Pandora's Box: Maenads (Book 2)

Chemistry Mishap

They can smell fear on you, and they don't show mercy.

Chemistry class files into the room as the bell rings to start the class, but most of the students get blocked by the cheerleaders as they enter together. They walk almost exactly in time with each other as they find seats in class. Sarah sits in the middle, while her fellow teammates form a protective circle around her, sitting in the seats closest to her. The teacher looks up and sees Sarah, Nina and Kat along with their teammates in the formation they're in.

"Umm, Ms. Saridakis, what's going on?" the teacher asks with concern.

"What do you mean?" Sarah responds with a question of her own.

More students come in but stop as soon as they see the situation, clearly uncertain about what to do.

"I'm fairly certain that you're the only one in my class this period young lady. The rest of your teammates have other classes to get to, Ms. Saridakis." the teacher insists.

"Yeah but, I kinda need them right now. We're trying this new thing to foster team spirit. I need my girls with me at all times." Sarah pushes back with.

"And I'm happy to see you showing your school spirit and trying to help the team, but there are other students who need those seats." the teacher tries to push back.

"Tough, my girls aren't leaving. They need to be with me." Sarah holds firm in her position.

Even more students enter the class, noticing they have nowhere to sit.

"Well, they aren't allowed to. Other students need those seats who are actually part of my class so they can continue learning. Your friends will have to go." insists the teacher, raising his voice in frustration at not being listened to.

Sarah raises her voice in her response, "I'm not making them leave."

"No, you're not. I am. Now respect my authority and get to your respective classes and leave." the teacher says firmly.

Sarah pounds on her desk and is about to respond when Pandora pushes her way into the room.

"What's going on? Did the bell ring already?" asks Pandora, confused.

Just then, the bell rings. As the cheerleaders notice Pandora, the ones around Sarah all stand up defensively like they're protecting their leader. Pandora and her fellow students are kinda rattled by this, since they seem to respond to any move that Pandora makes by increasing the tension.

"Ms Jupiter, you're the daughter of the principal. Maybe you can get some of your fellow classmates to leave." the teacher suggests, clearly rattled by how things have progressed.

Pandora looks at her teacher who gives her an encouraging lean in the direction of Sarah and her teammates, then looks at her classmates who are just as confused, some of whom try to silently encourage her as well. She turns her attention to the cheerleaders.

"Uh, hey, Sarah..." Pandora attempts cautiously as Sarah's teammates watch her nervously approach, "What's going on?"

"I'm trying to build school spirit and Teach is getting in the way of that." Sarah insists from behind her teammates. She's sitting in her seat despite the fact that the team is on their feet and clearly focused on the one talking to their leader.

Pandora looks at the teacher for a moment before returning her focus to Sarah, "Okay, uh... how?"

"By making sure the team is as tight as possible. We need to stick together if we're going to get out of this slump. We have to be on the same page or we're never going to get the crowd behind us." Sarah explains.