Proud and Prejudiced
Author's Note: Due to the fact that only a minority of writers come from the same place I do, and taking into consideration that I know next to nothing of international schooling systems please note that I have used the students' ages instead of what form/grade they are in.
Please also note that a sequel has been planned and any reviews stating whether or not to go through with it as planned would be appreciated.
"Alright Guys," she said as she walked into the stark new classroom. "Ready for a year of hard work, pain and possible torture?" The students she'd had the previous year smiled, they were used to her interesting ways of teaching, the new students however looked slightly scandalized. "You think you're in the wrong class do you?" she asked one of the new ones sitting in the front row. The fifteen year old shook her head. The teacher turned around and sat in a spare desk next to the student. "Just nod and smile, she gets better after the first few weeks" she whispered.
A few laughs were head in the back as Miss Eleanor Bennet took a bow and smiled. "Ahh yes," she laughed. "Isn't it good to be starting a new year? A new year of assessments, exams and this year, the trip?" the confused looks on the faces of her students told her all she needed to know. "Right, well." She went back to her folder and produced the forms and the competition. "Later this year there is an opening for 10 of you to go on a trip with moi to ENGLAND and EUROPE and cool places like that. All in the name of History of course. But if we happen to stop by any markets and shopping districts then it is up to you to use self control and buy only as much as you feel like and by the way, bribery is completely acceptable when we're there."
"How is it decided?" one particularly able student asked.
"Beautiful question Lucy and of course that is what we want in history isn't it. BEAUTIFUL questions…but I'm getting off track," the teacher bubbled. Definitely in her element. "The Second piece of paper coming around is the competition guidelines. I want a 20 minute video presentation, either in pairs or individually on what ever time period you wish to study. For the record! Should you decide to be Particular suck ups, I was born in the mid to late 80s, and should you choose that area of time I should expect an exceptional report including otherwise hidden and increasingly embarrassing baby photos."
A few students laughed while the others stared at her in confusion. "But that isn't until July. Now, books out. We have a double lesson to waste and can't chat the entire time."
In the lunch break the teacher took out her hair and readied herself for her next class. Her dark red hair fell to her shoulders in soft curls while her huge…almost luminous eyes stared at her timetable trying to read without the use of her glasses.
"They're in your pigeon hole El," a teacher told her. She looked over the small divide between their cubicles and made out a friend of hers.
"Thanks Kit." She said and stumbled over to the pigeon holes in question. She counted fifteen and reached in blindly. "Ah! Glasses!" she exclaimed reaching up with them as if she had just conquered a large mountain. Several teachers rolled their eyes, putting it down to her being younger than most of them. Eleanor had gone to University at the tender age of 17, been released from its confines at 20, started her first job at 20 and a half and now, at 22 was swiftly getting settled in a routine some envied, but made others shake their heads. This girl didn't travel, she'd started Uni as a kid, and now…well, now she was one of the students' favourite teachers, but it was more than that. She hadn't lived.
She heard the bell ring and dashed off to her next class, impressionable 14 year olds.
The day past, as days tend to and slowly turned into the next morning. She was sure that somewhere in the middle she'd eaten, and organised her lessons for the day.
After her 17 year olds she had a long lunch break and decided to call up the girls and have lunch in the city somewhere.
Her slightly older sister Jenny sat in the café doodling on the napkin with a pencil stub while Charlie, or Charlotte to civilised company, was trying to think of a way to get someone off when fourteen witnesses swore black and blue that they had seen this person murder another. Eleanor walked up with a couple of books in her old leather bag and sat down.
"Hey," Charlie said. "How do you get a murderer off scot free?"
Eleanor laughed. "You don't."
Charlie glared at her, but smiled nonetheless and passed over a drink they'd already ordered.
"Let's have a look then," Eleanor said taking the
napkin from her sister's graceful hands. "Lovely," she
commented on the portrait of Charlie that adorned a mediocre napkin.
"It should be hung up somewhere."
Jenny smiled and rolled her
eyes, "it's not that good."
Charlie laughed, "You need more of an ego if you're going to be an artist Jen."
