Holy peaches and cream, you guys, I really have to stop doing this…. I already have five stories unfinished, why must I succumb to the weakness of starting a new one? *whines profusely and stomps her feet* And here is something a-typical for me: A reality piece! *gasp in shock* Meaning, of course, it's NOT an Alternate Reality. It's set in the all-popular first season, and other than that little tid-bit, I won't spoil it for you! ^_~ Hope you enjoy! Feedback is always appreciated (and usually undeserved). slr_europa@yahoo.com http://www.geocities.com/slr_europa/ AIM :: SeeShelliRun ************************************ Teachers Pet 1/? By Sailor Europa "What's that you got, Mamoru?" A mildly curious Motoki asked his befuddled friend as he strolled into the arcade one afternoon. Mamoru glanced up in response, acknowledging his existence, but hardly managing a grunt in reply. "More homework?" "No. It's a letter from my Advanced English teacher at the University." He finally stated, running his free hand through his hair absently. Motoki cast a casual look over his shoulder and nodded. "Can't be as interesting as you're making it then." Motoki chuckled, whipping a few soda glasses and then tossing the limp rag over his shoulder and giving Mamoru his full attention. "You're studying it like it's got some code encrypted throughout it." His companion gave a wry scowl upwards and kept right on reading. "No, I just….I'm a little surprised, that's all." Mamoru slapped the paper down with a flourish on the counter and sighed, sitting down at one of stools before the bar. Motoki snatched the flyer from his grasp and began reading as Mamoru explained in detail. "Kawasaki-san had us take an aptitude test a month ago, for a program that he and a few of his colleagues were starting this spring. He wanted some of the more brighter students to participate in order to receive credit. We had to indicate whether we were interested or not, and if so, he promised to get back to us when the results of the test were in." He motioned towards the sheet his friend held now in his hands. "Thus the letter." "So?" Motoki inquired and Mamoru just sighed again, shrugging. "I wasn't expecting something like this." "Why not? It's sounds like an exciting opportunity." The blonde replied, shaking his head to remove his bangs from his eyes. "And I bet you'd be great at it." "That's not it…." Mamoru said. Motoki eyed him suspiciously and laid his hands on the counter and stared down his friend. "Then what? When would you ever get a chance like this again? Go for it." Motoki just shook his head as he got a more ambivalent response once more and turned back towards the soda machine behind him. "Would you do it?" He asked suddenly, causing his friend to turn around suddenly, lips upturned in thought. He tapped his chin and leaned against the freezer for a moment. "Probably. Although, seeing as how I haven't been to college, nor have I had any training in English, I don't think they'd take me." Mamoru rolled his eyes and pushed away from the counter. "It's not that I don't want to do it." He shrugged. "I'm just not sure if I'm cut out for it, that's all." Mamoru exhaled and picked up the letter again, for no apparent reason, and watched it like it held the meaning of life. "I'm going to do it, either way, mind you. I could use the credit, not to mention the practice. It'd be a big help, if I were to get that overseas study program next year." "Exactly." Motoki grinned and slapped the formica counter for emphasis. Mamoru looked up in surprise and smirked at his friend. "So what are you waiting for?" ***** "Usa-gi-chan!" Naru's voice rang out, and two blonde odango's turned around quickly, and the figure attached to them raised her hand to wave enthusiastically until her pursuer caught up. The red-head was huffing slightly as she smiled gratefully when they fell in step together, and Usagi returned the gesture happily. "That test was killer, ne? I barely even had a chance to finish number 62 before the bell rang." Usagi scowled at the mention and folded her arms across her chest in defiance. "I hardly got to 34, let alone the end of it…." Her pout turned gradually into a frown and she let out a pathetic breath as her shoulders sagged dejectedly. "I think pop- quizzes should be outlawed anyway. What kind of a joke is that to pull on a girl? How are you supposed to find out how smart I am without letting me cram for 6 hours before- hand?" Naru giggled. "You never change, Usagi." She shook her head, and the two fell into a comfortable silence. Lockers slammed around them, mindless chatter and