Summary: Lisa Snart has been called in to deal with yet another problem at school caused by her younger brother, Lenny. She's about to meet his third grade teacher, Mr. Ramon...
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to DC Comics and Greg Berlanti. This incarnation belongs to me. I'm making no money off of this.
Lisa Snart trudged into Lenny's school, General Eiling Elementary, still wearing her uniform from work, a button-up white blouse and light blue pencil skirt, her apron wadded up in her purse. The shoes she wore for work were killing her. She'd only just gotten off her shift when she'd gotten the call that Lenny was in trouble. Again.
As much as Lisa desperately wanted her brother not tend up like their dad, it's was becoming increasingly more difficult to hope for that.
It wasn't even Lenny's fault. He'd always been a bit small, and other kids liked to pick on him. And he wasn't going to just lie down and take it, so he got into fights.
The fact that the one kid who stuck up for him, Mick Rory, joined in the fray every single time didn't help matters. The boys drove her crazy. The one saving grace for them is that this was the first time it happened this year, so she hoped his new teacher would be lenient.
She'd yet to meet Mr. Ramon, but it was only a matter of time. She'd had to become very familiar with both his first and second grade teachers, and she just knew this would be a pattern.
Hopefully, the man was far more understanding than Ms. Waller. She didn't know why that woman was teaching first grade, but she was obviously in the wrong line of work. She was better suited for something more... militaristic.
She walked the halls, finding the third grade wing after getting a little lost. She'd had to work when Lenny had back-to-school night, so while she was familiar with the layout in some parts of the school. Lenny's new class was a little harder to locate.
But, finally, she found the room, with big, bright letters proclaiming it to belong to 'Mr. Ramon'. There were all kinds of little gadgets and funny figures all around the room, some cartoon characters, some not. Sitting right outside of it was her brother, looking sulky and defiant. Like always.
Sighing inwardly, she walked forward and knelt down in front of Lenny. "Hey, bud," she said.
He gave a nod, still not looking at her. "Hey."
"Back here again," she said, taking his hands. "When do we get to stop doing this, huh?"
He shrugged, as if he had to real answer. Which, he probably didn't.
"Where's your teacher?" She asked, feeling as if they'd had this conversation a million times. Maybe it hadn't been a million, but it certainly could have been, for how much time she'd spent at the school for her brother's sake.
She heard running footsteps behind her. "Sorry I'm late, had to take care of some business elsewhere." Lisa stood and turned to face the owner of the voice. It was a young man, about her age, and as his name suggested, he was Latino. He had on khaki slacks and a white button-down with a maroon vest on over it. He had on glasses and his dark hair was back in a ponytail. In her heels, she towered over him about two or three inches. He looked up as he put out his hand. "Hi, I'm..." He stopped, staring for a minute, then cleared his throat and tried again. "I'm Cisco Roman, I'm Leonard's teacher."
Lisa ignored both his reaction and Lenny's quiet moan at the use of his full first name. She was used to getting that reaction from men, and she knew her brother hated his name. "I'm Lisa Snart, Lenny's sister and legal guardian." She always tacked that on, because otherwise people asked where her father was, and at 24, she felt that she no longer needed her father for anything.
Particularly since he was in prison.
Mr. Ramon smiled. "Leonard has told me so much about you."
That smile... Lisa felt a thrill all the way down to her toes. It transformed his face, taking over half of it in transparent joy. She couldn't help smiling back. "Lenny actually talks about you, so I *know* he likes you." Lenny wasn't a big fan of school, in general, but he genuinely seemed to like Mr. Ramon, which was not typical for how he usually was about his teachers.
The laugh was even better than the smile. "That's good to know," he said. Then he nodded into the classroom. "I've already finished with Mick Rory's parents, so if you'll just come in, we can get this sorted out."
Lisa nodded, nudging Lenny before her brother would move, the boy grumbling the whole way. Which was normal, so she just ignored it.
It was the typical meeting. Lenny got picked on, he responded, then so did Mick, and now all the kids were in trouble. But most specifically Lenny and Mick, because they'd thrown the first punches.
"I do have a suggestion," said Mr. Ramon, going through same paperwork on his desk.
"And what's that?" She asked, nudging Lenny to sit up straight.
"Well, Lenny's grades are some of the best in the class, but he tends to get bored easily." In response to that, Lisa nodded. Her brother was probably a genius, she just never had the money to get him tested. "I was thinking we could move him into the advanced group. They're still in with the rest of the class, they just get some more advanced coursework and will sometimes sit apart from the rest of the class. It could lead to getting into similar programs even going into middle and high school, facilitating perhaps his entry into college later on."
Lisa had sudden visions of Lenny graduating valedictorian and going to some Ivy League school and getting.a degree, going places she could only dream of, visions that had her nodding... only to see Lenny vehemently shaking his head, looking as stubborn as only he could look. If there was one thing he'd gotten from their father, it was an iron will rivaled by none.
