The New Principal Ch. 19

19.

It was as if everything was frozen in time.

I was hiding in a portable construction building with my hand unconsciously stroking myself through my pants. Outside the window bathed in the pale blue moonlight was an incredible sight.

There was a rather healthy group of students of the Bright Hall Academy surrounding and floating in a piping hot hot-springs pool. Not a single one of them was wearing a single stitch of clothing.

On the side closest to me was Kimberly Adams, once my administrative assistant, now more or less a provost of the Academy. She was lying on her back in all her alabaster glory, her wild kinky hair strewn everywhere in a crimson halo on the ground as she moaned to the sky. Ministering to her on either side were the Xu twins, Deborah and Cynthia. They were not small women, but next to Kimberly's Rubenesque delights, they looked positively girlish. They were lovingly mauling Kimberly's generous breasts with mouths and hands, only sparing their attention there for more delicate work between her legs.

At another corner of the pool was Louise, a very full-figured student who had clearly been driven to multiple peaks of joy by the pile of nubile flesh that surrounded her. You could see that she had wrung everything out of the girls as they lay discarded and panting, but smiling in small tangled clumps, but Louise's eyes twinkled with expectation of further play.

Anne, the president of the Journalism Club, who until very recently had been almost painfully shy, was in the pool, bobbing gently together in post-orgasmic bliss with a tiny raven-haired girl who looked absolutely besotted with her partner.

The unclouded sky allowed the moon to shine its wan light over all these bodies and the others, clinging together in pairs or small groups.

This Dionysian Club had been meeting casually for a few weeks now, but this was its first major event. Kimberly, the club advisor, was in charge of guiding these women in discovering their bodies and their own desires. She had taken things slowly, teaching the girls how to enjoy themselves and their partners before building up to this sapphic detonation. Well, she had been in charge before she was tackled and driven to a lovely bit of drawn-out ecstasy by the twins.

That scene stays etched in my memory, because that's exactly what I was looking at when I first heard the police sirens. I hear that it is supposed to be something about chemicals in the brain. When you panic, these chemicals fire and make the memories stick. So that memory certainly does stick.

Anyway, I was getting ready to blow my cover and shout a warning to the group when Anne noticed the sound.

"Ms Adams, listen!"

Kimberly, still partially stuck in her ragged lust-soaked mind, found the power to sit up and tilt her head to focus on listening.

Suddenly it was no longer far away and warbling, but clearly coming closer.

Kimberly stood up in a shot and was in complete command.

"Girls, get your clothes, now. No, get all the clothes, doesn't matter if they're yours, just get everything. Fast as you can, get to the gym showers, now!"

Some of the club members needed to be shaken out of their reverie, but in a surprisingly short amount of time, they were all on the move, grabbing clothes and running off toward the gym.

Kimberly watched over everyone, gathering clothes left behind and waving them all out of the spa area. I saw her glance over to the portable where I was hiding. She looked nervous as she waved at me, motioning that I needed to get out of there, too.

I had to wait for everyone to get out first though. The siren was getting louder and louder, but there were still a few girls scampering away from the pool.

Kimberly anxiously glanced one more time back to me and then took the last two club members by the hand and dragged them off toward the gym.

When I felt they were far enough away, I darted out of the room and started to follow them. But out of the corner of my eye, I saw what looked like a small pile of bras and panties off to the far side of the pool. I hesitated a moment and was about to run over to pick them up when I saw the red and blue flashing lights of a police cruiser light up the chain link fence at the far end of the construction site. There was no time. I had to run. And so I did.

I heard the police opening up the gate right as I got to the entrance to the gym. I decided to skirt the edge of the building so I wouldn't be barging in on the club in the showers.

I made it home without incident, but my pulse was going a mile a minute.

Things could have gone so much worse. It seemed like everyone got away okay, and I was confident Kimberly would get them dressed and back to their dorm rooms without incident.

