Jaded

[35] The Brightest Minds

"And most importantly- Ms. Hayes, are you listening?"

No.

"Yes, of course," I answer (lie), offering the Vice-Principal my best attempt at an earnest smile.

I was listening, even note-taking, but then VP Ewing started talking about the ethics of 'clubs', their importance to the institution, symbolism, etc. and halfway through she adjusted her vintage horn-rimmed glasses. All I could think about after that was how tiny her nose is, and it only went downhill from there once I noticed the gazillion freckles dancing across her heart shaped face.

I have no idea what the VP's first name is but I bet she's a Felicity.

"As I was saying," she begins, "it's of the greatest importance that no club in this institute reject an applicant- for any reason whatsoever. We do not tolerate bullying in any form."

This is one of those moments where I should nod and pray that she moves on. I should... but I won't. Mostly because the anti-bullying rhetoric is irritating considering I had to fight the Coyotes by myself just yesterday. "What about sports clubs?" I ask.

VP Ewing narrows her eyes and pauses for a moment. When she finally speaks, her voice has a certain silkiness to it that's, frankly, unsettling. "Those are skill-based clubs- the only ones exempt from this requirement. Others, such as activity-based ones like yours, still have to adhere to the no rejection policy."

"But-"

She clears her throat, all the interruption I need to shut up. "Are you planning on turning people away, Ms.Hayes? I would think a club such as yours would be eager to accept as many people as it can, considering these people will likely be few and far between to begin with."

VP Ewing is more out of touch than I thought if she can't fathom the fact that some kids (Thea and Co.) will see this 'no rejection' crap as an opportunity for sabotage.

But all I need is one look at her stern demeanor to know there's no way around this. I sigh, "alright, I understand."

"Good. Moving on, do you have a viable plan for the structure of your club? This can be amended as you go, but we need something to work off of."

"Yes," I shuffle through the loose papers I had pulled out a while ago specifically for this meeting. Ah, here it is. The club layout Mama and I spent all night revising.

I slide the 3-page booklet across her cluttered desk, shifting in my seat. As she looks through the bare-bones structure my little club has, I glance around her office. For such a pristine and put-together woman, VP Ewing's office is an absolute barnyard.

There is a literal pile of papers peeking out from the side of her filing cabinet. And the one plant that's in here looks like the last time it got any water was when it still had a price tag on it. But there's a certain charm in the cavalry of photo frames lining the borders of her work space.

Ewing clicks her tongue as she flips the final page and sets the booklet down. "Looks like a good start," she reaches into one of her cupboards and pulls out a blue manila folder stuffed with all sorts of forms threatening to spill out.

"Ms. Hayes, please have all of these filled out and submitted to me by Friday afternoon if you wish to qualify for the club fair. Oh, and please don't be intimated by the members sheet. You don't need all 40 slots filled- to become established you must simply meet the minimum 15."

15?! She said that as if she's talking about eating 15 chips or collecting 15 pebbles, not finding 15 whole human students to sign up for a bug club in under four days.