Day 1 : Lesson
Petra Ackerman sat anxiously on a parsons chair, waiting for someone to sit on the chair in front of her. That day was her first son Leo's first day at Elementary school, and she really didn't expect to be called to the teachers' room. Leo was always a well-behaved boy, maybe a little mischievous, blunt, more curios and critical than most of the boys in his age, but being a troublemaker in his very first day in the class? That didn't seem like the boy she raised.
The auburn haired mother grabbed her phone from inside her handbag, typing furiously to her husband, not even thinking about grammatical errors she made.
What kind o/ thing do u think your son into? He definitely got that whatever shitty idea from u.
And of course that man didn't respond right away. Petra was thinking about what kind of insults she can type to bait a respond from her husband, when a feminine voice interrupted her thoughts
"Mrs. Ackerman?"
Petra raised her head while putting her phone back to her handbag. She observed the lady in front of her. She was a raven haired mid aged woman, big brown eyes, her skin tan and she looks really nice.
"Yes?" the mother responded reluctantly, still wondering about what might her nice son did.
The nice lady smiled, pulling a chair and sat in front of her.
"I'm Grace Wide, Leo's homeroom teacher," she said, extending her hand to shake Petra's. Petra gave her a nice grip, forced a smile and responded, "Petra Ackerman, nice to meet you."
Mrs. Wide smiled again, before taking a deep breath and said, "You must be wondering what made us want to talk with you personally, right?"
Petra nodded, wishing with her deepest heart that's not something really bad.
"It's not too bad or anything, actually," the raven haired teacher gave a light chuckle, "it's just a bit...confusing"
Petra bit her lower lip. Just spit it out already, you're making me more nervous!
"Leo is a really smart boy, he answered almost all the questions in the class. He also has amazing social skills, smiling to everyone he met. Really, I liked him from the first time I laid my eyes on him. But..." she paused, took another deep breath, then continued,
"At the lunch break, I left the class for a while. When I came back, the class was a mess! Leo was in the center of it, grabbing a crumbled sandwich. Although his surroundings are really dirty with sauces and other..things, the tables turned upside down, he stayed clean and impeccable. He didn't show any sign of being angry, or sad, or anything. He looks rather...bored? Another boy, James, which I know he's a bully in his pre-school from his mother, was on the floor with bruised hand and cheek."
The auburn haired mother scrunched her face, yeah, that sounds too much like his father.
"What he did after was even more surprising. He dropped the crumbled sandwich in front of James and said, 'You want this, eh? Eat it.' Then he went to the wash basin, wash his hands, and approached a scared boy in the corner, Mike, and tell him to eat lunch with him."
Another deep breath from both Petra and Mrs. Wide. Each waiting for the other to speak.
"So, " Petra tried to draw a conclusion, "I guess while you're gone, the James boy took Mike's sandwich, and then Leo tried to take it back, which cause a mess...In the end he exchange Mike's sandwich with his own lunch.." She exhaled, lowering her voice into barely a whisper. "That sounds like something he would do."
Mrs. Wide nodded solemnly. "I don't really blame Leo, though. That's such a noble thing to do, but I really hope you and your husband could direct him to avoid violence, since some parents are really against it. We're lucky James' mother doesn't bothered, she think her son deserve to be taught some lesson. But I'm afraid Leo's lack of emotional control and sudden outburst might cause him further trouble in the future."
Petra smiled bitterly, "Okay..."
"I think that's enough for now, Mrs. Ackerman. We don't wanna keep your sons waiting for too long, right? Who knows what kind of trouble they involve theirselves into?" The teacher stated those words in such an amiable manner, but for Petra that sounds like an accusation that her sons are a pair of trouble maker (like how their dad likes to call them). Maybe she's just being too high-strung.
Both women raised from their chairs, exchange smiles and 'once again its really nice to see you's then left the room. The petite mother quickly seeked for her boys, looking throughout the school corridor. It was easy to spot them, a bunch of black hair and a -smaller- bunch of ginger hair like hers.
The two boys, Leo and Liam, both have Levi's features ; eyes, nose, lips, cheekbone, jaw line. The former even inherited his father's hair color and pale skin tone. Even so, people always acknowledge him as 'a nice combination of Levi and Petra', for he somehow got Petra's eye color and 'facial movements' ; the way he bring out his expressions, the pout when he's upset, the warm smile, the laugh (Levi was the one that pointed out the 'facial movement' part).