"No!" He said, his arms crossed, his chin jutting out.
Lisa turned to look at him, stunned. "But Lenny!" She said, one hand on the back of his chair, the other holding her purse in her lap, "Think about it! You won't be so bored, and you can get away from all kids that are bugging you half the time."
Again, he shook his head.
"Why?" She asked. Well, maybe she was demanding to know. But it didn't make any sense. "Why don't you want to do this?"
Lenny looked up at her in exasperation, as if he couldn't believe he had to spell it out for her. "Mick," he said succinctly.
Lisa felt her heart sink.
Of course.
Mick would never receive the invitation just given to Lenny.
He wasn't stupid, just... slow.
Certainly not on Lenny's level.
If Lenny went into the advanced group, he wouldn't be sitting with Mick, the one person in the class, aside from the teacher, who seemed to care about him.
"I know you don't like him," her brother told her, his look taking on a beseeching that she couldn't ignore,"but he's my friend. Besides," he made a different face then, one of disgust, sticking out his tongue, "most of the kids in that group are stuck up nerds."
Lisa did her best to hold back the giggle that brought forth. She looked at Mr. Ramon, who was trying to appear sympathetic, though was clearly having to bite his own tongue, the corners of his mouth twitching. "Perish the thought," she said, her fingers playing with her brother's hair at the nape of his neck.
Mr. Ramon cleared his throat. "Well, we can still have him do the coursework, perhaps as homework, and he can turn it in separately. I really feel he would benefit from participating at least that much."
Lisa nodded, looking down at her brother. "What do you think? Sound fair?"
Lenny thought about it, then shrugged. "I guess," he said. The way he said it made her think it was more than okay. He was simply trying to play it off, not get too excited. As if it wasn't 'cool' to get excited about school stuff. When she gave him a hug, he protested. "Lise! Not at school!"
She laughed. "Sorry, forgot my boundaries," she teased, leaning back in her chair. Then she looked back at Mr. Ramon, who was smiling again, putting her in a good mood. But then she remembered. "We still have a problem," she said.
The teacher nodded. "I'm talking to other parents later this week. The problem I'm having is that, aside from isolating the boys, I have no way to control the interaction aside from warnings, and I can't be around all the time to watch them."
Lisa sighed. That was pretty much the best she could hope for. "Okay."
Mr. Ramon nodded. "So, I'll see what I can do about that, and make sure Lenny gets the coursework for the advanced group. Sound good?"
Lisa nodded. At last, it felt like things were progressing with her brother. "Sounds good to me." She looked down at her brother. "You okay with that, Lenny?"
Lenny nodded, then, after prodding from Lisa, he lifted his head. "Yes." He added, a little more quietly, "Thank you, Mr. Ramon."
His sincerity proved to Lisa that he liked Mr. Ramon. Not much pulled that from him, and even with the things that did, it wasn't very often. She nudged the middle of his back. "Go get your stuff, bud."
Her brother got up and went to do as he was told. Lisa stood up and so did Mr. Ramon. "Thank you," she said, putting out her hand for him. "I really appreciate everything you've done for him."
The teacher took her hand, and she felt a shock go through her at the contact. He seemed to feel it, too, taking a moment to respond. "Of course. I-I would do anything for my students."
Lisa nodded, and they reluctantly let go. She smiled at him. "Thank you," she said. "This is the best experience I've had yet with Lenny's teachers." She felt awkward, which didn't normally happen with men. She knew how to handle them. She had to. She had Lenny to think about. But Mr. Ramon wasn't like any man she'd known.
She was used to men who were only really after one thing. Being a waitress, and alone, she attracted, and knew she attracted, predators. There were those that only wanted her body. There had even been one that had been after Lenny. She'd only left the laundry room for a minute...
She shuddered. The man had thought she'd be gone far longer, and she'd come before anything could happen to her brother, but to this day, he wouldn't go back into that room. Not that she could blame him.
So, when the teacher cleared his throat, she knew what he was going to ask. She could feel it.
"I hope you don't think I'm being too forward," Mr. Ramon said, "but... are you seeing anyone?"
She gave him a wry smile. "I don't usually date," she told him. It was time for her line. Her go-to whenver anyone asked. It was for the best, really. For everyone. "Dating... it's not fun, anymore. These days, it's less about me," she looked at her brother, fiddling with one of the little figures around the room, a small robot by the looks of it, attached to a small box with a gun in it's hand, "and more about him. It's... hard to explain." She looked back at the teacher. "It feels like less of a date and more like... a job interview. Like I'm looking for a dad for Lenny. So even if I like the guy," she shook her head, "I always have to think about if he's good enough for Lenny. Most of the time, the answer is no."
Mr. Ramon took a step towards her. He wasn't trying to intimidate. He was too small and unassuming for that to work, anyway. No, more it seemed like he wanted to know more, and maybe getting closer to her would help. "And when it's yes?" he asked.
