Alice's POV
"NO!" I yelled and my siblings looked at me. We were standing in the parking lot of the school waiting for Bella to come to school when I had yelled.
"What is it Alice?" Jasper asked worriedly.
"E-Esme...coming...here..."
"OH NO!" Everyone yelled. Here we go again...
It was the day after Carlisle had come to our school and been the substitute teacher that we never thought he would be and now Esme was coming to help out. It seems that the teachers in this school really don't like us and now the school is sending out distress calls to anyone who will take them. Next time we move I am demanding private schooling.
"So Alice what do you see happening today?" Jasper asked.
"Um...nothing yet Esme's decided to wait in her car until we're heading to homeroom. She obviously wants to play this right."
"Is Esme worse than Carlisle?" Bella questioned.
"Worse? Oh she's not worse she's...absolutely evil compared to Carlisle. Carlisle actually didn't do too bad yesterday it is Esme that you should be worried about. She is strict and I mean really strict so if you can help it try not to do anything that might get you kicked out of the family." Emmett suggested.
"...oh God."
That's when the bell rang and we all rushed to homeroom it's obvious we're going to have to be PERFECT if we ever want to set foot in our house again...
Esme's POV
I walked into Forks High School with my head held high. They are just teenagers; I can handle it. It's no big deal. I kept telling myself. Besides I had some experience under my belt compared to Carlisle and that brought me to question why they called him instead of me. As if Carlisle really knows how to teach children. He might be the one with teacher training under his belt but I'm the one that has stayed home to raise children on my own for the past hundred years.
The reception lady did a double take when she saw me, she must have remembered yesterday. I smiled politely waiting to get my timetable. When I got it I couldn't be more pleased: Chemistry with Emmett and Edward, History with Jasper and Rosalie, Spanish with Alice and Bella, Wood Shop with Bella and Edward and Music with everyone at the end of the day. Well then, looks like I have my hands full. Carlisle had about the same thing so it'll be interesting to see who can handle the kids better. Even though I already knew the answer to that.
(***)
Last night when everyone was sent to their rooms as punishment for ditching school, Carlisle and I had a little talk about how he should react when the children are missing from school. Clearly he thought that it was right to call the FBI when a child goes missing but he took it back once I informed him your child had to be missing for at least 24 hours before you do so.
And then he said the words that changed my plans for the day ahead. "Yeah? Well I bet that you couldn't do a better job."
"Oh really?" I challenged. "You do know these kids are more scared of me than they are of you. I know how to keep them under control."
"Well then it'll be easy right? See how you do because I guarantee it'll be crazy."
"What does the winner get?"
"Whatever they want. We're vampires we have mostly everything and you have your own island what more could you want?"
"A better home on that island. Maybe we could spruce it up after the last time Emmett and Rosalie were there. It's still in rubble." I shook my head, the thought of Rosalie and Emmett tearing up my summer home was not a pretty thought. It was even worse when they tried to tell me about it.
"And if I win and prove these children are evil?"
"Then you get whatever you want. Think about it hard because I know after I win you'll never get it."
"You're on!" We shook hands and I waited happily for the next day.
(***)
As I walked down the hall to get to the Chemistry lab I could feel everyone staring at me; as I walked through the students they parted like the Red Sea. Either they heard about my visit yesterday or I looked good. Maybe it was both but I didn't care.
Once inside the classroom I sat down to see what I had to teach. For one thing, I didn't know anything about what was written on the page. Things really have changed a lot since the last time I was in a school building. I don't know anything about chemicals or experiments or any of that stuff. But at the bottom of the note it said: don't worry the students know what to do. Oh that was reassuring.
"Okay," I took a deep breath and removed my jacket. Everyone was talking and laughing, while they were I checked the seating chart. I want them to learn something today and they do that by sitting with the people they hate. "Alright back to your normal seats." Everyone groaned but did it anyway. I wonder if word had gotten out about my predatory glare.
"Hello, I'm Esme Cullen, your Chemistry teacher today. You can call me 'Esme' or 'Mrs Cullen' but never 'Mrs', 'Cullen', 'you' or anything else." I spoke as the class settled down. "Now I understand you have to be doing an experiment of some sort?" I took another look at the instruction sheet.
"Yes...Esme," Edward confirmed. "We have to figure out this: A mixture of morphine (C17 H19 NO3) and an inert solid is analyzed by combustion with oxygen. The unbalanced equation C17 H19 NO3 + O2 - CO2 + H2O + NO2. The inert solid does not react with oxygen. If 4.0 g of the mixture yields 8.72 g of CO2, calculate the percent morphine and mass in the mixture in class today."
"And you know how to do...that?" I asked. I don't think they did but they said they did anyway. "Okay then I guess I can leave you to it."
Everyone started to get up and move around. I looked around the teacher's desk hoping to find something that I could use to know what the pupils were actually doing but no luck. So I just sat at the desk looking around.
