The New Principal Ch. 13

"I told you, there's nothing to do tonight. We'll ask Jennifer tomorrow. She said she's coming to the all-hands meeting, right?"

"Yeah... I guess I'm just still a bit shocked. She way she turned right at us and winked... It was like she could see us."

"Well, I can tell you for sure, there's no camera in that room. I gave it a good search."

Veronica, now wearing my hoodie, leaned in and kissed me.

"The ferry is coming over tomorrow afternoon, then we're all going to leave you all alone over break. Are you going to be able to survive?"

"Well, I can't say I won't be waiting for you to come back. It's going to be awfully boring without you in town."

"Feh. I'm not the troublemaker here. I'm just a simple quiet small-town librarian."

"Ok, Miss Delusional, I've seen your little fetish librarian get up." She smiled a warning at me. "You said you have to get home, so get home. Otherwise, I'm not going to be able to keep myself away from you."

"You're sweet."

I advanced on her.

"Back! Back! Do I need to get a newspaper and bop you in the nose?" She giggled and skittered toward the door. "Don't let it go to your head, but I'll miss you, too."

I leaned forward, and she gave a mock threatening scowl. I gently kissed her on the nose. "Shoo."

Her scowl vanished in a cute little smile. "'Kay."

And with that she snuck out the door into the darkness. I kept the porch light off, but who knows if anyone was paying attention. Hell, maybe there was another camera trained on my front door. Thinking in that direction wouldn't lead anywhere healthy right now. So, I went to bed, a tired, but very satisfied man.

***

The alarm woke me up much earlier than I was ready for, but I dragged myself into the shower and off to work. I had run two days in a row, so it was a good idea to take a day off, but I thought it would be nice to balance things out with an upper body or core day. A town our size probably didn't have a gym, but maybe I could use our athletics center. As I walked to the office, I thought that might be a good idea to work off some of my excess energy that I was sure to have with Veronica gone.

I was still plenty early for the meeting with the Board of Directors, but when I came into the office, I saw Kimberly on the phone wearing a clouded expression. I stood in her doorway to let her know I was in. When she saw me, I started to head toward my office, but she held up a finger to hold me there.

"Yes, ma'am. I understand. I think it would be best to have all of that in writing... Yes, ma'am. Of course, of course... I'm more than happy to relay... I do think it would be best if you speak to him... Yes, ma'am, he's here... No, ma'am, not as early as I do... Yes, I'll transfer you to him... Yes... thank you... Yes, just one moment."

She put her partner on hold and hung up the phone.

"That was Dr. Cline. She's the Chairwoman of the Board of Directors. They've canceled the full meeting with you today, but she's been authorized to respond to your proposals on their behalf." She looked at me carefully. "This is very strange. They've never made decisions like this before. She's one of the members who supported you most, but I'm not sure what this means."

"Ok. Strange. I shouldn't be surprised. Thanks!" I headed to my office as Kimberly patched her through.

I was able to pick up the phone on the second ring as I sat down in my giant chair.

"Dr. Cline? This is Ben Lee." I tried to sound chipper and optimistic.

"Mr. Lee." The voice was unemotional, very hard to read. I wished I could see her eyes. "It is good to speak to you again. We didn't get much of a chance to talk during the interview. How are you finding things over at Bright Hall?"

"It's a wonderful place. There is so much potential here. Plenty of things that I would like to see improved, but I know we can do great things."

"I am pleased to hear that. I am unable to guarantee that the future will be smooth for you, especially with the changes you are already proposing. There is a significant amount of... inertia there in Bright Hall."

"I've heard similar things from a few different corners, but everyone has been vague." I didn't know how much I should push this, but I had to at least try. "I don't suppose you could enlighten me?"

"Not to the degree you might prefer, I am afraid. Of course, the town itself is very conservative, and you will need to keep a good relationship with them. We have also had some personnel issues in the past, but I am unable to speak to those in any detail. And to be candid, there are some problems, particularly financial problems, to which we still have no answers. In any case, my time today is limited, so I think we should get straight to your proposals. The board has read the materials you sent, and has made recommendations, but I would like to hear your thoughts before I issue our decisions."

