A/N: Hey everybody, this is the first thing I ever wrote and decided to publish, plus English is not my native tongue. So I am sorry for any mistakes. I am still not sure if this will turn into a multi chapter or if I leave it like that. We will see about it.
I hope you enjoy reading!
Chapter One
"Fuck", Robin Locksley murmured.
This wasn't exactly how he planned his first day back at school to start. After the holidays things at Storybrooke Highschool normally started quite relaxed. First the staff conference, which usually ended in a big mess because his colleagues always ended up scratching each others eyes out over the timetable discussion, and two or three classes afterwards. Well, today started slightly differently.
Robin turned the engine of his old Mercedes off. One last deep breath and he opened the car door. Ready to face the angry owner of the brand new Mini-Cooper, whose exterior mirror, he just destroyed. This stupid parking lot looked definitely much bigger than it actually was.
The first thing he saw when he finally got out of his vehicle wasn't that bad after all. Long legs, dark hair and bright red lips.. It was actually quite stunning. The first thing he heard… Well, not so stunning.
"You Moron! What exactly is wrong with your eyes? " The woman belonging to the beautiful red lips yelled at him, „Every child would have seen that your jalopy is way too big to fit into that damn parking lot. "
Robin started a first attempt to calm the angry brunette down „I am sorry Milady, if you need any help to fix this..."
"It's Miss Mills to you. And I didn't ask for your help. " With those words the woman turned on her heels and rushed off.
After he processed her rapid departure, Robin finally found his voice again. „Well a simple ‚thank you some help would be nice 'would have sufficed. " He shouted.
But by this time Miss Mills was already too far away to hear him. Robin shrugged his shoulders and turned back to his car, to start the search for a new parking lot. This time one that is actually big enough for his beloved Mercedes.
After finally finding a secure place for his car, Robin opened the door to the staff room. He was far too late, but he couldn't have known that the simple looking for a parking lot was going to get so complicated. Besides, he had probably only missed the usual safety instructions anyway.
But when he entered the room, he froze immediately. In the center of the room stood principal Gold and besides him a woman with long legs, dark hair and bright red lips.
„Well now that Mister Locksley has finally decided to join us, it's time to introduce your new colleague. Please Welcome Miss Regina Mills. She recently transferred from St. James High school and will teach English literature. Even though things here are a bit different than at St. James, I hope you will settle pretty fast. We all wish you good luck, Dearie."
So it looked like the woman he managed to piss off first thing in the morning was going to be his new co-worker. That was going to be fun…
After Gold's little speech the only thing left was the discussion of the timetables. Robin took his usual chair next to Jefferson Hatter, the design and art teacher.
"Let the games begin.", his colleague murmured. Robin only chuckled and leaned back in his chair.
He didn't pay much attention to the discussion happening in front of him. The British man was the only biology teacher at this school, nobody would start an argument with him about the lesson arrangements anyway. So he let his thoughts drift off to a certain brunette who was currently sitting across from him, trying too hard not to glare at him.
He remembered from Gold's speech that she transferred from St. James which was quite unusual. This facility was known as one of the best High schools of the whole State and even though his opinion of Principal Gold wasn't that high he had to agree with one thing he said. Things at Storybrooke High school were quite different than at St. James.
While St. James had so many student applications that they had the possibility to choose only those who are willing to learn and capable to represent the school. Storybrooke High school on the contrary, had to take everyone who wasn't wanted at any other facility in the neighborhood. This basically means students here are different; different and especially difficult.
Of course, there are always exceptions, but most of the children here just didn't care anymore. They didn't care about their education, they didn't care about the rules and most importantly, they didn't care about their teachers. Especially teaching the basic courses could be quite demanding.
Robin was one of the few teachers who actually got along pretty well with most of the students. One reason for this might be that he was able to understand them because he has been in the same situation, as most of the students are now, when he was a teenager. There even has been a time when he didn't go to school at all. He ran away from home, lived in the woods and called himself an outlaw.
It has been his teacher Mr. John, whom he called Little John because of his appearance, that brought him back on track. He was the one who supported him when his parents were too busy screaming at each other and he was the one who pushed him to graduate. Now he wants to do the same for other kids, no matter of rich or poor. In his opinion everyone deserved the same chances and a good education was probably the base for a brighter future for them.
The other teachers had far more problems with the children. There has been a time when Mary Margaret Blanchard, the music teacher, spent all of her lessons showing movies to the classes because the students made it impossible for her to teach.
