A/N

Firstly, before anyone points out about a sudden change in quality of my writing, I wanna thank Kunoichi21 for beta reading and correcting my hideous mistakes. It's thanks to her that you may read my story without getting random urges to gouge your eyes out. Thank you so much Kunoichi21!

I am so so so sorry for updating a bit late, my excuse is that I was graduating and therefore had been busy doing my final assignment.

I thought I'd mention that I don't know what kind of highschool system regarding subjects and such is the most common or well known, so I'm pretty much just going with how things are here where I'm from because it's easier for me to write that way. I've also noticed that in most (or at least many) places the students refer to their teachers with Mr. This and Mrs. That and vice versa, but I think I'll stick to what feels the most natural to me so I'll probably keep using only their first names. However it's completely possible that I might forget that and accidentally write it the Mr. or Mrs.- way so I apologize for that in advance in case it bothers someone.

I don't recommend this story to anyone under the age of 18~

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN KINGDOM HEARTS OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS.

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Chapter 3: Childish behaviour

Even if everything about Axel the closet creep infuriates me endlessly, I have to admit that he was absolutely right when he said that class 2A was a bunch of scoundrels. The fact that this Vexen guy left them doesn't surprise me one bit, because after some utterly excruciating lessons together with it, I can honestly say that never ever in my whole life have I felt so completely ignored and looked down upon.

I'm actually quite impressed that someone can manage ignoring the teacher for a whole lecture by either fiddling with their phones or some other gaming devices. Alternatively, some of them would just discuss loudly about a party they got very wasted at and other things of no educational importance. Seriously, when I was still a student, things like that were unacceptable! If it were me I would've simply been thrown out through the window, third floor or not, and never let inside the classroom again. It was a given that you listen when the teacher is teaching for heaven's sake!

Maybe it really is all about the difference in society? Or maybe I'm growing old...

Either way, I'm finding my frustration growing and my patience shrinking the more I have classes with them. For example, I thought I was prepared for the unavoidable shower of nicknames that teachers tend to get from students but... I really wasn't. Now just to mention a few from the top of my head, during the first week I have very graciously been called flea, ragdoll, owl, shrimp, fly-face, rucksack, squirt, sprout, monday-measure, featherpillow (or just "feathers"), four-eyes, broomstick, oculus monster and anthead, but my personal favourite so far is Opticus Prime. Haha. No, I actually laughed at that one. It was unique.

Several nerve wrecks later I took the liberty of asking the principal during a teacher's conference (more as a joke) if it was okay to fail the entire class 2A if they refused to comply to obligations and surprisingly, Xemnas said that if that's what's required to make them behave, then I have his permission to do so. This is how I've been threatening them ever since, and it's working somewhat so far, because at least it seems like no-one wants to repeat class. Besides, I don't possess any intimidating physical strength or a strong, sassy nature like the other teachers so I'm a little short on options.

And of course, as a teacher my duty is to know my students at least by name, but my class has proven to me that it's essential I know absolutely everything about everyone to stop as many outrages as possible.

This became quite clear to me already during the first homeroom when every single student, even the girls, claimed their name was something utterly obscene. I'm not exactly sure but I think it was along the lines of "Mansex the Superior of the in-between" or something... I have no idea why they would do that, but if their objective was to fool me or prevent me from being able to recognize them in the future they are in for a horrible shock. There is something called a photographic recognition list, plus I have an exceptionally good memory.

The other day I found some class journals from last year written by Vexen, where he had slipped a class photograph with each pupil's name written on the backside along with some confiscated notes that probably were passed around the class in secret among the students. It amuses me to think about how he got them and what his reaction was because most of the notes had writing and drawings of something hilar- I mean, not nice about him.

After looking each journal through, I think I managed to get a somewhat solid picture of what kind of teenagers I'm dealing with, and in what kind of a pinch Vexen was with them. However, there's a few things that are different now that they've moved up a class. For example, there's this one student repeating whom I heard Axel had failed last year, so he was transferred to my class. His name is Seifer Broncox and he's kind of the main reason to the class's rude behaviour these days. He's known to threaten people physically, and he also uses his strong build to make smaller students do his homework. In other words, he's the classic type of a bully. Even if class 2A was already bad to begin with I still can't imagine it being as bad as it's now with Seifer as the "leader."

Despite the fact that the whole class is being led by Seifer, he also seems to have his own gang, of five strictly chosen people namely from class 2A. Of those five people, Seifer has two henchmen that he places most of his trust in, and he's rarely seen anywhere without them. One of them is Rai, a big and stupid gorilla-man who likes to end his every sentence with 'You know!?' and the other one is a scrawny-looking girl who only speaks in one-word sentences. Even if she doesn't talk much, Rai seems to be highly intimidated by her for some reason, which I find a bit ironic.

Then we have the Lazul twins who seem to be the ones going through with all the mischief, sometimes even starting them, all on Seifer's orders of course. Not that they're being forced in any way; in fact, they seem to enjoy being annoying little shits even though I threaten them almost every day with detentions and extra lessons. The older of the twins is Vanitas, a seemingly emo-ish gloomer who's never happy unless someone else is unhappy. The younger twin, Sora, who also is the more stupid of the two brothers always wears a huge, moronic smile on his face and doesn't really seem to fully understand just what kind of trouble his brother and Seifer are putting him in. Which is pitiful. Vanitas also seems to have some sort of a brother complex towards his brother, which everyone else seems to know about – seeing as it's rather obvious – but nobody dares to point it out to him. No wonder though; if looks could kill, Vanitas would probably be a mass murderer by now.

