Taking a sip, Grace hummed at how good it tasted. "Oh, this is great," she said, taking a larger swallow. "Ma'am," she added belatedly.

"All right, let's make a deal before you ma'am me to death," Carey said. "Here in the cabin you can skip the ma'am, but you slip up out there and I'll drop you for ten, you got it?"

"Yes, ma'am, I mean yes. A cutter, that's a ship, right?" Carey smiled and shook her head.

"That's one way to put it."

"Were you in the Navy?"

"Coast Guard," Carey said, holding out her mug, which Grace now realized sported the Coast Guard emblem. "And that's enough about me. Now, let's talk about you and math." She drained her coffee mug. "What do you want to do about it?"

"About it?"

"Do you want to stay in math class?" Carey asked. "Or would you rather have free period?"

Grace finished her coffee, surprised at how quickly she drank it. "I don't mind being in class," she said, looking from her empty mug to the coffeepot. "I'll just work some more in the workbook." Taking a chance, she gave the instructor a small smile. "I didn't think it was a good idea to do my English homework in math class."

Carey reached for the coffeepot. "That's probably one of the brightest ideas you've had since you arrived here," she said, pouring the aromatic brew into her mug. "I know I'd drop you for twenty easy if I caught you doing your homework during SR." She held out the coffeepot. "Maybe I should be checking to see if you're really taking notes?"

"Thanks," Grace said, holding her mug out. "I'm taking notes. Ask Instructor Gage. She checks."

"She checks to see if you're taking notes for Sexual Responsibility?"

"Um, would you mind if I...?" She pointed at the refrigerator. "It's part of English class. Note taking and studying. We have to show her that we're taking notes in our other classes. Well, except for Self-Defense. Thanks," she said when Carey handed her the pint of half-and-half.

"So do you want to stay in math class or not?" Carey asked.

"No," Grace said. "I'd rather use it as a free period."

Carey sipped her coffee. "I'll speak with Instructor Donaldson."

"Instructor Carey?"

"Yes?"

"Um... about barracks inspection?"

Carey took a sip of coffee before responding. "Your footlocker is here and you're using the closet as you would the big locker in the barracks. Since you don't have a bed to check, make sure the sheets and blanket are neatly folded and centered on your footlocker." She had another sip. "I'll have to think about what chores I can assign you."

"Yes, ma'am."

Grace took her place next to Latisha. "Hey."

"Man, how did you survive a night with Instructor Scary?"

Looking at the group of leaders, she spied Carey. "It was okay," she said, turning to spot Jan standing behind her. "How'd it go for you?"

"It sucked," Jan said. "Gage snores worse than Campbell."

Grace rolled her eyes. "Wonderful," she said.

“Yeah, and how do you tell an instructor that?" Latisha asked.

“Better figure out a way to make some earplugs," Grace said.

"So what happened with you?" Jan asked.

Grace shrugged. "I can't touch anything. She probably has a fingerprinting kit to check and make sure I don't."

"I'm going to kill Grenner for this," Jan said.

"Save some for me," Grace said. "I thought it was bad enough dealing with Queen Bitch on A schedule when we have two classes with her. Now I have to spend free time with her watching every move I make." She deliberately looked away when the dark-haired woman's head turned in her direction. "See?"

"Just like having Big Brother on your ass," Jan said. "All right, she's looking somewhere else now."

Grace looked back. "More like Big Sister," she said. "Big Sister Queen Bitch from Hell."

"Marilyn, do you have a minute?"

"Sure, Carey," the tall blonde instructor said.

"Let's go in my office," Carey said, leading her down the hall. "I wanted to talk to you about Waters."

"Sure, I don't have my grade book with me but she's been passing the tests with flying colors," Donaldson said as they entered the office.

"Did you know she's over a hundred pages ahead in her workbook?" Carey said as she sat down behind her desk.

"I knew she was ahead, but not by that much," Donaldson said, settling in a nearby chair. "Is there a problem?"

"I'm thinking of releasing her from math and letting her have it as a free period. She can do her math independently and turn it in to you."

