Sing!

Chapter Sixteen: The Board Of Education

MUSIC IS THE LITERATURE OF THE HEART; IT COMMENCED WHERE SPEACH ENDS.

|Alponse de Lamartine|

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The ceiling must be twenty feet high. Designs of fruit and flowers are carved into the moulding and small, fat children with wings look down at us from every angle. Vases of blossoms give off a cloying scent that makes everyone's eyes itch.  The board of education building was the only structure that still remained regal and firm. It was the crown jewel of Brooklyn.

"I don't know how to make it any clearer to you people," The leader of the board of education, Ratcliffe, stated, "Central is a depressed high school. In recent years it's been characterised by dropping attendance, falling test scores, violence, increase drug trafficking-"

"What do we have to do to get you to keep our school open!" Snow exclaimed as she stood up from her seat so that she could be heard and seen by all.

"We ain't any worse then the rest of them," Travis yelled as he tried to defend his school and fellow student.

"Yeah what about them," Aladdin yelled as he wrapped a hand around his girlfriend Jasmin, who smiled proudly towards him.

"This is a decision from that has come down from the state board and there is no changing it," Ratcliffe stated as he stood up on the stage while the entire crowd argued towards him.

Ratcliffe was a round man, who always enjoyed the taste of the fine life and the fine food. Long black hair tied up in two short pigtails with red ribbons, briefly moustachioed, goatee at the bottom of his mouth, thick black eyebrows and notable lavender eyelids. Eyes the colour of envy itself. Wearing a smart grey suit, giving him a sophisticated appeal.

Jack appeared from the back. Spotting a friend, Jack greets him with a friendly smile and handshake before standing beside his mate. Jack turned his attention to the entire crowd that had gathered inside the build. It appeared that everyone from the entire school had turned up.

"He's not going to listen to us. I don't know why we bother," Snow complained as various other agreed with her. Ratcliffe had never listened to other, not even in high school.

"We appreciate your feelings here. I grew up here too, I went to school with some of you, but in June this school is going to be closed," Ratcliffe badgered towards the entire group. There was no way to change his mind.

"That is not far!" Lola shouted from the back.

"These gentlemen will begin working in the school, Monday, to oversee the orderly and final disassembly of the school plan," Ratcliffe announced in a loud voice, hoping to be overhead over the bickering and arguing of the crowd.

"Not in my classroom!" Declared Miss Lady as she stood up from her seat. Other teachers began to follow Lady's example.

"Will you please give them you fullest corporation," Ratcliffe sighed as became tired with the argument, "thank you."

"No!" People yelled towards him.

"No, wait a minute," Jimminy finally stood up from his seat, readying himself to defend his student, staff and school.

"That's it!" Calliope fumed, "what about Sing?" Calliope demanded towards the councils who appeared to be tired and bored with the meeting.

"Yeah, what are you going to do about Sing?" Mamma Ody damned alongside Calliope.

"All extracurricular activities will be terminated," Ratcliffe reported as he read the notes over extracurricular activities, "we simply don't have the budget," he announced to them all.