squeals erupted inside the halls of Juuban Jr. High; telltales signs of the end of another school day. The two companions were among many young men and women mingling about, dodging teachers as they bolted from the double doors that lead to the one thing they all craved throughout the 6 hour day: Freedom. "Ne, what's Haruna-sensei still doing here?" Naru piped up, watching their tall, brunette teacher pass them obliviously, her eyes glued to a thick, well-worn Harlequin romance. "She was almost as anxious as us to get outta here…." Two pairs of eyes traced her path as her heels clicked merrily down the hall, disappearing around a corner eventually. Usagi and Naru looked at each other and shrugged. The woman was usually so hot to trot about some hot date that she hardly let the dismissal bell finish before she had started her compact car and sped towards an empty apartment. They shrugged in acceptance, and continued their stroll towards the outside world, slipping into chit chat about who liked who, and why Ai had worn THAT make-up, of all things…. "SON OF A –." Both heads snapped to attention and raised a suspicious (and still rather amused) eyebrow at the feminine voice that had screeched the obscenities so hoarsely. They turned on their heels and jogged in the opposite direction, wheels cranking out scenarios that could strike such a hideous sound to ring through their usually quiet halls. Nevermind that students weren't allowed to curse in the building, the voice had been distinctly mature. Naru and Usagi determined independently that the offender had been a staff member. And that made it all the more intriguing, and quite worthy of missing a few games of Sailor V at the arcade. Their footsteps halted suddenly as they rounded the corner and no sooner saw a red-faced, hair-wrung Haruna-sensei, flat on her posterior, fists clenched menacingly into tight little balls and cussing up a blue streak at a humiliated janitor, who, incidentally, stood on the sidelines, too embarrassed to help the injured party to her feet. However, Usagi noticed right off that his assistance would have done no good, for the older woman's knee was twisted in a position that nature surely hadn't intended. She cringed, and despite the situation, stifled a small giggle at the sight. Her and Naru paused momentarily in pure shock before rushing to their aid. "H..Haruna-san, daijobu?" Naru asked as soon as she had managed to hoist the woman to chair that sat against the wall. Usagi sat down next to her and patted her back comfortingly, although she wasn't even sure her teacher even noticed. Her lips were pursed in a thin, taught line and she was mumbling something inaudible, but Usagi suspected that, had she had the ability to hear her words, she would have been extremely offended. The thought made Usagi let a small smile slip. She'd always seen her teacher as a gruff feminist; she figured it was only a matter of time before she broke into a string of four letter words during class time. "I…I don't know, Naru. I think I hurt my knee something fierce…" She threw an icy glare at the janitor, who had begun furiously mopping up the wet floor and eventually propping the neon-yellow "Caution" sign, a little too late, however. Within minutes he had grabbed his bucket of soap and hot water and bolted from the scene. The teacher watched him with a longing, and Usagi and Naru could only imagine the vengeance their teacher had planned for him. "Do you think you can walk?" Usagi questioned, jumping to her feet and holding out her hands for support. Haruna-san tossed her a grateful, yet confused look, and placed her arms on Usagi's shoulders to steady herself before pulling herself to her feet. "I…I think…Yes, yes I'm sure it's fine no-OOOOOWWWW!" Usagi squealed as the taller form fell face first into her, forcing her to scramble for footing in vain, only leading to both landing on the tile with a horrid WHAP! Followed by two clear seconds of shocked silence and an eventual "Uuuuuungh….." coming from the injured parties simultaneously. "Oooooh….." Usagi moaned as the brunette used her weakened arms to pull what was left of her, off of the younger blonde. They both gasped for breath as Naru just stood by, eyes wide as saucers, barely able to move. "Maybe not…." Haruna-san groaned, barely audibly, and just flopped onto her back, hair fanning out behind her. She closed her eyes and practically wept in pain, while Usagi finally scrambled to her feet and brushed off her uniform, apparently returning from the scuffle unscathed. She watched her fallen teacher and blinked, unsure what to do at