The Education Chapter Four

A fourteen year old Tina Kennard walked down from her family home in the suburbs of LA to get the mail. Glancing across the street she saw Bette Porter and Helena Peabody, the cool kids. Despite the fact that their parents got on very well, mutual republican conservatives, Bette never associated herself with Tina. They were in different leagues – apparently – or so said the teen populous of their school.

Glancing across the street, the two brunettes noticed the blonde.

“Hey Tina, come on over here for a second.” Bette Porter shouted across the road.

“Yeah Kennard, come on don’t be a scardey cat,” the brit added.

Quickly running her hands down her jeans and across her greasy hair, Tina crossed the road. Preparing herself for the emotional onslaught of mental bullying, Tina went to them, out of admiration and childish naivity. As she stepped in front of them, the brunettes turned to eachother.

“Hey Helena, why did the blonde cross the road?” Bette asked.

“Oh Bette, I don’t know, why don’t you tell me.” Helena laughed.

“Well the thing is, I don’t know, and neither does the blonde. Come on let’s get out of here.” Bette said, grabbing Helena’s arm and walking down the road cackling, leaving the blonde standing there, having had her expectations of the cool kids fulfilled.

***

Presently, the blonde looked at the stupefied brunette in front of her, why, why had fate decided that the childhood bully, be forced to do community service in her daycare, why!?

At a loss as to what to do with the quiet brunette, who was still clearly trying to remember who Tina was, the blonde decided to break the silence.

“Tina, Tina Kennard.” Tina stated rather flatly, waiting for a reaction.

Silence.

“What? Don’t tell me you still don’t know.”

Silence again, as Bette weakly shrugged her shoulder.

Behind them, Alice peered through a gap in the door form the playroom, and whispered to the children to keep quiet while she listened to what Tina had to say to the New-Convict-Chick.

“I lived down the street from you, when we were kids. You used to tease me, with Helena, the british girl.”

Tina waited a moment, hoping Bette would remember.

“Oh My God! Your Tina Kennard, yeah, with the braces and the glasses, and that really funny look of yours! God, now I remember,” Bette sighed in relief, at having not slept with the blonde, hoping that it made things much easier, “Well, long time no see my friend, glad that one is sorted.”

“We are by no means friends.” Tina stated. “You were a bully”

“I was just like any other child, it was normal,” Bette defended herself, “and anyway, you were always the little rat, running off to Kit to taddle-tale. Not cool.”

“It is not a question of being cool Bette,” Tina argued, her temper rising a little, “it’s about the fact that you truly hurt me, and I was NOT a taddle-tale.”

“Were too,” Bette mumbled to herself, angry for not having recognized Tina. It must have been the lack of braces that she hadn’t recognized her, even though she still had that messy hair and the glasses. Ah, Bette sighed to herself, typical Tina Kennard.

“Anyway,” Bette said waking herself from her musing, “so I’m stuck here for the next while. What’s the dealio here anyway?” Bette added nonchalantly.

“The d-e-a-l-i-o Ms. Porter, is that you are under my authority and one little call to the LA council could have you behind bars for up to nine months. So you will be behaving I presume,” Tina added with a forced smile.

“Oh look, taddle-taler, did you threaten me with.. taddle taling, God you never change.” Bette smirked, knowing she has hit a nerve.

Just at that point Alice, strode in with an outstretched hand, cutting off Tina’s angry eruption, “Hi I’m Alice, a good friend of Tina’s and I work here too, with all these little mites,” Alice said, gesturing to the twenty-odd kids staring out the door at the new lady.

“Hi I’m Bette Porter, childhood friend of Kennard’s.”

“We’re not friends,” Tina grumbled moving into the office of the day care.