I wasn't sure what to think about the police. I had only met a few of the officers in passing. Bright Hall had a typical small town department, just a chief of police and a couple of troopers. To be honest, I don't think I had ever even seen their cruiser before. I wasn't even sure they had one. But why did they come up with their siren on. Maybe they were just wanting to scare the students away?

They would hopefully just look around, find the underwear and conclude it was a few students taking a harmless skinny dip. No real harm in that, surely.

The other thing was to figure out who called the police. The low rumbling of opposition to me as principal was getting more distinct. First, there was the anonymous postings to the Academy newspaper website making all sorts of claims about my debauchery, some true, but mostly lies. Then there was the array of cameras set up all over campus and the town. And of course, there was the general sense of unease and lack of cooperation from a certain group of staff and faculty.

It all seemed so vague and circumstantial, but I was convinced that someone was moving against me. I just didn't know what to do about it.

Before I went to sleep, I got a one word text from Kimberly:

"Ok?"

"Ok here. You?"

"Ok, but worried."

"We'll talk Monday. No need to change plans."

"Ok. Good night."

"Night."

It was hard to keep to routine since I was only just coming out of a bit of self-imposed exile, but I went out for a run Sunday morning. It was a bit later than usual, but I kept to my usual route. I didn't see Jennifer, but I knew she ran very early, so I wasn't surprised.

When I got back from my run though, I saw that police cruiser parked at the curb next to the Green House.

Well, crap.

"Morning there! You Principal Lee?"

The voice came over from the porch as I walked up.

"Yeah, that's me. Call me Ben. What can I do for you gentlemen?"

There were two men on the porch. They were in what looked like brand-new uniforms, everything crisp, high-shine, and all correct. But what was surprising was their age. The younger of the two had to be on the far end of fifty. They looked fit enough, but to still be patrolmen at their age? Well, maybe it was hard to recruit in small towns.

They both turned to me with none of the cheerfulness that I tried to put into my words.

"Principal Lee, I'm Trooper Moore, and this is Trooper Pine. We'd like to talk to you about an incident over the last night and early this morning on campus."

"Sure, glad to. I'm sorry I haven't had the chance to meet everyone down at the station. Why don't you two come on in. Can I get you a juice or coffee?"

I walked by them and opened the door to let them in. I showed them to the kitchen and they sat down at the bar. They didn't reply, but I was going to get an orange juice for myself, so I poured three glasses.

I set the glasses out for them and sat down with them.

"Nothing serious, I hope."

"Well, we're not too sure, yet. We wanted to get your point of view on the incident."

"Sure, what can I help with?"

"We were informed that there was some kind of party over at the hot springs construction site. The information we received mentioned that there were drugs and alcohol there. We take that kind of thing very seriously here."

It seemed like Trooper Moore, the younger of the two, was the designated speaker. Trooper Pine simply nodded.

"Well, I take that very seriously as well. What did you find out? Was there a party? Were any of my students involved?"

I've never been that great of a liar, even at this kind of dancing around the truth, but it seemed I was getting more and more practice at it.

"Ah, well. We're still investigating. We did find some evidence, but we can't say anything for sure quite yet. What we wanted to ask you is if you knew anything about any student gathering last night."

"I don't remember anything scheduled, but that doesn't mean much. There's so much going on lately that I can't keep up with all the events. But I want to get back to what you said earlier. Do we have a drug problem in town? I haven't seen any evidence on campus, but if there is a problem like that I would want to know about it."

This turn in the conversation seemed to bother Trooper Moore looked quickly to Trooper Pine who finally spoke.

"We haven't had much of a problem with drugs, but we want to keep it that way. I don't know that you know quite how this town works, Principal Lee. We're a quiet little town that likes things the way they are. I think it's important that you know that there are people who are... concerned about the changes we're hearing about on campus. I'm sure you have the best intentions, but you might do well to think about the... ah... community a bit more in your role as principal here."

"I see. Thank you, Trooper Pine, Trooper Moore. I do appreciate your coming to talk to me about these things. I want to keep a good relationship between the Academy and the town, and especially with the police department."

They both had already stood up, juices untouched.

