...

Scott was busy fighting fires, essentially handling all of the requests and supposed emergencies that teachers came to them with. Emergencies like “Someone took my overhead projector!” or “I need my desk moved to the other corner of the room!” or “I need these books moved from my car into the classroom!” And his personal favorite “A toilet’s exploded in the third floor boys bathroom!” They were days that tried Scott’s patience. He had just finished cleaning up the mess from a broken water fountain in the arts building and went to check his box, wondering if today would be the day that his patience finally snapped. His spirits lifted momentarily when he saw only one work order in his box. He pulled the order out, read it, and headed to Mrs. Peters’ office.

“So, a gopher problem,” he said, walking in the open door to her office.

Mrs. Peters smiled at Scott in greeting, but he thought she seemed a little distracted. “That’s what it appears to be anyway. Ms. Williams came in this morning; apparently Jenni Carter badly sprained her ankle while running laps around the practice field during cheerleading practice before school.”

Scott’s eyebrows rose. “Another cheerleader getting hurt,” he said. “You have to admit, Mrs. Peters, this is getting a little ridiculous.”

“So many accidents,” she said, extending her hands in a gesture of helplessness. “What can you even do?”

Scott shut the office door, and sat down on the chair in front of Mrs. Peters’ desk, “Mrs. Peters, you know I’m not one to buy in to conspiracy theories, but this is getting ridiculous. It’s not even Thanksgiving yet! Even the football team hasn’t had this many injuries.”

“What else could it be, but unfortunate accidents?” Mrs. Peters asked.

“Look, I’m just going to say it out loud,” Scott said. “But it really seems to me like some of these accidents – if not all of them – might be deliberate.”

Mrs. Peters shook her head, “I really think you’re jumping to conclusions, Scott. Why would anyone want to do something like that? And who would it be? One of the other cheerleaders? A rival school? It just doesn’t make any sense.”

“I know,” Scott said. “But neither do a broken foot, a severely sprained ankle, cracked ribs, bruised backs, strained knees…I’ve been around sports my whole life, and I’ve never seen any kind of team suffer these kinds of injuries.”

They sat in silence for a moment, digesting Scott’s words and their implication.

“Maybe you’re right,” Mrs. Peters admitted. “But first we need proof that they aren’t accidents.”

Scott nodded. “Let me look into this gopher thing. And let’s both keep our eyes and ears open. If you get a chance to talk to any of the girls…I don’t know….maybe you can get them to open up a little.”

Scott stood up to leave and Mrs. Peters shook her head sadly, “Scott, I just hope you’re wrong.”