Coffee Break

[Deputy Headmistress]

Location:Staff room
Time: Break
Private/Open: OPEN to all STAFF members



"I need coffee more than I need...well..." She said out loud, to no one, "More than I need...well...I think of something." She giggled her mom-like giggle, and walked into the staff room. Inside, she saw Megyn Hazlett, the Drama Professor. It wasn't that she didn't like Megyn, it was just that she was so different. Megyn was loud, blunt, and sometimes very rude to her drama students. Whereas Jayne was always sweet and kind to hers. Megyn did not have any children or a husband, and never really could understand why anyone would ever want to have kids. Megyn, or Coach as all her students called her, had meet Peyton and Robyn once. She had patted Peyton on the head, and offered Robyn a lollipop that had lint and cat hair all over it. When she had meet Jimmy, she had not even given him the time of day. She merely asked him, "Are you into the arts?" When he had answered no, she had nodded, and walked away. Jayne knew that one day Robyn and Peyton would be involved with Phoenixsong's drama program, and shook her head. She thought of her little babies getting yelled at for mispronoucing a word, and she got very angry. Jayne remembered the time Hayden had come crying into her office telling her that Megyn had screamed at her and Melinda for just stepping on the stage!

"Hello Megyn." Jayne McLaughlin said, in a tone that she tended to use when trying to sound angry at her girls. "How are you? How's the show coming along?" She walked over to the coffee pot, and looked for her favorite mug. It was the one with Robyn and Peyton faces on it, and they had also drew pictures on it. She beamed when she found it, and poured her coffee in it. She added her creame and sugar, and sat down opposite Megyn.

[Megyn Hazlett]

"Hello Megyn." Megyn Hazlett looked up to see the Deputy Headmistress walk in. She rolled her eyes a bit, and looked over at Jayne. "Hello Jayne." She gave her a small nod, and looked back down at her paper. "How are you? How's the show coming along?" Megyn almost glared at her. "I'm just wonderful...Peachy." She looked back down again. "The 'show', is that what you called it? Well the 'show' is coming along just fine. Thank the good Lord that neice of yours and Melinda can act! Or I swear to God...I'd have to quit!" She saw Jayne get her coffee in that odd mug that she always had to have her coffee in. She took a huge sip pf her black tea, and watched her sit down across from her. It was then she noticed the two small girls on her mug. Her hazel eyes almost beamed.

"Those little girls...how old are they?" Megyn asked, and stood up, and then sat back down. "Because I do believe we are doing the Sound of Music for our Winter Musical and I need a little girl for Grettle...." She gave Jayne a real smile, and looked right into her light blue eyes. She couldn't believe that she was about to have to deal with little children.

[Deputy Headmistress]

"Hello Jayne. I'm just wonderful...Peachy." Jayne rolled her eyes a bit at Magyn. She had to have a remark for everything. Only she could take a friendly comment and turn it into something back. "The 'show', is that what you called it? Well the 'show' is coming along just fine. Thank the good Lord that neice of yours and Melinda can act! Or I swear to God...I'd have to quit!" At this, however, Professor Mclaughlin smiled. She loved the fact that her neice...and basically her other neice were such good little actresses. She watched Coach sip her tea. If there is one thing Jayne hates, it's tea. To her, it has no flavor, and does not wake you up. Her mother used to give her tea to make her feel better- and it never helped. This just made her take an extra long sip of her yummy coffee.


"Those little girls...how old are they? Because I do believe we are doing the Sound of Music for our Winter Musical and I need a little girl for Grettle...." At this last comment, Jayne's head flew up, and smiled at Coach. "Robyn is seven and Peyton is two, almost three." She then glaced at the door. She felt like someone was near the door. "I'm sure that either one of them would love to play in the Sound of Music...just as long as Hayden and Melinda were there..." She noticed how much it must bother Megyn to talk about little kids. Snicking to herself, she took another sip.

