Orb Weaver: Within the Serpent's Coils: Prologue

Well, it's a new book, and this chapter will be public from the start so everyone knows I'm not dead :). Taylor gets a gift!

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After the explosion, the Master, and our trip to the miniature golf park, Arcadia seemed to be a vacation. I quickly ran through the day, talking a little bit with some of the other students. I I would be ready to go out again as Orb Weaver tonight, and I had some plans for the Empire. There was a chop shop that was Empire affiliated, and it was time to make use of my political—

“Taylor Hebert, please report to the office.”

I blinked, and in the vent shafts and between the walls, my legions froze. Outwardly, I just gathered my items and left, a few students calling out to me, asking if I’d been caught running a gambling ring.

I rolled my eyes. On the other hand, it was a friendly joke, for all that I didn’t really know how to respond. Jokes brought back a few too many memories of Emma making traps for me.

It was odd. Dealing with A Master was easy compared to dealing with my fellow students.

But the office was empty save for the secretary and I was directed to see the Vice Principal, Ms. Judith Simmond.

“Taylor!” She said, her cheerful voice filling the room. “Sit down!”

“Hello, Ms. Simmond,” I said.

“Judith, please!” she said. Alarm bells started going off in my mind. Was this a trap?  No. She wasn’t affiliated with the PRT, at least as far as I could tell. “I’ve been going over your work, and you are… well, It’s like night and day.”

“The educational environment is somewhat more… encouraging,” I said.

“I understand. And while you’ve been doing very well, there are some issues.”

Here it comes.

“Issues?”

“Yes. See, entry to the big name colleges is… very competitive. And because of that, extra curricular activities are very important.”

But I don’t have…

“I see you realize this,”  the perky VP said. “Winslow has very few opportunities, and to be blunt, most of the clubs are not highly regarded, although that’s changing. And given your experiences at Winslow, while we can prorate your grades that come with the cost of putting you behind students who don’t need to have a asterisk behind their first two years.”

“I’m not certain how this relates.”

“Well, I’ve found an activity that you can carry out, one that you have already been doing, with Ms. Laborn.”

Wait. What?

“Ms Laborn’s grades are almost at a B average now, and she’s actually working independently. And I was thinking, we have other students here at Arcadia with learning issues and who haven’t rocketed up to an A-B average like you have. And I’ve noticed that you’re not overly challenged in your classes.”

“And this means…”

“If you would agree, I’d like you to take two after-school tutoring sessions per week, small groups, in the library, an hour after school, and so long as you can handle it without harming your own work, maybe some independent tutoring. We have students with academic difficulties, and if we get their parents’ permission, you’ll have some information on that, and of course, you could get help from our own faculty. Not only will it give you the kind of shining record that helps people get into UCLA or Harvard, you’ll be helping other students.”

My bugs went still. First, I suffered from a school ignoring me, and now from one that was trying to help me?

“Ms—ah, Judith, I’m not certain if I’m suited to a group activity—“

“I’ve seen you work, and if it doesn’t turn out well, I’m not asking you to sign your soul away or commit to a teacher’s contract.” She laughed. I obediently nodded. “But you are suited because you’re their peer, and both I and other teachers have noted how you’ve interacted with Aisha. You don’t have to say anything, but we all know she suffered from self-image issues due to her family issues. You saw it to, and even when she was difficult, you built her up… And yes, she’s a hero now, but I’ve seen your influence in how she carries that out.  That’s no small thing, Taylor.” And with those words, Ms. Simmond grew series. “That’s a gift. I don’t know if you’ll continue as a teacher, because I expect you’ll be successful whatever you intend to do. But some of the students you’ll work with, if you agree, need people who will build them up, not tear them down. You raise people up. So could you try, just for a few weeks.”

God. Damn. It.

I remembered how Aisha joked about her Mom, but you could see that she halfway believed her. She’d been told she was stupid and a waste enough that even though she laughed at it, there was that little brainworm asking if maybe her mom was right. Mush, living down to Skidmark and his father’s worst expectations, because he didn’t expect he could ever be better…

Myself. Emma, Sophia, Madison.

I had important things to do, but…

“I’ll try, Ma’am.”

“Excellent Taylor! I already took the liberty of asking your father if he had any issues if you agreed, and he was quite happy to say yes.  He mentioned your mother was a teacher and that she’d be proud.”

Ouch. Low Blow, Dad. I could see that Dad was worried about me being on the streets, and if I could both help others and not be on the streets…and Mom had mentioned how much she enjoyed school, so maybe it wasn’t only that…

“How many will I be tutoring?”

“Only six to start. We’ll see from there!”

“Very well. Thank you.”

“No, thank you Taylor.”

****

As I walked out of school, I reflected on two things. First of all, it was odd how frustrating a gift could be. Second of all, since I’d have to cut my day short to get home and start working on learning about how to be a small group instructor, Orb Weaver was really going to cut loose on some unlucky Nazi’s, this evening…