"Last period, thank God." I blow out a sigh of relief. I wanted to get off school campus before anyone, anywhere asked me to stay after. There are perks to being a English teacher, or just a teacher in general. Summer's off, you have a free hour to get prepared for another class, and thirty minutes lunch as well. But there's let downs too; hour long meetings, random pay-cuts, not knowing who's next to get laid off. But, the worst of everything, is the students. Not all students are bad, some are the greatest. Like my students John and Tavros. They're the best students, they do the work I assign, come to class with no interruptions, they may talk every now and again, but none the less they are great kids. Now on the other hand, Tavro's best-friend, seems to make my teaching career hell. I've know him since my first day working at Skaia High-school. And from that day on, I haven't had the chance to chase him away. His freshman year, I was his English teacher. When he graduated to become a Sophomore, I thought I was rid of him because I only teach Freshman and Senior AP classes. As fate has it, someone goofed up in the front office and gave him to me as a student assistant for his Sophomore and Junior years. He's not a bad kid, he really isn't. Maybe a bit on the odd side, enough to make me curious as to what he does in his free time, but none the less, he is a bright student. And you wouldn't find that from his work, you'd be lucky enough to have an assignment with his name on it let alone completed. As a matter of fact, the only way you could grade him for anything is his tests. I had to give him a re-test five times because I didn't believe it. Yet, he scored a hundred and five percent. SO guess which lucky teacher - who's only been teaching for four years mind you- got him his senior year. I swear to God, that kid is going to make me retire earlier than expected.

"Helloooooo, Mr. Vantas!" My eyes wander over to the culprit shouting out my name. Great, speak of Lucifer.

"Good-afternoon, Mr. Makara. Please take a seat." I sigh. He carries in his duffel bag, and walks to me, leaning on my desk, smiling.

"Aw, Mr. Vantas, how many times do I got to tell you? I like to be called Gamzee." He chuckles.

I roll my eyes, getting up from my seat. I walk over to the front of the class. "It keeps slipping my mind, Mr. Makara. Now please, take your seat, and get prepared to start class." I command him as I write down today's lesson on the board.

"One of these days Mr. Vantas, sir, you're going to call me Gamzee." He shrugs heading to his seat, right in the corner, the furthest possible area from me.

"And one day, Mr. Makara, I'm going to fly." I turn back around to him, "And, PLEASE, take your feet off my desks! I hate to hear the janitors complain." He readily complies. That's one thing I will give to him, he'll listen to me when I ask.

"I apologises," He strokes his hand to the back of his head, removing his bangs from his eyes. As more and more students come into the class my attention draws onto other things than babysitting a seven-teen year old boy.

"Hello, Mr. Vantas! How are you today?" I look up from organizing my work to a warm face.

"Hello, Mr. Egbert," I smile "I'm good, and you?"

"Great!" And with that, he goes to his seat next to Gamzee. Tavros, right on time, strolls in the door. He waves to me, while I nod in acknowledgement. He's not much the talker, only when he's with his friends, or if he wishes to talk to me.

"Ok, ok, settle down class," I shout over there voices. A few seconds later, they all turn their attention to the front of the room. "You know the drill, take out last night's homework assignments and I'll go around to check." I quickly take roll, and start marching around the class. I have a streak of completed assignments, that is until I reach the furthest table. "No homework again, Mr. Makara?"

"Nope, would you take the excuse my cat ate it?" There's a hushes laughter coming from the front row at his joke.

"You've used that excuse since first semester, and I've yet to see you make up any of them," I sigh "You know what this means, correct?"

"Afterschool detention, yeah, I motherfucking know." He laughs, resting hi head in the crook of his arm, still looking up to me. "That's been your rule all year."

"I warn you to mind your language." I caution him.

"Oh, I'm minding my language, but apparently, I'm not the only one minding it." I wheezes out. The class laughs even more.

"Just for that, you've earn the class a pop quiz," I hurriedly continue stamping, while every other student groans. All except, Gamzee, he just looks at me. He sat up now, crossing his legs and placing his hands to the back of his head, grinning back to me. Nothing every seems to bother him, he has not a care in the world. I can't seem to wrap my head around that kid.