[Headmistress]

Charlotte Hayes stepped into the staffroom, sipping her chai tea latte. The air in the room seemed to be a little more tense than comfortable, but once she appraised the scene before her, it all became clear. Jayne and Miss Hazlett were talking. They did not get along, so hopefully this conversation wouldn't end badly with her here. In fact, it seemed almost fitting how there was Miss Hazlett with her tea, and her friend Jayne with her coffee...and then she appeared to be the intended mediator there, even if it was only on the basis of what each of them were drinking, and how hers was an odd mix of the two. She smiled at both of them, and sat down at the chair at the head of the staffroom table. Placing her tall mug on the table, she looked up at the two very different teachers.

"Hello Megyn, Jayne. How are you two doing? The school year hasn't already begun to try your patiences, has it?" she asked, her eyes sparkling. The question she had phrased was purposefully ambiguous, she could either mean the students trying one another's patience, or each other. Although Charlotte had the reputation for being quite the authoritarian, she could trot out an occasional joke or two that shocked more than one of her colleagues.

[Deputy Headmistress]

Jayne's weird feeling was right. There was someone near the door. "Hello Megyn, Jayne. How are you two doing? The school year hasn't already begun to try your patiences, has it?" At this statement, Jayne looked at her best friend. A smirk faced across her face, as she looked back down at the table. Her coffee mug was slightly empty, so she got up to refill it. "You could say that, Char." Jayne gave a glance back to Megyn, who was now looking at the Headmistress, with a funny look. Professor McLaughlin chuckled to herself. It was remarkable on how different Coach and her were. After her cup was filled, she sat back down, and grabbed herself a paper.

"Megyn here was just asking me if Peyton or Robyn would like to be apart in the musical, 'The Sound of Music.' Of course, if you know my kids...they'd love it..." She looked over at Professor Hazlett, who gave her a slightly dirty look. She still didn't have a clue why Megyn did not like small children. What was it about them that she didn't like? Sure they can be sticky, smelly, dirty, bratty, whiney, loud, crazy, and nerve racking...but what about the good stuff? They way they always give you hugs, and kiss your cheek, their toothy grin, giggle sweetly, play fun games, and are just so damn cute. She then gave a very sad look at her coffee mug. Looking at her two little girls made her miss them so, so much. Even though she saw them twice today because Jimmy didn't know how to hide the floo powder the right way. Jayne sighed softly, and looked out the window.

[Headmistress]

Charlotte felt as though she should rebuke Jayne for calling her 'Char'-but she honestly didn't care. Not right then, anyways. Forget the traditions of not addressing the Headmistress so informally, Jayne was her best friend for Merlin's sake. Megyn, or Coach, as many called her, was giving her an odd look. "Something on my face, Megyn?" she asked, wondering what it was that had gotten the Drama Professor into such an odd mood.

Jayne's next words certainly cleared that all up for her. Megyn was quite well-known for her general...preference that children under the age of 10 not be kept near her. Her mind wandered to the choice of musical that had been decided upon. Sound of Music....that's a good show. I can't believe we haven't done it before. Hayden will probably end up with one of the leads. And Melinda....well, she'll get a part. Charlotte sighed, Melinda was not as stellar of a singer as Hayden, and sometimes that appeared to bother her. However, in the straight play shows, she usually got her time to shine, and during the musical was Hayden's turn. It kept both of them happy, and it gave her and Jayne plenty of bragging rights as relations to 'stars' in their school's productions.

Speaking of Jayne, Charlotte raised her head when she heard a sigh. Jayne was looking out the window, somewhat sadly. She figured it was due to the two little girls on the mug she had been drinking her coffee from. Walking over to her friend, Charlotte commented with a smile as she sat down next to her,

"And I'm sure they'll do wonderfully, right? Besides, just think, they'll spend a ton of time here come the spring what with all of those rehearsals!"

[Megyn Hazlett]

Megyn almost got up and left when Charlotte walked into the room. She knew that the two best friends would be talking about kids, and puppies...and everything else that she hated. "Something on my face, Megyn?" At this, Megyn almost glared at her. No, there wasn't anything on her face, but she couldn't believe that their talk about children had already begun. She did not have a clue in the world why anyone would want to talk about small kids. "No, nothing there, Charlotte. I guess I was just....mistaken." Her nose went slighty up in the air, and she oddly turned back to look at Jayne. She looked rather sad. It was just the face that she wanted to see in her up coming play. The face that she wanted Melinda to make when she got sad-as Juliet.

