Title: Dancing Without The Rain

Rating: PG-13

Summary: All she ever wanted was to be left alone. All he ever wanted was not to be with someone who would reject him. Fate ignored their unsubtle requests, and together, they may be in for more then they expected.

Categories Romance/Humour

Disclaimer: Yes, that's right, I own them. And if you'll excuse me, I have two wishes remaining...

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Class 49 was a total mystery to all the teachers working at 'Tortall High'. You could not wish for brighter students; when test season came, the passed with flying colours. All the drama productions which had a Class 49 student running or participating in it were smash hits. Their athletes were offered scholarships on a regular basis, and they always raised huge amounts of money for whatever charity the school would support that year.

They also refused to be taught.

The board of education was always astounded at the way the class seemed to run through teachers. At one point the class had been sending out the weekly substitutes as well. But when questioned as to why they all did this; all anyone in the class would do was sit there and stare blankly at their interrogator. The school wasn't ready to give up. They were desperate to get anyone who was even remotely qualified to teach a class in the vague hope that it might work this time. However the last teacher, who had been a hardened army general and a part-time juvenile hall lecturer, had run sobbing from the class room. So understandably, the school hadn't been too hopeful when their newest applicant came to be interviewed.

The secretary looked at the young woman before her. She seemed far too tame to handle Class 49. Nevertheless, she had been promised an interview, and if they let her go it would most likely do her good. This was going to be her first teaching job ever! They would chew her up and spit her out within a week. Smile still plastered on to her face, the secretary ushered the young woman into the headmaster's office.

She never really knew what had gone on in there, but half an hour later, she was informed, rather matter-of-factly, that Keladry Mindelan had been hired.

&&&

Jonathan and Thayet Contè were in a state of shock. Neither of them was quite sure how it had happened. One seconded, they had prepared to reject this young girl with an unremarkable resume announcing that this was her first job; and the next, they had for some reason, let her speak. Their son Roald had recommended her to them, and they were confidant in his judgment, but it was only until she began to talk to them that they were blown away.

Her voice was calm a breezy, she was witty, without being extreme. She was soon telling them that when she came to work –had they hired her? They must have, or she wouldn't have been going on like this! - she was only qualified to teach Math's and English; but she wouldn't mind working as a homeroom teacher too. When they asked her, desperate for some sign that they were still in control of the situation, why she couldn't teach all their subjects, she convinced them that their old subject teachers would have no trouble taking that task on.

Then they shook hands and she was hired.

When they calmed down though, they figured that she could teach for a term or so, no one had managed to stick around longer, and in the meantime they could look for 'proper' candidates.

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Keladry walked home that day with weak knees and a giddy feeling in the pit of her stomach. The crisp autumn air blew harder, making her pull her coat tighter. When she arrived at her large Victorian style house, she fumbled in her pocket for her keys. Sliding it into the lock, she opened the door and stepped inside, taking off her shoes as she did so.

Kel shared the house with four other people, Roald Contè, Owen Jesslaw, Cleon Kennan, and Lalassa Warrington. Their great number was the only reason that the bills got paid every month.

Opening the door she yelled to let everyone know she was home, and then walked up the stairs to her room. Keladry was of the firm opinion that it was the nicest room in the house; big and open, with a tall pointed ceiling. The others said that it was too spacey; they felt like they were being swallowed up. However Keladry had grown up fighting with her many brothers, sister, and even cousins, leaving her with the instinct to fight for space, and such a room all to herself was heaven. She padded barefoot over her wooden floorboards and surveyed the room, feeling a wave of calm wash over her as she stut the door, leaving herself ensconced inside her sanctuary

On one side of the room, three slightly short floor windows were flanked by two taller and wider ones. A large arching window was placed above it, bathing the room in a soft white light. A large Weeping Fig Tree stood in wooden pot, its leaves also taking pleasure in what light it could, as the sky was darkening now. On the floor was a lovely rug with a cherry blossom theme, beige and white, and faint splashes of pink where the blossoms were.

