Series Title: The Kids Aren't Alright
One-shot Title: Computer Geek
Rated: T, over all; K+ this time.
Summary for this one-shot: Just an afternoon in the life of Toby Isaacs, student teacher at Degrassi.
Disclaimer: I own no characters from the show, but I own any titles or ideas used.
Author's Note: This series is basically a bunch of one shots about the graduating class of '06 and the class of '07 three-eleven years after 2006.
December, 2011-Degrassi Community School
Mandy Jenkins was secretly listening to music, again. The girl listened to her music more then she did to her teachers. It was something Toby Isaacs had learned after the first week of school. Mr. Simpson was busy helping Rebecca and Erica Lords, so Toby decided it was his duty to take on Mandy.
"What are you listening to?" He questioned, as he poked her shoulder. Mandy quickly tried to hide the CD case under her binder. "Craig Manning, huh? You know, my stepsister dated him." Mandy glanced up, eyes wide. "Yeah, a couple of songs from his '07 album are about her and their relationship." Toby paused in thought for a moment. "Dust and Crash."
"From Downtown Sasquatch? Those songs are about your stepsister?" Mandy quickly opened her CD case. "I have all his CDs and I'm so getting Cem when it hits stores this spring." Mandy nearly squealed. "You know his song, Manny? Sometimes, I think he's saying: 'Mandy'. That's why it's my favorite."
Toby rolled his eyes. "Yeah? How do you feel about finishing your site? It's due next week, Mandy."
Mandy gave Toby a look. "Yeah, alright. Sorry, Mr. Isaacs." She started up her program. Toby noted she was making a site about Craig. He chuckled to himself, as he went over to help another student.
Hours later, the last class of the day shuffled out of Mr. Simpson's class. In a couple of minutes, the kids who used the computers for after school research would come shuffling in. Regretfully, Toby was in charge of watching the small group of kids on that spring day. The truth was, he had had wanted to go check out J.T.'s new film, not watch a bunch of grade 7 and 8s try desperately to finish their final projects for the semester.
"He does not!" Toby glanced up from his paper work, just as two grade 7s walked into the room.
"Inside voices, guys." Toby reminded them with a shake of his head.
"We're girls, Mr. Isaacs." The taller of the two stated firmly.
Toby felt himself smirk. "Right. Forgive me, Grace."
Grace smiled. "Not at all, Mr. Isaacs." That out of the way, Grace turned to her friend. "Now, he totally did say that. He said, and I quote: 'Anna Tyler is kinda cute.' And, he's in grade 9!" Toby cleared his throat. "Sorry." The two girls ducked their gazes from him and quickly moved to the computers.
After that, things began to quiet down. At ten minutes past the final bell, the computer lab was filled with just five students and one student teacher. Grace and Anna were whispering in a corner, clearing gossiping more then working on the English report they should have been working on. Lucy Philips was quietly and quickly typing away on a keyboard, the girl reminded Toby so much of Liberty. And, Alanna Smyth sat at a computer, Robert Andrews beside her; Robert was desperately trying to get Alanna's attention, but the girl was too focused on her history project to notice that Richard was deeply crushing on her. '
Man, had he ever been so young? It seemed like forever ago, even if it hadn't yet been four years since he had graduated from Degrassi. Toby made a mental note to call Emma up, to talk about the old days. He could just hear his friend now: 'Remember the time you and J.T. fought over a dance with that stripper at my parent's wedding?' or 'What about the summer, before college? Manny must have called us a hundred times to complain about the car Joey sold her and J.T.." and even 'What about our second year of college? That beard I tried to grow. It looked like I had fuzz on my chin. People kept trying to clean it off!' All those childhood memories, it was amazing that he was graduating college in only a few months. It was amazing that next fall, he'd be teaching kids.
"Mr. Isaacs?" Toby was awaken from his thoughts by Lucy. "I just wanted to say that I was finished and that I hope you have a nice afternoon." She smiled shyly and Toby offered her a smile in return. There was a small and awkward pause, then a: "Mr. Isaacs?"
Lucy leaned in close. "Is it true you know the Craig Manning?"
Oh, no. What had he done, now every kid in school would be asking him about Craig. "I knew him, Lucy. During school he dated a couple of girls that I knew. He did go here, a lot of people knew him."
Lucy leaned away from the desk and chewed on her lower lip for a moment. "You know, a lot of people think the ones who graduated and went on to become stars or important people are cool. Real cool." She glanced back at the other four kids in the room, and then turned back to Toby. "But, I think you're the cool one. You're smart and you could have been rich by now, but you're a teacher. That's cool. Real cool." She blushed lightly, and quickly made an exist.
Toby paused in thought for a moment. So, J.T. and Manny were famous actors? So, Craig was a famous musician? So, Emma had the stuff to be an award winning journalist? So, most of his friends had or were on their way to being rich and powerful? He was Toby Isaacs, future computer science teacher. He was a computer geek and damn proud of it.