that point. Surely she wasn't expected to lend a hand AGAIN, she thought. She scratched her head and looked pointedly at Naru for support, who in turn just shrugged. "Uh, Haruna-san…." Usagi started, staring down at the woman, awkwardly. One eye opened cautiously and gazed back at the girls, as if they had interrupted something important. "Would you like us to get the nurse? You obviously can't make it like this…." She motioned at her current state and got an affirmative "Uuuuuuh…." in reply. The two nodded and took off like a shot down the hall-- Destination: Nurse's Station. ***** "Mamoru-san, I'm so glad you decided to take me up on this offer. It's rather unique; I doubt it's even been done before." "Hai, I understand that, Kawasaki-san. I'm very excited about it, sir." Mamoru lied, smiling brightly. He had just walked into his professors office and returned his completed application. He didn't dare question who else was participating; Kawasaki-san was infamous for being an eccentric, and a mean one at that. If he felt his privacy was being invaded, Mamoru's next term at the university would be hell. "This is a genuine opportunity, and I don't think I need to tell you how few of your peers were selected to work alongside you." He winked merrily at the sweating Mamoru, who grinned nervously in reply. Something about meeting privately with this instructor always made him incredibly anxiety-ridden. He could feel the clamminess build up on his palms and he just knew that his anti-persperent was being overworked. The two displayed total opposites, and Mamoru wondered for a fleeting second if this man was consciously trying to make him pass out. If so, he just might succeed. "I have a lot of sway in this institute, and if you're successful," His expression switched immediately to a piercing glare. "You could be set." "Hai." Mamoru mumbled out. His mind was shattering as it undoubtedly questioned where his backbone was at these times. He'd never had a problem being vocal with his superiors, but something about this man made Mamoru's will-power shrink to the size of a grain of rice. "And it's really a stroke of luck that you came on today of all days!" Again, Kawasaki-san's mood shifted dramatically, and he seemed almost jovial, swinging his arms about excitedly. "I just got a long term assignment that I think would suit you perfectly." He pulled out a fat folder, stuffed with papers and retrieved one from the top of the stack. "It starts on Monday, and in all likelihood, would run for another month or two." He handed the slip to Mamoru, who scanned it over thoughtfully. "Two months?" He questioned, eyes widening. "Is that going to work? I have other classes…." "Chiba!" The round, bearded man sounded, standing at full attention and scaring Mamoru almost out of his skull. "This is the chance of a lifetime. You'd be a fool to pass this up." "I realize that, sir, but I have other classes to cover. Two months is a long time…" He stuttered meekly. Kawasaki-san leaned back and laughed hysterically. Had he snapped finally? Mamoru wondered. "Mamoru, my boy, this program is school-wide. This takes precedence, and you have been approved by all your courses to take place in this event. You will be excused from all classes deemed unnecessary and won't have to make up a single thing." "Excuse me?" Mamoru blinked. "You heard me! And you're getting paid, too!" "Woooah…." "Exactly!" The older man let out a chortle and a snort before coughing and shaking his head. Mamoru just stood by and weighed his options carefully. The college credit was a huge deal. He could have his next years' English course done with after two months in this program, and he was certainly liking the sound of that. But he wasn't sure he liked the idea of missing all that work in his other classes. Even if they were, as Kawasaki-san put it, "unnecessary". "Well, Mamoru-san? What's it going to be?" Mamoru gulped and shrugged uncertainly. "Hai? I guess…." This caused a ruckus to emerge from the professors diaphragm and explode from his lips. He slapped his enlarged form joyously and then in turn struck Mamoru on the back. Hard. "Glad to hear it! That paper has all the information you'll need. Give them a call this afternoon, and they'll give you the rest of the details." He chuckled in between words while Mamoru struggled for air and prayed that the man could refrain from running that massive fist through his spine once more. He tried to give a confident smile in return, but he didn't think he managed. "You won't regret this. You'll get more experience than you could have ever dreamed." ***** "Psst!" Usagi