At the end of the day, Mr Ratcliffe headed into the staffroom for a well-deserved cup of coffee and some biscuits. It had been another long, hard day. When he opened the door, someone was already inside.
“Oh, good afternoon, Miss Bucket.”
“Good afternoon, Mr Ratcliffe,” replied Cinderella Bucket, the school janitor. “I was just emptying the bins.”
“Good, good.” Mr Ratcliffe smiled at the girl he was so fond of.
“Oh-oh!” groaned Mr Phil, waddling into the staff room. He was the only half-human, half-animal teacher in the school. “I got a fur wedgie!” Mr Ratcliffe wrinkled his nose and nodded in Cinderella’s direction. Mr Phil quickly checked himself. “Oh, beg your pardon, Miss Bucket.”
“That’s alright, Mr Phil,” she replied. “It must have been a busy day for you.”
“Yeah, I need a coffee,” he grunted, waddling over to the coffee machine. “Coffee for you, Ratcliffe?”
“Absolutely!” replied the headmaster, sitting down. “Miss Bucket, I insist you take the weight off your feet. You’ve been mopping up all day, after all.”
“Oh, well, how can I say “no” to one of the headmaster’s orders?” Cinderella smiled, perching on the edge of one of the seats.
“Boy, I tell ya, Mr Ratcliffe,” said Mr Phil, pouring coffee. “This year we’ve got a great track team; but some of the boys could do to work on their football skills! That Aladdin Street – whoo!” He shook his head. “I had to duck so far down to avoid being hit by it, I was up to my knees in mud!”
“Well, don’t tread any into the carpet,” replied Mr Ratcliffe. “You’ll make Miss Bucket’s job more difficult.”
The door opened and Miss Maleficent and Mrs Prudence came into the room. “Ah, Mrs Prudence,” smiled Mr Ratcliffe as Phil brought over his cup of coffee. “How are your cooking students?”
“Alfredo Linguini’s doing well, as usual,” she replied, airily, “and Snow White Forest is eager as ever; and Rapunzel Sunne. However, Merrida Brave needs to learn that stoves are for cooking on and not for warming up your feet on, and John Smith isn’t showing much promise.”
“What about the new girl?” asked Mr Ratcliffe.
“Miss French? She’s coping, I think. Not the best but not the worst either.”
“She’s doing quite well in History, I heard,” said Miss Maleficent. “Mr Thatch is very impressed.”
“And I heard that Mr Nathaniel asked her to join his Book Club after she took on Adam Castle in a class debate on Phantom,” chuckled Mr Phil. “Tea, ladies; or coffee?”
“Coffee, thank you, Mr Phil,” replied Miss Maleficent.
“Tea, thanks,” smiled Mrs Prudence.
“Miss French took on Mr Castle in a class debate?” exclaimed Mr Ratcliffe as Mr Nathaniel walked into the room.
“I know,” Mr Nathaniel laughed, “I was surprised too! She shows a lot of passion for books, that Miss French; and debating!”
“And she won, I hope?” Miss Maleficent grinned.
“Oh, yes. Mr Castle backed down pretty easily. Everyone was surprised at that.”
“Perhaps it’s about time he met his match. Someone to stop him being so prickly.”
“We all know why that is, Miss Maleficent,” Mr Ratcliffe said, sternly.
“Of course, Mr Ratcliffe. Sorry, I spoke out of turn.” Miss Maleficent hung her head, meekly.
The door opened and Mr Frollo walked in, followed by Mr Jafar. “Ah, Mr Frollo, we were just talking about the new girl, Miss French,” began Mr Ratcliffe.
“Ah, yes, Miss French.” Mr Frollo smiled. “I think she shows a lot of potential.”
“Not for Maths, she doesn’t, Mr Frollo,” replied Mr Jafar, going over to make his own cup of coffee. “She daydreams too much; and isn’t lack of concentration a sin in your book?”
Mr Frollo scowled but made no comment. “So, she won’t be joining the Mathaletes, then?” grinned Mr Phil.
“Sadly, no,” replied Mr Jafar. “But I hear she’s already been invited to join the Book Club, so...”
