ODDS OF LOVE SEASON TWELVE

Episode 79

Cassandra Mayfield sat at the head of the large highly polished mahogany wood table in the dark paneled dining room. Her shrewd blue eyes sharply surveyed the other people seated around the table.

Her sister , Elizabeth, who was even more quiet as usual because she was still obsessing over that son of hers and Darwin being arrested. It was wasted energy to her since the boy had been released on his own recognizance earlier that day. No bail needed or anything common like that. Between Darwin, Palmer and Claire nothing would happen to Kyle although if it was her he would be on his way to an all boy military style boarding school. After all , people of their status did not go to prison. Not for selling drugs anyway.

The new vice president replacement for Flower, Michael Handel , who was a young Black man in his early thirties married to a judge and a man. He apparently worked for a living at a little DC bookstore he owned. How dreadfully pedestrian. Did people even read anymore? He was not technically a parent since his child at the school was really his nephew by his sister. How crude. Exactly what was Gerald HighTower allowing in the school these days?

Michael Handel sat in a tee shirt and jeans of all things next to that annoying little disabled man Spencer Lane who had left mud on her carpet from that chair of his. How common. Another inappropriate " parent" at the school. She nearly sneered as she thought of his odd troublemaker " niece" and the nephew who had been suspended for bringing drugs into the school.

And on the other side of Spencer was that very arrogant actor/ singer person Reese Malden who wore sunglasses inside and whose hands trembled slightly. If she didn't know better she would say he had been drinking. It probably was likely though since his " husband" had been recently murdered. How tacky. Of course those types of losses were not the same in their relationships really.

" I am so glad you all could be here on such short notice ," she said regally. " Of course there is nothing more important than the well being of our children at Barrington Academy." As she said" our children " she looked pointedly at her sister who was idly fiddling with her strand of pearls. " The main item on tonight's agenda is a critical one. I assume everyone with children in the middle school have received the dreadful reading list from the English teacher Mr. Giadello.  The books on the list are highly inappropriate. Queer books. Race baiting books. Rabble rousing topics. Very inappropriate material. I hope you are all in agreement with myself. I think we should draft a letter, Elizabeth, on official PTA stationary to Gerald and the board requesting the removal of these books from the English classroom as well as the library. Also I think the new librarian , Devin Lucas , has a ..... "  literature" podcast that is a bit bold. I'm not sure it reflects well on the school as a whole. "

Elizabeth whispered softly," I can get started writing it....."

Michael lifted an eyebrow as he read from the paper before him that detailed information about the books in question. " Wait. These are not bad books. I carry many of them in my own store. " His lips trembled as though he wanted to laugh out loud. " Captain Underpants! Oh my goodness. Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry is an African American classic. I read it myself as a child. I don't see anything wrong with these books. "

Cassandra narrowed her eyes at him.

Spencer was looking through his own copy of the reading list. " I agree with Michael. I disapprove of book bans and censorship. Doing such things is a sign of a failed country and society. "

Cassandra snapped," Nonsense ! And you are the last one to talk about failures. I heard about that nephew of yours. Drug taking ! Of all things. " She shook her well coiffed blonde head.

Spencer thinned his lips at her. " I fail to see....."

Cassandra laughed. " Yes. You failed to see that a child in your household was on drugs. That's why I believe your sort should not be parents. "