Rita Morse and the Sinister Shadow

  * * * * *

  “Well, I survived yesterday,” I said, sitting next to Penny and Ryan in Mr. Gorfel’s class the next morning. Nobody came knocking on my door or breaking into my house last night. That alone lifted my mood a few notches, even if Mr. Gorfel had some horrible punishment lined up for us. “I found out from my parents that I have to join the Westonville High Fashion Designers, though. They’re still looking for a second activity.” The only reason they hadn’t made me do cheerleading was the fact that they knew I’d fail the tryouts on purpose. Not that I could pass them if I tried, anyway.

  “That’s good. Well, about Mr. Gorfel, anyway. I was still worried even after he let you off the hook.” Penny stared down at her table. I could tell she felt bad that we got in trouble and she didn’t.

  “And my mom probably won’t even notice,” Ryan grumbled. “Fashion Designers, huh? I guess it could be worse.”

  “Hey, I tried to argue, but I didn’t have much time with that assignment we had. They don’t start until next month, though. So I have time to find a way out,” I said. I had better sign up for the Comic Book Club before my parents put too much on my schedule. “Man, this sucks. I’m already grounded from going out after dark.”

  Penny lifted her chin and tapped her pencil on her binder. “At least you can go out after dark sometimes. I’m never allowed out after dinner. My dad says he might start letting me stay out until nine on weekends when I turn sixteen.” She didn’t sound too hopeful, mostly because when her dad said might, it usually meant might not.

  I opened my mouth to tell Penny that she needed to start standing up to her dad a little more, but the bell rang and Mr. Gorfel strode into the room. He didn’t even look at us as he entered, much to my relief. Maybe he stared at all his students on the first day to scare them.

  “Pass up your homework and essays,” he ordered. The shuffling of papers filled the room. If Penny hadn’t helped me find all the answers after school and gave me ideas of what to put in the essay, I never would’ve finished it all in time.

  Josh and Kristina made no effort to dig for any papers. I ground my teeth together and clutched my sore wrist. They hadn’t done their essays. Everyone had but them, and they were going to get away with it.

  Once Mr. Gorfel gathered all the papers, he swaggered over to his huge desk, slapped them down, and sifted through them. He laid the chapter questions aside and held the essays high in the air. A smirk came across his face. “Thank you for doing these.”

  And then he did the unspeakable.

  Mr. Gorfel walked towards the door, making the plastic frogs all croak. I could only watch in horror as he stood there and dropped the entire stack of papers in the trash can. They landed with a loud thud.

  My veins pulsed in my ears. Those electric pulses spread through my arms again, but at that moment, I didn’t care. Just as I’d predicted, Josh and Kristina got away with their crap. Mr. Gorfel hadn’t even checked to see who’d done the essays.

  Class couldn’t end fast enough. I bolted out the door as soon as the bell rang, but not fast enough to miss what Mr. Gorfel said to me.

  “Don’t think I forgot. I’m still working on your punishment.”