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Mrs. Peters had only gotten about a quarter of the way through her to-do stack, when she was interrupted again, this time by Teresa Williams.

“Teresa, hello.”

“Hi Mrs. Peters,” she said with a smile. Mrs. Peters always felt strange when Teresa Williams smiled; it was almost like what she imagined someone would look like if they were possessed. Not that Teresa wasn’t beautiful – her shiny blonde hair, big green eyes, and flawless skin were to be envied, not to mention her perfectly straight and white teeth. No, it was more that the smile only seemed to appear when Teresa was trying to get her way or convince someone to do something for her.

“Can I help you with something?” Mrs. Peters always felt it was best to just get right to the point, although in the kindest way possible.

“Actually, I was hoping to get my varsity girls excused early on Friday next week. It’s an off week for us, but I thought we might do a service project together; Open Arms Ministries is kicking off a food drive that day and I thought it would be a great thing for the girls to help with.”

“I’ll have to check with Mr. Walcott, but that doesn’t sound like it will be a problem.”

“Oh, I already checked, and he said it was fine.”

Mrs. Peters had a tough time keeping her pleasant face on. She tried to like everyone, but Teresa Williams really tried her patience sometimes. “Well, that’s good, but I’m still going to have to confirm that. Protocol you know.”

Teresa’s smile was a bit tight. “Fine. I’ll go ahead and get the ball rolling then.”

She was halfway out the door when Mrs. Peters’ ornery side got the better of her.

“I saw Missy and Stephanie today,” she said. “You must be really upset to lose another two cheerleaders, what with Andrea getting injured just a month ago.”

Teresa’s back stiffened and her chin rose slightly. “Yes, of course. It was a shame, but you know, these things happen. We have a couple of really dedicated junior varsity cheerleaders that I think area ready to move up. We’ll manage just fine.”

“How are the rest of the girls taking it?” Mrs. Peters pushed.

“Oh, they’re fine. Naturally, they are concerned about their friends, but they recognize the risks involved in cheer stunts.”

“Do you think that Missy and Stephanie might join you again for competition season?”

Teresa’s hard smile almost cracked, but years of performing held true. “I think they’ve made their decisions, and I don’t believe they’re coming back. Cheerleading isn’t really a good fit for everyone.”