The noon sun basked the lower quad with its wan light. Along the pathway, one of the sophomores moped along. The sun caught her dirty blonde hair and sapphire eyes. Angrily, she cast her glance downward. She was upset about something, and if given the opportunity to spill the secret, she still wouldn't. As she continued along the path, the crowd grew thicker. The crowd outside the cafeteria was pretty intense on this Wednesday. Ahead of her, she could hear screaming, as though a fight was in progress. She thought she could get a better view as she walked past the stragglers.
Near the entrance, two seventh grade students were having it out. Tammy had heard through the grapevine that the Lower School gained a new student and wondered what grade they were in. Could the fight up ahead be related, perhaps? Tammy drew closer; she could hear their voices now
"Erin, you're an idiot! All you ever do is fuck things up! No wonder the new girl hates you!"
"I fuck things up? Elizabeth, you can't even tie your own shoes. You probably can't even cross the street by yourself, you need a babysitter to take you."
"These insults are so lame." Tammy thought to herself as she stalked past. The staff running by. As she entered the cafeteria she shoved past Pamela Cordis. Pamela had never been a favorite of Tammy's; the way Pamela sounded like Elmer Fudd whenever she was angry always drew a laugh out of her. Another thing that had irked her was Pamela's mode of dress; she thought Pamela to be a poseur when it came to her preppy style. Her parents had traveled the world and had exposed her to the “real” thing.
If only her parents had paid enough attention to her. Tammy had the distinction of having the oldest parents of any student currently in attendance. They had been born when the first world war had been over for three years and the “Roaring Twenties” were underway. The Nye Family of Mattapoisett were of an older mentality; one where impaired children like Tammy were locked away and not thought of. Her mother, Dorothy, or “Dottie” as she was known was forty-five years old when she became pregnant. The Nye's hadn't wanted children and thought they were "in the clear" so to speak. Both Dorothy and her husband, James were mortified when Tammy was born on February 15th, 1966. She was healthy, but by the time she was a year old; she seemed "off."
Initially, she'd attended the schools in Mattapoisett, then to Rochester; where finally in 1976 she was sent back. On a particularly rainy day in March 1976, Tammy had overheard one of her teachers insulting her; she punched the teacher in the jaw, breaking it. Unfortunately for Tammy, another student had been caught in the crossfire. Tammy was brought before the school board and expelled. She spent the rest of the year attending school in New Bedford; neither Fairhaven nor Acushnet would take her.
By 1977, the Nye's were at the end of their rope with Tammy. New Bedford was on the verge of expelling her when a family friend referred the Nye's to Plymouth Rock. When James had heard the name he cringed. He'd heard of the school when it went by a different name: Plymouth Rock Academy for Difficult Young Women. The school shortened its name to Plymouth Rock Academy in 1951. Tammy never really fit in with anyone during her time so far.
As she entered the lunch line, she grabbed a tray and pulled the pizza off the pan with her bare hands. Not one for “bunny food" as she called vegetables, she grabbed a bag of chips off the shelf. Her beverage of choice; Fresca being the only “healthy” thing on the tray. Ahead of her was a face newly familiar: she'd seen the girl last Friday night at the welcome back party, she'd served her pizza. The girls braids irked her; reminding her of many nights spent with her mother, the unsteady elderly hands often making the affair feel like hell to the girl. She watched her talk with Sarah Newstead, Pamela Cordis running up to them, complaining about being shoved earlier.
Tammy sat down, but still kept an eye on the new girl; the chatter drifted by. Worst of all, Tammy hated the way the new girl laughed. She snorted when she laughed and that was something Tammy was prohibited from doing by her mother; seeing it as “improper.” Tammy needed to show this new girl how things really ran here at Plymouth Rock.
After letting the laughter carry on for what she deemed ten seconds too many. She leapt up and clumsily made her way over to where Sarah and Pamela were sitting. Seeing them engaged in friendly banter exposed a sense of longing within Tammy. She was jealous of how easy it had seemed for this newcomer to make friends; she made a fist now. Five seconds. She stalked past Josie Stimpson and Melanie Tompkins; her obsession with Gone With the Wind made her laugh. Three seconds, now before impact. Tammy could do nothing but see red. She opened her hand and slapped Amy Morrow across her face. Amy, not one to waste time kicked Tammy in the shin; sending her sprawling onto the floor.
The cafeteria went silent.
Tammy's frantic cries were the only sound. Pamela looked down at Tammy.
