Sam was a veritable buzz of excitement. It was the first day of a new semester, a new year, and the routine of his favourite class was to be shaken up. A new English teacher was starting at the school and Sam was looking forward to see how he compared to the previous teacher, Mr Turner. Sam had been saddened to hear that his favourite teacher would be leaving just before the beginning of Sam's senior year of High School. Sam's AP English Class has been assured by their teacher that he was being replaced by a competent and intelligent young teacher who Mr Turner had thought they'd enjoy. The class hadn't really known what to expect as Mr Turner had been a curmudgeonly old bastard but a fantastic teacher and a bit of a softie if you knew how to write. His passion for the classics such as Shakespeare and Hardy meant that Sam gained an interest in them. He hoped that the new teacher had a similar passion and shared his love of books with the class.
Walking into school that day with his worn bag slung over his shoulder as he had hurried to get into the car, Sam's excitement reached a peak as he waved goodbye to his brother. The much beloved Impala swung out of the parking lot as his brother rushed off to work at the local mechanics where he did specialist body work on classic cars. Sam's first class of the day was homeroom with Mrs Mills, a strict bit friendly politics teacher who always had time for Sam and a conversation about his future in law. During homeroom she had given the class their timetables. First today AP Chemistry, and then Religion. His third class of the day was AP English. He studied the teachers name, a Mr G Milton. He wondered if this new teacher would be encouraging them to study his namesake. Perhaps indulging them with Paradise Lost or challenging them with something more obscure like Samson Agonistes.
He almost skipped out of homeroom, bouncing on his excitement, certainly deserving the gentle ribbing he got from his brother about his nerdiness. He made his way to AP Chemistry alongside his friend and fellow English enthusiast, Chuck Shurley, a nervous and rather shy friend of Sam's.
"Y' met the new English teacher yet?" Chuck asked, throwing his bag to the dirty floor of the chemistry lab, barely dodging a rather dubious chemical stain. They say in their usual seat in the back, Sam exercising a little more care when choosing a spot for his bag, he really couldn't afford a new one if this one had acid splashed onto it by a clumsy idiot, or if it landed in some unknown substance.
"No." Sam replied, flipping through his new textbook, not really focusing on this years topics. "All I know is his name." he waved his timetable lazily. "Have you?"
Chuck shook his head. "Nah, but according to Ash he's practically the opposite of Turner. I hope that just means he'll be easier on the homework and less of a grumpy old git. Fingers crossed for not too much homework senior year. " He grinned at his friend.
"I dunno." Sam said "I really want good grades, homework is just as important as school work." The aspiring writer rolled his eyes.
"God you're such a nerd, I'm almost surprised you don't get bullied."
"I'm 6" 4 and my dad has insistend on gym training since I was 10."
"That's why I'm only almost surprised." Chuck said as the Chemistry teacher walked in, their conversation halted until they could meet up again in the much anticipated English class.
Sam's next lesson was Religion, a lesson he somewhat dreaded. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy the topic, or that he didn't get on with the teacher, it was just that it was always slightly awkward. The teacher, Mr Novak had moved to Lawrence and had started teaching at Lawrence High at the beginning of last year, and then promptly fell in love with Sam's brother. He didn't dread the lesson because he didn't like Cas, in fact he loved the guy. He would be a great brother-in-law, and he was perfect for Dean. But there was something a little unsettling about looking your teacher in the eye as he talked about what Abrahamic religions considered to be sinning when only two days before you'd seen him stumble out of your brothers room in only his boxers with a silly grin on his face.
"Good morning class. Today I just want to lay out the syllabus and ensure you all understand what we'll be studying this year. Mostly we'll be focusing on the Mahayana tradition within Buddhism and how that differs to the Therevada tradition. However this year we will also be looking at how older religions such as the Ancient Greek, Pagan, and Norse faiths have effected the world religions." Cas rambled on for the remainder of the lesson about how one faith differed from another. Although the lesson was always slightly uncomfortable for Sam he couldn't deny that Castiel was a fantastic teacher, attentive with each pupil. Neither could he deny that he always had spectacular personal help, a plus side of your teacher dating your brother.
The new teacher was not as indulgent in the finer literary pursuits as Sam had hoped. First impressions on Sam's behalf had been troubling. When Sam had entered the class room Mr Novak had yet to arrive. He turned up ten minutes later, holding a Chuppa Chup lolly in his mouth, and carrying a hot chocolate in one hand, and Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone under his arm.
"Hey guys! " were his first words to the senior AP class. These words would not usually have irritated Sam Winchester but something about the wonky smile that contained the lolly pop, playful golden eyes which sparked as he surveyed the class, and the way that the lolly rolled around in his mouth as he talked made Sam irrationally annoyed at his new teacher.
"I'm Gabriel Novak. Call me Gabe or Gabriel. Mr Novak only if another teacher is spying. Apparently familiarity is frowned upon around here." He grinned at the class and all but Sam grinned back. "Your last teacher told me that you were studying Hamlet and the works of Donne. Now as funny as Shakespeare's dick jokes are I thought I'd teach you something that doesn't require a degree in early modern English to understand. Harry Potter. " He grinned at the class again but did not appear to be joking.
Sam's hand shot up in the air. "Mr Novak," he said refusing the teachers insistence to be known by his first name only, "Are we doing any real literature? Nabokov or Hardy?" The new teacher laughed.
"You're Sam Winchester right?" Novak didn't wait for a reply. "Harry Potter has everything your supposed 'real literature' has. And anyway Sammy, were going to do some Edgar Allen Poe for poetry. His poems are genius, see me after class if you want to discuss your 'real literature'." The man said it with such a playful grin than rather feeling reprimanded or belittled Sam just felt the same annoyance at the man as when he first greeted the class.
After the bell had rang to signal the end of lesson Sam waited until the rest of the class had left before he approached his new teacher.
"You wanted to see me, Sir? "
"It's Gabriel, Sammy." the man said his smile lighting up his face. Did the man ever stop grinning? Sam imagined that the man's laughter would be infectious if he didn't annoy him so much.
"Then it's Sam then. Not Sammy."
"You don't like me." Gabriel said, that permanent smile still etched on his face, if this time it didn't quite reach his eyes then Sam didn't notice.
"I- I- don't dislike you. I jus-" Gabriel's raised hand stopped Sam from explaining himself.
"Don't explain yourself. I just want to know why you're so obsessed with classic books, or supposed 'modern classics'."
"I'm not!" Sam tried to defend himself, "I just enjoy the books that Mr Turner recommended."
Novak looked scandalised. His jaw was comically slack and he took a sharp and mocking intake of breath."Do you ever read for pleasure? And I don't mean whether or not you enjoy reading from books that teachers think will enrich your mind? Have you ever read Harry Potter?" He took one look at Sam's face and realised his answer."Sam Winchester go to the library and find a book you actually want to read. Pick up a kids book or something funny!"
Sam left the classroom that afternoon full of confused feelings about his new teacher. On one hand he smiled all the time, that grin was there continuously like he couldn't stop. He seemed like he thought of English as a joke, rather than a serious subject. On the other hand he wantend Sam to read something he'd enjoy.
With this confusion of feelings about the new teacher, Sam didn't stop to think. Why did Gabriel want Sam to like him so much, and how did he know Sam's name immediately?