She stopped without asking any questions, so I just started to talk on general principles.

"Bright Hall has been an excellent school in the past, but for whatever reason or reasons, things have become challenging in the past several years. While there are financial difficulties, the problem doesn't seem to be financial at the core. The way I see it, a few years of regular enrollment will put the ledgers right, although it will cost money to turn things around. The actual problem in my view seems to have been one of conflict among the faculty, staff, and even the student body, and a fundamental lack of direction. I think this problem has been largely, but only temporarily, alleviated by the staffing shakeup and rehiring. I am very pleased with the core staff and faculty I currently have. We still have a couple of openings, but right now, I am confident we have a strong foundation we can build on. I should say that a great deal of this is thanks to Kimberly Adams. Her insights and judgement have been indispensable to me on numerous occasions. She deserves more than the promotion I have given her."

The voice coolly interrupted. "Kimberly Adams... You have promoted her?"

"Yes. We're still working out the details. She'll be something akin to a dean at a larger school. Do you think that is a bad idea?"

"That level of decision is yours to make."

"So, you think it's a bad idea. I would welcome your thoughts." Was this a test, or was there really a problem?

"Please continue your general comments."

Slightly knocked off my rhythm, I tried to concentrate. "So... With a strong faculty and staff, I think the next priority is to refocus the entire school on the students. My impression is that some students feel neglected, and to be frank, I was quite disturbed at how much of the educational and athletic facilities of the campus had been shuttered and neglected. The only building that has been kept up to date and fully functioning is the administration building. That's a very bad look.

"This is part of the rationale behind the proposal to become Bright Hall Academy, a women-only school. By rebranding and narrowing our focus, we can double down on our reputation as a retreat for thoughtful, intensive study, and for producing exceptional women. We want to be not just a school that students choose because they aren't ready for college, but a school that students choose instead of college.

"My hope is that the attention we get by making this change will drown out the current ambivalence that has been growing about our reputation. It's risky, of course, and expensive, too. The remodeling and renovation have already begun, and the rebranding will not be cheap. Also, we will temporarily lose tuition income from the loss of male students."

I wasn't sure how much she wanted to hear, but then I realized she had most of the information already. She probably just wanted to hear me talk to get a better idea of who she had hired.

"I can go into more detail about the thinking that led to these choices, but you have most of the specifics in front of you already. I would rather answer any questions you have."

"Very well. I have one question that isn't covered in the information you sent. Please explain your thoughts about the uniform. Realize, of course, that the uniform is not something about which the board can make decisions. I am simply... curious."

That was certainly a question out of left field. "Sure, I personally am not a big fan of the uniforms at all, but I am persuaded that the tradition is of real value. In all honesty, I think if we are going to have a uniform, it should be completely redesigned from the shoes up for the comfort and pride of the students, and I plan to look at that option soon. All that said, I have asked Kimberly to look into ways we can make the uniform more suitable and hopefully less expensive as it is."

"I would recommend you look into who runs the clothing store that provides our uniforms."

I was taken a bit aback. "Thank you. Is this likely to be a problem?"

"Possibly. But perhaps your Dean Adams can solve it for you."

There was a lot to unpack in that sentence, and I wasn't sure how to respond.

"Do you have any questions before I inform you of the decisions of the board?"

"I am curious as to why our meeting this morning was canceled. I would like to meet as much of the board as I can."

"Oh, it was just a confluence of several small logistical issues. Herding cats."

That didn't ring true at all. I got the sense that she wasn't even putting effort into the obfuscation, but pulling more information out of her didn't seem like a good option.

"Well, then. I would be happy to hear what the board thinks about our proposals."

"Very well. We approve all proposals. We authorize funding to be set aside and prepared for the potential deficit caused by the reworking of the new Bright Hall Academy. In addition, we recommend and approve funding to hire a design firm to help with the rebranding, as well as a small amount for a petty cash fund. Do not abuse this trust."

"That's... that's wonderful!"