"Serves you right, crybaby."
Swiftly and suddenly, several teachers, Ms. Durfee among them stormed the cafeteria. They surrounded Amy and Tammy.
"Tammy Nye! What have you done?" Ms. Durfee demanded. She knew that Tammy could be a master manipulator; a rumor long through the grapevine was that Tammy had manipulated the teacher into mocking her at Mattapoisett.
"She started it!" Tammy screamed, pointing at Amy. Amy was still stunned at what had just happened.
"She did not!" Pamela shouted. She knew what she'd seen.
"Pamela, let us handle the situation, stay back!" Ms. Lyon ordered.
"She hurt my friend, Ms. Lyon. Like Caesar crossing the Rubicon, Tammy went too far."
"I understand how you feel, but this is between Amy and Tammy."
"Fine, but Sarah and I saw the whole thing."
"Now we're getting somewhere."
Tammy was picked up off the floor and led outside. She'd spend the rest of the afternoon with Patricia Baxter in her office; being grilled.
Ms. Durfee and Ms. Lyon had led Tammy Nye to the administration building. They walked past the front desk and into the office of Dr. Patricia Baxter. The look on her face would've frozen anyone in their tracks. She seemed disappointed that Tammy would be sitting before her.
"You haven't even been back a week, and you've already landed yourself in my office?" Dr. Baxter queried. Tammy shrunk down in the chair.
"That new girl started it, she kicked me in the shin."
"Tammy!" Dr. Baxter warned.
Patricia Baxter could see through Tammy's bullshit from a mile away. Tammy had always thought she'd pull one over on the staff, having no idea that they saw through it.
"Well, she kicked me and I demand that you do something." Tammy protested.
"No. You're in no position to negotiate, Tammy." Patricia said firmly.
"My family will bury you!" Tammy hissed.
"They're already having us keep you here until the age of 21."
"Why?"
"Because you lack the emotional maturity. Their words, not mine, Tammy."
"Well, that new girl still has to be punished."
"To start, you're getting a detention. We will talk to the other student, later."
"That's not fair! You never believe me, ever." Tammy whined, crossing her arms.
"Perhaps Dr. Whitney needs to be alerted?" Patricia warned.
The very mention of Dr. Whitney scared Tammy. Something in the way she talked to the girl made her act as though she'd seen a ghost. She began to tremble.
"Please don't tell Dr. Whitney! Please, don't! I'm trying to be good." Tammy began to sob. She'd rather talk to Gwen Burgess about her problems. Dr. Whitney would only give her some Haldol and send her on her way.
"If you didn't break the rules and misbehave so much, I wouldn't have to tell Dr. Whitney. Yet, here we are. Ever since you've started attending this school, Tammy you have been nothing but a recurring difficulty. Why must you disgrace our wonderful school?" Patricia said as she finished filling out Tammy's detention form.
She handed it to Tammy.
"They'll expect you in twenty minutes. I would go sit in front of the detention room, if I were you."
Tammy let out an anguished "harrumph."
The detention room was located in the basement of the administration building. The room gave Tammy the creeps; the exposed plumbing and the older lighting with its old, dim lightbulbs often induced anxiety in other students. The air down here was musty and heavy, and helped the room earn the nickname “The Dungeon” by the rest of the student body. Six desks occupied the center; an oak desk at the head. Ms. Durfee was assigned to cover detention this afternoon. Two others would be joining Tammy in the dungeon as well; A junior named Elena and a freshman; Carol. Tammy sat between the two. Abby finished writing something down on the blotter; perhaps a tally of detentions, of which Tammy would be in the lead.
"Detention starts now. There will be no talking, no getting up, and lastly no smoking."
Elena groaned, if she had to serve detention with Tammy; she'd need at least two packs. Carol, in detention because she refused to do something asked of her rolled her eyes.
"Let me take attendance." Ms. Durfee groaned.
"Carol Allen?"
"Here."
"Tammy Nye?"
"Unfortunately, here!" she snorted.
"And last, but certainly not least; Elena Shaw?"
"Here."
For the next two hours, they would all sit in silence; penance to be paid for violating Plymouth Rock's Code of Conduct. The sun continued to shine; the light making its way through the narrow cellar windows. Tammy stared up at the ceiling, a cellar spider with its comically small body and long, spindly legs was practically sprinting across on its way to parts unknown. She was repulsed by the sight and prayed that it wouldn't rappel down to the floor. She turned forward.
