To the rest of the kids, she said, “It's dodge ball today. Pick up two teams.”
And she stood by me, keeping me out of the choosing-of-sides segment, until she could see what team Velda, Carol and Ingrid were on. Then she marched me over to the other team, the younger and smaller students like Pamela making up most of it, and pushed me into the group of nervous girls.
“Try not to get hurt,” Ms. Dykstra told me, clearly not meaning it. And blew her whistle. “Go to it, girls!”
Even though I was only a little 5th-grader, what I haven't mentioned yet was that I was a tomboy in many ways, including anything involving sports. Skinny or not, I was fast and I was very strong, two things you couldn't tell by just looking at me.
I know for certain Carol didn't expect it when, the first time she rocketed the ball at my head, I easily caught it, spun around for even more speed and power, and blasted it back to her so fast it caught the side of her face with a loud smack that almost knocked her down.
“Out, Carol!” Ms. Dykstra called, her whistle sounding. But then, “Time.”
And we all froze in place while the lanky gym teacher went to see if the tall blonde 8th-grader I'd whacked so hard in the face was okay. Carol was partially bent over, her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath.
“Good God,” Maryanne said. “You're a killer!”
I gave her a look, then glanced at the other girls on my team.
They suddenly seemed a little afraid of me, but whether it was because I was tougher than they'd all expected, or because my throw might mean more trouble for them in the future from Velda's gang, I couldn't tell.
“Just a lucky shot,” I said. “I'll probably get killed myself, real fast.”
But it was obvious neither Maryanne nor Pamela believed me.
“No way,” Pamela laughed. “That wasn't luck.”
I shrugged.
Back at St. Katherine's Academy, I was known as a particularly dangerous girl at dodge ball, regardless of the ages of my opponents. I guess it was going to be true at my new school, as well.
But Ms. Dykstra straightened finally, from talking to Carol, and motioned me over.
“Yes, ma'am?”
It was obvious Carol was crying, a huge red welt on her cheek from where the ball had hit her. In fact, it seemed her cheek bone might even be broken, an odd contour to that side of her face. She ignored me, too miserable obviously to even give me a dirty look.
Ms. Dykstra put an arm over her shoulder and began leading her away.
“Velda!” the gym teacher called out. “Keep an eye on the class. I'm taking Carol to see the nurse.” And to me, she gave a dirty look and said, “You, come with me. We need to see Miss Hellview on this.”
“We do?” I said, surprised to say the least. “It was just a game!”
Ms. Dykstra stopped then, still holding onto Carol, and fixed me with a look that wasn't exactly nice. “That's right,” she said. “It was just a game. That is, until you critically injured another student.”
Huh. Not good.
CHAPTER 12
“I see we're getting off to a bad start,” Miss Hellview said quietly, the threat in her voice clear. “Emily, I also want to know: exactly where is your school uniform? My niece specifically informed me you were given one last night.”
Of course.
No surprise-Velda lied to her aunt, but I'd never win claiming she was the liar, not me. In any case, the badly-hurt-Carol issue seemed the more serious one facing me at the moment, so I looked to Miss Hellview with what I hoped was an expression of sincere regret.
I stood before her wide desk, still in my skimpy gym shorts. Her office seemed no more cheery than the night before when I'd first arrived, but actually (due to the current circumstances, when I thought about it) suddenly seemed considerably less so.
“I'm sorry, Miss Hellview,” I started. “I didn't mean to hurt Carol. I just threw the ball back to her after she threw it at me. It was dodge ball.”
Miss Hellview was again dressed darkly, in a black full-length dress, her sleek blonde hair primly pulled back and tightly pinned behind her head. Her intense blue eyes studied me, much as a bird of prey might consider potential quarry.
“You threw the ball at Carol,” she clarified. “Not to her, as you say. And the nurse has driven her into town, to see the doctor. It seems several fragile bones in her face might be broken.”
Oops.
“Again, I'm sorry. Very sorry.”
She steepled her hands in front of her then, elbows on her desk, tapping her two forefingers together in what I took to be a thoughtful pose.
“I suppose accidents happen,” she conceded. “And if it was an accident, as you say it was, I intend to treat it in that manner-rather than as an intended injury to another student.”
“Yes, ma'am, that's the truth.”
Sort of. Carol had tried to kill me with the ball first.
“But the issue of your missing uniform is a serious infraction,” Miss Hellview informed me, suddenly standing. “As the other students are aware, punishment is mandatory, if you've lost it. So, please tell me, Emily: where exactly is the school uniform you were issued and why are you not wearing it?”
And she walked around her desk slowly and stood before me, waiting with an inquisitive smile for my answer. I was again struck by the fact that, although her subdued dress and manner caused her to seem far older (and more serious!) than the smooth perfection of her face would suggest, she was probably just a good-looking young woman in her late 20's.
“Emily, I'd like an explanation,” she intoned. “Now.”
“Well…” I started, thinking fast. “Here's what must've happened…”
My punishment for letting my brand new, apparently expensive school uniform get stolen in the middle of the night, Miss Hellview informed me, was to actually be paddled. For real, this time.
I couldn't believe it.
“There's no paddling anymore,” I said in my defense, subtly leaning back away from her. “Not in school. I don't even think it's legal these days.”
That she believed me about my missing uniform, that it could be stolen out of the room I shared with Maryanne and Pamela while we were sleeping, seemed absurd to me as well. There was no way. Far more likely was the truth, simply that I'd never been given the damn thing by her niece, Velda-a conclusion which I'd first assumed she'd come to on her own.
But, no, Miss Hellview stood there and believed (or pretended to believe) my ridiculous lie.
“This isn't a public institution,” she informed me. “As a private school, you may either abide by our rules, including accepting our punishments as stated, or leave. I don't think your parents would appreciate your expulsion on your first day, especially after paying for you to attend here.”
I nodded, thinking hard.
She was right about one thing-my mother would kill me if I got thrown out. And if I tried going back home to live with them, she'd probably divorce my dad on the spot. So that was out of the question.
On the other hand, my poor little bare ass was still sore from the surprise paddling I'd gotten the night before from Velda and her friends, so I wasn't exactly looking forward to more of that.
But I knew enough not to say anything about it.
“I'll take the paddling,” I finally nodded. “But I hurt my, uh, bottom this week, in a boating accident with some friends. I landed right on it and it's still sore. Could you paddle me after it feels better?”
Miss Hellview seemed to think it over, nodding to herself, but then smiled and said, “Show me where you've
