The children's voices were heard shouting, coming nearer. Mrs. Fraumeni smiled at Miss Crickard, then jerked his head toward the lake. With Brenda in the prow, the children rowed their canoes toward the port. They sang a ragged version of "Do Re Mi" ...

Mrs. Fraumeni walked across the terrace to a gate on the shore of the lake. With a hand on her hip, she waited for them, scowling impatiently. The first person to spot her stood up to wave. It was Aria, a grade 7, who was, as always completely oblivious to the dangers of the world around her, and always spoke her mind in a rather loud voice. This day wasn’t an exception.

She stopped her singing once she spotted the angry principal and shouted "Mrs. Fraumeni! Mrs. Fraumeni! Mrs. Fraumeni!" Brenda and the others looked toward where Aria was waving. Worry filled their faces, but they tried to cover it up by also standing up and shouting "Mrs. Fraumeni" "Hi!" and "Officer Black!" As they stood up, the boats rocked precariously.

Brenda, finally getting over her shock at seeing her boss there rose and shouted "Oh! Oh, Major!" She felt very stupid for having to call Mrs. Fraumeni Major. "You're back!" Just then, the boats capsized sending Brenda and the children into the water. The children made a lot of noise and sloshed around, attempting to get out of the water.

"Come out of that water at once!" Mrs. Fraumeni shouted. Her rope had met its end. She flung open the gate as her grinning students waded ashore. Her short hair plastered to her head, Brenda dragged the rope holding the boats together behind her. She noticed Miss Crickard standing behind Mrs. Fraumeni.

"Oh! You must be Miss Crickard!" She shouted and waved. Next to the grim-faced principal, Miss Crickard struggled not to laugh. Soaking wet, the children climbed onto the terrace, everyone talking simultaneously.

"I'm soaked to the skin!" Stephanie shouted. Just then, Mrs. Fraumeni took a whistle from her pocket and with one blast, silenced the children's chatter. They sloshed to their places in line and stood at attention.

"Straight line!" She shouted as she paced back and fourth in front of her students. She paused at Shannah and pulled the flowered, green bandana from her hair. Brenda watched and frowned sympathetically.

Mrs. Fraumeni then put on a fake smile, glanced at Miss. Crickard, and turned to the children. "This is Miss. Crickard, the new grade 7 teacher." She said as she indicated to the teacher beside her. Some of the children looked at her, while the others knew better not to. "And these," Mrs. Fraumeni snapped the bandana she was still holding getting the children to stand at better attention, "Are my intermediate students."

"How do you do?" Miss. Crickard asked politely. "All right. You children are lucky! I have a complete set of uniforms in the trunk of my car. I never go anywhere without them. And I just happened to purchase more when I was picking up Miss. Crickard. Go get them, dry off, clean up, change your clothes, I don’t care where, as long as it’s not together or in public, and report back here! Immediately!" Mrs. Fraumeni ordered. The children scrambled towards her car in fright, and Max followed to make sure they weren’t going to get too depressed. Brenda frowned with disgust and began to follow them as Max had done when she was stopped by Mrs. Fraumeni.

"Mrs. Zadorsky you will stay here, please!" Brenda stopped, her back to Mrs. Fraumeni.

"I, uh, think I'd better go see what Max is up to." Miss Crickard said uneasily. In her tailored, sophisticated suit, left by walking past Brenda who wore her plain, brown, wet dress. Brenda turned to face Mrs. Fraumeni.