The Point of No Return {sequel to The Arbitrary life of Avery Blake [teacher]}

The Point of No Return {sequel to The Arbitrary life of Avery Blake [teacher]}25

**New Principal -Ms Osborne- on the right >> **

(Character:  Emily Deschanel)

Chapter 25

Lost Hope-The Notorious Avery Blake

Silence spread across the surrounding crowd as an unfamiliar voice, an unfamiliar face, an unfamiliar being approached the podium.

We had been standing in this spot numerously from the past couple of days because of Mr Maletos but this was different. Sure he was there, sitting at one of the chairs on the stage but for all intents and purposes of this assembly, he wasn’t even here.

Today was Monday and today was the day we would be meeting our new principal. It turns out Tuesday wasn’t good enough for her; she simply had to introduce herself on Monday morning.

A woman cleared her throat as her gaze swept over us, examining, finding faults etc.

The woman looked as if she were in her late-twenties, early-thirties. But her eyes looked wiser and older than her years. I was close enough to examine her. The woman stood tall with her back straight. It looked as though she was wearing high-hells which were giving her a certain height-boost. It wasn’t as if she was necessarily short, but tall she was not. Even so, her manner made her look five feet taller than she was. Her skin was pale with a tanned tinge. Her dark brown (almost black) hair came just past her shoulders and was moderately wavy. Her greying eyes were narrowed as she continued to look around. The woman’s eyebrows were paper-thin and styled to perfection. Her face was make-up’d to flawlessness and her skin looked smooth. The woman was very slim and wore a white blouse which was cut to show some of her cleavage. She also wore black, business-like pants. Overall, her air was extremely intimidating and it looked as though she could snap us in half by simply looking at us. You could tell that if she told you to do something, she expected it done and if not . . . well, your life would probably be held in the balance. She was a woman who was never told “no”.

Challenge accepted. I could tell she was going to be a problem. Let the fun begin, I thought bitterly.

She cleared her throat for the second time as she composed herself, ready to speak.

‘Good morning to you all. My name is Scarlette Osborne but to all of you it will be Principal Osborne or simply Ms Osborne. I feel very privileged to be offered the role of principal at such as a school as Northern Bay Academy. I understand in recent times the school hasn’t been at its best, but that is why I am here now. I am here to help develop it into a better school. Now I understand it is Monday morning and all of you have class to attend to and lord knows I hate to make you miss learning something spectacular but this won’t take up much of your time. I have simply called this assembly for you all to get to know me a little and vice versa. Now, I understand your late principal has done a good job looking after you all to the best of his abilities but I’m afraid that wasn’t good enough, and now I am here. By the end of this year, this school will be the most prestige school in Australia. A lot of things will change –for the better, of course– and if anyone dares to misbehave, I will kick them out without a string of hesitation. Are we clear?’ she asked but no one dared to move an inch, in neither agreement nor disagreement. ‘The teachers will also be tested and if I find them incapable of teaching, they too will be told to find a job elsewhere. Now I am not speaking of such to scare you, just to make you aware. If you have any problems with how I am running the school; you will come straight to me and we shall discuss it. But if you have any immediate questions or inquiries, you will see me straight after; this also applies to teachers as well as students. Now you are dismissed.’ Ms Osborne concluded.