Her bed was a large cast iron one, with a cotton duvet and white silk sheets. She had slept in some at a hotel in Bali; they had become a secret fetish of hers. To the other side of the room were her television, large wardrobe, and a white door leading to the bathroom. And on the east wall was a bookshelf the size of a house, crammed with random photos, and lots and lot of books; it was the only remotely disorganized thing in the room. And other than two artfully placed bean bags (also white), there was nothing except-

Meow

"Okay, okay!" said Kel, her eyes shining, "I'm here!" Bending down she scooped up the little tabby, crooning softly into his ears, with a delightful purr as a reward for her services. Kel had originally had a dog named Jump. A raggedy scrap of a creature, but Kel loved him, and a more loyal companion you could not find. Kel had been quietly devastated when he died, and the cat had been a gift from her friends to cheer her up. So far though, they hadn't managed to find a name for the thing, and were thus reduced to simply calling it 'Cat'.

Kel was still on her bed stroking Cat, when Roald came in. Kel glanced up, surprised, but relaxed when she saw who it was.

"Hey," said Roald flashing Kel a quick grin. He was a quiet, reserved man, with many of his father and mother's fine attributes. He was currently working at some boring poilitics job, but he seemed to love his life… though the fact that his girlfriend of three years Shinkokami worked there too and could see him at any time might have been a key factor in his love for his work.

"So how did it go? Did you say everything I told you to?" he asked, sitting on her bed.

"Followed your advice down to the letter. But I was so frightened!" Kel said, laughing "They were staring, like you said they would, but they just kept doing it! And you know how I hate drawing attention to myself. I think I might've started babbling at one point. But I got the job!"

"So my imprudent psychobabble actually works?" said Roald

"Yes it does," Kel replied

"And through following my advise you obtained a fairly well paying occupation?"

"Yes I did."

"And so by following this pattern we can conclude that I should be dubbed the supreme god of your universe?"

"How about we just stick with the regular 'you're the best Roald' thing hmm?"

Roald sighed "Well I suppose it will have to do. Common, dinner's ready."

Kel glanced around, and was surprised to see that she was sitting in the dark with her lamp on. "Okay, I'm coming, gimme a sec."

When Roald left, Kel lay on her bed, no longer stroking Cat as she had followed Roald out, just like Kel had expected she would after the word 'dinner'.

'You know how I hate to draw attention to myself…'

"And I studied to be a teacher?" Kel asked, not really caring if the question ever got answered or not.

&&&

"You're…you're…you're dumping me?" shrieked Uline

"Yes, that would appear to be the case," came the reply.

"How could you? You self centered loathsome, vile, disgusting-"

"Can you just say 'pig' and hurry on up with the storming out of the place thing?" the voice said.

Uline's face turned scarlette with rage, and she looked like she damn well was going to storm out of there, but she wouldn't leave without having the last word. "You are going to wake up one day, childless, and alone, with nobody at your side." she hissed.

"Well fingers crossed yeah, why so concerned?"

"Oh, I'm just feeling sorry for you. I'm a nice person; I know someone is going to fall in love with me one of these days. I know that I won't push him away. But," she snarled, "I know that one day, your going to fall in love, find the one person you want to spend the rest of your life with, and you'll find that they don't want you. And you will be hurt beyond words. And on that day, should I hear about it, I'll laugh."

With that, she turned and stormed out.

"Don't worry about me love, I'll be fine. So what if it does happen to me? It's already happened once, I should be well prepared." The man muttered. Taking out his mobile phone, the man decided to call Cleon. When he was around he never made you feel lonely. And right now, Nealan Queenscove was feeling very much alone.

A/N: well, what do you think? I have big plans for this story, BIG PLANS! Please review, and let me know what you think. I offer everything from cookies, to chocolate, to toy replicas of my 'Flaming Squeaky Hammer of Insanity'. Any takers?