"We all had to take classes that we didn't like, Carey," Donaldson said. "If this was high school..."

"If this was high school, we'd have an advanced class to put her in. What are you going to do when she finishes that workbook?"

"I don't know," Donaldson said. "We only have the two math workbooks, remedial and standard. Once she finishes that workbook, I'd be just as happy to have her out of class. Teenage girls with nothing to do tend to be disruptive. Right now she sits in the back of the class, keeps quiet and doesn't cause any problems."

"That won't last if she gets bored," Carey said. "And I bet our chances of getting a better math book for her are just as good as they were at getting a new mattress."

The tall blonde laughed. "It would be startling what we could get done if it wasn't for bureaucrats."

"Amen to that," Carey said. "Whenever you feel like releasing her from class, go ahead. I'll note it in her records."

"She's not going to stop tutoring, is she?"

Surprised, Carey looked up at her. "Tutoring? I didn't know she was. When is this going on?"

"You didn't know? Every time I see her in study hall she's helping someone with their math," the blonde woman said. "I know Jones and Rosetti are both getting help from her, and she might even be helping some of the girls in Judith's class."

"Was this your idea?" Carey asked.

Donaldson shook her head. "Not mine. Maybe Sue had something to do with it."

"Or maybe our little Miss Waters decided to do it on her own."

"Stranger things have happened. Speaking of math, I have to get ready for class," Donaldson said. "You know, Carey, once she finishes that workbook, she'd probably be ready to take the GED."

"She's not eligible," Carey said. "She either has to be out of school for one year or her kindergarten class has to graduate first."

"Yeah but wasn't she a senior? They graduate in June," Donaldson said. "Anyway, I have to go. Are you covering lunch today?"

Carey nodded. "Sue and I are."

"Have fun," the blonde said. "Nothing like a mess hall full of teenage girls to give one a migraine."

"I'll bring my aspirin," Carey said. "See you later."

Once Donaldson closed the door, Carey opened her Rolodex and flipped through the small white cards. Finding the one she wanted, she dialed the number, then opened the bottom drawer of her desk and pulled out a thick file folder.

"Iroquois High School, Main Office."

"Yes, I'm looking for a Mrs. Hamlin. I understand she's a math teacher there."

"I'll transfer you to the math department. Please hold." Click.

"That's not surprising," Carey muttered to herself.

"Math Department, Mrs. Black speaking."

"Mrs. Hamlin, please, this is Joanna Carey from Sapling Hill Youth Facility. I need to speak to her about one of her former students."

There was a pause. "Mrs. Hamlin is not in a class at the moment. Hold on and I'll see if she's in the teacher's lounge." Click.

"What, no music?"

"This is Deb Hamlin."

"Mrs. Hamlin, this is Joanna Carey. I'm an instructor at Sapling Hill and I wondered if I could talk to you for a few minutes about one of your former students."

"I have so many students that I'm not sure how much help I can be, Miss Carey. Is Sapling Hill the girl's boot camp?"

"Yes. I'm hoping you'll remember this one. Graceful Waters. She's a senior this year."

"Oh yes, I know Grace Waters. Of course, it's hard not to know someone who is forcibly removed from school after throwing a chair at a teacher."

"It's one way to make an impression," Carey said, leaning back in her chair.

"That it is. If it wasn't for her behavioral problems, she'd be a wonderful girl. Very smart, at least as far as math is concerned."

"I see that from her transcript," Carey said. "She's almost finished with the math course we have available for her here and we still have four and a half months of session left."

"What can I do to help?"

Carey sat up. "This is what I was thinking... "

"Oh, bullshit."

"Bite me, Campbell," Rosetti said. "It happened."

"No way. The drummer?"

"The drummer and one of the roadies," Rosetti said.

"Slut," Grace said, dodging a friendly swat.

"Screw you, Waters."

"Viking's coming," Latisha said, closing the door and scrambling to her seat. Instructor Donaldson opened the door.

"Waters."

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Collect your things and come with me." Donaldson closed the door.