"Nice going, clown, you got us another test." John complains, pulling out a notebook from his bag.

"Hey, it's just going over what we've learned, what's he going to do? Quiz us on motherfucking History?"

"It's not the point," John hands Gamzee a piece of paper, which he proceeds to number "I would like to get by in this class one day when you don't irritate Mr. Vantas."

"Yeah, Gamzee," Tavros adds his input. "You, uh, or did your work for once. Your in afterschool detention enough, you'd think you'd, uh, do it then."

"Hey, Mr. Vantas is an awesome motherfucker, and we get each other. We're likr bros." He turns back to John.

"You two, friends?" He laughs, "Yeah, and I have a chance of scoring a date with Vriska."

"Uh, I think I would have a better chance, John." Tavros looks a little ill admitting that and all three of them laugh at some inside joke.

"Okay, class, let's begin your quiz." I yell from my desk. I found some random seventh grade test questions online so I'm quizzing them on that. I've ran out of actual quizzes months ago.

((()))

"Have agreat day, Mr. Vantas!" John shouts out the door. The final bell has rang, and the class is scurrying out the door.

"I'll try, Mr. Egbert." I shout "I'll see you tomorrow!" Now it's only me and Gamzee in the classroom. It's silent for the first dew minutes, like always. He knows I like to complete tomorrow's work before I'm in any mood to talk.

"Now, Mr. Makara," I say finishing up the last work I needed to print. "Can you tell me why, you must use such a vulgar language in my class?" I roll in my arm chair, to the side of his desk.

"Because I know you don't motherfucking care." He's leaning his head on my fist. Giving me a soft smile "Plus, I know you don't actually give a shit."

"Touché, but, I have to give a shit when it's in the middle of my class, interrupting every other student within ear shot."

"For that, I'm sorry." I have this eerie feeling that he really isn't.

"And, again, why must you keep continuing to evade my homework assignments? I give then to you for a reason, Mr. Makara."

"I've read all the books you assign, I'm one out of 3 students that actually answer any of the questions you ask in class, not to mention that I actually understand them all, I even manage to earn one hundred percent on every last test and quiz. I also know, that my grade in this class, is an A-. So, a few missing assignments, I don't give two motherfucking shits about, won't strangle me." He laughs at the end.

"It could be an A+ if you did the work," I try to argue back "That would be a nice grade."

"I have an A, why should I try to overachieve?"

"Because you can."

"I don't see why I would want that. I'm pretty motherfucking glad with an A." He shrugs. It's hard to argue with a seventeen year-old boy. "So, tell me Mr. Vantas, how was your weekend?" He leans in closer to me. "Hopefully you haven't been preoccupied to much with schoolwork?" he has a syrupy sing-song voice.

" Just fine, thank you. I managed to get out my house and explore this bike trail." I tell him. You can say, Gamzee and I have a mutual custom. I yell at him about his work, then we just sit around talking. Admittedly, I slightly look forward to them.

"You like being by yourself, don't you have any friend's?" Gamzee makes fun of me. "Or worse," He gives me a terrified face "Or someone willing to date an old grouch like you?!"

"Ha. Ha. Very funny, I have you know, I'm only seven year's older," I look down at my watch "Ok, loser, it's 3:00, your fifteen minutes are up. I'll see you tomorrow, and not afterschool in my class." I get out my chair, and go to the back of the class to get my satchel

"Maybe, if you stop assigning homework for once." He jumps up from his seat. He gets his duffel bag, heading towards the door.

"Goodafternoon, Mr. Makara." I say searching for my car keys.

"I'll get you to call me Gamzee!" H e lets the door slam on his way out. I make my way out to my car, carrying an empty coffee mug a balancing my bag while digging back out my keys. Thank God the days finally over, now just four more till the end of the week. I've rented a cabin up in the woods, where's the peace and quiet all to myself. I can almost taste the solitude. And all I have is four more days.