She was really close to quitting. Fortunately, her plans changed when she fell in Love with David Nolan, the calculus teacher. He helped her to earn the respect of the children. But it's been a long, hard way and she was still struggling sometimes.
And even though Regina Mills has kind of impressed Robin with her little outburst during their morning encounter, he wasn't sure if she could actually handle this.
Robin's attention went back to the heated debate of his colleagues.
After what seemed like ages everyone was finally more or less satisfied with their timetables and Gold declared the meeting done. Everyone got up and headed to their first lessons. Robin looked out for Regina Mills. He wanted to speak to her again, just to make sure things between them were okay. But she wasn't interested in talking to him at all. She just gave him another glare and left the room before he had any chance to get to her.
Awesome, the foundation for an amazing collaboration was already laid.
After his first lesson, double biology, Robin was on his way to the gym, he just turned the corner when Mr. Gold and Mrs. Mills appeared in front of him. He slowed his pace to listen to their conversation or maybe just to enjoy the view on Mrs. Mills back a little bit longer. Her black skirt really didn't leave much to the imagination.
He forced himself to lift his head. Getting caught by Regina Mills while staring at her butt would probably not improve their relationship. So he focused on the discussion between Gold and her.
"I can only repeat how glad I am that you decided to join us here at Storybrooke High school, Dearie. I am well aware of the fact that St. James is much bigger than our little school, but if you have any problems to find your way around, everyone here is willing to help you."
"Thank you, that's very kind, but I think I will be fine. Your tour helped a lot." Regina replied.
"I hope you don't mind that I gave you only the advanced classes for the start. See it as a way to make the change a bit easier for you."
"Well, yeah I noticed, but I already told you that I am absolutely capable to teach the other classes as well…"
Her complaint was interrupted by the angry shouting's of two girls. Robin couldn't make out what the argument was about, boys probably, but they both look as if they were about to jump on each other any second.
"Hey you, Stop that", Mr. Gold tried.
The girls didn't show any sign that they heard him at all. What a surprise. Mr. Gold did a really good job as principal. He knew how to manipulate the school board when they are debating about new grants for the school and which strings to pull to get what he wants, but his interactions with children… Well, let's just say there is a reason why Mr. Gold decided to take care of the school's administration instead of teaching.
Robin was about to step in when someone else already did.
"Hey you two, stop that! Now!" There it was again, the angry parking lot voice "Seriously Girls, do you really want to ruin your nails and make up for a boy who thinks that you are too dumb to realize that he makes out with both of you?"
This actually silenced the two. They glared at each other and stormed in two different directions. Situation solved.
Robin grinned. It looked like Mrs. Mills won't have so many problems to earn the kid's respect after all.
Regina Mills walked out of the school building. She was relieved. Even though she would never admit it, she was afraid of her first day at her new school. Now she was glad that most things worked far better than expected. Mr. Gold was right though; this was going to be a lot more demanding than her old job. Still, she would never regret the transfer. Not after what happened at St. James.
The only thing that was still bothering her about Storybrooke High school was one of her new co-worker. Robin Locksley, the teacher of Biology and P.E., born in England but moved to the US a few years ago. At least that's what Miss Blanchard, the music teacher, told her during her break. Not that she was particularly interested in him. She wasn't. Not at all.
Besides this she also learned that Locksley was, according to her other colleagues, one of the most capable and also on one of the most accepted teachers among the students. Well, he didn't look that capable to her when he managed to damage her car first thing in the morning. To be honest, she had no idea why she even talked to the others about him, maybe because he annoys her so much. He, his cute British accent and this god damn blue eyes…
"No Regina you didn't just think that" she murmured.
In an attempt to distract her thoughts, Regina recalled the rest of the day. After the staff conference and a tour around the school grounds she already had two classes of advanced English Literature, which went pretty well. Of course, there were the usual comments and hints from the male parts of the class, but Regina was alright with this. Even though she didn't look like it, she definitely knew how to shut up a bunch of pubescent teenagers.
When Regina finally arrived at her car she stopped abruptly when she noticed a folded paper under her wiper.
"No, please, not again." Was all she could think of.
Her hands were shaking when she reached for the note. But when she opened it, all the tension fell off her. The message was definitely not what she expected.
My apologies again Milady
When her eyes fell on the provisional clued exterior mirror, she couldn't suppress a smile. Maybe that Robin Locksley wasn't so bad after all.
