Billy stood in front of the principal's desk and shook with frustration. He had worked too hard to have Alex swoop in and take his place. He had to stop it. He had to drive Alex away.
"Principal, I must protest," he said. "I knew this guy at university. He's just a bum. He's not even a qualified teacher. How could he be allowed to teach classes at our school?"
The principal glowered at him, obviously displeased with his aggressive and dismissive attitude.
"Billy," he said, "You shouldn't be prejudiced against new colleagues. You yourself are newly graduated, but we gave you a job here anyway. Was that a mistake? I don't think so. Bold and unconventional hiring is how Oak Ridge stays fresh."
There was some truth to the principal's words, but he was leaving out important facts. He had been ordered to hire Alex, and he had to obey. Billy's feelings on the matter were as unimportant as his own. There was no room for discussion.
They stared tensely at each other. While Billy desperately wanted Alex not to be hired, he knew that he could not afford to make an enemy of the principal. The principal, for his part, could not afford to make an enemy of Alex, nor of the people who stood behind him.
But Alex's arrival had disrupted all of Billy's plans. He had a carefully laid-out career path in mind, and it included becoming the head teacher for Class 6. In that position, he could form connections with their wealthy parents and students themselves who would no doubt go on to inherit that wealth.
The other teachers seemed oblivious to the benefits of their profession, but Billy knew them very well. Many students at Oak Ridge were from wealthy and influential families, and Class 6 contained an especially high concentration of them. If he could get to know the families, and make sure they knew that he had propelled their children into academic excellence, he would win many powerful friends.
So far, his plan had worked beautifully. As teaching director, he had little contact with parents, but he had been able to drive off many teachers from Class 6 without seeming to be the cause. And since he wasn't seen as part of the problem, he was seen as part of the solution. The troubling loss of teachers was a double benefit to him. It made him a valued part of the staff, and it left openings for when he wanted to gain more exposure to the parents.
He had waited to make his move. And now the time was right. The teacher in charge of Class 6, Mr. Goldberg, had been badly beaten, and there were only three months until graduation. Billy would swoop in, raise the kids' grades, and take the credit. The principal had agreed that the job was his. It was a done deal.
And then, Alex had shown up.
The principal broke the silence. "There's no way, Billy," he said. "I can't change this decision."
Realizing that it was useless to keep arguing, Billy stormed out of the principal's office in a bitter rage. On the way out, he clenched his fists and muttered to himself.
"Alex", he thought as he recalled their history, "I took your girlfriend once, and I'll take this job. Whatever you do, I'll always come out on top. I'll do whatever it takes. Count on that!"
He slammed the office door shut behind him and stormed off.
**
When Alex came to the school for his introduction, the principal brought all the teachers into the conference room. He told them only that Alex was a new PE teacher and that he was taking over responsibility for Class 6, and then he sat down and opened the floor for questions.
One of the older teachers, who sat next to Alex, looked him over with scornful eyes. He was Leonard Winters, one of the longest-serving and most respected teachers at the school, and Billy had made sure to tell him about Alex. Leonard was repulsed by Alex's lack of experience, and Billy counted on him to help turn the other teachers against him.
"And what exactly are your qualifications for this position?" Leonard asked derisively.
"And who are you?" Alex responded with a smile. It was clear to him that the question had only been asked to put him down. He decided to respond in a similar fashion.
"My name is Leonard Winters. I've been here at Oak Ridge for over twenty years. Before that, I taught at private schools all over the country and even overseas. Many of my former students are among the most successful people in the country." He looked proud as if the achievements of his students were his own.
"I see," Alex said dismissively. Leonard's bragging didn't impress him. "I'm sure you're great at preparing students for wealth and success. But have you ever considered that teachers should also be role models?"
Leonard looked confused. He didn't understand what Alex was getting at. "Of course, Mr. Ambrose," he answered. "What are you trying to say?"
"I mean that we should teach them how to behave toward others," Alex shot back. "But you're pompous, arrogant, and impolite. It seems to me that you shouldn't be a teacher, and I don't know how you can sit here and talk about education as if you understand it."
The atmosphere of the whole conference room changed completely. The air filled with nervous tension, and Leonard and all the teachers stared at Alex in complete disbelief at what he had said.
"How dare you?" Leonard exclaimed in complete shock. The idea that a newcomer would ever speak to him in such a way was incomprehensible to him. Especially in front of the other teachers.
Alex only smiled and put his feet up on the conference room table. "Ridiculous," he muttered as he leaned back with a satisfied look on his face.
Leonard trembled with anger. "What did you say to me?" he asked.
"I think you heard me," Alex answered with a sly smile. "Unless you're hard of hearing, of course."