THE INTERLAC TEACHER

I thought love was only true in Fairytales,

Meant for someone else, but not for me…

"THAT'S IT!!!! I GIVE UP!!!!!" A shrill female voice screamed, echoing over the Legion's headquarters. A tightly wound old woman stomped out the door, her suitcase barely closed from hasty packing of learning materials. Cosmic Boy ran out behind her, trying to halt her.

"Ma'am! Please keep trying! I know he'll learn eventually!!!" He pleaded, pulling on her arm.

"There's NO WAY that dunce will ever learn a word of Interlac!!" She shook him off and hailed a taxi, which she quickly slammed the door of.

Cosmic Boy stood out in the street and sighed; "That's the 8th teacher this month!" He went back into the building and flopped down on the couch. Across from him sat Chameleon Boy, confused at why his teacher got so mad, needing an explanation. The Invisible Kid came up and started jabbering to him in his actual language of Durlanese. He lowered his head in shame and went up to the stairs to his quarters.

Apparition was watching and sat down next to Cos; "We need to find Cham a teacher, Lyle can't keep translating forever."

He lifted his head up from the couch to talk, "I KNOW...But everyone we hire either can't stand the fact he's a Durlan or that he just can't understand what they're trying to teach him..." He said exasperated, and then burying his head back into the couch cushion.

"Maybe it's time for a newspaper ad?" She suggested, patting his head.

He turned his head, "I'll try anything at this point..."

Soon enough, Mr. Brande sent out an Ad for anyone who could teach Interlac to a very stubborn student. They got a few results, mostly old ladies who despised Durlans, a few thugs just looking to make a buck, but at the end of the day, no one was good enough to teach their friend.

Cos held his head in his hands as the last applicant left the room; "It's hopeless!"

"Guess we'll just have to teach him again..." Triad sighed, scratching her face.

"A'gin?" Cham asked, sitting next to her.

Lyle quickly translated and he sighed too, his fellow teammates weren't as patient with him just like anyone else was. A knock was heard on the door, and Cos sighed, "Go away! We're done for today!"

A young female voice was heard, "Please? I really need the money!" she begged.

Triad patted Cham's back and said "Fine, just make it quick!"

The door opened and a human teenage girl entered, looking a little worn from waiting. She had natural black hair on one side with ruby red on the other side, half her hair was long and in a braid while the red half was short and straight. She had bright green eyes, a mint turtleneck, loose black pants, two violet bracelets, and violet trench coat.

Invisible Kid started off, "What's your name and occupation?"

"Tulia DeCarte, soon to be teacher."

"No, before now, what'd you do for a living?"

"I'm an artist. But I like to pass on knowledge. Who's the student?"

Triad patted Chameleon Boy on the back, "Cham here doesn't speak Interlac; do you think you can teach him?"

Tulia's face didn't writhe in disgust, it didn't smirk in racism against such a sneaky creature; her lips merely turned upward into a sweet slight smile. "I think I can, he looks diligent." Her eyes didn't change from their determined gaze; she was the one.

Cham saw all of this and whispered to Lyle; " Yes, this one is nice; she is good, I can tell. "

Lyle relayed his words to Cos and he practically jumped for joy, He jumped over the table to shake her hand and to give her a hug, "You're hired, lady!!!"

"Wow, you guys are affectionate dudes, ain't cha?!" She laughed, prying Cos off her.

It was Sunday when Tulia came over to the headquarters for Cham's first lesson. She brought 3 children's books, 3 junior level books, 3 teenage books, and 3 adult books; a laptop, a bag with her lunch, a dictionary and thesaurus, and a few flash cards she made herself.

She opened the swinging door to the greenhouse on the roof with her butt and clutched the stack of books up against her chin.

She set them down on a stone bench and looked around. Where was her student? She went to a communicator near the door and called Cosmic Boy.

"Hey, Cos; where might Chameleon Boy be?"

His voice came in over the speaker, "In the classroom, waiting for you, where else? Ms. DeCarte, where are you?" He asked.

"Um, please tell him to come to the greenhouse on the roof, okay? It's too nice a day to be stuck indoors."

"Okay, he will be there in a few minutes, hold tight." the communicator clicked off and she found herself alone for a minute.

But the moment was soon fleeting, for Chameleon was running up the stairs quite noisily, trying not to be late. He opened the door and tried to catch his breath and act cool. She snickered and patted the seat next to her. He sat down and she opened the 1st book, a children's picture book.

"Okay, for today I'm going to teach you to connect pictures and words." She said simply. He stared blankly back at her, and then she realized it all over again. He didn't understand one word, and he wouldn't until she showed him how.

"O.K..." She thought for a minute. She took out the flash cards and showed him a picture of a man; "Man."

"Mahn."

"Right!" The next card was a woman, "Woman.

"Woomahn"

"Good, Man and wife." A married couple.

"Mahn and Woomahn."

"No, Man and Wife."

"Woomahn." He pointed to the wife

"Yes, but woman and man together" she made a hand clasp with him, "Man and Wife" pointed to each of them respectfully.

"Separate" she showily unhanded his hand to show him, "Man and Woman."

His face lit up when he finally got it, "Woomahn!" He pointed to her and then to himself, "Mahn!"

She smiled, "Yes! You have it now!"

The day progressed like that, the greenhouse provided many props to tell him what was what, and what did what. He learned quickly, to Tulia's surprise; it made her think that all he needed was someone patient enough to stick around to make sure he would understand. He asked questions; she liked that, he WANTED to know. It wasn't him, it was the teachers.

They had moved to under an oak tree, and she decided to quiz him, "What is this?" She pointed to the tree.

"Trhee."

"What kind?"

"Oahk."

"What's on it?"

"Leehves."

"Good. What am I?" she gestured to herself.

"Girlfriend."

"No, I'm not your girlfriend; what am I?"

"Wife!!"

"Ahh, no; so close. I'm a woman."

"Woman...My...woman." He said holding her hand in his orange ones, looking intensely into her deep emerald eyes with his own green ones…

She blushed and patted his head, "Nice try, lover boy. But I don't want a boyfriend right now."

"Rhight now Rhight now?" he mimicked sadly.

She sighed and put away her flash cards and gave them to him, "Be careful with these." She placed them firmly in his hands; "Study." She mimicked turning over the cards in her hand over and over again.

"Study good, Learn good?"

She nodded, "Yes, I must leave now, but I'll be back next Sunday; study lots.' she signed and picked up her books.

He helped her to her to the parking lot. Her ride was a hovercycle with a big trunk which they loaded the books into. Except for one, which she gave to him to try to read. It was not like a normal compu-text like most books he had seen. It was paper and cardboard, a most unusual way to make a book.

She got on her bike and was about to drive off when he caught her arm; "You...help me learhn... ghood." He said confidently, "No one... other teach right...Thank you." He leaned over and hugged her in a strong embrace.

"Show friends what you learn today." She said, fragmented so he could understand.

He nodded and ran off to the building and she smiled, driving off.