Simone brought the new principal his coffee. It seemed easier to get him occupied so she could focus on the situation.
"Send in Miss Wood in a minute."
As soon as she did that, she was alone with Debbie again. "I don't know how this happened. I don't want to be a secretary with no future."
"Is that how you see me?" Debbie asked. She'd always thought Mr. Davison liked her. Sure, she hadn't been the best student or the best secretary, but...she had dreams, hopes...and she had liked her job.
"No..." Simone said, feeling bad where her male self never would have. "I didn't mean it like that."
"Yes, you did. If that is how you feel, I'm leaving," she said. "You can deal with this on your own." She left in a huff, leaving Simone on her own.
Meanwhile, Principal Grant took a meeting with Margaret Wood, unaware that a recent sticky note had changed the course of the last fifteen years of his life. "So, what is it this time, Margaret? I'm all in favor of new green initiatives. But you have to channel your passion productively. Look at those new recycling bins we finally got. There are plenty of ways you can make a difference. But the next time I catch you harassing other students or damaging other people's property, I'm afraid I might have to expell you."
Margaret nodded. "Now can we talk about all the paper this school is wasting? Or how don't even put your computer into sleep mode?"
"Go back to class, Margaret," Mr. Grant said, sounding pained. He wasn't a harsh discliplinarian like Davison. He was a man trying to do his job. He didn't like punishing students. "And I don't want to see you here again."
She was about to head out when she saw a piece of yellow paper in the garbage. "You didn't recycle this!" She said.
"That isn't mine. I don't have any yellow ones. Mine are all white," he said. "Someone else must have been in here. Recycle that for me please on your way out?" He said, trying to stop her rant.
She headed out of the office. Instead of throwing it into the bin, she took it with her. She could find out who did this. It wasn't until she got into the hall that she opened it. "I wish I would become like the next person I see," she read.
The scrawl was so messy, it looked like a kid had written it. Who in the school wrote like that? She figured it must be some stupid jock or cheerleader. She went off to continue her detective work instead of returning to class.