Edward's POV
"She looks lost." Emmett noted grabbing random equipment and setting it down on the desk. I had already done the experiment last week and got an answer and I helped Emmett because I knew he'd do something stupid if I didn't. I'm sure Esme wouldn't appreciate another accident happening today like the 'smoothie fiasco' yesterday in Home Economics with Emmett and Carlisle.
"Yep and so did you when the teacher tried to explain that water was colourless and not clear. Now look like you're doing something. I am going to write my English paper." I took out a file page and started writing out my essay. I was going to do it last night but Bella came over...and no work gets done when Bella comes over.
"The one about what you would do if you could live forever? Dude I got that one down." Emmett winked.
"Yeah...because nothing says living forever like smashing houses while making love to your wife..."
"I didn't write that! I made it up like if I never met you guys or Rose...it's pretty good actually."
"Whatever,"
As the lesson progressed and I tried to think of how I could describe being with Bella forever without sounding like a total dork, Emmett was carrying out random experiments I was keeping an eye on him to make sure he didn't explode the lab like he did a few weeks back but even I couldn't stop what happened next.
Because I wasn't helping Emmett as much as he had wanted me to, he decided to go work away from me, which was fine, he moved next to Jessica and Mike who were close to Esme so she could keep an eye on him while I worked on my paper.
Emmett's POV
"Hey Emmett are you finished?" Mike asked.
"Yeah Eddie and I finished last day." I gloated. Edward always helped me when he was in my class because if he didn't then I wouldn't shut up and he hated that. Plus Chemistry wasn't always my favourite subject.
"So could you like help us?" Jessica asked sounding helpless. "I was totally never meant for Chem I mean I could be a model right now but no because my parents, like, totally told me I'd, like, never be a model until I'd passed at least, like, one of my school subjects."
"Yeah sure thing," I looked around nervously and picked up two chemicals trying to look like I knew what I was doing. All these beakers looked the same to me.
"Wow, Emmett do you really wanna mix sodium and potassium?" Mike protested.
"Relax dude. Who finished before everyone else?" I asked; pouring both chemicals into a beaker.
*BOOM*
"My bad!" I yelled.
I looked around there was a lot of rubble around the room where desks and chairs used to be and there was blackness everywhere. The windows were smashed and everyone was on the floor. Oops.
Esme's POV
EMMETT! I looked around at the damage. Oh God. I took a compact mirror out to check how I looked. Covered in soot. That's nice.
That's when the other classes on this floor rushed to see what had happened. I got up to try to explain the situation but I could already sense the disapproval coming off of the other teachers.
"I am so sorry about the lab. I didn't know what was going on because I am just a sub. I didn't know what they were doing!" I rambled. So much for trying to keep my cool.
"It's okay we need the nurse to come to make sure no students were badly injured. And this room is out of limits for the rest of the month until we can get it cleaned up." One of the teachers replied. That was when the 'nurse' came in carrying a first aid kit.
"Carlisle?" I tried to rub the soot off of my face.
"Yes it's me. Covering for the school nurse today." Carlisle smiled. I knew he was here today just to see how I was holding up.
"That's good I was worried we'd have to send some children to the hospital." I was looking around the room trying to find Emmett and Edward.
"Alright everyone who thinks their injured follow me we should go somewhere clean for you to be examined properly." Carlisle ordered the children out. "Everyone else should clean up and get to your next class."
Emmett tried to sneak out with the people who were injured but I got him by the back of his shirt.
"Not so fast," I hissed. "I am taking you to the principal's office and you can tell him what you did."
Edward smirked and I caught him too. "And you, why weren't you looking out for your brother? You know he's not the smartest!"
"Hey don't yell at me! I was working on something else and he was supposed to sit and do nothing. But no he had to show off. How many times do I have to say that no matter what Emmett does he's still Emmett and that means no matter how many people are watching him he'll still mess it up somehow?" Edward sighed.
"Okay well I guess I'll let you off but when we get home you're both in trouble because both of you are involved. If anything you should have been preventing him from moving out of his seat and Emmett, you should know better." I let Edward go so he could get cleaned up but brought him back a second later. "Run home and change I can't have you walking around like that while I'm here."
"Yes Mrs Cullen," Edward smiled bleakly and walked off.
Edward's POV
"Hey Edward wait up!" Emmett ran up beside me. Ugh I had had enough of him already and it's only the end of first period.
"Why? So I can get yelled at again? Esme said were in trouble." We were home now and I was looking for a clean shirt.
"Aw come on it wasn't that bad! Besides I can now cross off 'create explosion' from my bucket list." Emmett said throwing his shirt in the basket and throwing on an old Tennessee football jersey.
"Great. What else do you have on a bucket list that never ends because you won't die?" I went into the bathroom to wash my face and hair.