blinked and looked over her shoulder absently. She caught Naru waving a note frantically in her hands, and she giggled. "Naru-chan? What's up?" The blonde asked, casting a wary glance at the door, ready to stand at attention as soon as Haruna-san walked in. Confident she had a few more free moments, she turned all the way around in her seat and leaned in closer to her friend. Naru flashed the letter as proof when she began to speak. "Umino overheard the principal on the phone this morning with Haruna-san!" She exclaimed in the loudest whisper she could manage. "She's in the hospital!" "You're kidding!" Usagi gapped openly, eyes wide in shock. She had expected the teacher to show up with an ankle brace, or a cast at the worst; but to be absent completely? The incident the previous day must have been worse than she thought. "No! She's having some kind of surgery and she won't be able to walk for at least 6 weeks." She emphasized the time frame loudly and a few of the surrounding students let their eyes wander, ears simultaneously perking up as well. Naru squealed in delight at the idea of substitute; they were always easier to fool. Usagi felt like doing summersaults herself; she could hardly keep herself from grinning as it was. Oh, she felt horrible about the accident, of course. But the sympathy was far outweighed by the thought of being detention-less for a full month and a half. She could finally get to that Sailor V game before any of the other arcade patrons if she was out of class on time! Giving Naru a triumphant grin, Usagi flipped back to face the front of the class as the late bell finally rang. Nothing was going to ruin her day today; she could feel it. ***** "First day, and I'm already late…." Mamoru mumbled angrily as he adjusted the noose of a tie around his neck and sighed. He glanced at his watch and practically jumped out of his skin. 8:09. He sighed and picked up his pace to a slow jog, passing a few stragglers that mingled in the halls. He even spied a few others hustling their ways into doorways, frightened looks on their faces as they tried to sneak into class obliviously. Mamoru was 21; he had been this route already. There was no such thing as sneaking in late unseen. He remembered long detention hours and extra homework assignments before he learned his lesson. His face soured at the memory. The penalties had always been too harsh, in his opinion. "Wonder what they do when the teacher's the one who can't arrive before the bell…." ***** "Uh, ohayo gozaimasu minna…." 30 pairs of eyes looked up just in time to watch their long term substitute step through the door, more than ten minutes late. And thirty young bodies all stopped cold. Much accustomed to the older, gruffer teachers, this had been a complete (and welcomed) change of pace to everyone, and had one been paying attention, a few swoons were clearly audible from the female population. Yes sir, this was a much preferred option; deep blue eyes, jet black, slightly mussed-up hair, and broad shoulders that most female hormones would agree just begged to be touched. And while the males certainly swelled with a hurt pride at the idea of an attractive male instructor, none would admit they weren't opposed to another cohort who would understand their side. "You're regular teacher, Haruna-san has had a slight accident, and won't be in for a while, so I'll be taking her place." Upon hearing the anxious, slightly nervous crack in his voice, giggles of sheer delight were, now, completely obvious to anyone. There wasn't a single thing about this man that any self-respecting, red blooded teenage female wouldn't find utterly endearing and overwhelmingly appealing. "My name is Chiba-san, and I trust that everything will go fine over the coming weeks. I'm certainly looking forward to it." But somewhere, inside the odangoed head of one very surprised and appalled blonde, a silent, secret scream wailed and reverberated inside the walls of her skull in total, abject horror. "This is NOT happening….." ********************************************************* Ahahahaha! That was fun! I'm sure this was completely predictable. I meant it to be. So unless you're completely stupid and didn't see this coming from a mile away, the ending shouldn't be a surprise. Hope you all enjoyed! I'm praying this series won't be long; it's high time I do a short one, I always stretch them out and piss myself off for making more work for myself. FEEEEEEEEEEEDBAAAAAACK! FEEEEEEEEEEDBACK! Don't make me repeat it, minna…… slr_europa@yahoo.com http://www.geocities.com/slr_europa/ AIM :: SeeShelliRun