Handcuffed

Played Out

Played Out

From the moment Shirley awoke until the following morning she didn't have a moment to think nor did she realize she hadn't eaten all day. It was a combination of the applause after the curtain closed for the last time, the raving review of Ms. Hudson, and the headlines that convinced her she had directed a perfect play.

Playtime for Orphans By Jenny Johnson
If you are a lucky orphan schooled at Ytrairom High, you enjoyed the humorous, thought provoking, spoof of Twelve Angry Men/Women. This was the fourth such play I attended and Director/Senior Shirley Holmes, granddaughter of the great detective, did an amazing job of writing and directing, only equaled by her superb acting performance. There was such a diverse group to satisfy and all were reached. Words and actions taught, while some slapstick humored the young ones. Masterful props and art wowed the older children in their teens as well as the adults. It took just about an hour and a half, during dinnertime. Fast foods and many tasty snacks were available at reasonable prices. The rest of the well-groomed, uniformed students were positioned throughout the grounds politely directing traffic or just being helpful. The play was recorded and is for sale. I recommend purchasing it. All proceeds will be divided among the graduating class as spare money for when they are no longer under the care of the school. Keep a lookout for the upcoming magazine. We will have a more detailed article about the school and the play. To order call 800-MORAN HI.

"I guess we did well," Shirley said to Diana with a tired smile.

"Did well," Diana exclaimed, "Didn't you hear how much money we made?"

"I know, a record $33,564 profit. I meant whether everyone enjoyed themselves."

They rest of the day they helped pack everything away for the next year, and were called in by The Dean their final grades. There was no surprise that Shirley was going to get one of the scholarships, but when Diana told Shirley privately, that she was getting one too, Shirley didn't know how to react. She was thankful Diana explained the rational right away, so her surprise wouldn't hurt Diana's feeling.

"The Dean said he realized I was just freezing up from the test papers after the first term in ninth grade. To help me, he asked Ms. Isadora to test me the day before, without telling me that these were really the test questions. Although I still did miserably on the written ones, orally with Ms. Isadora, I was getting top marks, beating everyone except you, Shirley. Based on that he is giving me a scholarship, and will send a note to my professors, explaining how he handled testing me. Please don't tell anyone."

"Go change," Ms. Hudson told Shirley and Diana, "and we will meet in an hour by the teachers parking lot. I got The Dean's permission to take the stars out to dinner."

"Oh great," they both answered together, "thank you."

They enjoyed themselves for two hours but Shirley asked that they get back at a normal hour since she was scheduled to play the Oaks for the final basketball match up of her high school years. "I wonder if they're going to have any help," she thought as she fell asleep.

"Stop drinking and eat something, Shirley?" Diana asked at the breakfast table.

"I don't want to feel heavy. I just need the fluids to keep up with my sweat."

She met her team at ten, and gave them her usual pep talk. She only made two additions.

"Just because this is my last high school game doesn't mean we have to over exert ourselves to crush them. I also don't mean to make you nervous, but don't be scared if you see a bigger audience then usual. There are still a lot of foster parents and alumni around town from the play and I would not be surprised if they come."