"That's not true! I might die! You don't know what the future holds! Unless you have a new power the rest of us don't know about."
"This discussion is over I have to get to Physics and meet Bella."
"But I haven't washed up yet!"
"Too bad!" I was already on the outskirts of the forest and running back to school.
Esme's POV
After explaining to the principal what had happened and cleaning up and changing into my emergency outfit in the teachers toilets I went to my next class. I was a little late but I hoped they wouldn't mind.
I sat down and looked around for instructions on what to do. It was a History class and they were learning about the past - obviously. But my version of historic events might be a tad different because I have lived through quite a lot of events in my lifetime.
"Okay so can someone tell me what you have been learning about?" I asked giving up when I saw no sign of a note.
"We've just been learning about world war one and two. It's really easy." Rosalie answered.
"Which war are you doing now?"
"The second one." Jasper replied.
Well thank God my children pay attention in this class as everyone else seems to be a bit brain dead.
"Okay so what do we know about the Second World War?" I questioned seeming interested.
"Everything there is to know. This schools funding isn't the best so we've been learning a lot of the same stuff we learnt last year." Rosalie complained.
This school needs to raise more fundraisers or something. The budget is terrible. Then there was a knock at the door.
"Come in,"
"Hello Esme," Carlisle came in and handed me some papers. "You need to fill these in for the students who were sent to hospital with an injury."
I looked at the huge forms. Now I know where all the funding for this school went. "Okay thanks Carlisle. I'll return them to the office later."
"Sure thing," Carlisle walked out.
"Well it looks like I have some forms to fill in, so while I do this get on with some revision because I am going to quiz you when I'm finished. Oh and don't underestimate my form filling skills I will be done before you've even read the first page." I smiled and took the cap off of my pen.
It wasn't long before I was filling in the last page of the last form and I was getting tired of writing the same thing over and over again. I realised I should have just photocopied one of the forms with what I had written only leaving the name line blank so that's all I had to write. But it was too late for that now and I was glad that my hand didn't cramp up like it would have if I was human.
"Okay so I think I'll just quiz you on what you've been learning because if I decided to come out with random questions you'd be unprepared and that's not what a good teacher does." I looked around for a sheet of paper with questions there weren't any so I had to make them up.
After a while I realised the only people who were giving me answers were Jasper and Rosalie and I began to wonder if it's because they actually were around when the war was going on or if the pupils in this school were just lazy. I drew the conclusion it was a mixture of both.
Rosalie's POV
God could this class be any more boring? And now it's worse because Jasper and I are the only ones who know the answers to Esme's questions. It's not that I don't like being a know-it-all it's just that it's not my rep. Everyone kind of thinks I'm a dumb blonde with an attitude but after today I don't think that's what they'll be calling me. But what could I do? I was not going to let Jasper get all the attention.
At first I did. I mean I didn't want to be known for knowing everything because that's just not me but then after a while everyone was looking at him and I realised that no one was looking at me. Call me whatever you want but normally no matter what is going on in class there is always at least one guy checking me out but not today so I had to step in and compete with Jasper. I think he was glad that everyone wasn't just staring at him anymore, he's not used to the attention.
Once Esme realised that Jasper and I were the only ones answering the questions she just started to question us. She started on dates and so we just sat there and took them all. It went in the pattern that Jasper answered and then I answered and the same thing just over and over again. I didn't know what she expected of us did she think we wouldn't know this stuff? Plus I think she'd been watching the Vampire Diaries again because the questions seemed to come from when Stefan was being grilled by Mr Tanner way back in season one.
"Okay Mr and Mrs Smarty Pants let's see how you deal with this. Then the rest of the class are going to have to do some work." Esme was now sitting on the desk opposite Jasper and me staring intently. She had moved the kids who were sitting there to the front of the class. "When was the bombing of Pearl Harbour?"
"December 19th 1941," Jasper replied.
"The fall of the Berlin wall,"
"1989," I said calmly.
"Civil Rights Act,"
"1964,"
"John F. Kennedy assassination,"
"1963,"
"Martin Luther King,"
"1968,"
"Lincoln,"
"1865,"
"Row vs. Wade,"
"1954,"
"Brown vs. Borg,"
"1954,"
"The battle of Gettysburg,"
"1863,"
"Korean war,"
"1950-1953,"
"Well congratulations, you know your stuff." Esme got down off of the table and went back to her desk.
"Excuse me," Jessica said after a while.
"Yes Miss Stanley?" Esme looked up from her phone.
"Did you just take all those questions from the Vampire Diaries?" I smirked of course Jessica would know, she likes to watch the shows with all the hot guys, Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley being no exception.
"Excuse me? Are you questioning my teaching methods?"
"Yes mostly because they aren't your teaching methods."
"That'll be a one hundred word essay on why you shouldn't doubt your teacher Miss Stanley and if you groan about it once then add another zero to the one hundred."
