We Might Fall – Chapter Two: Subconsciously
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.
Author's Note: To the reviewer who asked with this would be a g!p fic, it isn't but this is an world of magic and I fully intent to have Alex use her powers for her own, perhaps even sexual, benefit at some point in the story. Your feedback is really important to me guys, I have a vague idea of where this story is going but any suggestions would definitely be taken on board.
When Alex explained the Mitchie/Miss Torres development to Harper she was confused, as per usual. "Wait so, you met Mitchie at orientation and Justin met Miss Torres and they are actually the same person?" Alex nodded, exhausted from having to explain the relatively simple situation to her friend. "And you now you and Justin are crushing on the same person but he has no idea?"
"What? No. Harper I do not have a crush on Mitchie."
"It kind of sounds like you do, you said yourself you couldn't stop thinking about her, Alex. "
"I don't-I mean, it doesn't matter anyway. She's a teacher and she's probably like a million years old." Even if she doesn't look it, Alex thought to herself.
"You're avoiding the question and it's not like she's your teacher."
"Technically I'm still a student of WizTech and I mean I don't like her, I've never felt that way about a girl before maybe it's just…admiration." Yeah, that sounds good, lets go with that, Alex told herself not fooling the best friend sitting beside her on the bed.
"Alex, please. You admire her? She's a teacher; you despise teachers. You aren't physically capable of appreciating anything remotely academic."
"Hey! That's not-well yeah, it's kind of true," she admitted.
At this point Alex had began to tune her friend out, overcome with other questions about her current situation. Did she like Mitchie? I was hard for her to believe, it wasn't that she had anything against that. Even coming from and both Latin American and Italian-American backgrounds she was never taught to see people differently for their sexuality, I mean after all, they did live in New York. The thing was Alex just never though of herself like that, she prided herself on her scheming nature and always knowing what was going on around her and more often than not getting caught in the middle of it – was it possible that she's completely overlooked this facet of her personality? Or was Mitchie just the first person to bring it out in her?
Over the next few weeks Justin's infatuation with Miss Torres had significantly lessened while Alex's had only increased. She'd picked up a extra wizarding class at WizTech on the weekends, perhaps secretly hoping to run into Mitch-Miss Torres and without really meaning to she'd started applying herself more at both WizTech and Tribeca Prep. She was trying to impress someone that much was evident even if she appeared to be denying her true feelings.
On the second Saturday that Alex was attending her extra class she finally saw Mitchie again. She came across the older woman sitting behind the desk in an empty classroom. Mitchie looked up when she heard the knock on the door and indicated for Alex to enter the room.
"Hi, Alex," she said with a beaming smile. "What's brought you here?"
Alex walked further into the classroom, now leaning against the desk directly in front of Mitchie's.
"I'm taking an extra class this year."
"Really?" Mitchie spoke a little louder then what she had said before, a tone of surprise evident in her voice.
"Why are you so surprised? You don't even know me."
"I know of you and you are not the most academic student, I think the Headmasters exact words when I asked about you were," she started using a faux British accent, "'has raw talent but completely lacks the motivation to apply herself and will never reach her full potential until she does,'" Alex was shocked, not just that Mitchie had gone out of her way to find out about her but that someone actually though that about her.
"You asked about me?" She inquired smirking and evoking a light shade of pink on Mitchie's cheeks.
"Maybe, haven't you asked around about me?" She had, but Mitchie Torres seemed to be an enigma. She asked her peers and found out very little other than that this was her first year teaching not just at WizTech but at all.
"I might have, and I might not have found out very much. I feel like you know everything about me and I didn't even know you were a teacher until you were at my house for a field trip."
"I know that your name is Alex Russo, you're 17, a wizard, you have two brothers, your parents are happily married, they own a sandwich shop in New York City and that you don't like school very much, it's not really that much." She stated.
"It's like six things more than I know about you," Alex replied, hoping to get some information about the woman sitting across from her.
"I guess we can make it equal. You already know my name, I'm 24, an only child, my parents passed away a few years ago but they raised me in Texas and clearly, I like school so much I came back." Mitchie seemed satisfied with what she had reveled but Alex couldn't help but notice that she hadn't stated the most obvious thing, that she too was a wizard.
"And don't forget, you're a wizard." Alex laughed thinking that it was an obvious oversight on Mitchie's part.
"I'm not a wizard."
"What? What are you then? A werewolf, a fairy, a vampire? Oh, it'd be so cool if you were a vampire." She seemed amused at Alex's sudden excitement.
"I'm not any of those things, Alex," now Alex was confused, "I'm mortal."
"Is that even allowed?" It came out harsher then she had intended it but that didn't seem to phase the teacher.
"My parents adopted me, they were wizards and so eventually they had to explain all of this to me, when they passed away I think the Wizard Council saw me as a risk so they said that when I finished my degree they was a job waiting here for me."
It seemed to be a recurring theme that Mitchie shocked Alex and once again she had. Alex had never known of a mortal being so involved in the wizarding community.
"And now you teach Mortal Studies to young wizards? Man, I would ace that class." This made Mitchie laugh.
"You wouldn't be allowed to take the class, Alex. It wouldn't be fair." Alex knew she could take the class; it was the first one she'd tried to sign up for when she decided to take an extra class this year and the admissions lady had told her but she wasn't going to tell Mitchie that.
"I know, it'd just be nice to be an expert at something for once."
"Alex, when I asked about you I only got information about our progress at WizTech. You're a natural at magic but are you having actual trouble in school?" Alex's eyes dropped to the floor, she'd never excelled in school and she'd never been ashamed of that but that though that Mitchie would think less of her based on her academic success worried her. Mitchie seemed to pick up on Alex's embarrassment and spoke again before the younger girl could. " I could um, I could tutor you maybe, if you wanted?" She suggested, Alex's eyes glancing up.
"I don't, I couldn't ask you to do that I'm sure your busy."
"Alex, I'm only qualified to teach one class at this school, I have mortal world qualifications I might as well but my college degree to use. What subjects are you having the most trouble with?"
"Um, all of them?" Mitchie doubted that, Alex might not apply herself to school but seems very capable, quick witted and sure of herself.
"Ok, let me put it differently, which subjects do you actually struggle with and which subjects do you just not apply yourself too?" Alex took a moment to consider this before answering.
"I guess I'm okay with English and History when I actually pay attention but Chemistry and Math are like gibberish to me."
"Then it's settled, I'm usually here every Saturday grading papers, come here after your class and I will help you." Alex felt overwhelmed that someone was putting the effort in to aid her.
"Um, thank you. I guess I'll leave you to it." She started moving towards the door; "I'll see you round, Mitchie." She smiled and gave a small wave before exiting the room leaving Mitchie with a smile on her face, the use of farewell she had use the previous two times they had spoken not lost on her.