Jenny smiled and flicked a stray morsel of blonde hair out of her face and back into the messy plait she had running down her back. Charlie laughed and pushed her hair away from her green eyes. "Jenny is too sweet to enter the dangerous world of artistry, don't you think Eleanor?"
Eleanor smiled. "Not to sweet, she is sweet enough for anyone, maybe to good. They will all take advantage of her."
Jenny smiled knowing that somewhere in that remark was a compliment.
The three of them never had a moment of silence, there was always something to talk about, Jenny's latest art work winning a local competition, Charlie's new lecturer being a total pain and spitting whenever he spoke, or Eleanor's newest student, or her previous students and their antics.
They had a 'pleasant' lunch in that the food was neither too good, nor too bad and then when Charlie pointed out the time Eleanor ran off to provide insight to a new teacher in the computer labs feeling annoyed at the fact that she had to work and couldn't spend the day with the girls.
The new teacher was one Daniel (Denny) Randall, and it was custom for a more senior teacher with a spare to watch over the new teacher's class and make sure that the teaching was up to the school's standards, but Eleanor was the only one with a spare that lesson. Denny paced the front of the classroom and Eleanor couldn't figure out if he was doing that out of genuine or fake nervousness.
"Did you hear? Chris BINGLEY is COMING!"
"What?"
"They're filming IN THIS SCHOOL!"
Denny and Eleanor exchanged a glance, they'd heard about the fact that the school was 'in negotiations' with a film company who apparently wanted to use the school site for filming for a few weeks, but the students weren't supposed to know anything about it.
"That Ritchie guy is going to direct it!"
"Well! Who's going to act?"
"Well, Bingley of course, he always acts in a D Production, and then I suppose that Carol lady has to be in it."
"She's Horrible!"
"I KNOW"
Eleanor opened the door and watched as the students filed in. "Guys! Enough of that already, when we hear about any film in the school we'll tell you."
"Miss Bennet? Are you taking this class?" the girl from her class yesterday looked at her expectantly.
"No, I'm here to introduce your new teacher. Everyone, this is Mr. Randall." Denny smiled and did a little half-hearted wave to the students as some looked with contempt while others smiled encouragingly.
"Hey everyone. Right, well, let's take the roll shall we?" Denny wasn't that much older than her, and if he didn't stare openly at Kit she would be attracted to him, she decided.
Eleanor watched smiling while Denny flowed through his first lesson, and a double at that. She waved to the students as they filed out on their way home and walked with Denny up to the staff room. "What do you think about that movie business?" she asked as they walked in and got afternoon tea.
Denny rolled his eyes, "You think she'd let a film crew in here?" Eleanor rolled her eyes, she couldn't see what the problem everyone seemed to have with Mr. Deary. She quite liked him. But that wasn't the she he was talking about obviously. The she was Mr. Deary's wife Mrs. Deary, many people thought that she was the one who really ran the school
Kit smiled as they came and sat down next to her. "Apparently they really want this place, have you heard the sum they're willing to pay?" Eleanor shook her head. "Couple of Million."
Eleanor nodded, "pretty little sum there."
The
arrival of the principal stopped the conversation as Mr Deary (Dreary
too many of the students, but Eleanor wouldn't agree with that one)
hushed them and began to speak.
"You have all heard about the current negotiations taking place between myself, the board of governors and certain members and representatives of the movie making business. So far those negotiations are going well and if all continues so we are expecting to have certain members of the movie community inhabiting our school for 2-3 weeks at the most. The interruption to classes will be minimal and we shall try to incorporate everyone we can in the deal. The Male boarders will be housed in the boarding house of our brother school Saint Peters and our Female Boarders in our sister school of Saint Mary's. Are there any other questions or needs that must be addressed this afternoon."
"Is it true then?" Kit spoke up. "Chris Bingley will be in our school?"
Mr Deary smiled and nodded. "And yes, you will have an opportunity to have him sign the small shrine in your cubicle." Kit blushed like a school girl while Denny looked at the floor and Eleanor smiled knowingly.
She was going to have to set a friend of hers on those two.
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