Man Esme could be a bitch when she wanted to be. I mean I always knew she was a bitch when you pissed her off or doubted her or something but she was being a little harsh. She used to have anger management problems with us when we were newborns and I guess that she hasn't really got them under control just yet. At least she's working on it and I am thankful it's not us who are getting punished this time. The last time she punished one of us she locked us in a room for a week – I think it was Emmett – but it was just an empty room and it didn't even have a window. He was so freaked out the whole time, it was a little funny though.
Just when Esme was about to start into another round of questioning the bell rang and I was so grateful because I didn't really want to answer any more questions.
Alice's POV
"The Vampire Diaries? What was she thinking? ..." I muttered.
"What now Alice?" Bella asked. It was almost the end of Physics with Bella and Edward and I had just had a vision of Esme questioning Jasper and Rosalie.
"Nothing, turns out Esme isn't very creative when she's making up questions."
Edward smirked. "You got that right."
"Stupid telepathetic vampires." Bella sighed.
Edward and I laughed as the bell went and I started to walk to Spanish with Bella.
Earlier today Esme had already decided to speak fluent Spanish to everyone in class and I was more than prepared because we once went on a holiday to Spain and I knew the language inside and out when we left. So I knew it wouldn't be a problem with me but it didn't look good for the rest of the class.
"Alice this is going to be bad isn't it?" Bella said it wasn't even like it was a question I knew she knew it was going to be bad.
"Yes Bella but don't worry maybe I'll speak enough Spanish for the whole class." I tried to assure her as we sat at the back of the class.
"¡Hola! ¡Mi nombre es Esme Cullen y yo seré vuestro maestro sustituto para el día! ¡Estoy muy feliz de estar aquí hoy y espero que todos ustedes están listos para aprender algunos graves español!" Esme burst into the classroom with. She just told us she'd be our sub today and she hopes will learn a lot of Spanish. And then she went on to explain that even if we didn't understand what she was saying she was not going to speak in English because this was a Spanish class, therefore she was going to speak Spanish.
"¿Pero la señora Cullen muchos de estos estudiantes están aprendiendo español por primera vez, tal vez sólo podía enseñarles algunas frases sencillas?" I was trying to get Esme to understand not everyone speaks fluent Spanish and it'd be easier to teach us simple Spanish phrases instead of getting us to learn a language in a day.
"¿Oh Alice no te das cuenta de que estos estudiantes necesitan para aprender sobre la marcha? Quiero decir que es lo que el aprendizaje de un idioma se trata." She replied saying it's better for us to learn by doing because that's what learning languages are about.
"Si usted insiste, al menos tratar de dar a los estudiantes un descanso que es humano después de todo." I finally said that whatever she does she should just go easy on the pupils because they're only human.
"Alice Entiendo su preocupación, pero hasta ahora en esta escuela no han sido la enseñanza en todos y por eso quiero que todos puedan aprender al menos una cosa cuando están conmigo. Si puedo hacer eso, entonces yo puedo cumplir mi necesidad y no volver aquí de nuevo." I sighed, Esme said that if she can teach everyone at least one thing today then she'll fulfil her purpose here and never come back. I just hope she's not lying because I am sick of these substitutes.
Bella's POV
It's not every day you get to watch a mother-daughter conversation take place in Spanish. I think that Alice is trying to get Esme to speak in English and teach us Spanish instead of trying to make us learn it as she speaks. No matter which way she does it I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to learn it anyway. Spanish has never been my language I can barely speak English.
"De todos modos, vamos a volver a la lección. Hoy voy a hablar un poco de oraciones simples y usted tiene que entender lo que estoy diciendo. No te preocupes, va a ser fácil." Esme explained. I had no idea what she meant but then Alice passed me a note.
Esme is going to speak some simple sentences in Spanish and we have to figure out what she's saying. She said it will be easy but I don't trust her. ~ Alice xx
I smiled at the note and nodded in understanding thank God Alice was around. I decided to pass the note around to everyone so they wouldn't be completely clueless although I'm pretty sure they still would be.
"Tengo un lápiz." Esme held up a pencil.
"I have a pencil?" I guessed.
"¡Eso es bueno Bella bien hecho!" I am just going to take that as I did a good job. "Tengo un ordenador." Esme held up her laptop.
"I have a computer." Alice replied.
"¡Correcto Alice!" Esme was way too enthusiastic about this.
The rest of the lesson followed in the same way and it turned out to be really easy. I mean even some of the dumber kids managed to get it. Even Mike got one right.
By the end of the class we were all feeling pretty good about ourselves because we actually understood what Esme was saying, not like in our normal Spanish class because our Spanish teacher is Spanish and no one understands her accent.
"Clase, me siento muy orgulloso de todos ustedes. Que han demostrado excelentes habilidades de hoy en la clase y cualquier maestro estaría feliz de que usted tiene. Ahora, antes de que vaya, quiero darle una pequeña prueba, no te preocupes nada grave!" Esme smiled handing out blank sheets of paper.
