Mrs. Wilson's Classroom

Welcome to the Spot Writers. This month's prompt is "nick of time." Today's tale comes to us from Val Muller, author of the kidlit mystery series Corgi Capers.

Mrs. Wilson's Classroom

by Val Muller

Joanne balanced on the yoga ball, feet on the floor, gently rolling back and forth, coffee cup cradled in her hands. No one was talking to her, no one was asking her questions, no one was touching her. 

It was a Wednesday morning, and her coworkers would be in the throes of their week, struggling to get by, and probably someone had left all sorts of leftover baked goods in the workroom in a misguided attempt at morale boosting that would only serve to undermine everyone's healthy intentions.

And the students would be an all-time challenge, this being the second full week of school. The novelty had worn off and everyone was back to the grind. Behavior issues started to rise on Wednesdays.

Joanne thought about going to the bank. What a treat that would be, running an errand when most people were at work. But of course she couldn't. Not with Sylvia having the car. Or, not Sylvia. Joanne. Today she was Joanne. 

Joanne--the real Joanne--stood up from the yoga ball and set down her coffee. She wasn't used to drinking it that warm. At school, it was always stone-cold by the time she got to it. Besides, she hadn't sent in her electronic doppelganger to buy time for coffee. Today, she had three small home improvement projects to finish and a book to read. 

She sat on the floor and took a knife to the fan box. The bedroom ceiling fan was at least a decade old. This one had been on clearance and would be a nice refresh. She lined all the pieces up and allowed her mind to wander as she cataloged the blades, the screws, the motor assembly. It was 9:52. The students would be doing silent reading now. Johnny would probably have his phone cradled in his book, and Samantha would be doing makeup in the corner. 

Joanne did not envy Sylvia.

She took three steps up the ladder and was just starting to take down the old fan when her watch beeped. It was Sylvia. Low battery. How could that be? She had just been charged. Maybe it was the school wifi. It was probably the school wifi. The whole building used to be a bomb shelter or something like that. The wifi came and went and drained phone batteries quickly. She didn't realize it would drain androids also. 

She hurried to the closet for Sylvia's spare battery. But how to get it to her? 

Two competing emotions took over. Panic, of course. She could lose her job if anyone found out it was Sylvia teaching the class. Could? Would. Maybe jail time. But there was anger, too. She'd gone to such lengths for a day off, and now what? She had to hire an Uber to get her to school so she could use her spare key to sneak a spare battery into her car so Sylvia could come get it to make it through the day?

She ordered the Uber and looked at the time. Sylvia had a half hour before lunch. Would the Uber get here in time? Joanne pulled up Sylvia's app. Adroidlyfe. She programmed Sylvia to go to the car at lunch, to change its battery. 

Thr Uber driver took one look at the battery and batted an eye. "That for a 'droid?" the driver asked. 

Joanne nodded.

"What for?"

"I need to avert a mental breakdown, so I programmed my lookalike Droid to watch my students in school while I take a mental health day, only the battery drained faster than expected. So I need you to help get me across the county in the next 20 minutes so my Droid can swap the battery while the kids are at lunch, thereby minimizing the chance that my ruse will be discovered."

The driver waited one beat before breaking into laughter. "Okay. Okay. I shouldn't have asked," he said. 

"No, but seriously, get me there in 15 and I wil double your tip."

"Lady," he said. "Buckle up."

After arriving in the nick of time, Joanne tipped her driver well and asked him to stop at the bank before returning her home for the rest of her mental health day. 

The Spot Writers–Our Members:

Val Muller: http://www.valmuller.com/blog/

Catherine A. MacKenzie: https://writingwicket.wordpress.com/wicker-chitter/

Phil Yeats: https://alankemisterauthor.wordpress.com

Chiara De Giorgi: https://chiaradegiorgi.blogspot.ca/