There was a tug-of-war on Sunday afternoon, with parents and faculty on one side, and students on the other. The students always won. Then everyone disbanded. The goodbyes seemed easier than they’d been on the first day of school. The students were going home in five weeks for Thanksgiving. They would have a full week at home, and were looking forward to it. Since his parents would both be on location then, Chase was going to New York with Steve Babson. He wasn’t upset about it. It had happened before. His parents had an apartment in New York, but he wasn’t allowed to use it when they weren’t there.
By the time the parents left the campus on Sunday afternoon, they were satisfied that their children were well and happy, and the school as a whole had adjusted to a major change. Having girls there seemed to add a lighter, more festive atmosphere. The girls’ parents seemed pleased that their daughters were being treated well. It had been a very good weekend. The leaves were in full flaming color, and the weather had been perfect. Everything had been just right.
“I’d say it was one of the best parents’ weekends we’ve had. Great turnout,” Taylor said to Nicole as they walked across the campus toward Taylor’s house that came with the job of headmaster. Charity had been busy with the parents all weekend too, and Ellen Watts, as the head of the parents’ association, had tried to meet all the new parents of the girls, so she would at least recognize their faces in the future. She had enjoyed speaking to some of them a lot. It was true, having girls there changed things subtly. The school seemed more balanced somehow, even though there were fewer girls than boys, but it was more representative now of the real world with females in it. The all-male atmosphere previously had seemed more intense.
“You have a very impressive parent group,” Nicole said to Taylor as they walked. She had enjoyed the weekend too. And she wasn’t surprised by the racial disparity. She had been aware of it before she came to Saint Ambrose. It was true of her previous school too. There were about forty African American families in the student body, all the parents doctors and lawyers and bank presidents. And that had only been true for the last twelve or fourteen years. Before that, there was no diversity at all at schools like Saint Ambrose. It was a fact of life in elitist schools of its kind. Saint Ambrose made no pretense of being anything other than an elitist school. And twenty years earlier, those forty families wouldn’t have been a part of the school at all. One day it would be different, she knew, but they hadn’t gotten there yet. Being assistant headmaster as a female African American was already a huge step for them, and the rest would come with time. Those forty African American students were getting the best education money could buy. It was a beginning. Nicole was proud of being part of bringing women into the school.
They crossed paths with Larry Gray, walking home to his rooms in one of the older dormitories which had housing for heads of the departments. Nicole had her own house at the edge of the campus, smaller than Taylor’s, but it was perfect and big enough for her. She was comfortable there.
“Great weekend, don’t you think, Larry?” Taylor said and Larry nodded with a cautious look.
“The year is young. Anything can happen,” he said, saluted them and walked on, as Nicole and Taylor laughed.
“Ever the optimist,” Nicole said to Taylor, who smiled and shook his head.
“I’d say we’re off to a good start,” he said in a confident tone. “Whatever Larry thinks.”
“I think so too. A very good start. Saint Ambrose is now officially a very credible co-ed school.” It was only six weeks into the school year, but they were off to a very good start indeed. None of Larry Gray’s dire predictions had come true. Nor would they, Taylor and Nicole were both sure.
Chapter 3
Halloween had always been one of Gillian’s favorite holidays. There was a childish side of her she enjoyed allowing to come through. She had big plans for the gym on Halloween. Gillian enlisted the help of her two assistants, several of the teachers she had gotten to know, and a few seniors. The night before Halloween they worked like demons turning the gym into an enormous haunted house. Gillian had brought some of the supplies with her, and bought the rest in town. There were giant cobwebs hanging from everywhere and partitions created with bolts of black cloth. Giant rubber tarantulas were all over the place, and plastic skeletons, an oversized ghoul she’d had for years, witches, and goblins. She had a CD of ghostly sounds with screams. By midnight they had the gym ready to terrify and delight any willing student, and Gillian put a sign on the front door that read “Beware! Enter at Your Own Risk!”
They had no basketball or volleyball practices scheduled there that day, and the students were allowed to wear costumes after classes. Gillian had been told that the day had always been fairly lackluster before the arrival of the girls, who threw themselves into it heart and soul. She made an announcement in the cafeteria at lunchtime that there was a haunted house on campus, but only the bravest should enter, and be prepared to be terrified. She posted a few signs around. A willing crew of seniors showed up to guide the freshmen through. The costumes were varied and creative, everything from Superman and Catwoman to gladiators, Vikings, Julius Caesar in a bedsheet, and one freshman girl had brought a Minnie Mouse costume from home, just in case. It looked adorable. There were several Barbies, a Hello Kitty, Batman and Robin. The costumes were both bought and homemade. Several of the teachers showed up at the haunted house in costume too. Gillian wore a Frankenstein costume and had the height to look seriously frightening. Maxine Bell, the school counselor, came as the Bride of Frankenstein. There were several pirates, and many witches, and kids from every grade were thrilled to go through it, screaming at every twist and turn. Everyone had a great time, and Nicole smiled as she walked by on her way to a meeting with Taylor. The haunted house was a huge success, and the freshmen went through it again and again. Gillian had smoldering cauldrons, and giant bowls of candy which she handed out liberally. She was planning to keep it running until senior curfew at ten P.M. They could have fun with it for an hour on their own, after the younger students had to be in their rooms at eight and nine P.M. Her crew of willing helpers had agreed to stay as late as they had to, to help her take it down.
They had lots of visitors all through the afternoon and evening, before and after dinner. It was even scarier as the night got darker. Taylor and Nicole showed up and went through it too and thanked Gillian for doing it. Everybody loved it. Simon Edwards was working the door then in a Darth Vader mask that said in a robotic voice “Don’t make me destroy you!” which he had brought from New York, and worn at his previous school. Everyone had gone all out to make the haunted house a success, and it was the hit of the campus. One of the sophomores who had been there the year before—“B.G.” as the kids were calling it, “Before Girls”—said that this was the coolest year ever, and Taylor and Nicole smiled when they heard him say it.
The seniors had gone through the haunted house trying to seem cool, but even they jumped and started and screamed, as witches, who were teachers with painted green faces, leapt out at them unexpectedly. Rick Russo and Steve Babson had gone through it together, with Gabe not far behind them. Rick whispered to Steve on their way out.