“I did hear Mr Wiggins say he was very impressed with her knowledge of art,” Mr Nathaniel added, thoughtfully. “Must be due to all the reading she does.”
“Yes on her first day, she asked me where the library was,” Mr Ratcliffe agreed, thoughtfully. “And she had a lot of books with her. I think we might have an actual bookworm in our midst for once.”
“Mr Ratcliffe, if it’s alright with you, I think I’ll go and take this out to the bins by the front gate,” said Cinderella, getting to her feet.
“Oh, yes, by all means,” he replied, with a smile. “Thank you, Miss Bucket.”
“See ya, Miss Bucket.”
“Bye, Miss Bucket.”
The second Cinderella was out of the room, Mr Phil whistled.”Whoa-ho-ho! Someone’s hot for the janitor!”
Mr Ratcliffe shot him a look. “Mr Phil, you like your job, don’t you?”
“Shutting up!”
“Mr Ratcliffe, I am saying this as a friend,” said Mr Frollo, “but do not allow yourself to tempted by a beautiful girl’s clumsy flirtations. Think of your soul.”
“Oh, soul schmoul!” Mrs Prudence rolled her eyes. “I think it’s cute!”
“Easy for you to say, Mrs Prudence,” grinned Mr Phil. “You’re already married.”
“How is that husband of yours, anyway?” asked Mr Jafar, sensing the need to change the subject. “Still rushing around after the King?”
“As always,” smiled Mrs Prudence. “God, I miss him when he has to go away on those trips!”
“Yeah, no one ever said being a Grand Duke was easy,” commented Mr Phil. He took a long slurp of coffee. “How about you, Mr Nathaniel? Anyone special in your life?”
Mr Nathaniel tittered. “Oh, Mr Phil! Who’d have me?”
“Now don’t go putting yourself down so, Mr Nathaniel,” chided Miss Maleficent. “You’re a fine looking man and very intelligent. Any woman would be lucky to have you.”
“Well, that’s very nice of you to say so, Miss Maleficent,” said Mr Nathaniel, blushing.
Mr Ratcliffe was glad for a change of subject. It took the pressure off his own feelings for the janitor...
“Oh, good afternoon, Miss Bucket.”
“Good afternoon, Mr Ratcliffe,” replied Cinderella Bucket, the school janitor. “I was just emptying the bins.”
“Good, good.” Mr Ratcliffe smiled at the girl he was so fond of.
“Oh-oh!” groaned Mr Phil, waddling into the staff room. He was the only half-human, half-animal teacher in the school. “I got a fur wedgie!” Mr Ratcliffe wrinkled his nose and nodded in Cinderella’s direction. Mr Phil quickly checked himself. “Oh, beg your pardon, Miss Bucket.”
“That’s alright, Mr Phil,” she replied. “It must have been a busy day for you.”
“Yeah, I need a coffee,” he grunted, waddling over to the coffee machine. “Coffee for you, Ratcliffe?”
“Absolutely!” replied the headmaster, sitting down. “Miss Bucket, I insist you take the weight off your feet. You’ve been mopping up all day, after all.”
“Oh, well, how can I say “no” to one of the headmaster’s orders?” Cinderella smiled, perching on the edge of one of the seats.
“Boy, I tell ya, Mr Ratcliffe,” said Mr Phil, pouring coffee. “This year we’ve got a great track team; but some of the boys could do to work on their football skills! That Aladdin Street – whoo!” He shook his head. “I had to duck so far down to avoid being hit by it, I was up to my knees in mud!”
“Well, don’t tread any into the carpet,” replied Mr Ratcliffe. “You’ll make Miss Bucket’s job more difficult.”
The door opened and Miss Maleficent and Mrs Prudence came into the room. “Ah, Mrs Prudence,” smiled Mr Ratcliffe as Phil brought over his cup of coffee. “How are your cooking students?”
“Alfredo Linguini’s doing well, as usual,” she replied, airily, “and Snow White Forest is eager as ever; and Rapunzel Sunne. However, Merrida Brave needs to learn that stoves are for cooking on and not for warming up your feet on, and John Smith isn’t showing much promise.”
