Bobby McGee

Chapter Twenty-seven. The Science Sixth

Chapter Twenty-seven

The Science Sixth

Meg looked at herself  in the full length mirror. She was about to enter the science sixth, a predominantly male environment. The security of the gymslip was gone. Now, as a senior girl, she was required to wear a white blouse, navy blue skirt, a striped tie, white ankle socks and black brogues. She turned and glanced once more at her image. Her growth spurt seemed to be at an end. She was 5'8" tall with a mature figure that the uniform could not hide. For the sake of modesty, and her father's sanity, she decided to wear a bulky navy blue cardigan. Meg knew that boys found her attractive but she was rarely asked out. She was a policeman's daughter after all.

On the first day of school Meg reported as instructed to Room 226. The room didn't contain traditional desks, but small tables, that faced a blackboard situated on the wall behind a large demonstration bench. Each table could seat two students sitting side by side. Books were kept in lockers situated in the hallway just outside the classroom. There were 26 students in the class and after the rowdy jockeying for places Meg found herself sharing a table with Valerie Baines, one of the three other girls in the class, whom she had met at orientation the previous day.

Valerie, like Meg, was tall for a girl, with curly light brown hair, brown eyes and pale skin. Her ashen complexion, along with the permanent dark rings under her eyes, made her look unhealthy. She suffered chronically from asthma. She had a pleasing personality, not a mean bone in her body, and a wonderful sense of humour. The boys however, gave her a wide berth, intimidated by her intellect. She was the top student in the school.

Meg's parentage and Valerie's intelligence kept the two girls free of the constant sexual harassment that the other two girls in the class endured.

The boys couldn't believe their luck on discovering, that Maureen Mellanby, known to everyone as Little Mo, was in their class. She was petite, with straight strawberry blonde hair. Outside of school she normally wore a bright red skullcap that drew attention to her cherubic face, with its bright blue eyes, rosy cheeks, slightly upturned nose and dazzling smile. Her figure was rounded in all the right places, but trim enough for horizontal stripes. She had gorgeous legs that she liked to flaunt. She was every adolescent boys' dream, but unfortunately for the hormone- laden males of the sixth form, preferred older men.

The only other girl in class was Giselle Baker, an attractive dark haired girl who at one time or another had been involved with more than half the boys in the class. She had matured early, and gained a well-earned reputation for promiscuity. Her presence in the science sixth came as quite a surprise, as one of her many sexual ploys was feigning dumbness.

The initial excitement of recognition and re-acquaintance with old friends over, the class took their seats, and anxiously awaited the arrival of their homeroom teacher.

"Who do you think it could be, Meg?" asked Valerie.

"I'm pretty sure it'll be one of the senior science staff. I tried to get Fiona to find out for me."

"That's right the lab tech is one of your friends. What did she say?"

"That it could be Boyes, Lemaire, Scarface or Keyes. I hope it's Mr. Keyes. I've heard he's a really good Biology teacher."

"The only one I've had before is Mr.Boyes," said Valerie. "I didn't like him too much. He was so full of himself. What about Lemaire? Do you know anything about him, Meg?"

"Only hearsay. Apparently he's quite brilliant."

"But boring as Hell," interrupted Nipper Fell, a repeater, who was sitting directly behind them, and listening to every word. "I had him last year. He was terrible. You should hope that you get old Scarface."

Why?" Asked the girls in unison.

"He really likes the girls. Watch out he's here."

Meg and Valerie turned back to face the front. Standing in the doorway, wearing an academic gown that bore the chalk marks of the previous term, a register tucked under his left arm, and wielding a cane in his right, was Mr. Scarsgill, the senior chemistry master. He was a short man, with unruly spiked hair, that reminded Meg of Alfalfa in "Our Gang". His handsome features were marred by a blotched complexion, and widespread facial eczema that had unfairly led to his nickname.

His appearance at the door was greeted by a collective moan.

"I'm so glad you're happy to see me," he said grinning wickedly. "For better or worse we're going to be spending a lot of time together. You lucky lot will be taking Chemistry with me, three double periods a week, and the whole of Wednesday afternoon in the lab."

This statement was greeted with another groan from the back of the class. Scarsgill smiled grimly, and proceeded to stroll around the class, greeting familiar students, not with pleasantries, but with sarcastic comments about their past performances. He returned to the demonstration bench and opened the register.

"Frank Anderson."

"Here, Sir."

There was a short silence. "Why are you still sitting there like some dumb ox, Anderson?"

"What do you mean, Sir?"

"What's this?" asked Scarsgill, waving a sheet of paper in his right hand.

"I dunno, Sir."

"Let me ask you this, Anderson. Where is your first class?"

The light dawned. "It's my schedule, Sir."

"Very good, Anderson. Come and get it."

Scarsgill, continued through the register, boys first, in alphabetical order. He mispronounced many of the names, a consequence of a slight lisp, and futile attempts to disguise a strong Geordie accent. Having completed the list of boys, Scarsgill rose from his seat and stepped down from the raised platform behind the bench.

"Now for the ladies." He moved over towards Meg's table. "Miss Baines." he said, handing her a schedule. "It's so nice to have someone in my class with brains." Valerie blushed in embarrassment.

"Miss Baker." There was a muttering at the back of the room. Scargill's face reddened. He turned, eyes glaring "You lazy layabouts. If only you nincompoops had put in half the effort Miss Baker put in last year I'd maybe tolerate such insolence. Enough!" The cowed youths were silenced.

"Miss McGee." There was no compliment. Just an overemphasis of the last syllable of her name that brought a strange smile to his face and for some unknown reason made Meg think of acid drops.

"Miss Mellanby." There was the same overemphasis of her name ending, and an obvious blush as he handed Little Mo her schedule.