Fat School Confidential (4 page)

    “
Joe, what is your idea of good nutrition?”

   
Obviously, I wasn’t the poster boy for healthy eating. I was seriously overweight and probably still smelled like the Egg McMuffin I had earlier. I squirmed in my suit.

    “
Well, for me, good nutrition means having a balanced diet. Avoid fatty foods as much as possible, and eat plenty of fruits and veggies.”

   
Head cocked, Daniel nodded his head—as if he were a priest in a confessional. Did he believe me?

    “
And what do you do for exercise?” he asked. I quickly thought of activities that seemed believable for a guy of my particular build.

    “
I walk regularly, and I bike two to three times a week.”

   
That was true, to a certain extent. I used to bike. That is, until I had to sell my wheels for extra cash over the summer. But I still walked. All the time.

   
Do shopping malls and playgrounds count?

    “
Now I’m not asking you to actually do the program, Joe, but you’ll find that some of our staff have successfully incorporated the program into their personal lives.”

   
It sounded like a win-win situation to me. I’d have a job and a kick-ass weight-loss program in one package. I was sold. Daniel went over the specifics of the job, curriculum, and salary. I handed him a list of names and phone numbers.

    “
Here are my professional and personal references. I’m really interested in working for you. This looks like a great school that I’d like to be a part of.”

    “
Thanks,” Daniel replied, before leaning in.

    “
Listen. You pretty much have the job. I just have to verify your employment. You’ll be fingerprinted in Fresno once you’re hired.”

   
Relieved, I shook Daniel’s hand.

    “
I want you to meet someone,” he added, walking me out of his office and down a corridor. There was what appeared to be a very large classroom at the end of it. Next door was an office. Standing there was Frank Mills and a slender, slightly older woman in a tailored business suit. They both smiled. Daniel introduced me to both of them.

    “
Joe, you’ve met Frank.”

   
We gave each other a quick nod.

    “
This is Kristy Reinhart. She’s our Academic Director.”

   
Kristy reached out to shake my hand, but not before correcting Daniel.

    “
Outgoing Academic Director. Joe, it’s nice to meet you.”

    “
Nice to meet you, too.”

   
Her eyes glancing at the door, Kristy gestured Frank to leave. He and Daniel closed the door behind them. At this

point, I figured Frank was already hired—but as Kristy’s replacement, no doubt.

   
We sat down, Kristy at her desk. She fired a barrage of questions—nothing weird or tricky like that of her soon-to-be-former boss, but more in line with that of a public school administrator. I answered them as best I could, and, given her reaction to each of my answers, she seemed genuinely impressed. Folding her hands, Kristy brought them in front of her face. Pointing her index fingers skyward, and against her lips, she was obviously thinking of a tougher question to throw my way.

   
I was ready.

    “
What are your feelings on student discipline?”

   
She was testing me. She wanted to see if I was going to sound like a pushover or a corporal punishment Nazi.

    “
You’ve heard of the saying, ‘Let the punishment fit the crime,’ right?”

    “
Yes.”

    “
In this case, I would let the consequences fit the rules being broken. For example, if a student is listening to his or her iPod instead of paying attention in class, I’d confiscate it for the day. Repeats would warrant longer periods without the iPod.”

    “
What if the infraction is more serious, say, fighting?”

    “
That depends on the school’s rules and procedures, right?”

   
Grinning from ear-to-ear, Kristy stood up. I followed suit.

    “
I think you’ll make a great fit for A.O.S.”

    “
Why, thank you!”

   
We shook hands. If there was one thing I learned from teaching at a public school, it was saying what school administrators wanted to hear. In truth, I was rarely that strict, but if I had a troublemaker in the classroom, I had to let him or her know who was boss.

   
Noticing the smile on my face, Daniel knew the conversation with Kristy went well. Back in his office, I tossed him my own tough question.

    “
You mind me asking if you have a relocation package?”

    “
No, I don’t mind it, not at all. Unfortunately, no. But we can advance you whatever you may need, and deduct it from your pay.”

    “
Sounds good.”

   
At least that was better than the time I applied for a job with the Mother Plucker Feather Company. I asked the boss what were my benefits. He replied, “Free parking.”

    “
Come on. Let me show you the grounds.”

   
Daniel showed me the various offices of staff. Senior staff as well as teachers got their own offices. Other than Carmen’s presence, the place was deserted. Daniel led me around the sprawling, seventy-acre campus to the boys’ and girls’ dorms, a fitness center, a cafeteria, tennis and basketball courts, and the swimming pool. There were even separate horse and emu corrals. The school had everything a school should have—and then some. Behind the girls’ dorm—the last building on the west-end of the property, undeveloped land extended several hundred feet before hitting the Kings River.

    “
This used to be an inpatient treatment center for troubled teens. At least before the state closed it down. We found the facilities to be ideal for our needs.”

   
Troubled teens. I wondered if the current crop were any less troubled.

