Jacobi's laugh was harsh and abrupt.   "Oh, I don't think so.   You see, the magic doesn't work that way.   I can't use it to help myself directly."   His voice grew smooth, and the chill in it ran down my spine.   "But the three of you are impediments to my career, and I can... remove you."   The Dean's face grew pale, after all she believed in magic.   "No, " she whispered, pleading.   "Please, don't do this..."  

"Don't panic, Jeffrey, I'm used to being closely cross-examined - follow my lead."

"I invariably do, Susie, but try not to take us on a ramble up Mount Improbable and into cloud-cuckoo-land with your explanations."

"A creative defence may be a necessity, Jeffrey, if the elders are looking for a scapegoat to supply their pound of flesh."

"In that case, Susie, let Denise play Portia and be the mother of invention."

Susie and Jeffrey 70 - 78 by Jamie Hayworth

Dreaming of Cheers Standing Up to Life: Book 3 Part 22 of 23 by Tiffany Shar

Intro by Carla Ann

Mr. Randolph had been teaching for many years, and had the privilege of working with some really great students during that time. The students that sat before him though were above most of them in his mind. Amy was absolutely going to be a stunning beauty as she grew up into high school… he was glad he wasn’t the girl’s father. Amazingly she had brains to go with that, something that was uncommonly rare in his experience. Nikki, though extremely short for her age, was going to be much the same. He was sure the boys were going to be going to great places too.

The most amazing thing to him, though, was that the other girl was the reason this group held together. Oh they would have been friends… but Tiffany seemed to be like a magnet these days that attracted some really great friends. ‘She attracted enemies too…’ he thought sadly to himself. The attack on her had been like a stab in the heart to most of her teachers; himself included.

’No, the most amazing thing isn’t that this girl didn’t grow up as one… it’s that she’s kept going through it all. No one has been able to stop her…’ He looked up at them as the group talked about their project. If anyone else came to him with the idea these kids had he would have told them it would be impossible… Tiffany seemed to break many of those odds though, and with her friends he was certain they would astound him again.

Dreaming of Cheers Standing Up to Life: Book 3 Part 20 of 23 by Tiffany Shar

Intro by Carla Ann

Joe decided to quickly look in on his sleeping little girl as he headed down the hallway to go to bed. The last year was just unreal in his mind… things had changed so fast. ‘And we almost lost her…’ He couldn’t get it out of his mind any more than his wife could. They’d let Tiffany go stay occasionally at the Hancock’s house this week only because they knew they loved her almost as much as her parents did. It had not been easy for them to let her out of their sight after everything.

‘Thank God Mandy’s family is more sane than mine!’ He thought to himself as he closed the door silently. He had worried endlessly before letting her near his family, and it had been justified really. Joe didn’t trust Allen any farther than he could throw him.

As he lay down that night next to his wife he did his best to not think about what had happened in the past few months. Instead he tried to picture his little girl and how cute she would be on Christmas morning, excited about her presents. ‘She should be happy about them,’ he thought to himself, smiling. With that he was finally able to clear his mind for a while and sleep.

Dreaming of Cheers Standing Up to Life: Book 3 Part 19 of 23 by Tiffany Shar

Intro by Carla Ann

Tiffany’s mom sat on the edge of their bed with her husband’s arms wrapped securely around her. She just couldn’t stop crying… ‘How did we let this happen to her!?!’ she asked herself for the millionth time. ‘We should have insisted that she always be walked by a teacher between rooms… we should have made them do something to those… those… monsters sooner… we should have pulled her from the school,’ a new sob came from her.

She knew in her heart that they had done about everything they could to protect her… the problem was that there was nothing she could have done. And it scared her.

‘Thank God she’s alive,’ she thought for the thousandth time that night. ‘If that boy Kyle hadn’t found her…’ She continued to sob quietly for a long time while her husband held her and contributed his own tears. They’d almost lost her…

Dreaming of Cheers Standing Up to Life: Book 3 Part 16 of 23 by Tiffany Shar

Intro by Carla Ann

Tiffany’s mom drove down the road to her first stop of the morning, thinking about her daughter who was probably just waking up. The bus route she drove was a longer one that ran out to some rural areas of the district, and that meant she forever was leaving before her daughter even woke up to make her run. As she opened up the door to let her first three kids on she sighed, ‘I don’t know what more we can do right now.’

Several of her friends had suggested pulling Tiffany from Holden and putting her in the other junior high, but she doubted that would help. No, the only sure fire way to get her free of her tormentors would be to home school her... which she was afraid would break her daughter. She loved playing in band, being on the dance squad, and hanging out with her friends there. She could see her eyes light up anytime she talked about the dance squad or about band…well sometimes — even that light didn’t shine often anymore.

’I don’t know how to protect my baby,’ she said to herself and tried to refocus her mind to the road so she didn’t break out in tears over it all right then.

Dreaming of Cheers Standing Up to Life: Book 3 Part 15 of 23 by Tiffany Shar

Intro by Carla Ann

’Last night was cool,’ Amy thought to herself as she got ready to go. ‘I’m glad Mom and Dad bought Tiffany her own set of ski equipment!’ Both of their brand new sets of equipment were going to be fun to use this year.

’I wonder how hard of a run I can get her to go on with me…?’ Amy asked herself as she continued to get ready. She was smiling brightly, nothing was better than being up in the mountains skiing!

Dreaming of Cheers Standing Up to Life: Book 3 Part 14 of 23 by Tiffany Shar

Intro by Carla Ann

’What a week so far!’ Joe thought to himself. Of course last week had been a near disaster, but did that mean this week had to be too…? Between work and everything going on with his daughter he was having a hard time sleeping or focusing. ‘As soon as Tiffany is up and going I need to get out of here today… Brian said that part came in after I left yesterday, we need to get that contract finished up…’

Joe almost missed the snow outside his bathroom window as he got ready, so consumed he was of everything going on. ‘Well maybe that’ll make Tiffany’s day a bit better.’

‘…I’ll just settle for her making it safely through the week.’