Meanwhile Liam has his mother's hair color and skin tone, but other than that he was Levi's carbon copy. He also has the man's super-gorgeous-but-not-so-often smile. The 5 years old boy didn't speak as much as his older brother, his favorite words are just, "Why?" "How?" "WOW!" "Okay" and Petra's favorite, "I love you, mommy.." with that soft smile. That one got her heart every time.
The boys are playing some fights from whatever ninja cartoon show on the tv without any concern of their surroundings, running here and there while screaming 'hyaaaa's and 'ha! You missed!'s. They look genuinely enjoying theirselves Petra almost felt bad for interrupting them.
"It's time to go home, guys," she called.
They abruptly stopped their fight play, until Leo shouted, "Let's race to mommy!". Then they started running through the corridor as fast as their not so long legs can. Their mom grimaced seeing how they almost stumbled in the process. She felt how hard their bodies hit her leg and wondered how they do that every time they're playing a bit far from her and she told them to go home.
Liam tugged the hem of Petra's shirt, his language of asking her to bent down so he can give her cheek a quick peck. The mother smiled, happily accepted his kiss. She took their hands and started walking out of the school. They walked in silence for some minutes, before she felt the sway at her left hand weakened. Usually when they walked hand by hand anywhere, Leo would sway their intertwined hand, and walk with his typical style -fiery, taking the biggest step he can, sometimes combined with some jumps-. Petra looked down to her left, and saw her oldest son playing with his bag straps, with little pout in his lips. She tugged his arms that intertwined with hers.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
Leo looked up to his mom, his eyes full of doubt and sadness. "Am I a bad boy, mommy? My friends said if a parent go to that room the kid is bad." Petra frowned, she never even imagine her Leo could sound that troubled.
She gave him her best smile, trying to sound as convincing as she can, "No, of course not! Even Mrs. Wide said you're smart and nice!"
"Then why did mommy go there?"
"It's called teacher room, Leo"
"I know it is. Why did you go there?" The boy sounded so demanding Petra feels like talking to Levi when he found her doing something he think she shouldn't, like doing laundry when she's pregnant or put a damn wet towel on the bed.
"It's because you hit James, maybe you shou-"
"But he won't shut up about how lame Mike's sandwich, mom! He even snatched it from Mike's lunchbox!" Now Leo replaced his sadness with anger. He even stopped walking and released his hand from his mother's grip.
"Wow! You hit him?" And of course Liam chose that very moment to express his adoration of his older brother.
"Nah! Even Liam agree with me! Right, bro?"
"Yea!"
"Bad boys gotta learn some lesson right?"
"Yea!"
Petra huffed. Sometimes she underestimated how stubborn her sons were. Of course, combine hers and Levi's stubbornness with Levi's un-answerable way of talking.
"Alright, alright. You're right. But when people do bad things doesn't mean we have to do the same."
"Well someone have to tell him that's not right!"
The mother huffed once more. "Well, maybe….For now let's just go home, okay? You must be tired." She gave him a final pat on his head, then continue walking home.
Later at night, Levi smirked while listening to Petra's speech about 'why he has to teach their son some lesson', 'I don't understand how you guys think' and 'you gotta quit putting shitty ideas in their heads'.
He stood from his chair, walked to his wife that was standing by the kitchen sink. She scrubbed the dishes with unnecessary force while keep nagging about things he didn't give a fuck about. So instead he leaned on the countertop, observing her appearance. Her hair disheveled, tied in a messy ponytail. The light ginger strands sticking to various directions, some even stick to her forehead. He couldn't help but wonder how someone look so messy and yet remarkably kissable at the same time? Her flushed cheeks, her small pink lips that keep talking and protruding cutely.
So he did the only thing in his head to stop her from talking.
He squeezed her cheeks with exasperation, efficiently switching her words into "hmmmmffftt!"
"Now quit your nagging, will you? You make me craving for that lips"
She blushed even more. "Lev-"
"Ssshhtt. Don't. This is okay, right? The kids are not here, so I can dirty talk you however I want."
The wife's eyes widened instantly. She removed her husband's grip from her cheeks to say, "Ah! They already in the bathroom for 2 hours! I gotta fetch them before-hmmffftt" another squeeze to her cheeks.
"Stop making excuses to run away from me." Levi stared at her eyes menacingly, one hand keep squeezing her cheeks together, the other holding her nape close and joining their foreheads to add some scary effect.
Petra tried to shake her head -and failed miserably- and said "I don't!"
Her husband huffed, "Tch. Fine. Let me fetch and teach them some lesson. Just…continue doing the dishes. And straighten your hair. It's going everywhere."
Word count : 1805
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