She's proud of us today but before she goes she's going to give us a little test. She said not to worry that it is going to be easy but you never know with Esme. I was surprised the start of the class was so easy. ~ Alice xx
I sighed I knew there was going to be something bad about all of this. So everyone groaned internally and waited patiently for Esme to start telling us what this test was going to be about.
"Siento que es muy apropiada para hacer una prueba de ortografía. No te preocupes, esto no será calificado adecuadamente sólo quiero saber si usted puede usar el sentido común para escribir." Esme explained.
Spelling test, but don't worry she said it wouldn't be graded she just wants to test our common knowledge... ~ Alice xx
Okay so spelling I could do that...kind of. I mean my Spanish wasn't great but most of the words were kind of the same in English as they were in Spanish and I guess that's where the common knowledge kicks in. The words were:
1. Biblioteca (Library)
2. Libro (Book)
3. Mesa (Table)
4. Silla (Chair)
5. Pluma (Pen)
6. Papel (Paper)
7. Bordo (Board)
8. Profesor (Teacher)
9. Archivo contenedor (File cabinet)
10. Alumno (Pupil)
It was kind of easy for the most part but I knew Alice was so bored because she already knew everything. I don't see why she's still taking Spanish if that's the case I mean she had a choice of languages but I think it's just because she didn't intend to learn anything new this time around in high school – that or she already knew the other languages too.
"Bien hecho, una vez más la clase! Espero que os vuelva a enseñar pronto ..." Esme hesitated when she saw the look on Alice's face, I think she just said she wanted to teach here again. "O no ... de todas formas espero que le muestran el mismo entusiasmo con el profesor como lo hizo conmigo ahora usted puede ir a almorzar."
"We can go to lunch!" Alice announced and everyone rushed to leave.
Alice's POV
I really wish some pupils here would take a chance and learn a language. Trying to translate for everyone and getting the message clearly around class without Esme knowing was very hard but I think I did a good job. I am just glad that it's over and I didn't have to do it ever again.
As Bella and I met up with my siblings we all had the same look on our faces. None of us were looking forward to the rest of the day. And I could see why, I mean Esme has been having so many ideas of what we could be doing in music today and I was worried about them. Of course we were great but the humans were seriously lacking.
"Alice can you stop focusing on Esme for two seconds? Her decisions aren't helping any." Edward muttered.
"Sorry, I can't help it. So how has everyone been coping?" I asked opening a lunch box for Bella. Edward insists on packing lunch for her...especially today, we knew if we ditched like we did the last time we'd be in trouble.
"It's been okay I know that all the students fear Esme but that's to be expected." Jasper said watching pupils, making sure that Esme wasn't in the cafeteria before relaxing.
"I think the best part was when she took the questions from the Vampire Diaries in history. I just knew she stole my box set." Rosalie smirked.
"I still can't believe she did that and then I saw her punish Jessica...I am surprised she was even paying attention."
Just then Esme walked into the cafeteria and we stopped talking. It's just like her to be in our business all the time. I know she cares but she should know we need some space. That's why we agreed our parents would leave us alone when it came to school and anything we did outside the house. As long as we weren't exposing ourselves to the humans or doing something illegal they didn't need to know as far as we were concerned. Yet Esme still liked to know everything we were up to, that's why she had us all as Facebook friends. Nothing is safe from our mother and we learnt to accept that a long time ago.
"Hello kids," Esme mentioned as she passed us and went to the teachers' table.
"Do you think she heard?" Bella asked.
"Who knows? But it's not like she can do anything about it now." Edward informed her. He always talks in that matter-of-fact way and it was annoying.
"True,"
Esme's POV
Just before I went to the cafeteria I decided to call Carlisle to rub it in his face that I was a better substitute than him.
"Dr Cullen,"
"Hey Carlisle,"
"Oh Esme, how's it going?"
"Good no one has ditched school so far. Plus I think they are actually learning today. How are the kids you took to hospital?"
"They should be okay but next time keep a closer eye on Emmett."
"I'm sorry but I thought Edward had that job he's the mind reader."
"Then again Alice should have been in the class she would have seen it happen and stopped him."
"I suppose we really need a team to watch Emmett or at least educate him on what's right and what's wrong."
"Haven't we already had that conversation a hundred times over? He's just never gonna learn."
"I guess. Anyway I have to go; I'm having lunch with some of the staff. I think they might offer me a permanent position!"
"Great, won't our children love you?"
"Whatever, but it looks like I'm winning the bet! I'll have my new Island home in no time!"
"Yes well I was expecting you to get that one way or another. So how do you think wood shop will go?"
"How did you – you got Alice to fill you in..."
"Of course I did,"
"I think it'll be fine I just have to make sure Bella doesn't cut herself."