A smirk went onto her face, then quickly went away. She did not want it to seem like she was happy that Jayne was upset. "And I'm sure they'll do wonderfully, right? Besides, just think, they'll spend a ton of time here come the spring what with all of those rehearsals!" Megyn's hazel eyes got huge at this. A ton of time here? A TON!? Oh no....no small children will be in my theater for more than a hour a month! Of course, this couldn't be true if she really wanted to have a great show. "Which one do you want to be Grettel?" She asked, in a voice that basically meant she didn't care one bit. "Just make sure that they can at least act like a five year old. She'll have lines and solos and she better be good."

When it came to shows, Megyn had to have everything be perfect. If one thing went wrong, all hell broke loose. Her shows had to always flow just the right way. She took a long stip of tea, and glaced at the floor.

[Headmistress]

She shrugged at Megyn's comment that she must've been mistaken and turned her focus back to her sad friend. She just patted Jayne on the shoulder as she took a sip of her chai tea latte, waiting for her to turn back around. She knew what it was like leaving behind small children, Jayne's oldest was about the same age as Melinda had been when she had to leave to come teach Herbology at Phoenixsong for the first time eight years ago-before she had even been considered for Headmistress. However it would seem, Nate had been better at keeping her at home than Jimmy. She had heard from a young Miss Donovan-who had looked terrified to be speaking to the Headmistress- that one of Jayne's daughters had flooed into her office...twice. So, in the first day, it seemed as though she had seen one of her daughters around twice. Which was something indeed.

Charlotte turned back to Megyn and then to Jayne, asking them each a question in succession-well, she mostly answered to Megyn in Jayne's stead, "Well, Robyn would probably have to do Gretel since Peyton is too young, right?...did you put her in the singing lessons yet?" She had thought that Jayne had been at least partially considering it, seeing as how Hayden enjoyed singing so much, and they shared genes...so that meant that her daughters might like it as well. She thought about the age difference between the two girls some more. "Maybe Peyton could do it..."

[Deputy Headmistress]

Jayne couldn't believe they were already talking about the Spring Musical. It was only the beginning of September for crying out loud! She shook her head, and chuckled to herself. ""Well, Robyn would probably have to do Gretel since Peyton is too young, right?...did you put her in the singing lessons yet?" Jayne nodded at this. "Yes, Robyn just started singing lessons the other day. She already loves them. She's going to sing a...oh...What is her name again? Hannie Montanie? I don't know. One of her songs I do believe." "Maybe Peyton could do it..." Jayne heard Charlotte say a few moments later.

Maybe...or maybe not. "Hey Megyn," Jayne said, and turned to look at the picky Drama Professor. "Could Robyn do it one night and Peyton do it the next?" She figured that way everyone wins, and she didn't have to pick favorites. True, Robyn was older and could sing very well...but Peyton was little and was cute like a little girl. She smiled an almost smirking smile at Miss Megyn Hazlett.

Jayne McLaughlin thought it was time to change the subject for a moment. "So, ladies, we need to do something about the...erm...fighting going on in some classes. It's getting insane and it's only the second day back." She looked from Megyn to Charlotte.

[Headmistress]

Charlotte laughed, "I think you mean Hannah Montana, Jayne." She knew this because Melinda babysat for a little girl across the street named Samantha who was absolutely in love with her. Every day during the summer that Melinda came home from babysitting her, she'd be humming some song or another under her breath. Charlotte had gotten so sick of it that she had bought the CD for Melinda so that she could listen to the songs and get them all out of her system. What she didn't expect was that she herself would also become attached to the singer.

When her friend changed the topic to the behavior of the students so early in the ear, Charlotte clacked her teeth together, her trademark nervous habit. She had already had quite a few of the star 'bad' kids back in her office, such as a certain Kaiden Preston. She knew that all of these kids were really just crying for attention, and had bad home lives...but the rules had to be upheld. She wanted them to understand the wrongs of what they did. Most of the reason why she didn't tell her daughter about these kids lives...Melinda was very big on making sure that no one got put down, so if she lashed out at a kid or two...well then, maybe it would end up being something she needed to hear.

