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OWEN

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M r. Blackbourne's arrival in the main office of Ashley Water's High School was met with perplexed expressions from staff who hadn't been at prior meetings when he'd been "hired." The administration office staff looked at him, paused, blinked, and assessed in pure silence. When Mr. Blackbourne didn't falter as he found his own way to the right hall, headed all the way to the end and opened the office door with confidence, no one questioned why.

Not to his face, at least.

Somehow, he could sense the whispers behind him more than he could actually hear any.

Who was he?

What was he doing here?

Some returning senior who was there to help out for registration day? Too young to be anything else.

There was a high probability someone would come to his new office to check in on him. He anticipated this, and waited, positioning his messenger bag underneath his desk, taking a moment to analyze the arrangement of desks Dr. Green had left.

Facing each other.

He would do that. Dr. Green likely didn't wish to get caught when he relaxed, watching cat videos and folding origami in idleness.

Mr. Blackbourne never said anything about this, except when Dr. Green was fully capable of doing something more productive on more pressing issues. But Mr. Blackbourne understood people needed a period of rest, to let the mind heal itself, sorting synapses, locking appropriate things into long term memory and releasing the unnecessary things.

Mr. Blackbourne assessed the layout. He made minor adjustments, sliding the desks a more comfortable distance from each other that wouldn't cause them to shift and bump when opening and closing drawers. He rearranged his own desk in a way that suited him, with appropriate accoutrements on top and less necessary things into the drawers.

The school handbook meant for employees, he tucked neatly into the bottom drawer, likely never to be seen again. He knew the contents, and didn't like most of it. Leftover rules and regulations from a bygone era that very much needed updating.

Just as he was testing the pens on a spare page of paper to ensure the ones available all had working ink, there was a gentle knock at the door. It was so light that Mr. Blackbourne wasn't totally sure someone wasn't knocking on a door nearby.

Mr. Blackbourne readied himself. “Come in,” he said with a voice he used with some authority.

There was a short pause, followed by the door opening.

A middle-aged woman stood in the doorway. Her dark hair was pulled back into a severe bun. The black dress she wore with an orange flower print shifted a little as she stepped into the room. She gazed around, noting the desk arrangement.

Mr. Blackbourne rose from his chair, standing to address her with respect. “May I help you?” he asked in a calm, composed tone.

The woman refocused on him with a flicker of discomfort. Understandable. He was new.

Mr. Blackbourne dressed more mature at times, and would do so for the immediate year following, for the sake of the mission at hand. For younger people, this fooled them into believing he was more...in charge, and older than he really was.

Actual mature people, however, were not fooled as easily. The youthful look of Mr. Blackbourne's face in their eyes often said 'lacks experience and authority.'

“Sorry to disturb you,” she said in a neutral tone. “I was looking for Mrs. Keats. This is her office...” She trailed off as if trying to articulate that he wasn’t supposed to be in here.

Mr. Blackbourne summoned up what smile he could to try to disarm her. He could tell that the woman was not here to see Mrs. Keats. “My apologies, Ms...” He trailed off and paused to give her time to fill in the open question.

She hesitated, clearly not expecting proper manners from someone much younger. “Ms. Walter.”

Mr. Blackbourne nodded gently. “Ms. Walter. I believe Mrs. Keats was let go early this summer.”

Ms. Walter eyebrows raised nearly to her hairline. “W...what?”

“I don’t recall the details,” he said gently, which was a mild half-truth. She was let go by Principal Hendricks, although the full reason was never discovered, but it was Mrs. Keats who became the ‘whistleblower’ that alerted the Academy about what was happening with the school, which raised a call to action. “However, I am a new supervisor sent by the school board to analyze the upcoming school year," he confessed, his voice steady and confident. "I understand that my arrival may have caught some staff members off guard, but rest assured, I am here to support and contribute to the success of Ashley Waters High School."

Ms. Walter raised an eyebrow, suspicion still evident in her gaze. "We haven't been informed of any supervisor being assigned," she replied, her tone cautious. "And as far as I know, our budget for this year is already stretched thin. I can't imagine how we would have the resources to accommodate another staff member."

Mr. Blackbourne leaned back in his chair, a calm smile playing on his lips. This was likely the excuse from Principal Hendricks for why they couldn't have raises for several years in a row. "Of course," he said, his voice almost conspiratorial. "I understand your concerns. Ashley Waters has faced its fair share of challenges – overcrowding, understaffing, low budget – but my salary is low on the list. Your low funding is part of my work here and will be...corrected."

Her eyes widened slightly, her curiosity now mingling with surprise. "I see," she replied cautiously, her gaze flickering around the room as if searching for any hints or clues as to his meaning, maybe particularly worried she'd be asked to cut her salary.

Again.

Or worse, being let go entirely, like Mrs. Keats. Mr. Blackbourne could practically see the gears turning in her mind as she was debating if she should play nice to keep her job or to warn everyone and possibly make enemies with him to make his job more difficult.

"You have every right to be concerned, Ms. Walter," Mr. Blackbourne continued, his tone sympathetic. "But I assure you, my primary objective is not to cut corners or make more demands on an already strained budget. Rather, I am here to identify areas where we can optimize our resources and find creative solutions to the challenges we face. And where appropriate, allocate additional resources."

The woman’s eyes flickered with relief, but followed up with skepticism. He knew it was all too easy for her to dismiss his promises as yet another empty gesture. There was no more budget for resources, as far as she was aware.

But something about the way she studied him made Mr. Blackbourne want to prove himself to her. As she took in the office, noting the meticulously organized desk and layout of the room, he felt a sense of satisfaction. He and Dr. Green did not just come in and accept the way things were, not even in the mundane arrangement of office furniture.

"I appreciate your reassurance," she said carefully.

Mr. Blackbourne nodded politely at Ms. Walter. "Of course. I understand this is an unexpected change. Please feel free to check in with me if you have any other questions or concerns. My goal is transparency and open communication."

Ms. Walter pursed her lips, still seemingly unconvinced but willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. "Very well. I'll leave you to get settled then." She turned to leave but paused in the doorway. "Oh, and good luck with registration day. I remember my first one being utter chaos." A faint smile played on her lips.

"Thank you, I appreciate it," Mr. Blackbourne replied, mirroring her expression. As Ms. Walter left and closed the door behind her, Mr. Blackbourne leaned back in his chair with a soft sigh. One introduction down, many more to come. But at least she seemed less suspicious now. Skeptical still, but no longer looking at him as if he was an imposter.

The initial introduction to staff would be the nicest role he would play this year. It wasn’t his job to make friends. He would play the hard case. Dr. Green would play the sympathetic ear. It was all part of the plan for their purpose. Mr. Blackbourne pushed. Dr. Green consoled, and then peppered them with asking questions, hoping for answers teachers and staff otherwise might not have divulged.

He guessed Ms. Walter would be back in the central office with other assistants, and would alert them all, talk about him, and the school board. One of those staff members might call a friend who is on the school board to confirm who Mr. Blackbourne and Dr. Green were. The school board knew they were here, although they weren’t totally aware of why. Only that Mr. Blackbourne and Dr. Green were brought in from higher up the chain.

Maybe this friend would also suggest the staff be on their best behavior.

As they should.

It had all been arranged by the Academy. Advise everyone at the school of outsiders. Keep them on their toes.

And see who did not comply.

Those people would join the top of the list of suspects.