Dr.Tom Hall sat in his office looking around at the half-empty bookshelves. "Not much to show for all my years at this school." He said to himself. There was a sudden knock on the door to his office.

"Excuse me Tom," Assitand of Disaplin Orion Dunn said as he entered Tom's office. "I wonder if I might have a moment of your time."

Sighing inwardly Tom stopped packing the box on his desk and said, "What do you want Orion? You should be happy, the school is putting me out to pasture and that means that you will get my job at last."

"I'm sorry about that Tom," Orion said not daring to look his former friend in the eyes. "I didn't want it to happen this way."

"As you can see," Tom said pointing at a box that sat on top of his desk. "I am in the process of removing myself from this office for the last time."

Orion cleared his throat and said, "Ah, uhm, the board would like you to stay on a little longer." It hurt him to say it but what the board wants the board gets.

Tom stopped his packing and said, "Why would the board change their minds?"

Well, someone called the school board and made what I believe were economic threats against us," Orion said. "The board gave into the threats."

"I wonder who made such a call? As good as I might be, I am getting on as it were and it could be time for you to take over." Tom said softly.

Neither men said anything for a long while; each was trying to feel out the other but Tom knew that Orion and he wondered which of them had actually won, he was set to pack his things and leave and now this happened.

"I'll admit that you have always been the best at what you do Tom," Orion said with an air of resignation. "Whenever you finish with your charges they come out far better than when they went in. Still I think I could have done just as well."

"I never doubted it for a minute Orion, but you did like going behnd my back and that was not nice of you." Tom said as he set the box on the floor. "Did the board say how long I could stay on?"

"No, you have free reign as always, you may punish as you see fit."

"I'm not so sure I want to stay now." Tom said. "I will give it the rest of the school year and then we shall see how I feel."

"Yes, Sue Crowley and Samantha Longworth."

"You may leave Orion," Tom said as he stood up from behind his desk. "Is there anyone in the outter office waiting to see me?"

"Yes, two students, they are sophmores who seem to like causing a ruckus now and then." Orion replied. "I would love to have handled these two myself."

"I wonder what these two did that was so bad? Tom said more to himself."They will tell me themselves."

Orion placed two folders on Tom's desk. "Will this take long?" Orion asked as he headed for the door.

"It will take as long as it takes," Tom replied as he opened one of the folders. "You know that once they are in here, they become mine to deal with as I see fit."