She stood and brushed bread crumbs off her black blouse or tunic or whatever it was . She was shorter than me, with wide hips and feet that splayed outward like a penguin's. Her head was oval-shaped, topped with a pile of dark brown curls were gathered in a loose ponytail and her face was make-up free . Her face didn't show any trace of make up and her eyes seemed just a smidge too close together.

“Yes, I hav 'v e heard about it,” she said, with all of the excitement she might exude if I was also organizing free colonoscopies. “Someone was talking about it at lunch in the lunch room yesterday in the lunch room .”

I nodded , as if that was a good thing. . “Oh, excellent. So I don't have to give you my entire explanation about what Prism is doing.”

“No. You don't. And to be honest, I have a class in just a few minutes — ”

“Don't worry,” I said, glancing at the clock. “I won't take up much of your time. I know your class starts in, looks like, seventeen minutes Your class starts in twelve minutes, right ?”

Her cheeks redden d ed a bit. “Uh, yeah.”

I was glad I'd memorized the bell schedule. The first thing I'd figured out was that knowing the teaching schedule was key. They'd all tried to shuttle me out of the rooms, saying the kids were going to be coming soon. At first, I'd been suckered. But then I realized I was leaving rooms and it was taking awhile for those bells to ring. So then I started making sure I hit them when they had at least twenty minutes until students rolled in.

“ So I promise I'll be out of here in five minutes,” I said, still smiling told her . “Now . W , w hat do you think you might like to do for the show?”

That was the second tactic I'd changed. I was done asking people didn't ask if they wanted to participate. After my success in the lunch room, I realized it was far easier to just assume people would be per forming. I just approached them and assumed they would be participating. Because it was far harder for them to say no to that.

“Oh, well, uh, I'm not sure, ” she said, fumbling for words. “I hadn't really given it much thought.”

Fortunately for Alice, I had.

“I was thinking that since you teach drama a skit might be fun?” I s aid uggested . “You could even involve some of your students ? . ”

She dropped the remainder of her sandwich in the trash bin. “A skit? Oh, I don't know.”

“ Sure,” I said, nodding. I forged ahead. “You could maybe do something school-oriented , like making fun of some of the other faculty. The kids would love that. Or maybe re-enact the robbery of the computers? Make it a little light-hearted?” – a parody of some of the classes or a n alternate universe Prism or something.”

She stared at me like I was an oncoming train that had no intention of slowing down. I smiled back. It Which was pretty much how I felt. Stephen-with-a-P Morse had lit the fire I'd needed to move forward with the talent show. He, along with all the other kids at Prism , were the ones I cared about and the ones I was planning this for. And I didn't care that teachers didn't want to do it. I was going to make them.

I was no longer flying by the seat of my pants when I asked for volunteers. I was coming in with plans and ideas. I was a homeschool mom. The one thing I had plenty of was plans and ideas and the ability to adapt on the fly. They thought teaching a class was hard? They should've tried keeping my kids entertained on a daily basis while educating them, too.

“You know, I'm not even really sure that I can,” Alice said, trying to get out of the way of the Daisy Train. “I haven't checked my calendar.”

“Oh, sure, I understand,” I said, nodding sympathetically , then glancing . I glanced at my notebook. “It looks like there's nothing going on with the drama production that night. So I know that shouldn't work against you.”

Her mouth twitched. “Right. I meant my personal calendar.”

“Oh, of course,” I said , nodding again. . I cocked my head. “ Have you by chance spoken to Mrs. Bingledorf this morning?” Well, I supposed you could speak to Mrs. Bi ngledorf if you do have a conflict.

“ Uh, n o. S he frowned. “ Why ?” would I have to tell her?”

“She's asked me to inform anyone that has a calendar conflict to visit with her in the next day or so,” I said. “So she can get you signed up for helping to help at another a different school event. You know, because each faculty member has to volunteer for two events outside of school hours?” ” She was still staring at me blankly so I added, “The new volunteer hours for teachers?”

Her expression darkened.

The volunteer hours were something I'd learned about after Mr. Longmeyer had added his name – and this was the reason I'd sprinted down to the office before continuing my quest to find volunteers. This was a little tidbit I'd learned by accident when Mr. Gentry, the biology teacher, asked if participating in the show counted toward his volunteer requirements. After he'd signed u p, he'd asked if participating in the talent show would count toward the new volunteer requirement in his contract. I hesitated, told him then told him yes , , then after I'd gotten the other sign up, I'd hurried down to Bingledorf's then after he'd signed up, I'd sprinted back to Bingledorf's office to make sure we could do that for confirmation . She assured me that we could.

It totally strengthened my arsenal.

“I know that the concession stands at the football games are still needing still need people,” I informed Alice. “Those freezing November and December games late October games are tough to fill, I guess. Especially after the early snow we've had the last couple of years. No one wants to be out taking tickets or working concessions when it's freezing out. But maybe that will work better with your personal calendar. ”

Her mouth twisted again twisted . “Right.” She tapped her fingers on her desk. “Right.”

She tapped some more.

“ Alrighty, then,” I said, hugging my notebook to my chest. “I'll let Mrs. Bingledorf know you'll be signing up for a different volunteer opportunity.” I smiled and waited some more.

Her dark eyes were almost black. She sighed heavily. “I guess I could organize some sort of skit,” she finally said.

“Yeah?” I asked . , raising my eyebrows. “ Y Are y ou sure?”

“Yes, I'm sure,” she said , s . She s ound ing ed like a defeated woman.

“Excellent,” I said , writing her name down in my book. . I uncapped my pen and wrote her name down in the notebook. “ You'll go fourth Right now you're fifth on the list – I don't know if we'll stick with this order or if we'll switch things up. and y Y ou'll have ten minutes probably need at least ten minutes, right . ? L Just l et me know if you need more.”

She licked her lips and tried not to frown. expelled another deep breath. “Sure.”

I recapped my pen and gave her a huge smile. “Thanks so much,” I said , heading as I headed for the door. “This will be great.”

She mumbled something, but I was already out in the hallway, crossing her name off and figuring out wh ich ere to find my room my next victim was in. .

The Daisy Train was on a friggin' roll.

TWENTY THREE

By the time the final bell rang, I had fourteen acts lined up.

And I hadn't even hit up unsuspecting parents yet.