'Crystal King – 21st Century Girl' - A Soap Opera Novel by Dee Marshall - Part 1

Chapter One

‘Where’s the meeting? Usual place?’ Tina asked breathlessly, adjusting the waist band of her clean, blue chinos. She had just finished Year 10 badminton club and, after a quick, lukewarm shower, was rushing towards the recently redecorated staff room when she met her colleague Ellie.

‘Yes, in the staff room. We’ve got ten minutes yet so there’s no need to break your neck. I’ve got a headache so I hope it won’t drag on too long. Don’t say anything controversial and make people talk more or I’ll kill you.’

‘It should be quite interesting. The behaviour policy is on the agenda and we really need to tighten up on it for next year. I caught that Simone and co smoking in the loos at break. I’m fed up with loo patrol. It shouldn’t be necessary.’ Tina sounded dejected because, lacking much sense of humour, she took ‘the rules’ very seriously.

The meeting was dominated, as it predictably and routinely was, by senior staff who had obviously talked together beforehand and knew exactly what they wanted included in the updated behaviour policy. Some enthusiastic middle management, including Tina, and even a few brave junior teachers had contributed which was refreshing. Still, after the so-called ‘debates’ everyone felt relatively pleased and relaxed with a job thoroughly done. They had a sensation of being emotionally drained because it was amazing how strong some of the feelings had been, especially about bullying. Still, the main theme, parental involvement, had caused no conflict. It seemed that everyone had eventually come round to the media popularised opinion that the only way to stamp out bullying once and for all was a concerted effort, working with the parents of both the bullies and the victims.

‘I’m very pleased with this discussion,’ said Mrs. Skinner, the self-image obsessed Head, looking like the cat that had found the cream in her black and white ‘power dress’ suit accentuated with scarlet scarf and earrings. ‘I’ve been promoting parental involvement since the course I attended last summer. It’s not just a fad. Clear and convincing arguments have been produced demonstrating the importance of the school and parents working together for the benefit of the children.’

She inclined her smartly coiffured head around the room Mrs. Thatcher style before continuing. ‘I will have the policy written up, share it with the governors and I hope you will all be keen to start applying the strategies that we’ve discussed after the summer break. As you know, I will be ‘doing’ America again.’

She paused to allow appropriate noises of admiration to die down. ‘Thank you all. I feel quite professionally stimulated. Have a nice evening everyone.’

Tina and Ellie exchanged rueful glances. Trust her to be taking the credit. ‘Have a nice evening’ was hilarious when the time had already reached seven o’clock and never ending marking was on most people’s schedule as soon as they got home.

The next morning, Tina had just dumped an overflowing holdall in her classroom when the corridor phone jangled resoundingly, making her jump. As the school's Year 10 manager, she always came to work early to plan her day in the quiet before lessons began. She was surprised to hear the angry, nasal tones of Megan Gray’s mother.

‘Is that Miss Anderson?’

‘Yes, how can I help you?’

‘Right, well Megan had a problem last night with Sarah Connelly and Crystal King. They followed her and pushed her into the road. They called her a stupid, ugly bitch and swore at her. She was so upset she cried all night. She’s been brought up to believe it’s wrong to swear like that. I want to know what the school’s going to do about it.’

‘Oh dear, was she hurt?’

‘Not physically, no, but she was terribly shaken. I’ve never heard her cry like it! She could have been killed falling into the road like that.’

‘I have a free period this morning before break. Would you be able to come in and give me all the details? I want us to work together to sort it out. I’ll arrange for Megan to come out of class and join us.’

A flush of exhilaration flowed through Tina’s veins. It was just the kind of situation that needed the new parental involvement guidelines. It would be quite a feather in her cap if she could put it into practice the very next day even though the incident hadn’t happened on school property.

‘Come in,’ Tina smiled as a student showed an elegantly tailored but confrontational Mrs. Gray into her office. The outraged parent had calmed down somewhat and Megan, a thin girl with a few teenage spots on her chin and a brace on her teeth, edged in behind her.

‘I don’t want the school to do anything. I’m alright now. I wasn’t really hurt,’ Megan told her mother in hushed tones as they settled on the comfortable arm chairs.

‘Nonsense, Megan,’ crooned her mum. ‘These girls shouldn’t be allowed to get away with bullying. I want the school to do something about it. Come on Darling, tell the teacher what happened.’ Then to Tina, ‘Her father had to take her to McDonalds to stop her crying.’

‘What exactly happened, Megan?’ Tina asked gently.

‘Nothing.’

‘There must have been something for you to be so upset. You have to tell me about it if I’m to stop it happening again,’ Tina patiently tried.

‘I’ve told you what happened. Don’t make her go through it all again. It’s been a dreadful experience,’ Mrs Gray intervened self-righteously.

‘Okay, Megan. I’ll tell you what I know and you correct me if I have it wrong. You were near the post office in the Borough Road precinct where you saw Sarah and Crystal who called you some rude names and pushed you in the road.’

‘Yes,’ was the mumbled reply. Tina noticed Megan wouldn’t look her in the eye and kept pulling at her mother’s arm as if she wanted to leave the room.

Tina tucked her curly, chestnut hair behind her ear. ‘All right. You can leave it with me Mrs Gray. I will speak to the other girls and sort it out.’

‘I don’t want Megan near them until they are ready to apologise and be Megan’s friend.’

‘As I said, leave it with me,’ repeated Tina with a pacifying smile as she rose.

Half an hour later, the accused, Sarah Connelly and Crystal King sat morosely in her office like suspects under police interview. Tina was determined to be objectively fair about this so she wanted the girls’ versions of events.

‘We saw Megan in the precinct and we said some things,’ Sarah gloomily agreed. ‘We didn’t mean to upset her. She’s a cry baby anyway. She cries for nothing. She needs to get a life.’

‘Sarah, that attitude isn’t helping. Megan has told her mother you swore at her and pushed her in the road. I’m not surprised she cried. That’s bullying, and I won’t tolerate it.’

‘What? We didn’t! We never pushed her in the road! We didn’t touch her. Anyway it’s a precinct so there isn’t any road,’ exclaimed Crystal who had been peevishly listening until now.

‘I think you should apologise to Megan for your behaviour and if you can’t be friendly then keep away from her.’ Tina thought this was the most she could hope for.

‘I’m not apologizing. She deserved it. She’s always accusing us of being mean to her when we haven’t done anything,’ Crystal continued justifying herself. ‘Don’t let this turn into one of those things where I’m wrongly accused by someone exaggerating the facts’, she thought. That already happened to her enough at home.

‘Nor am I apologizing,’ Sarah agreed vigorously.

Tina leaned forward, clasped her hands and hard-lined her tone.

‘In that case I shall have to ask your parents to come in and talk about it. Perhaps then we will get to the bottom of the matter.’
Tina was following the updated guidelines the teachers were putting in place.

The effect was immediate when Miss Anderson told the girls she was sending for their parents. Sarah's clear complexion went ghostly pale and she started apologizing.

‘I’m sorry Miss. I didn’t mean it. I’ll keep right away from Megan and never speak to her again. You can give me a week’s detention, Miss.’ Clearly agitated, she kept jangling the change in her navy blue, school uniform skirt pocket.

Crystal just cried silently. She closed her eyes and tears could be seen squeezing through the beautiful, thick lashes. Tina felt both these reactions were positive, but knew she must follow through by actually bringing in the parents.

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