An Absence of Principal

Ben Doggett hid his addiction well. It helped that it was his responsibility to keep track of the family finances. That alone made it easier to gloss over any big deductions and blame them on bills or golf outings or overages on trips taken on behalf of the school system. The state had cut funding to so many programs there was really no telling how many times Doggett had to dip into his own pocket to pay for a DVD series, or a carton of construction paper or motivational coffee mugs for his staff of World's Greatest Teachers. Some months, Ben knew he could just blame the loss of so much of the family’s money on being an educator in today's world. It may even work the first time. Doggett sat at his desk with his head buried in his hands. It was the closest he had come to tears since his expensive habit had taken hold of him several weeks earlier. The fleeting feelings of depression that overcame him so soon after the highs he experienced were not right, he knew that. He knew somehow he would have to find another way to fund his "hobby." There was a knock at his office door. It opened quickly and in walked Shanna, Doggett's secretary, someone who in the last few weeks had become his part-time lover too. She cozied up to her boss, snuggled him and finally noticed he was shaking. Doggett loved the feel of the young woman in his arms but often felt a pain inside knowing that he was so far into not only his online problem but to top it off, his illicit little affair. It was starting to dawn on him that there was nothing he could do to get out of either situation without a boatload of collateral damage somewhere.