Free Secrets by Robin Jones Gunn

this year.”
    “Very nice to meet you,” he said with a smile that revealed teeth with a slight gap between the front two. “Are you single gals roommates this year? You are single, aren’t you?”
    Jessica couldn’t help but feel as if she were cornered at some cheesy bar and this Martin guy was trying out his best pick-up lines on her.
    Before Jessica or Teri could answer, Charlotte stepped to the microphone and called the meeting to order. Everyone seemed to sit up a little straighter in their seats. Jessica suspected it was an involuntary reflex, not unlike the way a private would react when his sergeant marched into the barracks. She refused to respond that way to Charlotte and purposefully slumped down in her seat.
    The rest of the morning dragged on as the teachers listened to instructions on everything from earthquake procedures to filling out requisition forms for materials. In Jessica’s opinion, the instructions were overkill. Charlotte’s apparent need for control was already beginning to have a paralyzing effect on the teachers. She glanced around and noticed blank stares replacing the previously lively expressions on the teachers’ faces.
    Once again, Jessica refused to be manipulated. She flipped over the page in her handbook and on the back side wrote,
Under the Flowering Bush
. She then jotted down possible names for her little squirrels. Frank and Maude? Mac and Melanie?
    Puffy and Fluffy?
    Soon half the page was filled, and she had no idea what Charlotte had been droning on about. There was a pause and Charlotte said, “We’ll break now for lunch. I’ve had it catered, and I see they’re ready for us in the back of the room. Please try to eat quickly. We’re only breaking for half an hour.”
    Jessica and Teri filed into line with the rest of the sleepy-eyed teachers. Again, Jessica wasn’t shy about filling her plate. The stacked deli tray and potato salad looked delicious to her, especially since all she had left at home was less than half a bag of Ramen noodles and one tea bag.
    Teri and Jessica stepped outside to eat their lunch standing up. The change of position felt good. Teri lowered her head and closed her eyes while standing frozen in place. It looked to Jessica as if Teri had become dizzy and was trying to regain her equilibrium.
    “Are you okay?” Jessica asked, tilting her head and trying to peer at Teri’s closed eyes.
    Teri raised her eyelids slowly. A smile crept up her face. “I was praying,” she said softly.
    “Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t know. I thought…. Never mind. Go ahead. I hope I didn’t interrupt you or anything.”
    Teri laughed at Jessica’s apologetic words and said, “It’s okay, Jess. And don’t worry. I put in a good word for you, too.”
    Now Jessica laughed, but Teri didn’t.
    Strange girl
, Jessica thought.
I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone who prayed in public. I wonder if Charlotte will go over those rules this afternoon. “Regulations Regarding the Rights of Teachers to Pray Before Lunch.”
    Jessica took a big bite of potato salad. From behind her came Charlotte Mendelson’s voice. “Well, I see one of us doesn’t see the need to diet.”
    Forcing the rest of the spoonful of potato salad into her mouth, Jessica began to chew and declined to answer. She did notice that Charlotte seemed to parade her can of Slim Fast past Jessica as the principal moved on to the next gathering of teachers and announced, “Twenty more minutes, staff.”
    Jessica and Teri exchanged unspoken words with their expressive eyes and continued to eat their lunches. Before theyhad finished, Martin joined them and started up his “what’s your sign, baby” style of jargon again.
    “Will you please excuse us?” Teri asked before he had gotten any kind of response from either of them. “We need to make a run to the little girls’ room before the meeting begins.”
    Jessica followed her cue and walked with Teri down the hall to the faculty restroom.