"Ooh, what'd you do?" Latisha asked.

"Not a clue," Grace said, scooping up her books and papers. "See ya later, I hope."

"I understand you and Instructor Carey talked about letting you out of class?"

"Yes, ma'am," Grace said as she followed Donaldson down the hall.

"I hear you only have twenty or so pages to go before you're done with the workbook?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"I have a test I want you to take." The blonde instructor unlocked one of the unused classrooms. "I'll come get you after class," she said, holding the door open.

"Yes, ma'am." Grace went in and sat down at the desk where several papers were waiting. Turning over the blank cover page, she began filling in the circles next to the answers she thought were correct. She thinks I'm going to finish this in forty-five minutes?

Despite her reservations, Grace did finish it in time, double-checking


her answers as the instructor walked in. "Are you finished?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"What do you have now?" Donaldson asked as she took the paper and sat down at the teacher's desk.

"Free period, ma'am."

"You have homework to do?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"You can do it here as easy as study hall. Get cracking."

"Yes, ma'am." Grace pulled out her English notebook, deciding the test must be a final exam so she could be exempt from math class. So why do I have to be here while Viking grades it?

Completely engrossed in what she was doing, Grace was startled when Instructor Donaldson called her name. "Yes, ma'am?" Damn, give a person a heart attack why don't you?

"Did you take your SATs in February?"

"No, ma'am."

"Why not?"

Embarrassed, Grace looked down at her paper. "Why bother? Even if I wanted to go, I can't afford college, ma'am."

"Uh-huh," Donaldson said, lacing her fingers together. "You know you just took a sample SAT test? Just the math section, of course."

"I didn't know, ma'am."

"How do you think you did?"

"I think I passed, ma'am."

Donaldson walked over and handed her the test. "I would say so too, Waters. Seven sixty out of a possible eight hundred."

"It was the problem with the exponents and square roots, wasn't it?" Grace asked, flipping through the pages to check. "I knew it. I didn't know how to do that one so I guessed, ma'am."

"The answer is B, by the way," Donaldson said. "You did very well, Waters. Better than most high school students. That's an outstanding score. If that had been the real test, you'd have something to be proud of."

"Thank you, ma'am," Grace said, closing her notebook. "Instructor Donaldson, can I go now, ma'am?"

"One more question, Waters. If you had the opportunity to take the SATs, would you?"

"I guess so, ma'am," Grace said. "It didn't seem that bad."

"Keep working on your math workbook," Donaldson said. "Turn it in to me when you're finished with it."

"Yes, ma'am." Grace gathered her things and left, thinking the test to be a waste of time.

Grace lay in the darkness, listening carefully for any sign that Instructor Carey was awake. Wiggling her hips, she checked one last time to make sure the couch would not squeak and give her away. Closing her eyes, she rubbed her nipples through the thin cotton tee shirt, her lips parting as she felt the hardening beneath her fingers. Oh yeah, that's nice. Keeping her left hand on her breast, Grace reached down and pulled her shirt free from her shorts, then brought her fingers to her mouth. Wetting them thoroughly, she reached beneath the shirt and let out a quiet sigh as wet fingers touched her painfully erect nipple. In her mind, a faceless mouth was pleasuring her, giving her sensitive nipples just the right amount of friction and pressure. The shirt was pushed up, revealing her breasts to the night air. Wetting her fingers once more, she continued to play with her nipples until the need became too much. Pausing long enough to make certain Carey was still sleeping, Grace pushed her shorts and panties down to her ankles. Her faceless lover moved down, touching her in the most intimate of places. Oh yeah. Without thirty-five other girls to possibly wake up and see her, Grace felt safe pulling her knees up and spreading her thighs. Her fingers became the faceless woman's fingers, teasing and pleasing, promising more but holding back until Grace could take it no more. Arching her back, she let out the softest of gasps as she crashed over the edge, frantically rubbing with her palm to prolong the orgasm. Eyes closed, Grace basked for several minutes in the relaxing feeling, her overheated body cooling down and her breathing returning to normal.