Murders at Westfield High

Chapter 12

I didn’t give up snooping around, but I had a more important issue to resolve, namely a gym makeup sessions. Boys’ gym and swimming makeup classes are held on Friday nights at 7 PM and could go to as late as 9. There were only a few of us at the first one I attended. Of course Neil and Nelson were there along with Melvin Jones, Stan Wilson and Barry Stone. You would think that they would consider it a waste of time to hold a gym session with only six guys.

“I see you’re still with us, Kramer,” Nelson said as I strolled up to them. They were standing around near the bleachers waiting for Mr. Taylor to show up. “I thought that they would have thrown you in jail by now.”

“The school dropped the charges. Wells left me off with a reprimand.”

“Boy, you must rate,” Neil said. “Wells uses the paddle on rule breakers like you.”

“I guess she took pity on me,” I said in a smart-ass manner.

We turned and cringed in unison when we saw Mrs. Wells dressed in a blouse and skirt but with high heels come into the gym from the girls’ side. Obviously, the rule about not walking on the gym floor in hard-soled shoes and high heels didn’t apply to her.

“Good evening, gentlemen,” she said with a sly smile on her ruby glossed lips. “Mr. Taylor is not available this evening, so I’ve recruited Miss Gaines to substitute.”

We knew that she was referring to Victoria Gaines, the thirty five year old unmarried girls’ athletic instructor and coach. Our heads turned to watch Victoria emerge from the girls’ side and saunter over next to Mrs. Wells, who was standing near us. Miss Gaines is a willowy blond with a model’s face. She was dressed in a white blouse unbuttoned down low enough to reveal cleavage. She had the blouse tucked neatly into tightly fitted tan slacks. She wore tennis shoes and had a whistle attached to a ribbon around her neck.

Wells aimed a teasing smile at us before going to the first row of the bleachers to sit down.

Victoria looked us over as if she were inspecting beef. “Put your hands behind your back and stand at attention,” she said in a stern marine drill instructor’s tone. “If you think you’re going to get away with the shit that Taylor does when he runs a class, you’re mighty mistaken.”

I found it difficult to believe that they would get away with having a female instructor run a male gym class, but it was happening and I was part of it.

Victoria gave Nelson a subtle smirk. “You must enjoy these makeup sessions, Mr. King. What’s your excuse this time?”

Nelson’s face changed to a few shades of crimson. “I’m sorry, ma’am.”

We chuckled.

Victoria wasn’t amused. She blew her whistle. “Get down and give me pushups.

We fell to the floor and began pumping up and down like pistons in a badly tuned engine.

“You can go faster than that,” Victoria yelled as she strutted back and forth in front of us.

I picked up the pace, but some of the guys couldn’t keep up.”

“You’re pathetic,” Victoria blurted. “I’ve seen enough. Get up.”

We stood up and lined up again.

“Time for jumping jacks,” she said as if she were happy about it. “Spread out and get moving.”

We began jumping and swinging our arms, but after a few minutes, we were breathing hard.

Miss Gaines blew her whistle. “Okay, you guys can stop and line up here.” She pointed to a location in front of her.

We obeyed and stood at attention with our hands behind our backs.

“For the next exercise, I want you to start running around the course that rings the gym.

“Could you give us time to catch our breaths, ma’am?” Neil said.

“Okay, but I don’t want you to stop moving. Walk around the course. I’ll tell you when to begin running.”

We did as she said.

“I’m glad we don’t have her for our regular gym class,” Nelson said low enough for just the rest of us to hear.

“We still have to do this to make up swimming,” I reminded him. “And, it could be her in charge.”

“Where do they get off allowing a female to run a boys’ swimming class?” Stan said.

“It’s not fair,” Bevis said.

“Who would believe us?” I said. “Besides, I wouldn’t want anyone to know. They would never stop teasing us.”

That ended the bitching.

As we walked past Victoria and Mrs. Wells, we could see that they were looking us over. I suppose they considered this an unintended perk.