“What about the new girl?” asked Mr Ratcliffe.
“Miss French? She’s coping, I think. Not the best but not the worst either.”
“She’s doing quite well in History, I heard,” said Miss Maleficent. “Mr Thatch is very impressed.”
“And I heard that Mr Nathaniel asked her to join his Book Club after she took on Adam Castle in a class debate on Phantom,” chuckled Mr Phil. “Tea, ladies; or coffee?”
“Coffee, thank you, Mr Phil,” replied Miss Maleficent.
“Tea, thanks,” smiled Mrs Prudence.
“Miss French took on Mr Castle in a class debate?” exclaimed Mr Ratcliffe as Mr Nathaniel walked into the room.
“I know,” Mr Nathaniel laughed, “I was surprised too! She shows a lot of passion for books, that Miss French; and debating!”
“And she won, I hope?” Miss Maleficent grinned.
“Oh, yes. Mr Castle backed down pretty easily. Everyone was surprised at that.”
“Perhaps it’s about time he met his match. Someone to stop him being so prickly.”
“We all know why that is, Miss Maleficent,” Mr Ratcliffe said, sternly.
“Of course, Mr Ratcliffe. Sorry, I spoke out of turn.” Miss Maleficent hung her head, meekly.
The door opened and Mr Frollo walked in, followed by Mr Jafar. “Ah, Mr Frollo, we were just talking about the new girl, Miss French,” began Mr Ratcliffe.
“Ah, yes, Miss French.” Mr Frollo smiled. “I think she shows a lot of potential.”
“Not for Maths, she doesn’t, Mr Frollo,” replied Mr Jafar, going over to make his own cup of coffee. “She daydreams too much; and isn’t lack of concentration a sin in your book?”
Mr Frollo scowled but made no comment. “So, she won’t be joining the Mathaletes, then?” grinned Mr Phil.
“Sadly, no,” replied Mr Jafar. “But I hear she’s already been invited to join the Book Club, so...”
“I did hear Mr Wiggins say he was very impressed with her knowledge of art,” Mr Nathaniel added, thoughtfully. “Must be due to all the reading she does.”
“Yes on her first day, she asked me where the library was,” Mr Ratcliffe agreed, thoughtfully. “And she had a lot of books with her. I think we might have an actual bookworm in our midst for once.”
“Mr Ratcliffe, if it’s alright with you, I think I’ll go and take this out to the bins by the front gate,” said Cinderella, getting to her feet.
“Oh, yes, by all means,” he replied, with a smile. “Thank you, Miss Bucket.”
“See ya, Miss Bucket.”
“Bye, Miss Bucket.”
The second Cinderella was out of the room, Mr Phil whistled.”Whoa-ho-ho! Someone’s hot for the janitor!”
Mr Ratcliffe shot him a look. “Mr Phil, you like your job, don’t you?”
“Shutting up!”
“Mr Ratcliffe, I am saying this as a friend,” said Mr Frollo, “but do not allow yourself to tempted by a beautiful girl’s clumsy flirtations. Think of your soul.”
“Oh, soul schmoul!” Mrs Prudence rolled her eyes. “I think it’s cute!”
“Easy for you to say, Mrs Prudence,” grinned Mr Phil. “You’re already married.”
“How is that husband of yours, anyway?” asked Mr Jafar, sensing the need to change the subject. “Still rushing around after the King?”
“As always,” smiled Mrs Prudence. “God, I miss him when he has to go away on those trips!”
“Yeah, no one ever said being a Grand Duke was easy,” commented Mr Phil. He took a long slurp of coffee. “How about you, Mr Nathaniel? Anyone special in your life?”
Mr Nathaniel tittered. “Oh, Mr Phil! Who’d have me?”
“Now don’t go putting yourself down so, Mr Nathaniel,” chided Miss Maleficent. “You’re a fine looking man and very intelligent. Any woman would be lucky to have you.”
“Well, that’s very nice of you to say so, Miss Maleficent,” said Mr Nathaniel, blushing.
Mr Ratcliffe was glad for a change of subject. It took the pressure off his own feelings for the janitor...