"Who do you think will come running to kill her if she does? Jasper will be on the other side of the school." Carlisle chuckled.
"Oh shut up I know it'll be uncomfortable for Edward and I even if we won't kill her."
"That's true, just go through the breathing exercises I taught you if anything does happen and remember I'm coming back to the school after lunch so if Bella does get hurt then you can bring her to me."
"That's so thoughtful of you. Anyway I have to go."
"Bye,"
I hung up the phone and heard my children talking about me. Clearly they weren't very happy about me taking up this position but I didn't know they had to talk about me behind my back. I guess no matter how hard I try I can still be a bit embarrassing. And I knew Rosalie knew that I stole those questions from the Vampire Diaries but it's the only thing I could think of.
I gave up trying to figure out how to please them all and walked into the hall saying hello as I passed.
As I sat down with the other teachers who bothered to show up to work I realised where the children got their attitudes from. These people don't care about our children so why are we still sending them here? Because it's the only high school for miles and parents find it convenient to stick their kids wherever they are learning something whether it's good or bad. I really needed to have a talk with Carlisle about private schooling.
"So you mean you don't teach these children?" I asked.
"We do but it seems only your children contribute. I think we need to find a way to motivate them." One of the English teachers suggested.
"Yes but I can understand how that might be hard because we live in such a rainy town and the weather really has an effect on some children. They need some vitamin D!"
"Esme you are so enthusiastic..." They didn't sound too thrilled about that.
"Of course I am. I want the best for my children and if they aren't getting the education they deserve to then I am going to have to get them educated elsewhere. I am sorry to drop this on you but these children really are not learning anything here. Maybe if the teachers showed the right attitudes..."
"Please like that'll help."
"I can't sit here anymore you people are just too damn depressing." I got up from the table and stormed off. I don't see why they are so negative about educating children I mean if they didn't want to be here they should walk out. I am pretty sure I could get new teachers in here who could motivate these pupils better than them.
I was walking around the school grounds until I found the wood shop classrooms and took a walk around them. They sure did a lot of projects in this class. Maybe this school promotes more active learning instead of sitting at your desk writing and learning. I mean that's fine but if they could just find a way to translate that into every subject then we'd have no problem.
Soon everyone was here for the next class and I just let them get back to whatever they were working on. It seemed like the most logical thing to do. Rather than have them start something new. Even though I would love some new shelves for the kitchen at home…
Edward's POV
"Edward do you think that Esme will be mad that you are the one doing my project?" Bella asked as we walked to class.
Bella didn't mind when I offered to do her work for her. She didn't really like wood shop but I was only really doing it for her protection. There was a lot of dangerous equipment in the wood shop rooms and I didn't want her to get injured because I knew she'd be one of the first people to hurt themselves during this class. Not that the teacher cared. As long as the right number of projects were turned in he was fine.
"Maybe she won't notice just don't worry about it Bella." I smiled.
"Just so you know if this goes horribly wrong it's your fault."
"Of course it is." I sighed. I'd come to learn that part of being a boyfriend meant taking the blame for a lot of things that weren't my fault. When I asked Emmett and Jasper about it they said I shouldn't question it and take the blame. Otherwise I wouldn't have a girlfriend for much longer. So I did.
We walked into the classroom and took out our projects. We were making boxes. Made from brass and plastic it was really easy but most of the students didn't know how to do it. I am amazed at what this school can get away with sometimes.
Bella's was almost finished it just needed to be polished.
Edward put down Bella's work and go back to your own. I jumped and nearly dropped the thing. Esme never thought directly at me, she said it was anti-social. I was so used to everyone else doing it though.
"She knows?" Bella guessed. I nodded. "Then what do I have to do?"
"Just go over there and use the polisher it's no big deal. Just keep your hands away from it."
"O-Okay..."
I watched Bella as she made her way over to the machine. I wasn't as worried as I'd normally be because there was less of a risk that Bella might get hurt. But I still had to watch her intently.
WORK EDWARD! I shot a look at Esme before returning to look at Bella. She should know by now that my work is always completed on the first day in this class because of my strength and use of speed in the corner of the classroom when no one is looking.
Bella looked over at me nervously before turning on the machine and holding the box close to it. I was ready to make a move if she ever got too close to the machine before Esme finally went over to me.
"Why aren't you working?" She demanded.
"I'm finished Esme besides I already have permission from this teacher to help Bella with her project."
"Edward would you stop being protective for just one second?"
"Why would I do that? She could get seriously hurt and it's not like I forced her to give up on wood shop she doesn't like this class and was more than happy to let me take over for her."
"Edward, Bella needs to learn how to do this stuff on her own."
"Why? She's never going to need it. You know we're going to get married and I'm going to do all of the hard work. Bella doesn't need to."
"...Edward..."
"Esme I'm serious just let me do this. It's not like I'm doing the work that counts for her. I mean yes I will help her if she needs it but other than that everything is fine!"