"We'll be in touch, Principal Lee. Take care."

"Thank you. You're welcome any time."

I walked them to the door, then watched them head down the path to their car, get in and drive off.

There were a lot of things that didn't make sense. Elder troopers, new uniforms, no mention of the discarded underwear. And drugs and alcohol? I knew for a fact that there wasn't anything like that going on. And was Pine trying to lean on me with that spiel about thinking about the community? I definitely needed to talk to Kimberly about them. Surely she knew everyone in the police department and would have good advice.

She didn't.

When I told her about the visit on Monday, in my office where we were pretty sure there were no cameras or microphones, she seemed befuddled.

"Pine? Moore? Older guys? I don't think I know them at all. The only troopers we have are Jimmy Tran and Wanda... Wanda... I forget her last name. But he's a young Asian guy and she's a black woman." She wrinkled her nose. "Are you sure they were real police?"

"I don't know. I didn't recognize them, but I don't think I would anyway."

"This is weird. I'll ask around. The Chief of Police here in town is a good woman. Very dull, but reliable. And all this about drugs is... I don't know what to think about that. Yeah, something smells bad about this, Principal Lee."

"Ok. Do go ask around, but be subtle. I'm worried this is all connected with the rest of our troubles."

"I'll be careful. Oh, also, we need to talk about a couple of other things. First off, the designs for the new uniform competition are starting to come in. I have to say they've done a really outstanding job. Although I have to say, some of them are a bit more... ah... daring than I would have expected. It's going to be a hard time choosing a winner."

"That's great to hear. If you are happy with them, I'm sure they'll be excellent."

"Well, there's another thing about them. They a dead set on doing a fashion show to let the student body see and rate the options. I think it's a great idea. It could be really fun and reinforce the new, open, progressive attitude for the school. But I told them I'd have to check with you."

"That sounds great, but I want them to understand that we'll take their voting into account, but the principal's vote is the only one that actually counts."

"In consultation with the faculty and staff?" She smiled

"Right, right. In consultation with the faculty and staff."

"Ok, the semester's nearly over, so we'll have to do that soon. They've got all the mock-ups ready, so maybe this weekend?"

"Fine by me."

"Ok! I'll let you know. The other thing I wanted to mention is just, well, it's a message from the Dionysian Club. I... I mean, they wanted to let you know... Oh, I don't know how to say this. After the meeting, we all went back to the gym to get dressed and we had a quick conversation. It turns out that they knew about you, I mean that you were there watching. They, I guess it had to be from the twins, they all knew that you were the one who really made everything work. Anyway, they wanted me to pass along their thanks to you."

Her face started to blush slightly, but she continued.

"You should have seen them, Principal Lee. They were just glowing they were so happy. It seems so strange, but I really do think we are really doing a good thing here. Even the shiest girls looked proud and confident. I can't tell you how happy and satisfied I am of those young women."

"Kimberly, this was all you. I didn't do anything but help you go through with what you already had planned. You are the one they are trusting and following. You are the one providing the model. They love you, that's easy to see."

Kimberly blushed deeper and tried to deny it, but I think she did feel how important the role she was playing was.

That afternoon when I came back to the administration building after class, I found a group of people gathered in the reception room. After a brief moment of confusion, I started to recognize some of them. It was the town council.

I had met them soon after I arrived here, but didn't get much of an impression of them. They seemed fairly conservative, just like the town, but also more or less easy going. There were a few of them at the planning meetings about the spa, too. Kimberly told me that they basically handled the day-to-day running of the town in cooperation with the mayor.

I greeted them as I walked in, but only got a rather chilly response.

Kimberly was sitting with them at the table, and she stood up as I entered.

"Principal Lee, I hope you had a good class. The council came to meet with you. You've met everyone, right?" Her eyes were flashing a warning to me, but I couldn't figure out what the specific worry was.

Then, as I sat down at the table, I saw a couple people who had been hidden behind others.

"Ah, Trooper Pine, Trooper Moore, it's good to see you both again. I think I have met everyone, although we haven't had much opportunity to get to know each other."

