I took a deep breath as I was lead into the nurses office. The minute I entered into the room, I felt the tiny hairs on my arm stand up as the smell of antiseptic filled my nose. It was nauseating to say the least as memories of my stint in the IC of UMC came flooding back. My palms starting sweating and chill passed over my shoulder. Slowly I closed my eye and shivered again.

“Take a deep breath 24601.” The women said taking a deep breath as she closed the door behind us. “Take a deep breath.. And hold still, I don’t have all day and there a dozen others in front of you. So take a deep breath, calm yourself and ride the pain out like a women.” She said as she locked the door and stepped toward a locker.

“My name is Madeline Brewer..” I said peering toward the women. “Not 24601..” I said taking a deep breath as I balled my fist up and shifted my eyes toward her. I knew talking back was the last thing I should do now, but I was getting feed up with her ordering me around or ordering us all around.

“And my name is Alice.. Alice Cartwright..” She said as if she had to force the words out of her mouth. She quickly added. “You have moxie girl. I like that, ever considering playing field hockey?” She said looking over her shoulder and giving me a half formed smile.

“No ma’am.” I said taking a deep breath as I started to fold my arms across my chest and give her a cock eyed looked in response to the smirk she was shooting in my direction.

“Okay. Cut the sass and listen to me.” She said in a low but forceful tone of voice. “I know about your condition. And I understand high school is even stranger for you. You don’t want to use the boys bathroom, and the school board does not want you to use the girls bathroom. So in the middle ground your allowed to use the staff bathroom to change and take care of business.” She almost growled at me.

I scowled at me and peered toward Alice. I was about to open my mouth to rebuke her when the full weight of the words struck me square in the chest. I stepped back and peered toward the women, hurt and confused.

“Good, I knocked that sass out of you.” She said pausing as she looked me square in the eye. “I know you and Cindy have a grudge match going on. I’m aware of the how petty you girls can be over things. And I know for a fact you have been running off at the mouth that your going to get ‘Even’ with Cindy.” She peered toward me with grim look.

“So, I’m going to do something I rarely do, I’m going to ask what is going on between you two. Then I’m going to paddle you, give you a sheet of lines to write then you can go on your date with that boyfriend of yours and enjoy the rest of your Saturday afternoon.” She said in a matter of fact tone of voice.

“Wait?! What do you mean your going to ‘Paddle me’. Hold the phone there, I don’t believe I agreed to this.” I said peering toward the women as my hands went behind my bottom. I could feel my mental defenses starting to crumble around me. In a figure of speaking she ‘Took the wind out of my sails’.

Alice took a deep breath as she peered directly into my eyes. She then released and peered toward the lights above. She gave her head a little shake and then reached over and started to dig through a drawer. What she was looking for it seemed. Could not be found in the closet.

“At the start of the year, when your older sister who is your legal guarding enrolled you. She sighed a form that gave the school permission to use corporal punishment on you. So yes I’m allowed to paddle you.” she said as she pulled out school paddle. She placed the paddle down upon one of the beds.

“Okay..” I said peering toward the women. “Okay I’ll talk.” I finally caved in and eased down on the bed. A chill passed over me. There was a urban legend that the nursing office was suppose to haunted by the ghost of a teenage girl who died here from yellow fever a hundred or so years ago.

“Go ahead. I’m listing.” Alice said taking a deep breath.

“Okay, Cindy and I go to the same church. St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, you know the pretty pink and white church located downtown. it’s the one right across from the Catholic church… We also took the same catechisms classes and both of us where confirmed my Bishop Roger King a month or so..” I was aware that I was rambling. But it felt like I needed to get all of that out in the open.

“So, it seems like you two should be close. At the very least friends. Have you ever considered that maybe Cindy was just doing her job in giving you detention, you were caught outside of class after the tardy bell had sounded. She was well within her right to give you detention, and according to her report this was not the first time, in fact she said she’d given you at least a dozen warnings about being late for class.” Alice said folding her hands across her chest and giving a dead level gaze. “Anything to say Madeline in your defense?”

“Listen.” I said looking away. At this point I pretty much knew that whatever I said would do little to change things. Alice seemed pretty much said dead in her tracks.

“I am.” She said placing the paddle across her lap. “I’m all ears girl.” She said folding one knee over the other and folding her hands under her breast.

“Cindy has hated me since I’ve meet her.. I don’t know why, but the girl has it out for me.. I swear it. Something about me stealing her boyfriend or something. I don’t know, I just know one day before school started she came up to me and said I needed to watch my back..”

Alice took a deep breath and started to rub her forehead. After a few minutes or rubbing she muttered under her breath. “Dear God, Madeline.. No.. have you ever been bullied before?” She asked in the most honest tone of voice possible.

“No.. When I was a boy people pretty much left me along..” I said shrugging my shoulders.

“Okay.. Now.. I don’t think I should be the one to tell you this. I wish somebody beside me was the one giving this talk, but I’m a teacher and part of my job is to watch out for you. So here it goes.” She drew in a deep breath and clapped her hand and released.

“Okay Madeline, girls are different that boys. Boys are more combative, they always try to set themselves apart from each other. Most boys games are them trying to prove there tougher than their peers, like football for example. It's about proving who the toughest, the fastest and the most athletic. Cheerleading on the other hand, the girls work together. They move in sync.. See they work together to synchronized there steps and there cadence..” She paused. “You following me?”

I slowly nodded my head.

“Now.. When a boy has a problem.. Say with a other boy. They settle it with their fist being you know combative and stuff. One reason boys fight along among each other. My granny called it rough housing.. But now you see girls are different. While a boy might just haul off and punch a rival in the face and get a fight started, she’ll go behind her back and spread rumors and lies about her. Maybe even get catty with her in order to provoke her.. it’s a battle of wits you see..” Alice said rubbing the back of her head.

“Anyway you understand don’t you Madeline?”

“I think so..” I said, but the truth be know I was totally lost. I was kind of more confused than when she started. Alice seemed to sense my confusion and finally out right said.

“Listen, I don’t know what going on between you and Cindy. I doubt you stole her boyfriend. But it seems clear she dislikes you. I’m just telling you to watch what you say around her. Be careful with your words and mind your manners. And if you feel threaten or you start getting threaten notes, make sure you do two things. One you turn the note into the office and two you have a copy made for your personal records. Not saying it will come to that, but that under the table advice to you.” She said sighing as she shook her head.

“Why?” I said tilting my head to the side as I peered toward Alice. I was starting to see another side of her, in the span of a hour she had pulled a total one eighty on me.

“Because.. Jealous is a powerful weapon. Sometimes it can motivate people to do good things. Other times it can release a wave of destructive power. Now, I think it's time we bring this heart to heart talk to a end, don’t you agree.” Alice then stood up and gripped the handle of the paddle in her hand. “Okay, Madeline stand up, graph your ankles, take a deep breath and count reach stroke. Failing to count one stroke will cause the cause a reset. Three resets and you will find yourself doing another Saturday detention. Have I made myself clear.”

“Yes ma’am.” I said taking a deep breath as I stood up and bends over and wrapped my fingers around my ankles. I released my breath and waited..

To be continued…