for their students to achieve the highest scores, as higher scores meant more parents would enroll their children in those institutions seeking the best education for them.

Several parents of Welton students had complained to Nolan that the highest scores were not coming from students at their school, and that they should be, given the incomprehensible amounts of money they paid in tuition.

This fact greatly irritated Nolan, and in recent semesters he had been pushing both students and teachers to achieve better academic performance, but the latest grades again showed that the highest scores belonged to those three girls.

"Yes, I'm aware of it," he murmured.

"What you might not know, sir," Brown shifted uncomfortably in his chair, "is that the funds for my school are not in good shape. Revenues are decreasing, while the demands for improvements at the school keep increasing."

Nolan suppressed the smile of satisfaction and arrogance that he felt coming on. "Oh well, how sorry I am to hear that."

Brown sighed, "Thank you very much, but that's the reason I've arranged this meeting with you."

Nolan raised his eyebrows, intrigued.

"You see, as I mentioned in our phone conversation, I'm going to propose a deal," Brown smiled. "I'll give you my three best students, and you'll get the best results. The parents will leave you alone."

Nolan wondered to himself how Brown knew about his current dispute with the students' parents. He was very intrigued by what Brown was saying, but he himself was a businessman, and he knew that such a significant loss would require something in return.

"What's in it for you?" Nolan inquired.

Brown smiled. He knew that Nolan didn't beat around the bush and was known for always getting straight to the point.

"In return," Brown continued, "Welton Academy will make a small monthly financial contribution to the institute and will offer scholarships to the three students."

Nolan burst into loud laughter, reclining in his chair while holding his belly. He wiped the tears that flowed and repositioned himself in front of the other principal.

"Surely, you don't think I'm naive enough to agree to such a deal!"

Brown raised an eyebrow. "Quite the opposite, Nolan," he said, rising from his chair. "I thought you were smart enough not to refuse such a deal. But in light of your reaction," he buttoned his jacket and headed towards the door, "I'll leave you in peace. Have a good night."

Nolan was puzzled, falling into deep thought. Why was Brown so confident about his deal? Was he letting a great opportunity slip by? And what if this was what the school needed? Was he passing it up without giving it enough thought?

Brown had barely reached for the doorknob when Nolan suddenly jumped up from his chair.

"Wait! I think I answered too quickly," he sat back down, regaining his composure, "Why do you say it's such a good deal?"

Brown smiled triumphantly to himself before regaining his usual serious expression and turning to Nolan.

"Think about it carefully," he said, sitting back down in the chair, "Right now, your only concern is getting the highest score on the YSE. Your problem doesn't stem from a lack of resources," he crossed his arms, showing indifference, "but from not having enough students."

Nolan nodded, indicating for him to continue.

"Economically, you're very well-off. My institution is not," Brown shrugged, "It seems like a very reasonable deal to me. Don't you think so?"

Despite the silence that filled the office, Brown had no doubt that he had won. The agreement was more than reasonable and ensured success for both parties.

'Where do I sign?'