   
Impressed and overwhelmed by the grandeur before me, I didn’t know what to say. On our walk back, I was compelled to ask, “When do I start?”

    “
Give me a day or so to follow up. You should then receive an offer in your email. The job starts Monday.”

   
Daniel pointed to the dorms.

    “
Until you find a suitable place for your family, you can stay here. The cafeteria will be available for you—breakfast, lunch, and dinner.”

   
I shook his hand once more.

    “
Like I said, I really want to be a part of this.”

    “
You will. Just look for that email.”

    “
Thanks again.”

   
On the drive home, I went through a mixture of emotions. Confounding my elation of having a job at last was the nagging feeling that my weight had something to do with it. Maybe me losing weight at the Academy was part of Daniel Abrams’s grand experiment.

   
Grand experiment or no, I was excited about the possibilities. Okay, so I was going back to teaching when I swore to myself I wouldn’t. What else was out there for me? Besides, I was going to lose some weight. Not a bad price to pay for teaching wealthy fat teens.

   
Or was it?

Chapter 3

Back To School

   
As Daniel promised, I found his emailed offer of employment in my inbox the next day. Other than having to accept a pay cut of several thousand dollars a year, I found nothing out of the ordinary in the offer letter. In truth, other than the computer-generated one from L.A. Unified years before, I’d never received a formal offer of employment my entire life. For once in my measly, wage-earning existence, I felt special.

    “
So, are you going to take the job?” Ellie asked, a little apprehension in her voice. She wanted me to take the job. Despite her own simmering anxiety and the knowledge that we would be hundreds of miles from everything we knew and loved, despite the isolation she’d feel with no family or friends to support us there, despite the very real possibility there would be no consumer conveniences within walking distance, she was behind me all the way.

    “
Of course!” I exclaimed, giving Ellie a hug. Overhearing the commotion, Bobby staggered into the living room, Legos in his cupped hands. I picked the little dude up, giving him a sloppy kiss on the cheek. I adored that little guy. He was the glue that bound me to Ellie.

   
He was the glue that kept me together.

   
The separation was going to be difficult, that was certain.

   
Ellie agreed that I would take our car, come home in a week, stay the weekend, and return to Fresno on the train. An Academy staff member would pick me up (given I make friends quickly), and take me to my new, if temporary home in Reedley. In the meantime, I would help stock up the home fridge and pantry with provisions for the week. I couldn’t bear to think of Ellie dragging our little guy on foot to go shopping.

   
Differences at home between the morning I left for the initial interview and this morning were apparent. The hugs took a little longer. The kisses, in greater number. As I drove off, I kept second-guessing myself. Was this the right decision? Shouldn’t I have held out just a little longer for something local? I did print, sign, and fax the offer letter, right? Too late to turn back now.

   
I was past Magic Mountain, approaching the grade.

   
I thought I told my son I loved him. Maybe I ought to call him. That would have to wait.

   
I was balls deep in the Grapevine.

   
I stopped for coffee in Bakersfield and called home. I was halfway to my destination. It was at least ninety degrees—and rising.

   
Ellie answered the phone.

    “
So, how’s the weather?”

    “
Not bad.”

   
I didn’t want to tell her the truth. If there was one thing Ellie hated, that was hot weather.

    “
How’s Bobby?” I asked.

    “
Want to talk to him?”

    “
Yeah.”

   
There was a pause, and the sound of tiny fingers tapping on the phone. And then, the heavy breathing of my son. I loved that sound—even if that sound was over a hundred miles away.

    “
Hey there!”

    “
Hi Papa.”

    “
Whatcha doin’?”

   
Bobby didn’t respond. I heard the muffled sound of something being munched. It was obvious that he was eating.

    “
Enjoy your breakfast, Big Guy. I love you.”

   
I got back on the phone with Ellie, told her that I loved her, and then I was off and running.

   
I arrived at the Academy to a sea of staff and students. Armed only with my laptop bag, I smiled my way through the masses into the lobby. Carmen greeted me, and led me down a hall to my office. To my chagrin, I found my office was shared space——with another teacher. Jack Lang seemed nice enough, though a bit on the quiet side.

   
Math teacher.

   
He seemed nonplussed about the situation. I knew I had to make the best of it. Besides, it beat having my desk as my office when I taught for L.A. Unified. But still.

   
Before I could settle into my/our office, Daniel came by.

    “
Oh, hi Joe. You just get here?”

    “
Just a few minutes ago.”

    “
Sorry about that. Been meeting with parents.”

    “
No worries.”

   
Stopping for the occasional student who needed directions to orientation, or the staff member looking for their supervisor, Daniel walked with me to my car to help me with my belongings. We walked behind the Admin building and around the cafeteria. He then led me to the girls’ dorm building. Glass doors led us inside. To the right, a fitness room, and a hallway leading to shower and bathroom facilities. To the left, another glass door leading into the girls’ dorms.