"You should know, and I do not say this in my professional capacity, that there was some debate about these issues but not as much as I would have expected. You are currently being given a rather surprising amount of leeway. I admit to being confused by this."

"Thank you for that. There are a lot of things going on that I don't understand. I hope you won't be offended that I'm happy to have a little company in my confusion."

Did I actually hear her nearly laugh? Surely not.

"Mr. Lee. Do you have any other business?"

"No." I had a lot of questions, but not any I felt I could ask right now.

"Good. We'll put things in motion on our end. We will expect a report by the end of the summer term. Good day, Mr. Lee."

"It was good to talk to you Dr. Cline."

I hung up the phone and looked up to see a hint of red hair fleeing from the doorway.

"Kimberly! Come back!"

She sheepishly peeked back around the corner.

"I'm so sorry. I just went to get some tea, and I didn't mean to..."

Her eyes were wide, and she was obviously worried that she had been caught. For a split second I thought about teasing her with punishment, but looking at that face, I couldn't bring myself to do it.

"No worries, you're the driving force behind most of these changes. It's only right that you are anxious to know how things went. Dr. Cline didn't tell you anything?"

"No, only that she was going to be speaking for the board. She sounded dismissive though. How bad is it?"

"It's the most dangerous kind of good fortune. We got what we asked for. Now we just have to make sure it works out."

"What? Everything?"

"Every last thing. We even got full funding, plus money to add a design firm. It's almost suspicious."

When she smiled back, I couldn't help but be reminded of the two nights now I had watched that face contorted in joyous ecstasy. First with her own hands, and last night with the help of Jennifer Lashgari.

I slipped easily into her mind and immediately found an excited happy glow from her assignation the previous night. Her lust was comfortably in the back of her mind, but it was clearly well-developed. It gave a warm contented mood to the entirety of her person. I tried to encourage that glow without bringing her lust to the front of her mind, and I was pleased to feel her happiness deepen.

Pulling back, I saw that joy reflected in her face. I gave her a questioning look.

"What? I'm just... I'm just in a really good mood right now, and that's great news. I was expecting more of a fight." She looked a little embarrassed as she probably was recalling the source of her 'good mood.' Her pleasure was contagious.

"Dr. Cline also mentioned being unsure why things went so well. Keep your eyes and ears open. Somehow I don't think we're done with this yet." I knew there were problems and potential traps and so much going on that I didn't understand, but I decided to take this as a victory and move on.

"I'm going to go back and try to figure out what I'm going to say at the faculty and staff meeting. Any suggestions?"

"Keep it short. They want to see you and figure out what you're about, but they also want to finish packing so they don't miss the ferry."

"Does that include you, too?"

"Of course!" A hint of a smile played on her lips. "I've known people who've missed the last ferry. It's just miserable having to stay back here with the handful of students, and the townies, and no one else."

"Yeah, yeah, very funny." I was so pleased that Kimberly seemed to be breaking out of her professional mode more and more. "Poor me, left all alone here while everyone goes off to enjoy themselves. Now get out of here so I can get to work." I made sure she saw my smile, lest there be any misunderstanding.

And right before she turned away, I sent a pulse of joy toward her. I couldn't really differentiate between lusty joy and just regular happiness joy, but she certainly left with a skip in her step anyway.

***

"Hello. My name is Ben Lee, and although I've met some of you, I understand that this is the first time most of you have seen me. I apologize for that. I know things have been very chaotic recently, and I didn't want to interrupt the hard work you all have been doing to get the final exams taken care of. My main guiding principle here is to get out of the way of people who do good work, so they can keep doing that good work."

The all-hands meeting actually did have a good turnout despite not being mandatory. Faculty and staff piled in the cafeteria. I was struck by the absurdity of having to meet here, but apparently big meetings were held either there or in the gym, and the work had already started on the gym, so there we were.

While I was going over my very brief comments, I looked over the room to try and gauge the mood. Jennifer was there in the back, near the door. Veronica was next to her. Kimberly was up front taking notes on a laptop. There were a few sour faces out there, but on the whole, it wasn't hostile, so I took that as a positive. It seemed like they were at least willing to hear me out. But I hadn't gotten to the real news yet.