"...Okay but if I find out you're the one who has been doing her trig homework you are in for a serious ass kicking."
"Yes Esme,"
I rushed to Bella's side when I smelt blood. Oh God Esme what have you done? Distracted me so that my poor Bella could get hurt!
"Bella what happened?" Esme had run to get some paper towels and was holding them to Bella's wound. I KNEW that machine was dangerous!
"My box fell into the thing and so I tried to reach it but the polisher thing grazed my hand and...Edward it hurts."
"I know Bella, come on I'll take you to see Carlisle," I took Bella's unwounded hand and led her out of the classroom. This is what happens when I'm not watching Bella!
"Edward?" I looked down to see Bella looking at me worriedly. "Is the blood bothering you?"
"No it's fine, it hasn't bothered me since the whole recreational cliff jumping thing."
"I see,"
We got to Carlisle's office and he was able to treat Bella. I was so happy he was here today the normal nurse would have drugged her and let her sleep until she woke up again and I knew that that would only make things worse.
"So what happened?" Carlisle asked filling in some forms.
"She grazed her hand. I didn't know it would do that much damage to her flesh. Maybe she was shocked by it and it took her a minute to pull her hand back but either way she's hurt. I am never letting her back into wood shop again." I kissed Bella's bandaged hand and she smiled.
"Edward she's going to have to go back to class if she ever wants to pass the subject."
"That's where you're wrong I can cover for her and make sure she passes. If I didn't come and do the work for her she would be failing."
"Thanks Edward," Bella muttered.
"Sorry love but you did just get injured using a polisher. Who knows what would have happened if it was a drill or the sander..."
"Edward stop it you're going to make yourself freak out again. And you know I would never touch that stuff anyway – you'd never let me."
"Exactly, I don't think high school students should be allowed to use this equipment at all it's not safe. They think a pair of goggles will protect you from everything but that's where they're wrong!"
"Well you can go back to enforcing the safety laws in school later can we please just go?"
"Yes, thanks again Carlisle."
"No problem kids and tell Esme that she's not getting drapes for what she let happen to Bella."
"Um...Okay?"
Bella and I got back to class and sat in the corner for the rest of the lesson. Esme thought we shouldn't work anymore and that we needed to fill out some forms anyway. I think it's just because she was sick of seeing accident report forms after the Emmett incident.
"Edward you have to fill them in for me I can't," Bella held up her right hand.
"Of course,"
It was nice just to spend time with Bella like this. I mean we haven't really been able to talk about anything other than Bella wanting to become a vampire and me wanting to marry Bella. Which is all we seemed to talk about lately because Bella was being really stubborn about it. I am going to get her to marry me even if I have to go to her father first, but considering he hates me that wouldn't be a good idea. Maybe I'll go to her mother.
"Edward that look on your face says you're planning something about this non-existent wedding and I want you to stop it." Bella demanded.
"I'm sorry Bella but is it so bad that I want to marry you?"
"No what is bad is that you want to marry me and leave me human. I thought you wanted to be with me forever. Forever isn't going to be very long if I could die at any given moment."
"That's ridiculous Bella with me watching you all the time your chances of death are decreased."
"Yeah even so do you know how much of a cougar I'd look like when I'm 40 and you're still seventeen? And I'll look like a paedophile by the time I'm 60. You need to change me before people suspect I'm a child molester!"
I laughed. "So that's really what you think about? People accusing you of being a child molester when you're older because you'll be with a younger man?"
"Yes! Because you may think that's okay for some sick reason but I don't! I'd much rather stay the way I am forever than go through life with people whispering about me behind my back and not trusting me with children."
"I'll think about it."
"Really?"
"Yes...now come on we're going to be late for our next class."
"Oh the joys of music. It's just another chance for the Cullen family to show up the rest of us tone deaf humans."
"Oh come on Bella that's not true."
Esme's POV
I was excited to get to music to see how well my children's gifts were blossoming. I know that the one thing they did enjoy in this school was music because not one of them has mastered every single instrument ever made. As much as they'd like to think so.
"Okay class am I to understand that the teacher has nothing prepared and they just let you mess around in here and do nothing?" I asked looking at a blank desk.
"Pretty much, what did you expect?" Emmett questioned, leaning back on his chair and putting his feet up. Normally if a human did that they would have lost their balance but not Emmett, he was such a show off. I glared at him until he sat upright. I wonder if this is the way he behaved when I wasn't here. If so I was going to have to have words with him.
"I expected this school to be teaching you something." I sighed. "Okay you have the first half of the class to compose some music for me to hear you can use any instrument you desire and I am going to be judging because this might actually count as part of your non-existent music grade. What do you think? Does it sound good? Even if it doesn't I expect you to do it because I have had enough of this school and its lack of teaching."