Lisa had a feeling, with this man, that might be the case. But... "I haven't really been proven right on that score, before," she told him. "I guess I've stopped trying." Not for anything would she reveal what almost happened to Lenny. Not only would that be bad for her brother, but if the wrong person heard, and reported it... she could lose him. And that was the very last thing in the world that she wanted.
"I see," he said, looking down. She could tell he was disappointed. Maybe a little frustrated. She knew she was being difficult, but... she couldn't help it. She loved her brother. If that meant sacrificing her love life, so be it. Finally, he looked back up at her, that smile back on his face, though it didn't reach his eyes like it did before. "Well," he said, "if you decide you're accepting resumes again," she laughed, "feel free to let me know."
Smiling again, she felt she could agree to that. "Okay," she said. "Deal." Then there was a small noise off to the side, and they both looked at Lenny.
He was still in front of the figure. He got it to work, somehow, she supposed, because now there was white mist coming from the gun. Lenny put his finger in it and pulled it back, his smile satisfied. "Cold," he said.
Both adults went over to where he was, and Mr. Ramon took a closer look at the robot. "Wow," he said, "he got Captain Cold working!"
Lisa laughed again. "Captain Cold?" she asked, incredulous. It was cute, in a nerdy kind of way.
"Oh, Lise, it's so cool!" her brother enthused. "See, the little box has some dry ice, and a little dripper with a supply of water. When the water drips down, the mist comes out of the gun." True to his word, the mist seemed to come out in puffs. "Only it jammed up during class, so Mr. Ramon couldn't use it. But I found the kink in the hose. It was too long."
"He's right," said the teacher, chuckling. "Though I'll have to bring in more dry ice tomorrow, this should work for the lesson tomorrow." He put out his hand. "Good job there, Leonard! That was a big help!"
Lenny seemed to flush a bit, unused to praise from a teacher, Lisa knew. "Thank you, Mr. Ramon." he said, shaking his hand. "Just seemed like I knew what the problem was." Again with the shrugging. Lenny wasn't modest, far from it. He just didn't like to be singled out. A relic from living with their father.
She was doing her best to rid him of that. She put her hand on his back. "You did great. Grab your bag," she said. He did so and she turned putting out her hand for the teacher once more. "Thank you, again. You don't know what this means to me."
Mr. Ramon returned the gesture, and the spark was still as strong as before. But she was ready for it, this time. "No trouble. Like I said, I'd do anything for my students." His next smile looked more genuine. "And I meant the other thing. My offer still stands."
Lisa smiled back. "I'll remember." she said. "Have a good day, Mr. Ramon."
"You, too, Ms. Snart." There was a little wistfulness in his tone.
As they left, she couldn't help but wonder if she couldn't maybe have given him more of a shot. But she mentally shook her head. It was for the best.
"What did he mean, 'the other thing'?" Lenny asked.
"Grown up stuff," she told him, escorting him to their car. It was second-hand, but it ran and had all it's seatbelts. That was all she cared about. Even if the red looked more rust by the day.
He asked you out, didn't he?" Lenny asked as he climbed into the passenger seat, tossing his backback into the back.
Lisa gave him a look. "So what if he did?" she asked, fitting him with the seatbelt. She'd gotten one of those seatbelt adjusters that fit over the belt, so that her brother didn't get strangled with it every time he got into the car. She just had to fiddle with it to make it work. "What's it to you?"
Again, another patented Lenny shrug. With a sigh, she shut his door and went around the car, getting in on the other side. As she started the car, he spoke again. "He's cool. You know, for a geek."
Lisa laughed. "I like him better than your other teachers," she conceded, moving to get out of the parking lot. "He's nice."
Lenny nodded. "Good," he said, looking out the window.
Lisa pulled out into traffic, letting a few minutes go by before she gave voice to her suspicions. "Lenny?" she asked.
"Yeah?"
"Are you... trying to play matchmaker? Between me and your teacher, I mean?"
The Shrug was now accompanied by a blush. "Maybe," he mumbled, moving as if to disappear into his seat.
Lisa sighed. "Lenny. You know better."
"I know you don't date," he said. "And I know why. Just... I thought you'd like him. He's really nice, and you guys are both the same kind of old."
Lisa snorted. Any adult, to her brother, was 'old'. Then... she paused, stopping for a red light. She looked at Lenny. "Len? Did you get in trouble so I'd have to meet your teacher?"
He gave his own snort. "What? No! I wouldn't do that!" Another pause, then... The Shrug. "They were bugging me. I defended myself. Like normal."
Lisa wasn't so sure about that. Like Mr. Ramon had said, Lenny was one of the smartest kids in the class. If he thought getting in trouble meant Lisa would meet his teacher...
She sighed, but let it slide. She had to admit, it wasn't the strangest thing he'd done.
She just hated to disappoint him.
Good things never happened to them.
She was better off forgetting about Mr. Francisco Ramon.