Had she known what followed afterward, her anxiety would've killed her. Elena watched the cellar spider rappel down from the ceiling into Tammy's hair and down her back before racing for its life across the floor. Elena let out a sinister grin. The halfway point was approaching. Tammy shifted nervously in her seat. She began to formulate a plan in her mind; she'd leave during the break. A clean getaway. Nobody would see her leave. She hoped Elena would cover for her.
"All right it's now the halfway mark. You may get up to stretch your legs. You must be back in ten minutes."
Tammy got up and hurried for the door. Exiting the room, she made a right turn and headed down the corridor. Passing several open doors she drew the attention of the administrative staff. The stairs were straight ahead. She could almost touch freedom. Just a few yards more. She was almost there.
Then the hands grabbed her; it felt as though she'd been clothes lined.
"Let go of me, NOW!" She demanded. Her face turning beet red; she was eyeing the floor now.
"You really didn't think this through, did you, Tammy?" Ms. Durfee inquired, finally catching up to her.
"I said let go of me!" Tammy shrieked. At this point she was kicking and screaming on the floor. The incident was on the verge of becoming a spectacle. The other members of administration had come out of their offices to see just what it was that was causing such an inconvenience.
"Shall I call Dr. Whitney?" Dr. Baxter's assistant asked.
"I'd say so." Abby replied. Tammy still shrieking and carrying about.
"It's. Not. Fair! She kicked me in the fucking shin. Why can't you people do anything!?"
"Save it, Tammy. We're sending you to Pembroke Pines for a three-day observation. You cannot keep acting like this. Your parents will be notified."
"Good, I don’t care! Get away from me." Tammy shrieked again.
"Stand up!" Abby ordered.
"No!"
The next thing Tammy knew she was being picked up off the floor and held against the wall. Abby leaned in close and whispered
"Listen to me, you little bitch; your parents have given us carte blanche towards what to do in this situation. Tammy, you do know this will do you no favors. Just give up. Stop the tantrums and learn something for once, damn you!"
Tammy's tears only fell harder.
"Call Dr. Whitney!" Abby ordered.
Dr. Whitney arrived five minutes later, a look of anger upon her face.
"Tamara Nye, you continue to test our last nerves!" Dr. Whitney boomed.
"Leave me alone, please!"
"You shouldn't have tried to make a run for it, Tammy! Why is it that everyone else has to follow the code of conduct, except you?"
Tammy stood against the wall on her own now. She wanted the others to leave her alone. She tensed up as Ms. Durfee walked over to her.
"Don't touch me! Back away!"
"We're taking you to the infirmary." Ms. Durfee hissed. Ms. Lyon grabbed Tammy by her left shoulder. They frog marched her up the stairs and back out into the sunlight. Other students were staring at the sight. Somebody let out a laugh; Ms. Durfee shot them a look. Five minutes later, they were at the infirmary and Tammy's energy had seemingly returned.
"I don't want to go in there!" She screamed.
"We're separating you from the rest of the students. You're going to wait here while Dr. Whitney calls Pembroke Pines."
The nurse had brought them to the very back of the office now, hoping that Tammy would shut up.
"My family will have all of your jobs!" She whined. Nobody listened. They'd heard it all before; Tammy's empty threats meant nothing to them. They knew the truth about Tammy's family and that they'd entrusted the school to guide their daughter.
She still couldn't understand that nothing was working. Her manipulations were about to be shoved back in her face tenfold. She could feel her adrenaline flowing. She wanted to get back up from that bed and storm her way out. The staff couldn't believe she was trying to get back up. Finally, the nurse came with the Haldol.
"Get that needle away from me! I hate needles!" She howled.
"Don't run. Your flight has caused numerous problems already."
"Restrain her, please!"
Tammy could feel their hands pushing her into the bed. She tried to kick, but it missed the target. They flipped her over. Tammy could feel the needle sink into her buttocks. The staff backed away. The kicking began to slow now; the sobs had ceased. The door to the infirmary opened, and the EMT's had entered.
They put her on a stretcher and belted her down. Tammy had quieted down now. As they wheeled her out, a collective sigh of relief overtook the infirmary.
"Now the paperwork begins!" Ms. Durfee joked.
"She needs to be at Briarwood. They know how to handle students like her there." Ms. Lyon replied.
"Do you believe her threats that her family will 'bury' us?"
"Not at all. Take everything Tammy says with a large grain of salt. Her own family can't stand her."
