Mr. Jepsem, principal at Holy Shepherd Christian High School was tired. It had been a long year and now, in early June, it was winding down. He looked out the window of his office just as the senior lunch period was beginning. Christie Allenhof and Jessica Flores were giggling and talking animatedly as they meandered by. Jepsem knew that these last few weeks of school could be trying. The students, and even some staff, were itching to let their hair down and sometimes that led to trouble.
Christie swerved and deliberately smashed her right shoulder in to Jessica's left shoulder, causing Jessica, a tall dark skinned beauty, to loose control of the two large cups of water she was holding and spill the water all over herself. Her white shirt became instantly translucent. She laughed and faced the heavily reflective coated window of Mr. Jepsem's office to assess the damage. Looking through the other side, he could plainly see the lacy unlined cups of her bra and even the dark disks of her areola and nipples.
Jepsem was used to looking up at some student who thought the window was a mirror. Over the years he had seen guys checking out their packages, girls fixing their make up, people looking at their contact lenses and even the food caught in their dental braces.
His immediate reaction was that Jessica was probably terribly embarrassed by this unfortunate accident. The poor girl would probably be traumatized to remember this humiliating event punctuating her last week at school. Then he realized that she had done nothing to cover up as she walked into the quad. People, especially guys, cheered and whistled. Jepsem also noticed that Jessica's skirt seemed too short to meet the school's strict dress standard. Jessica had been his student assistant last semester, she knew it was a window, not a mirror.
Jepsem reached for the walkie-talkie on his desk and keyed the mic. Standing at his window, he looked for a security person or a teacher who would be monitoring the lunch area. He couldn't see any. He called on the radio but was only able to reach the custodian, who was in the far corner of the campus stadium. Finally, he holstered the radio and headed for his office door. Just then, a student assistant knocked on the door and when Jepsem opened it, he saw a crowd of students around Mr. Graves, the security officer. Graves was bleeding from his mouth and nose. Two students were steadying the burley man who seemed somewhat dazed. Graves' yellow shirt was soaked in blood.
"Mr. Jepsem, Mr. Graves hurt himself...he accidently ran into the corner of the building."
Jepsem ushered Graves into a chair. Then he sent one of the students to the teachers' lounge to find Mrs. Worley, the girls' P.E. teacher and certified trainer. She served as the school nurse as well. Jepsem would have to deal with Jessica Flores later.
"This is always a problem..." he thought. "The last week of school the seniors always push the rules." Last year Marcia Wallace had stepped off the property and taken off her shirt completely. She had been wearing the skimpiest of bathing suit tops he had ever seen. Jepsem had been in the parking lot and told her he wanted to see her in his office, but she taunted that she was on public property and the school couldn't do anything about it. And she was right. But Jepsem called her parents anyway. The parents pointed out that she was 18, had actually completed all of her classes and requirements and was heading for the beach right after class that day. The only reason she had been on campus at all was to collect more autographs in her yearbook. And they pointed out that they had spent about $45,000 to send her to Holy Shepherd over the past four years and they expected her to walk in the graduation ceremony and to receive her diploma and go to the grad night party. They made it clear that they would take legal action if Jepsem tried to discipline their daughter for something so trivial.
Legal action was the key. The school was very conscious of its public image and did everything it could to avoid negative publicity. He knew he had taken the issue as far as he could.
But Jessica Flores was not going to get away with this. She had pulled her wet t-shirt stunt 4 days too early. And Jessica's parents didn't have the money of the Wallace family. They would not sue or make a stink. When her dad had been laid off from work, Jessica had been allowed to attend at a discounted rate one semester, so the family felt highly obligated to the school.
By the time the Graves issue was handled, the lunch period was over. Mr. Jepsem sent a student assistant to fetch Jessica to the office but the student returned to report that Jessica had already left campus for the day. Jepsem was furious.
The next morning Mr. Jepsem waited by the student entrance to snag the leggy brunet before first period. But he didn't see her. Two minutes after the late bell sounded he heard and saw her vintage 1972 Pantera enter the parking lot. Her uncle had given the car to her for her 18th birthday. But once again Jepsem was thwarted.
The football coach and the state athletic commissioner were expecting him in a meeting in two minutes, it was about the re-leaguing of all athletic teams and the meeting would last until noon.
When he saw the girl emerge from her car his blood boiled. She was again wearing a too short skirt and this time she was wearing a spaghetti strapped shirt. The school rule said that shoulder straps had to be at least 2 inches wide at the top of the shoulder and Jepsem would bet dollars to donuts that her straps were no wider than an inch and three quarters. Jessica was taking her time getting her purse and yearbook out of the low-slung car. She kicked off her moccasin style driving slippers and donned a pair of flip-flop sandals. She looked like one of Barbi's tan playmates. Jepsem heard the third page for him to report to his office just as he was going to step in to the parking lot to confront her.
"Jessica, I want to see you in my office at 12:00." He called out to her.
"Sorry Mr. J, I'm outta here at 11:30 today. I have my placement exam at the college at 11:45."
"Be there!"
"Sorry." She smiled sweetly. Just like when boys asked her for a date and she declined.
He fumed as he rushed to his office. He would be asking for a few concessions in the re-leaguing talks and couldn't afford to start out on the wrong foot with Mr. Fagans. Fagans was the Commissioner and he was known as a no-nonsense guy and tough negotiator.
On Wednesday morning Jepsem was again waiting for Jessica when she arrived.
Once again, she entered the parking lot just as the late bell was ringing. The low rumble of her car's engine, punctuated by her occasional blipping of the throttle, was unmistakable. Car alarms were going off all along her route.
