The Wolves in the Woods

Fortune's Fool

Oh, I am fortune's fool!

— William Shakespeare

***

Bustier's attempted intervention proves to have widespread and unseen consequences.

***

            "Don't be bemused, it's just the news!" Nadja's voice rang from the television screen. "Just this morning, Caline Bustier, a teacher at College Francois Dupont, was arrested after a report was made to the school board." On the screen behind Nadja, it played footage of the arrest, which was taken and submitted by an anonymous tipster.

Teachers and students from all over the school were gathered at the front watching the police taking a handcuffed, frantic, and protesting Bustier to a cruiser. All were gawking, several had their phones out recording. Many had looked confused, others wore expressions of cathartic satisfaction while they filmed. Amid the chaos, the students in Bustier's class were in a frenzy trying to keep the police from taking their teacher. Only for the police officers present to slap handcuffs on them and lead them to another waiting cruiser. It probably wasn't helped by the fact some of Bustier's students had taken to slapping and shoving the officers in their attempt to help their teacher. By the end of the arrest, only a select few of Bustier's students remained. All of whom had their faces blurred on the screen to protect their identities.

Needless to say, it was quite a spectacle.

"As of this point in time, Caline Bustier is facing several charges. Some of which include but are not limited to child endangerment, neglect, and emotional abuse," Nadja reported. There was a trace of barely restrained rage on her face. "More recently, however, Bustier attempted to solicit the help of one former student, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, to testify in her favor during an ongoing school board investigation." Nadja had to admit. It honestly boggled her mind why Bustier would attempt that. "Fortunately, thanks to the intervention of Miss Dupain-Cheng's new homeroom teacher and a third party who wishes to remain anonymous, Bustier failed in her attempt."

Several one-on-one interviews played back to back, many of which were with different students outside of Bustier's class. All of them had testified against the teacher, painting a rather unflattering image of the beloved authority figure. In contrast, the interviews with Bustier's students were filled with nothing but glowing praise. It was clear now there was a bias problem going on. But that wasn't the end of it.

"The most damning testimony about the incident comes from one Marie Mendeleiev," Nadja reported. "Who, it should be mentioned, was the teacher who lobbied for an investigation against the very school she worked at." Behind her, the screen played the interview with the stern science teacher. Stone-faced and impassive. But the outrage could be seen.

"It boggles my mind how she thought her methods were the best," Marie said with barely hidden disdain. "I had told her. For years upon years. That this was not going to last long." She folded her hands in front of her. "I will confess, I do feel some sympathy for her plight." Her eyes hardened into ice. "But at the end of the day, she brought this on herself." The off-camera interviewer shuffled.

"What brought you to contact the school board about this?" the interviewer asked. Marie's ice-cold demeanor softened to one of a concerned adult.

"Last week, one day after my class received a new student, there was an incident," Marie detailed. "I'm going to state outright that I could have handled it far better than I did. But it happened." Her hands flattened against the table. "It was at the end of a school day when I was preparing to clock out. There were two students, who shall remain unnamed, helping clean up." She had to smile at the fond memory. "One was my new student, the other was a rather shy student who had been in my class for several years." Marie shifted her leg from one side to the other.