Throughout the rest of that Sunday, ABD House gradually filled up with Sisters returning from Thanksgiving break. By early evening the house was abuzz with activity and the voices of girls catching up and telling tales of their travels.
Around 7 Miss White got a call from Dean Wilkins to set up a meeting for the next day. She sighed as she hung up the phone. None of the girls who had "visited" with the Dean so far — Kristin, Jenny, April, and Emma — seemed to have been damaged by the experience. Still, it irked her to feel so powerless in the situation. After resolving to find a way to fix this problem, she decided it was time for a drink.
As she headed toward the kitchen for ice she saw Kristin and Jenny walking through with their suitcases. They looked radiantly happy and it cheered Miss White considerably to see them. "How was your Thanksgiving?" she asked.
Kristin and Jenny looked at each other and giggled. "Fantastic," answered Kristin. "How about you?"
Thinking back to all that had transpired over the break, Miss White shrugged. "I can't complain." She gave each girl a hug and let them go.
After pouring herself a drink Miss White started a fire and sat down with a magazine in her lap, watching the hustle and bustle of the Sisters going by. After awhile things began to quiet down. Jodie appeared and curled up at her feet with a big book of Shakespeare plays. Not long after, Kristin and Jenny settled into a nearby couch with cups of tea and their laptops. Eventually Sasha and several other Sisters filled up all the available spots in the living room.
Miss White tended the fire and even went so far as to bring tea and hot chocolate to the gathered girls. Several of them raised an eyebrow at being served by the usually imperious house manager, but no one complained. The mood in the house was contented and cozy.
It was still pretty early when everyone started to drift off to bed. Only Kristin and Jenny remained when Miss White bid them good night, took Jodie by the hand, and led her from the room. They looked at each other, shrugged, and headed upstairs.
* * *
Monday was a hectic day for everyone and passed quickly. Miss White had a bunch of deliveries to look over and sign for, and several repairs to oversee. It was a bit of a scramble to be ready for her meeting with the Dean at 4:30, but she still took the time to shower, pluck her eyebrows, and put on her best power suit. If she was a few minutes late, so what?
Despite her best efforts, she had been unable to devise some clever way out of this dilemma. It appeared that she would continue to do the Dean's bidding for the foreseeable future. But she was determined to be as much of a pain in the ass about it as possible.
It was a cold, wet day out, and by the time Miss White arrived at the Dean's office she was in a throughly sour mood. She brightened a bit when she saw Jodie, who was standing over the copy machine in the corner. Miss White winked, and Jodie grinned, then lowered her eyes and returned her attention to her work.