Prompt 17

 May 17th

 Substitute teachers are tired of not being taken seriously. They come together and form a secret society, with plans to revolt. -prompt from https://www.squibler.io/blog/writing-prompt-for-adults/ 

For this prompt, I decided to create another scene for the novel I am working on called What I Know. I figured Phillip, Martin, and Gloria would be perfect for this storyline. This is the same world that Prompt 9 was about. This scene is rough, and I'd like to eventually add more to it, but I do enjoy the dynamic between Phillip, Martin, and Gloria. It's a lot of fun writing scenes with these three together and playing off of each other. Especially, the cousin bond between Phillip and Gloria. 

    Phillip and Martin walked into the classroom where their meeting was supposed to be and looked around at all of the substitute teachers sitting there gossiping with each other. Most of them they had seen around the school over the years. Many were there more than some of the actual teachers that were supposed to be working. They chose to sit in the very back of the classroom away from the rest of the group. 

    "We start our meeting of the substitute teachers of Smithsville High School at 3:55 PM," Macey Tankersley stated at the front of room 315. The teachers were in the students' desks, most of them munching on the snacks that Macey had provided for the meeting. 

    "Why were we invited to this meeting. We're not subs," Phillip asked as he slid into one of the desks with difficulty. The desks were too small for his long legs. Martin just shrugged as he sat down beside him, putting his pile of carrots onto the desk. He had grabbed two handfuls of them when they had walked into the room. He knew full well what was going to happen to them. 

    "Why did you both come to this then?" Gloria asked from the seat behind Phillip, who just noticed her there. She had been looking down at a notebook she was writing in. 

    "Because I was interested as soon as I heard about this meeting of the subs and was wondering why they had asked us to come. We have been actual teachers at this school for almost fifteen years now," Martin said chewing on one of his carrots. The best thing about faculty meetings, Martin had realized was that they provided lots of free food. 

    "Jesus Mickey, don't remind me," Phillip answered coldly as he tried to take one of the carrots, but got his hand slapped away. "That's boyfriend abuse, you dick," Phillip whispered, which caused Gloria to snort so loudly that everyone in the room turned to look to their back corner of the room. They were not paying attention to the meeting going on around them. 

    "The real question Gloria is why you were invited to this meeting? You're not a substitute. Also, you don't have a teaching degree." Martin said after they had calmed down from Phillip's exasperation at being slapped.

    "The school has asked me a couple of times since I came back to town, if I would be interested in subbing in the English department," she took one of Martin's carrots smirking at Phillip and took a bite that made the loudest crunching sound. "I guess that since I have a master's degree in English, they figure I would be qualified enough. But I have yet to accept the offer." 

    Phillip looked between Martin and Gloria in shock. "That's not how it works, and I get slapped."

    "As I was saying" Macey stated from the front of the classroom. "I believe that we need to take revenge on the students who have caused trouble for all of us subs in the room," Macey sat on top of the teacher's desk and crossed her legs at the ankles. "I think a proper prank on them could be the perfect way for avenging every one of us in the room."

    "First, of all what kind of pranks are we talking about?" Martin asked sitting up in his seat a little higher. He had never heard of substitutes wanting to revolt but it sounded like it could be intriguing.

    "I say we burn down those little fuckers' football field," one of the gym teacher subs said from the left side of the classroom. Everyone turned to look at him in surprise. "What? Do you know what my tenth-grade gym class did yesterday? They put laxatives in my damn coffee, and I don't know how they could have because I locked it in the gym teacher's office. Especially, after what they did the last time, I taught their class." The man shook his fist in the air in anger. 

    "We can't burn down the football field that's arson, Jimmy. You will go to jail," Phillip stated trying to hold back a laugh at the plight of the gym teacher. Jimmy was actually someone he had graduated high school with. The man was the star baseball player back in the day until he had an accident early in college. Phillip didn't know what happened after that but eventually, Jimmy came to work as a sub for the gym teacher who was out all of the time. The kids might as well have been his students. Phillip had heard about students pranking subs over the years but hadn't heard of anything like these students. Those were his kids too and he was surprised to hear that they would do such a thing. 

    "Well, at least I wouldn't have to be in this hell hole of a school anymore with the little shits," Jimmy stated before he looked over at Phillip and Martin sitting there. "Hey, what the fuck? Why are you two here anyway? You're not subs."

    "Mr. Mainsville, you need to quit swearing. We're still in the school, even if it is after hours. As for Mr. Clarksdale and Mr. Martinson, I invited them to our meeting because they know the students, we are having problems with very well." She grinned maniacally at the rest of the subs. 

    "Oh my god, they're all crazy," Phillip whispered to Martin. "Let's get out of here." 

    "I figured we would have 'actual teachers' at this meeting and see if they could tell us the perfect way of pranking the kids," Macey stated as she looked between Phillip and Martin. 

    "We could TP their cars like they did to mine two weeks ago," Alison Clacker stated holding up rolls of toilet paper. Apparently, some of these subs had come prepared for the meeting. 

    "Most of the students we deal with do not even drive let alone have cars," Macey answered having already thought this herself. She had gone through a lot of different methods to prank the students but never came up with anything quite good enough. They needed a perfect idea. Something that would say, don't mess with us anymore you little shits. Expect obviously they wouldn't swear at the students. Well, most of them wouldn't anyway. Maybe, she shouldn't have invited Jimmy Mainsville to the meeting. 

    Gloria looked up at the other teachers as they sat around in their groups discussing what could be done. "Well, I don't know if this will work for everyone. But maybe you could do a teacher switch day. Ask the principal if you could and see if he'd like to participate too. Make sure it's on a day that a bunch of you are subbing and then let's say your tenth-grade gym class," she pointed to Jimmy, "decides to put laxatives in your coffee again but then it's the principal drinking it. Wouldn't be too good for them now, would it?" 

    "Ooh, I like that idea. But what if the students find out about it ahead of time?" Jimmy asked. 

    "That could work and have the teacher that is taking over say that their name is whatever teacher is supposed to be in the classroom already," Macey stated writing down Gloria's idea. "I know that you have never subbed here Ms. Clarksdale but if you would be interested you could participate also. The principal is aware of my idea of setting up this little meeting today and is interested in helping out. I'll text him about this idea." 

    "I want to switch with Martin. You're teaching a Shakespeare unit now, right? I do a great witch trio," Phillip put a hand over his head dramatically as he tilted his head back. 

    "That's something I have to see," Gloria said laughing along with her fool of a cousin. 

    After they all discussed the idea even more and had the principal come in and listen, they decided on doing the prank on the students the next Friday. A good amount of the subs would be there that day and the principal was definitely going to help too. Though, he definitely was not going to drink the coffee. 

    Phillip, Martin, and Gloria walked out of the meeting an hour later laughing. "So, Gloria do you need any help at Aunt June's shop this weekend? Martin and I will be free."

    "Yeah, I definitely could use some help in The Stacks this weekend. I actually have quite the project at the moment." 

    "What would that be?" 

    "Oh, I'll tell you all about it tomorrow night. I've got to get home before my mother tells Timmy how much she wants grandbabies." Gloria walked over to her car shaking her head at the thoughts of her mother. 

    "That's what you get for leaving them alone and knowing your mother, she probably did that years ago." Phillip laughed. "Don't worry, I don't think she can scare Timmy away."