Student Teaching
Rifiuto: Non Miriena
Summary: Two teachers. A group of students. The school drama club. What happens when two childhood friends discover that they're working at the same school? And what happens when their students realize they like each other? Budding romance, surprises, and secrets.... all while putting on the school's drama club production...
The bell announcing first period rang, as students rushed to class- and as one young woman hurried into the school. She rushed to the principal's office, and poked her head in.
"Hello? Hello?"
The secretary, an older woman named Madame Morrible- who had probably worked at the school since it was built back in eighteen-eighty-nine- looked up.
"Yes? Can I help you?"
Slowly, the young woman stepped into the room. Her long, straight raven hair fell down her shoulders in a waterfall effect, and the dark blue skirt she wore just brushed the tops of her boots. Her black blouse hugged her figure, and the jacket she wore was buttoned to the top. A tote bag was over her shoulder, and she shifted nervously.
"Um... I... I'm here to see Mr. Diggs." She muttered, ducking her head in embarrassment. Morrible thought a moment; she didn't remember any green-skinned students enrolled.
"All right. Are you a student-"
"Actually, I'm Elphaba Thropp. I'm here about the new teaching position." She said quickly, pulling a resume out of her bag and going to the desk. The woman looked at her hand, before nodding to the door.
"Go in." The young woman withdrew her hand, and turned to the door, squared her shoulders, and moved toward it, knocking softly.
"Come in." At the sound of the gruff voice, she turned the knob and entered. An older, white-haired gentleman with wire-rim glasses sat behind the desk. Quickly, she slipped inside.
"Um, excuse me? Sir?" He looked up, seeing the green-skinned young woman standing in front of him.
"Yes? Can I help you with something?" She nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"I... I... I'm the... the... My name is Elphaba Thropp. I'm here about the teaching.... position....." He stared at her minute, trying to understand what she'd muttered under her breath, before finally getting it.
"Oh that's right! Ms Thropp! I'm sorry. I didn't realize it was you. It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Mr. Diggs." They shook hands, before she took a seat. "Now, Ms. Thropp, I understand you're....."
**
Glinda Upland rolled her eyes and tossed her head, her blonde curls falling about her face. She listened to her friends chatter, and absent-mindedly popped her gum.
"Who do you think the new teacher is?" Milla asked. Glinda shrugged.
"Probably some old witch with white hair and hearing aids that likes to-"
The door opened, and a young woman entered, closing the door softly behind her, as every head turned in her direction. She leaned against it, trying to appear invisible, to no avail. After a moment, she straightened, and walked to the front of the classroom, every eye following her every move. She turned to stare at her students, and set her tote bag on the table in front of the whiteboard, before clearing her throat.
"Hello, class." She swallowed the lump in her throat, as she glanced around at the students. "I'm Ms. Thropp." It was a long moment before anyone spoke. When they did, it was a young girl with short red hair in the middle of the room.
"You're the new History teacher?" She asked, shocked. Elphaba nodded.
"Yes. And I'm also your homeroom advisor. Now," She took out a roll sheet and pen, and handed it to the student at the far left front of the room. "If you would all please write your names down, and then we can get to know each other." She then perched on the table, watching as they passed the sheet around and signed it.
"How about we get to know you?" The same redhead replied. She thought a moment.
"What do you want to know?"
"Aren't you a little young to be teaching a History class? How old are you anyway?" A brunette in the front asked.
"First off, no, I'm not too young, I have a Masters in History. And second, I'm not that young. I'm only twenty-three. I got my Masters last year, not long before graduation. Um.... I went to Emerald University, and graduated Valedictorian, with a Major in History..... I'm of Munchkin descent.... I'm the oldest daughter of the former Munchkinland govenor...." She stopped, suddenly aware of the fact that they were all staring at her like she was a loon. "Yes, well, that's enough about me. Tell me about yourselves."
Dead. Silent.
The only other way to explain it, would be to say that even the world stopped spinning momentarily. She waited a moment, but when no one responded, she hopped off the desk, and retrieved the roll sheet that had finished going around. Setting it on the table, she read through it quickly, before looking up.
"So, shall we--" Before she could get any further, the bell rang, and the students fled from the room. Emotionally exhausted in the short span of an hour, she grabbed her tote, and went to her desk, dropping her tote bag on the desktop and collapsing in the chair, before dropping her head on her arms. She didn't hear the person enter her classroom.
"The first day's always tough. Don't worry, you'll get through it."
"I doubt it." She replied, words muffled. He chuckled softly.
"You'll do fine. They're more scared of you than you are of them." He patted her shoulder, and headed to the door near her desk. "If you need anything, let me know. I'm right down the hall." She nodded. He chuckled again, and left. She stayed that way for several more minutes, before sitting up to the sound of the door opening; slowly, students began shuffling in.
However, Elphaba's eyes weren't on the new students coming into the class.
They were shifting around the room, searching for her mystery advisor.