A Click of Marble

The back to school story always seems to focus around the students and parents who are trying their best to get things ready for the new year. Sometimes the news cycle will slow down and present the story from the teacher’s perspective. They have a lot of responsibilities and often have to shell out of pocket the few pennies they have to buy more supplies for the students.

Sure, there is the occasional mention about driving safely and being mindful of students walking the streets, but then, what of everyone else? What of the hard working men and women who make sure the whole academic system works perfectly fine? Who does stories about them?

Well, they’re important too. However, be that as it may, the unsung heroes of the school system soldier on without much fanfare made about them. They know they’re the top of the class and that without them, nothing would move as smoothly as it does.

on that note, please do drive safely, as school is back in session Now, on to the rest of the story.

Prepping for School Start

The name is James. James James. That’s right! The agent with the double name! Always on his A-Game.

The mantra made James feel pretty good and tough. He was going down his usual preparation routine before the front gates of school opened, not that they were opening today. He was in a day early to make sure the school was as ready as possible for the stat of classes.

These kids were terrors, monsters, hoodlums, beasts, just curious disorderly creatures easily bored by the traditional ways of education. That was not his concern. His job was to ensure that the troops stayed on the right path to their class.

As far as James was concerned, he was the first, second, and final line of defense to protect the children during their academic day. He was the roving patrolling security task force. Another mantra of his.

His side hustle was to motivated the kids to keep their education on. Give them advice and counsel from life. Keep them away from drugs, violence, and sex.

Yes. Sex.

These kids had no business getting involved with sex. That was grown people’s mess. They got involved and lost their minds trying to get that good pipe. Others messed up their hopes and dreams trying to prove they could give and deliver good pipe. No one did great. Especially in the hook-up culture that seemed to be normalizing itself.

James was having none of it. Not on his watch. Not while these kids were supposed to focus only on studying. Sex was worse than crack in his opinion. Not for it’s physical destructive nature, as sex was good. Real good. But it was addictive and brutal on self-esteem.

These kids would mess up one encounter and the whole of social media and group texting covered the humiliation and ensure the ostracizing of that unlucky rookie in the sack.

Adjusting his tool belt, fully loaded with a walkie-talkie, spare battery, set of keys, and flashlight, James smiled to himself. Ever since he came on the job, the incidence of teen pregnancy attributed to on campus activities had significantly dropped. His goal was to eradicated it like he had done smoking crack on the premises. The weed thing was hard though. He was only one guy. And these kids lit up fast and furious.

That weed thing was next year’s goals.

James had one other problem. Teachers.

They were good at their jobs. No doubt about that. The school worked very hard to recruit amazing talent. However, asides from the age difference, no one could distinguish a teacher from a student. They all dressed the same. What kind of foolery example shenanigans was this?

How can you expect these kids to look professional in the real world when they don’t see this modeled for them until they’re getting yelled at by their bosses. No self-pride. No self-respect. No sense of right or wrong anymore. People just want to look like slobs and pay good money to look like slobs.

James shook his head as he thought about how much these kids manipulated their parents to get ridiculously priced garbage to wear, and these teachers did the same thing too.

All but one.

Elsie Clarke.

Now that is one fine sweet elegant lady who has class while teaching class.

James, mock wiping sweat off his brow while inspecting another hallway, lets his imagination rest on the image of Elsie just a bit. Always sharply dressed. Adequately form fitted. Styled. Professional. Sharp.

There were countless number of men and boys who had tried their luck to seduce her. They had crashed and burned as she skillfully and deftly shuttered their weak pathetic approaches into the archives of losses. She made men race and strive to improve.

However hard their word game was, didn’t those fools know that a lady will not entertain court with any overgrown teenager who refuses to dress like an adult? They had no idea that their fashion crimes were offensive to her eyes. She was here to influence a generation and keep it moving. They were there for booty and a paycheck.

James James knew that his chances with Elsie were non-existent only because he was a man of the uniform. Sworn to protect and serve. There was no hanky panky option. No sex to distract. He was always keenly laser focused. At the slightest hint of trouble, he had to swiftly move and react.

To that end, as he finished his tour of the hallways, he kept track of his steps daily. A few times a day, he’d take a swift walk around the outer perimeter of the campus to make sure there were no kids hiding out of reach of the school cameras getting their freak on or trying to indulge in drugs. Not on his watch. Not while getting his steps on.

One day, just one day, Ms Elsie would see how great a catch he really was and would covertly become his lady. Oh how the thought of hanging on to her curves raised the temperature of the main lobby. Time to go outside and verify that all the cameras are working. Gotta give some work to the junior officer of the team.

After a quick radio protocol check, James James was sure the school was ready for the mob of hormone laden learners. Time to get back to his post and makes sure all the systems are checked one last time. No one was going to fall for drugs, violence, or sex on his watch this year. Well, minus that elusive weed problem. That was next year’s problem.