A TV School (Coffee Hangover)

This story begins here.

When the alarm went off, Phil didn't bother with snooze she just turned it off and rolled over. It was, after all, summer, the season that teachers live for. Fred had keys and since he and Frankie had decided to mummify a bat, Phil was sure he'd be in early. She couldn't face faking enthusiasm for ancient burial rites today. She couldn't face today at all.
Around noon, Yeats knocked politely on the door. "Mr. Gerald West is here to see you, miss. I took the liberty of showing him into your study."
"Oh, thank you, Yeats. I'll be down in a few minutes."
"Very well, miss."
Phil groaned as she remembered her conversation with Gerald the night before. Now she'd have to apologize and bury him under a mountain of signed contracts. Perhaps Yeats hadn't called the messenger service yet.
She pressed the intercom button. "William?"
"Yes, miss?"
"Did you call the messenger service yet?"
"Oh yes, miss, first thing this morning."
"Thank you, Yeats."
"You're welcome, miss."
Phil let go of the intercom button and groaned. She threw herself into a pair of grey slacks and a navy turtleneck, and hurried down the stairs.
Gerald looked at Phil as if he didn't know her. "Aunt Phil, do you have a television set around here?"
"We each have a set in our bedrooms which we lie about watching. I'm sorry about last night, Gerald. I was under pressure. I have this big project I'm working on. The school's been struggling. I should have waited to call, and I shouldn't have yelled at you. Can you forgive me?"
"Always, Aunt Phil, but I need to know what you've done. Both Madison and Ashley are demanding to attend Sonrise next year, and I'm thinking you'll be surprised when you find out why."
Phil was surprised. Madison and Ashley had always been embarrassed about being Wests at the alumni picnics their father brought them too.
"Aunt Phil, are you hooked up to the internet?"
"Absolutely, it's a life-saver for research."
"Let's do some quick research on Sonrise."
"All right, Gerald. My computer is your computer."
He sat down behind the desk and within minutes the screen was full of references to Sonrise/Childrise School.
"My goodness." said Phil.
"Take a look." Gerald had pulled up the first site and there was the information for submitting children's resumes for the auditioning process for "The Childrise School Show." Phil was apalled. The application process was not competive. Children of all abilities had always been welcome. A cornerstone of the school's philosophy was that every child is exceptional in their own way.
It got worse. Children were promised the opportunity to become TV stars. Parents were promised automatice acceptance into Ivy League Schools. There were strangers with perfect teeth on the faculty page of the newly refurbished school website. Even Ascalaphus and Androcles had been renamed--Beakly and Manely. It was a catastrophe.
"What did you do, Aunt Phil? There are ads running on every cartoon show in New York.
Phil walked around to the front of the desk and sat down.
"I think I've made a terrible mistake."

This story continues here.