The two troopers nodded almost in unison, but said nothing.

The chair of the council was on my right, and she seemed to have prepared a speech for me.

My mind struggled to recall her name. She was an incredibly elegant woman of a certain age. Her meticulously coiffed hair, which once must have been a striking blonde, but now faded into an indeterminate paleness, was piled high in layers. The skin of her face was drawn slightly too taught over a very angular bone structure. She wore an expensive-looking jacket and dress of deep blue with a precise spray of jewelry on wrists, neck, and ears. There was also a slightly too-large broach of pearls and gold on her chest.

Helen... something?

Her voice rubbed me the wrong way from the start. It was mock-ingratiating and saccharine sweet.

"Principal Lee, I am grateful that you have been able to find time to meet with us, without an appointment and so close to the end of the semester. I wish it were under more... positive circumstances. I'm afraid we have come here as a group to register the town's very strong concerns about the new direction of the Bright Hall Academy. The rumors that are coming out are truly disturbing. We are a simple town, Principal Lee, but we are a town that is proud of our moral fiber. We want you to understand that we have expectations and standards, and as the person responsible for the guidance of the school and its students, we look to you manage affairs in accordance with these expectations and standards.

"Therefore, lest I be seen as anything less than precise, and although I find this extraordinarily distasteful, I will lay before you our concerns. Most egregious are the rumors of... sexual impropriety connected with the school, its faculty, and its staff, and frankly, you. The students look to their superiors for models of behavior, and this can only be detrimental to their moral development. More recently, there are now stories of rampant drug use and wild parties. If true, we expect these ethical failures to be eliminated immediately. Even if they are nothing more than rumors, the good name of the school and ultimately the town are in imminent danger. I am sure you understand the situation, and as an educator, I am certain that you know how dangerous this type of moral backsliding can be.

"Thank you again for your time, and I look forward to seeing a marked improvement in the Academy."

With that, they all stood as one. Stunned, I followed only after a moment of confusion.

They trooped out of the office nearly in step, with not a single one of them deigning to look me in the eye.

Fortunately, Kimberly had the presence of mind to escort them out of the building while I stood there dumbfounded.

She returned and looked more flustered than I expected.

"So, you know when I said things were weird? Yeah. Things are even weirder."

"What was that all about? That was like a drive-by. I know we need to try to keep a good relationship with the town, but that was closer to an ultimatum that anything else. Can't we just tell them to take their holier-than-thou condescension and stuff it?"

"They can make things very awkward for us. Very awkward. We have some very beneficial tax situations that are renewed pretty regularly, and there are a lot of legal troubles they could throw in our way too."

"Oh, come on. Without this place, the town would fall apart. I mean, except for the hospital, there aren't any big employers on the entire island. And we're bringing in the hot spring spa. The town would be insane to screw us over."

"I don't think they are really targeting Bright Hall Academy..."

"Ah, right. They are targeting me."

"And sin, yeah, but mainly you. But there's more. The wild thing is that both the mayor and the chief of police are out of town for an extended training junket. Ain't that just a wee bit suspicious, right? The chief of police is gone, and we get two new troopers. The mayor is gone, and those troopers just happen to join the town council. And now, they're all aiming for you."

"What the hell?"

"Right. I don't see anything we can do now though. I'm going to meet up with Veronica and Jennifer to see if they know anything more, but I think it's safe to say things are ramping up against you. Be careful, and... ya know... keep a low profile, okay?"

We were getting to the end of the semester, so everyone was distracted and busy with papers and exams and all the administration work to prepare for the fall semester.

Kimberly wasn't able to get any more useful information from Veronica or Jennifer, but rumors were flying everywhere. And it wasn't just about the school. There were rumors that the chief of police and the mayor had been forced out of their positions. Some people said that the spa was being bought out by an international corporation because they found natural gas deposits. And of course, the rumors about drugs turned into black tar heroin being served at the cafeteria or some such. By comparison, the rumors about me being a bit of a perv didn't sound too bad.