Mommy by Collins Max Allan

Mommy by Collins Max Allan

Author:Collins, Max Allan [Collins, Max Allan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781612321783
Publisher: Speaking Volumes
Published: 2011-05-09T04:00:00+00:00


Chapter Nine

The next morning, Mrs. Evans introduced Miss Morrison, the substitute teacher, to the fifth-grade class. The principal also announced that Mrs. Withers's funeral would be tomorrow, Friday, and this was followed by a rumbling murmur that rolled across the classroom in a wave—the playground rumor had been that the whole school would be dismissed so that those children who wanted to could attend.

Of course, there had also been a rumor that an electrical-tape body outline where Mrs. Withers fell would be on the floor in the classroom when they got there this morning, and that had proved false.

"People!" Mrs. Evans said, her tone firm but her voice quavery. "Please. Mrs. Withers's family is holding a small, private service for family and close friends. There will be visitation this evening . . ."

And the principal wrote the name and address of the funeral home on the chalkboard, as she continued talking.

". . . from six until eight. Please tell your parents. Also, Mrs. Withers's family requested that, in lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to UNICEF."

And Mrs. Evans wrote that address down, too. About a third of the kids, Jessica Ann among them, dutifully copied down the information.

The substitute teacher, Miss Morrison, was tall and slender and pretty and young, with long dark hair pinned up in a French twist like Mommy's last night, and a flower-pattern vest over a white blouse, and a long white skirt. Mrs. Withers never wore feminine clothes like that and, of course, had been much older. The class immediately took to Miss Morrison, and at the first recess there was much talk of how nice she was and how pretty.

Jessica Ann knew that her classmates meant no disrespect to their late teacher; they were just relishing a change of pace coming, so late in the school year. If anything, Jessica Ann was relieved by this warm reception, because substitute teachers—particularly young, obviously inexperienced ones like Miss Morrison—could just as easily be the target of a campaign of juvenile terrorism—books dropped collectively at a certain designated times, variation from the seating chart, and derisive comments when the teacher's back is turned at the chalkboard.

And Miss Morrison was obviously nervous, even with so benign a response from the thirty kids of this fifth-grade class. Her large brown eyes had the beauty—and the terror—of a doe caught in head-lights. Jessica Ann liked her, and felt sorry for her.

When Mrs. Evans came to the door just before the afternoon study period, and called Miss Morrison out into the hall, Jessica Ann hoped the substitute teacher wasn't in trouble. The momentarily unattended classroom had its first cathartic burst of substitute-teacher reaction in a sudden storm of paper airplanes, spitballs, and note-passing, which immediately abated on Miss Morrison's return.

Miss Morrison sat at her desk and organized things for a while, checking the little faces on her seating chart; then she looked up at Jessica Ann, sitting right in front, almost directly across from the teacher's desk, and said, "Step out into the hall with me, please, Jessica Ann.



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