That's when everyone went to work. I was positive I had seen each and every one of their faces in at least one of my classes today so they were right to be scared and as for my children they knew better than to mess with me when I was mad.
Jasper's POV
Everyone was running scared. Trying to grab random instruments and trying to look busy. Apparently word had gotten around about Esme and how vicious she could be. So we all decided to play nice and not bother her.
It wasn't long before we were in a group. By 'we' I mean Alice, me, Bella, Edward, Rosalie and Emmett. Alice had already assigned us all instruments and had started composing the music. The rest of us just had to focus on tuning our instruments and knowing how to play them. It was best not to interfere with Alice, she was feeling determined and if we did try to interrupt her she would be worse than Esme.
"Why am I playing the triangle?" Emmett enquired after a while.
"Do you think you are capable of playing anything else? And what does it matter? We just have to pass this class." Rosalie hissed.
I could tell that everyone was just tensed up and hoping to do a good job because if not then Esme would say something later. She expects us to do our best even in a shitty school like this one and if we don't then she's sending us to boarding school in Canada, the Yukon Territories.
Finally Esme got impatient and stopped us ten minutes into the class and told us to begin what we'd prepared so far.
Jessica went first and sang an off key version of Perfect by Pink. It was...totally unprepared but at least she pulled through with something. And then Angela and Ben played the piano together. It was nothing special but it would have earned them a pass grade. Next was Mike and Eric and they were just playing random notes on the instruments because that's all they had. A few more groups went and they got strangely worse than Mike and Eric and finally it was our turn.
"Okay kids this is your moment. It's going to be fantastic now play." Esme encouraged.
We began to play and it sounded really good. Then I noticed Alice had just given us the notes to one of the songs she listens to all the time so it was nothing. But we were able to give the show a big finish and that was good enough for me.
"Okay well thank you all for showing me your musical capabilities I'll be sure to put in good word with your music teacher. But I guess that brings us to the end of the class. I had a great day with you all and I wish I could say I would come back soon but apparently I embarrass my children so I don't think you'll see me anytime soon..." A sigh of relief passed through the room. "So I hope you have a good summer as it's coming up to that time of the year and I wish you luck in the rest of your lives."
The bell rang and everyone filed out and I began to feel bad for Esme. She really wanted a teaching job and I knew if she did come back here she would actually fix this place up but I didn't want her here all the time either. I even ventured to imagine her as principal but I think that would be taking it too far.
"Jazz?" I looked down at Alice who was blabbing about the disco tonight. She wanted all of us to go because it'd be our last one.
"Yes Alice?"
"You did hear what I just said right?"
"Of course I did. We're going to wear those 70's outfits and you don't care what we say because we're doing it anyway."
"See my man, always listening even when he's in dreamland." Alice squeezed me and I smiled.
When we got in home Alice insisted we went straight upstairs to get ready but not before Edward, Emmett and I dragged the girls back because we needed to go hunting. And then we realised we still had Bella so we had to leave Bella home, go hunting, pick Bella up, come home and get ready for the disco and then go to the disco – and be back by midnight.
Carlisle's POV
"Well it looks like they're out for the night." I said as I watched the kids come in, have a conversation and then leave.
"Oh they'll be back in about an hour to get ready for the disco and then they'll be gone again." Esme replied.
We were sitting on the couch with our feet up on either side of each other. I'm pretty sure if we were human I'd have a newspaper in hand and Esme a cup of coffee. But we didn't need that when we had each other.
"So how did the day go? Other than the obvious start."
I listened to Esme tell me about the events today and how for the most part everything turned out all right and she had to keep mentioning how she never lost the kids once and how she didn't see how I could think that they had run away.
"Goodbye Esme, Carlisle we're going now." Alice popped her head around the door and was gone again in the next second.
"Be back by midnight!" Esme called. "So I think it's safe to say I won the bet."
"Yes I guess it is. I just wish you had fallen flat on your face."
"Ah but you see Carlisle I am the mother and that means I am perfect at everything."
"No you're Esme and that just makes you extremely cocky."
"I beg to differ! Anyway what's this about me not getting drapes?"
"Oh well I feel I should deduct something from your island home when you messed up today. I knew you'd succeed overall but there are just some things that you can't be good at so no drapes because Bella was injured and no granite kitchen work tops because of the Chemistry lab."
"But Carlisle I need them!"
"You should have thought about that before you let our son blow up a Chemistry lab."
"...Ugh I hate you."
"I know and I love you too. So what do you think we should do for the rest of the night?"
There was silence for a while and then Esme and I both looked at each other with that knowing look. "Let's chaperone the dance!" We announced in unison.
Author's Note - Disclaimer: I am not fluent in Spanish and so all the Spanish was taken from Google Translate. Also the chemical problem above was also taken from Google so if it doesn't make any sense then my apologies. Other than that I hope you enjoyed reading, reviews are always welcome.
~ CullenGirl1901