Teacher Knows Best

Chapter 6
Epilogue

Chapter Description: I've found a copy of the missing epilogue so am restoring it to the story.

20 Years later:

The Research Center was rebuilt. The local politicians were able to easily convince the residents that the higher tax rates needed to pay for it would be lowered over time. They reasoned that it would have a great economic impact on the area, bringing workers and other industries to the area.... and hence a greater revenue base. They pointed out that new safety measures would be put into place so that another accident like before could never happen again. No local residents ever got a job at the facility. Even the construction was done by outside contractors. All employees came from out of town. Tax rates never lowered.

Lara and Angie were adopted by a nice couple in town. Lara was a cheerleader in high school and was voted most popular by her class. She is now married to one of the researchers who had moved into town to work at the facility. Lara is very outgoing and heads many area charities. While many noticed the physical resemblance between Lara and Angie as they grew up, most were surprised at how different their personalities were. Lara was perky and upbeat. She was concerned about her looks, but not overly so. Angie, on the other hand, was always more of a bookworm. She preferred eye-glasses over contacts. Long skirts over the shorter skirts Angie liked. A good book rather than a night out. She’s still that way.

Angie easily took to reading in grade school. She liked to read and soon aspired to enter a good college. Her grades were perfect. She recieved a scholarship to an exclusive college and her ~sister~ Lara is trying to get her to consider an offer to work for the Research Facility. Lara’s husband thinks she would be perfect. She is not sure about the 1 year training course that must be completed in Washington before she can be accepted. She would be the first local resident to be hired since the facility was rebuilt.

Jim didn’t do well in school. High school was particuarily hard. When he was first adopted things had been really good, but later his adotive father took up with a young stripper and divorce soon followed. While in high school Jim had a crush on an older student.... her name was Angie. He was attracted by her ’bookish’ look. He really didn’t know why. Most guys didn’t like a girl with glasses. He liked her because he felt strangely comfortable around her. But it never mattered as she wasn’t interesested in him. He was barely making passing grades, and that plus the fact that he was younger, doomed his chances. He had some success as a guitarist in a couple of local rock bands. He toured for a short while with one band before they broke up. He’s currently unemployed. He had to miss an audition with the area’s most popular group because he couldn’t afford to get his guitar out of hock.

Kelly breezed through Junior high and high school on her looks alone. She wore the skimpiest outfits that the dress code would allow. She was sent home on more than a few occassions because her skirt would be too short and her high heels too tall! By the time she turned 16 her attributes were becoming too much to miss.... Her flirting with the male teachers was the subject of many a reprimand by the female principal. She had aspirations to be an actress.... or a singer..... or a model. She spent many hours practicing her stage moves and acceptance speeches in front of the bathroom mirror. Her adoptive parents tried to settle her down fearing that she didn’t have her feet firmly planted on the ground. Their dreams of college for her dwindled when she took her first modeling job. Her modeling career never really got off the ground and before she was 20 she was supplementing her modeling income by stripping at a local Gentleman’s Club. She enjoyed the attention and the money was very alluring. Soon, modeling became the supplemental income and stripping was her full time job. With the money came drugs. She never got totally into the drug scene, but she did enjoy a good party after hours. It was to one of these parties where the then 22 year old Kelly took a gentleman that she had met at the club. He had never really considered actually being with a stripper but soon succumbed to the lifestyle and enjoyed having a young girlfriend that he knew other men lusted after. He finally left his wife and adopted son. Earlier this year, when Kelly turned 30, he had left her also! Kelly is not working at the nicer clubs any longer. The money is not as good as it once was. The younger girls seem to get all the big tips AND the better gigs. If Kelly does get on at a better club she has to dance the afternoon shift. She still auditions for bit parts in commercials....when she can get up in time to make the cattle call.

Mr Blackwell is still at the "The Home" and still recieves his check from "The Agency". He’s now 50 years old. He’s considered using a pill himself a couple of times throughout the years but as always decided against it.... so far. He’s dating a young lady who also works at "The Home". She’s a young dark haired beauty who just turned 20. She works the station at the door. She stays with him because she feels very indebted to him...... her name is Margaret Crow!

The End