Out of the doors, lead by their teachers, 240 children wearing identical grey, blue, white, and maroon uniforms marched briskly, swinging their arms, and lined up according to age along the playground. Mrs. Fraumeni blew her whistle again and the children stood at attention. There was one space in the line.

A dreamy-eyed girl with black hair wandered out, her nose buried in a book about ballet. She looked up from her book and realized that the principal was watching her. Mrs. Fraumeni held out her hand with a angry look upon her face. The girl gave her the book and turned to take her place in the line-up. Mrs. Fraumeni gave her a gentle, scolding tap on the rear with the book, and the girl took her place.

Mrs. Fraumeni paced back and fourth before the children, and a curious Brenda, inspecting the troops. She straightened a young boys tie, and demonstrated perfect posture to another one. When she did that, the whole line-up straightened up, which surprised Brenda. Most children she knew would never obey a teacher that well. What they must have gone through to act like this!

Brenda’s thoughts were interrupted by Mrs. Fraumeni. "Now ..." she dropped the girls book on a nearby bench. "... this is your new vocal teacher, Mrs. Zadorsky." Brenda smiled at the children, while they eyed her disapprovingly.

"As I sound your signals you will step forward and give your name." She turned to Brenda. "You, Miss, will listen carefully, learn their signals, so that you can call them when you want them."
Mrs. Fraumeni blew her whistle in a variety of signals. She blew 9 different signals, and each time, a group of about 20 to 30 kids would step forward in a military manner, while Mrs. Fraumeni told Brenda which class it was, then step back in line.

The classes were 5B - Mrs Butters’s class, 5C - Mrs Cybulski’s class, 5S Ms. Smith-Hillier’s class, 6G - Miss. Gosso’s class, 6A - Mrs. Garcia’s class, 7M - Miss. McCullough’s class, 7C - Miss Crickard’s class, 8C - Mr. Chiras’s class, and finally 8F - Mrs. Friedrich’s class. Mrs. Fraumeni then took another whistle from her pocket and held it out for Brenda to take.

"Now, let's see how well you listened."

Brenda was shocked! She didn’t care about whistles! She also didn’t know how to use them. . . "Oh, I, I, I won't need to whistle for them, Mrs. Fraumeni, I mean, um, I'll use their names, once I learn them all."

"Ms. Zadorsky, this is a large school, the parking lot, and school itself are very extensive, and I will not have anyone shouting. You will take this, please -- learn to use it. The children will help you." Mrs. Fraumeni stated.

Brenda accepted the whistle reluctantly."Now, when I want you, this is what you will hear." Mrs. Fraumeni started to blow a particularly obnoxious signal on her whistle, when Brenda interrupted.

"Oh, no, Mam, I'm sorry, Mam! I could never answer to a whistle! Whistles are for dogs and cats and other animals, but not for children and definitely not for me. It would be too -- humiliating." She said, stating her mind as usual.

"Ms, were you this much trouble at the Abbey?" Mrs. Fraumeni asked, annoyed.

"Oh, much more, Mam!"

"Hmm." Mrs. Fraumeni started to walk away when Brenda blew her whistle. Mrs. Fraumeni stopped, turned around, displeased, and looked back at her. Brenda knew she had gone too far, but she couldn’t help herself-

"Excuse me, Mam, I don't know your signal."

"You may call me -- Major." Mrs. Fraumeni told her coldly, trying to maintain a calm stature.

"All teachers are to come with me for a staff meeting while Ms. Zadorsky here gets acquainted with the students. Ms. Zadorsky, your in charge. Remember what I told you." The Major stared at Brenda for a moment, then turned around and left. Brenda smiled to herself, trying to hold in the laugh that was coming if she’d let it. The children started to giggle, but when Brenda turned to them, they snap back to attention and stare straight ahead.

What was she going to do with such proper children? How was she going to get it through to them that she wanted to be her friend? She would just have to do her best.