"Aside from getting a chance to meet you all before you head off on break, I called this meeting because I wanted you all to hear the news from me rather from the grapevine. The board hired me with the explicit goal of making changes, and making this school the best educational institution of its kind. To that end, beginning in the fall, we will be moving to a women-only policy."

I heard a few gasps, and those sour faces I had noted earlier puckered up even more. Driving on.

"Men who are currently enrolled and those who begin classes in the summer will be allowed to continue their coursework for as long as they like, but we will accept no more new male students in the fall semester."

As I continued to explain the reasoning for this change, and the other more minor changes, I started to feel the attention focused on me almost as a physical thing. It was an oddly familiar thing, but I couldn't put my finger on how. It didn't feel exactly like the trick, but it seemed almost related to it. I could sense the eyes on me somehow, mostly open-minded, but some anxious, and some in total opposition. I could even feel something like hate in thin strands floating in my direction.

Then I realized why it was familiar. It was the same as the humming I felt in that erotic dream I had with Veronica and Kimberly. An eerie feeling washed over me. Had I forgotten about that dream? How could I forget such a wild dream? I talked to Veronica about it... didn't I? It was like it slipped away from my mind when I tried to think about it. But here, in front of the crowd, I heard that humming, low, underneath the words that were coming out of my mouth, and it was exactly the same humming from the dream.

I tried to focus in on it again so that I could figure out what is was, so that I wouldn't lose it again. But it was as slippery as the dream. I couldn't quite pin it down or figure out what it was. And, almost unconsciously, I was nearly at the end of my prepared speech. I had to choose what to focus on, the hum or the speech, and it had to be the speech. I left the hum to fill the room and gather around me like a warm swarm of honey bees.

"So. That's who I am, and what I plan to do here. Again, I want to let the reigns slack a bit and let you all do the jobs as you know they need to be done. Please come and talk to me if you have any idea at all that you think will make things better for the students here. I can't promise I'll agree, but I will absolutely listen to any idea, however crazy it might be."

The humming hadn't gone away, and it had even gotten a little louder and more insistent, as if it didn't like being ignored. I took a moment to look over the crowd again, and I could feel the general mood. Not with any specificity, it didn't feel like the trick in that way. I wasn't in their minds. Maybe it was just intuition? But they seemed willing to follow me.

"So, I'll let you go. I know you've got a busy night tonight. I hope you have a wonderful break, and come back rested and ready to make Bright Hall Academy better than it ever. Thank you for giving me a shot."

As I stepped away from the podium, I received some applause, frankly more than I deserved, which was gratifying. Less encouraging was that the humming was still there, but where before it seemed to be in the entire room, now it seemed to be simply in my head. It was distracting and annoying. Was this one of the signs of a brain tumor?

I shook hands and made small talk, but I couldn't hold anyone's name or face in my memory. There were teachers and staff around me for a while, but eventually everyone started to stream away, back to families and eventually to the ferry off the island. I didn't get a chance to talk to Jennifer at all, and only saw Kimberly and Veronica as they went out the door, waving back at me.

Near the end of the night, I ended up talking to the guy in charge of the dorms. He was saying something about the renovations, and I think he seemed happy, but the hum was distracting me, and I was not paying full attention. As we were talking, a pair of students, still in full uniform, came in and stood to one side, waiting to be given permission to speak.

"Ah, Principal Lee, this is Cynthia and Deborah Xu. They're the Resident Assistants for the second and third floor." His voice went cold as he spoke to the students. "Ladies, you shouldn't be here. This is a faculty and staff meeting. No students allowed. Principal Lee, I recommend five demerits each for the infraction."

I turned to the students. I nearly did a double-take. They were twins, but had done quite a lot to make themselves stand apart. One, maybe Cynthia?, had short spikey hair, and the other had long straight glossy hair nearly down to her butt. I tried to pay attention and look at them, but my mind was swimming in the hum.