"I can hardly believe it. Eighteen kids in one day...that must be a record of some sort, don't you think?" she sighed. "What do you think there is we could do about it, though?"

[Megyn Hazlett]

"Enough of this." Megyn said after a monent. She looked from Charlotte to Jayne. "Who cares about this Hannah character? She is not a member of the school so she should not be talked about." Megyn had a habbit of bursting randomly. Typically, a teacher would get in huge trouble for acting in such a way. But, Megyn was the best drama professor that this school had ever seen. Her shows always came out perfect, and everyone loves them so much. She not only makes sure that she students do well, but understand what they're reading. She'll sit the whole class down and go over evey line if she has to. The students all seem to like her....after maybe a year or two...or five, that is.

"I say you should use the littest one." Megyn said after a long thought. "The people will just eat her up. She is rather..." She paused and made a face, "cute" It totally killed Megyn to admit that. She had never in her life called a small child "cute" before. It almost made her sick. She took a glance at Jayne's coffee mug again. "She better act as cute as she looks..." Again, she made the face. She got up and waddled up to the tea pot. She got herself another cup full, then sat back down. She listened as Jayne and Charlotte talked about the students that were troubled.

"You should have them join the drama club." Megyn said. "It worked wonders on that Kaiden fellow. He has the best male voice..." She looked at them again. "Ok not wonders, but at least he isn't trying to kill animals anymore. I'm telling you the stage does things to people!" She beamed and took a long sip. "My works on him would make your mouth's fit the floor. You should come sometimes and watch."

Megyn knew that as a punishment last year, Jayne made Kaiden join the drama club. He was the Stage Manager's. Liz, main helper. He bulit wonderful sets for their production of 42nd Street last year. She had heard him sing off stage though...and he wasn't bad!

[Headmistress]

"All right, Megyn, no more of Miss Montana." she gave Jayne a slight smile and a wink. She probably should have guessed that the conversation would have pushed the Drama professor over the edge...just maybe not that soon. But, she was used to Megyn-and goodness, with the final effect of her plays...it all ended up being worth it. The woman had a great understanding of plays, and was very good at putting her vision for them onstage. There were no kinks or ripples that would show where the student and director did not meet eye to eye, she always made sure the young actors, actresses, techies, and whoever understood exactly how it was supposed to be done. And for that, Charlotte was grateful.

Her smile widened when Megyn actually called a child under the age of eleven-the minimum age she would usually deal with-"cute". It was probably a big step for her. Guiness should be notified. As Megyn got the cup of coffee, Charlotte turned to Jayne, "You know, if Peyton was Gretel, Robyn could still be in the show as the next youngest girl, Marta, right?" she wondered how Miss Hazlett would react to having two small children running around her precious drama club. It would most likely be very interesting.

She tried very hard to imagine anything working wonders on Kaiden. It was almost harder for her to imagine him singing. "Well, if you could get him on a stage, I would definitely come and see..." I already go to see Melinda anyway. She wondered how Melinda would react to having to work with Kaiden...it would most certainly be *very* interesting.

[Megyn Hazlett]

"You know, if Peyton was Gretel, Robyn could still be in the show as the next youngest girl, Marta, right?" Megyn thought about this for a moment. That might be a good idea...but would it be fair to the other students? Maybe...but maybe not. She wanted the height to be perfect. One of the reasons she could never do Oliver was because the first year students were just too short. "That does seem like a rather good idea, Charlotte. I mean...if that's ok with you, Jayne." She thought about it for a moment, "But I wouldn't to deal with them, of course. Maybe I could get melinda to keep and eye on them..." She trailed off, thinking if that could work. "Yeah...I'll ask her later if she wouldn't mind. I hope she won't mind..."

Megyn listened to Charlotte talk about Kaiden. She put down her tea cup. "So, Charlotte, Jayne, I heard you both had a little run in with Mr. Preston. How did that go?" She took another sip of tea, and then placed it down. "I hope it wasn't as bad as I think..." She couldn't help but look at Jayne's cup again. The two little girls looked perfect for Grettle and Marta. She nodded, and sat back in her seat. "So...tell me everything."

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