It was a fairly normal day when Richard Castle walked into Montgomery Memorial High School, holding a cup of coffee in one hand and his worn satchel in the other. Taking a sip of his coffee, he walked up, opening the double doors before him to enter the main office.
"Hey, Ricky! Watch the game last night, man?" A hispanic man walked into the mail room behind him, and Castle turned around to high-five his co-worker, Javier Esposito. Esposito was the long-time physical education and health director at the school, going on about 9 years now, starting at the same time Castle did.
"Nah, man. I had to do a ton of grading last night," his voice was regretful, his head shaking at the disbelief on his friend's face.
The conversation let on as the two got refills on coffee, their respective mails, and invoices; the same routine they had everyday. At least, they did until the new principal came in.
"Haven't you boys talked enough already? It's almost about time to start class in about ten minutes. I don't want you to be late now." Looking over her glasses at them, Mrs. Victoria Gates chatised them, as usual, walking past them to get her mail as well.
"Yes, ma'am." They chorused, neither, liking the new boss all that much. Unlike Esposito, though, Castle was determined to get on her good side.
"Why, Victoria," he said, sidling up next to her on the counter, leaning against his arm on the counter, "do you know how to contact Sherlock Holmes?"
Her eyebrow twirked as she leaned her head down, looking even further over her glasses in exasperation. "Why, Mr. Castle?"
"Because I need to solve the mystery of how to win your heart." He wraggled his eyebrows at her, winking at her in good fun.
She slapped a hand on his chest. "Don't quit your day job." Gates walked away, but not before murmuring, "I wouldn't mind if you did, anyway."
Esposito's roaring laugh rang through the mail room as their boss exited, being joined in by a new voice from behind Castle's back. He turned around to see the other English teacher, Ms. Katherine Beckett, dressed in a simple, yet stunningly beautiful, dress shirt, vest, and pinstriped dress pants, finished off with heels.
"That was your worst one yet, Castle." Her voice radiated her amusement, and Castle could swear that all moisture in his mouth left instantly, leaving him parched, gaping at her. He saw her everyday for lunch, and meetings after school, but he could never get over that feeling; that first-time feeling.
"Oh, you've seen nothing yet, Ms. Beckett." He turned to her after catching his breath, wraggling his eyebrows at her too. They stared at each other for a moment, both challenging the other to look away, standing far closer than actually needed.
"Oh get a room, you two. I swear, you guys are a walkin' fairytale." An exotic voice filled the air beside them and they both turned to look at the Anatomy and Physiology teacher, Lanie Parish. Beckett rolled her eyes and stepped away from Castle, albeit relunctantly, to go get her mail. Castle just smiled and hugged Lanie, before stepping back, over to where he was before Gates stepped into the room.
"Who's a fairytale?" The last of the bunch walked in, his young face and blue eyes smiling at his friends. Coach Kevin Ryan, the social studies teacher and the football coach walked in confidently, getting his mail, before high-fiving the two men in the room. "What, the English Majors?" He added, motioning to Beckett and Castle.
"Who else?" Lanie, Esposito, and Ryan all laughed at Beckett's exasperated expression as she walked out of the office and to her class, Castle following her heels only a few moments later.
Lanie rolled her eyes. "Those two will make a beautiful library together one day."