Elise looked down at the small, brownish mouse sitting in place of James on the desk in front of her with a look of satisfaction at a job well done.
"Thank you Elise, now who is next?" Elspeth asked without much emotion.
"Um, please Ma'am, I hadn't quite finished" Elise appealed to her teacher in a most repectful tone. Elspeth nodded to indicate she could continue.
Elise placed her hand on the desk, palm facing upwards in front of James.
"Please James, if you would come to me" she asked the rodent politely in her unintentionally sexy voice and he had little choice but to oblige. He was then lifted up so he was in line with her beautiful, giant face. She stroked his fur reassuringly with her finger as she spoke gently.
"Now tell me James, do you like being a cute little mouse?"
"Not very much, no. Can you turn me back please?" James squeaked back pathetically in a comically higher pitched version of his usual speaking voice.
The class erupted in laughter, and nobody seemed more amused than Elspeth.
"Bravo Elise, go to the top of the class!" She enthused while clapping her hands. Any anger had subsided in her as quickly as it had arrived.
Elspeth was truly one of the most confusing people James had ever come across. Capable of switching between cruel and kind, strict and lenient, warm and aloof all seemingly on a whim. But James got the distinct feeling that every move she made was carefully calculated, that this was a way of keeping those around her in their toes. Perhaps Leah's mistake had bern to take things outside the classroom and therefore outside Elspeth's immediate sphere of control?
Either way the doom and gloom had been lifted, even if James still somehow felt as if he were the butt of the joke.
"If you do not like it, then I shall have to turn you back" Elise answered the mouse obligingly before placing it back down. Before long a human James was back in an all too familiar position - naked and on all fours in front of a room full of beautiful women. He was about to meet another one.