Oh, and let's not forget the vicious vixen Kairi Lazul who's almost the scariest out of the whole group of pests. Why? Because she's smart in a very unpleasant way which she uses to her advantage to manipulate everyone else into doing what she wants. And no, she's not the sister, but a cousin of Vanitas and Sora, and she seems to have a lifelong crush on Sora, or that's what Vexen wrote in his journal as a "blackmailing factor." Man, the guy must've been desperate... To be honest, I actually had noticed Kairi's completely one-sided crush through hers and Vanitas's constant wars over Sora's attention, but Sora is a natural airhead, so I doubt he knows about it or anything else that's going on around him. Besides, isn't love between cousins considered as incest these days?

Oh well. The rest of the class is manageable, but there isn't a single good student in it, so I'm left with little to no hopes of a brighter future. Not for me nor the class.

I sigh as I put the journals back in one of the drawers in my desk, after which I proceed to massage my temples like some burned-out, middle-aged businessman. The fact that I'll most likely suffer the same fate as Vexen stings behind my eyelids, but I'm too proud to let it become reality. No, everyone can be damn sure that I won't be defeated by some snot-nosed rich kids who don't even know what the first three digits of Pi are.

Checking the time, I realize I have to start my last lesson for today in about ten minutes. I quickly look through my schedule and to my uttermost relief it looks like I'm teaching trigonometry to class 3A.

I really hope Axel's happy he got such a dream class because I'd switch places with him ANYTIME. Nobody in class 3A is noisy, they don't fiddle with their phones and they never do anything besides the exercises I give them. They're all pretty good students too, or at least everyone's trying their best. I'd say they're the elite class of the whole school, which my class is the complete opposite of.

After letting out what feels like the billionth sigh of today, I pack my things and start leaving for the math class. On my way to the door I also pick up my glasses that I immediately put on. However, when I open the door I'm knocked back inside by someone who nearly walked right through me. I fall on my butt and the person I collided with falls beside the door dropping all his papers in the process. I guarded my glasses by reflex so that they wouldn't drop, but as a result I didn't make the landing any less painful for myself.

I look up a bit disorganized at the person sitting by the door and see Saïx holding his forehead in pain. He probably collided not only with me, but the door too since he's much taller than me. I start collecting his papers as I apologize.

"I'm so sorry Saïx, did you hurt yourself?" I ask while handing him his papers which he takes immediately and hurriedly collects the remaining scattered ones.

"Don't apologize. It was me who wasn't watching where I was going. Now, if you'll excuse me." He rambles as he gets up and starts walking with rapid steps towards the principal's office. I stare at the door to the principal's office for a while even after Saïx disappears through it, but eventually I start walking towards the classroom I'm supposed to be in soon.

To tell the truth, Saïx had been acting really weird this past week and the last. It's almost like someone had hit an off-button on him or something; he wasn't as nitpicky and precise with everyone and everything and he was often found dozing off in his office. He has also started colliding with doors, walls and people. But the weirdest part of his behaviour is (at least in my opinion) his random blushing. Why is it weird? Because one: Saïx doesn't blush and two: Saïx just doesn't blush. Or when he does, it's really creepy and unsettling. It may sound harsh but usually when a guy who's constantly wearing a deep frown and looks like he wants to murder everyone suddenly starts blushing like a young maiden in love... well something's gotta be very wrong at that point.

I have this feeling that it's got something to do with the love letter Axel and I wrote two weeks ago, or at least it's the only possibility that I can think of. Demyx and Xigbar only laughed at me when I asked them if they had noticed it a few days ago. They claimed that it's not the first time Saïx has acted like this, and that I should just leave him alone. They also told me that rumors of Saïx and the principal having an affair have been going around the school for as long as the building's been standing, not only among the teachers but the pupils too. Then I finally understood the whole humorous point of writing the love letter to the principal namely from Saïx, and Axel's level of creepiness rose a few miles further through the ceiling in my books.

After that, I more or less let the whole thing be, but after colliding with Saïx it just came back to me. Well whatever... I think that it's for the best if I don't know everything that goes down inside the walls of this school, not that I'd even want to know.

As I think those last thoughts, I notice that I've somehow managed to drag myself to the front of the math class and...

I stop in my tracks as I see someone standing in front of the math class peeking inside, looking as suspicious as someone possibly could.

Slowly tiptoeing closer I immediately recognize the spiky-haired brunette as one of the Lazul twins. What's Sora doing here? Didn't his school day end an hour ago? Then why is he here? And why is he stalking through the doorway?

I clear my throat and he flinches and lets out a frightened wince.

"What are you still doing here, Sora? I dare say that you're not here to do any studying," I question sternly as he turns around and nervously starts scratching the back of his head. Now that I look at him closely, I notice his face is almost an unnatural shade of deep red. Don't tell me that whatever Saïx's having is contagious...

"H-hello there anthea- I- I mean Mr. Strife, didn't see you there... hehehe..."

I feel my brow twitch at his slip, but I let it be as I further question him.

"Where's your brother? I rarely see either of you without the other..."

I look around but see nobody else in the corridor we're in and Sora starts slowly walking towards the exits without turning his back to me.

"H-he's probably at home by now... I f-forgot something and went to look for it but I'm all good now and well uhm... I gotta go now, bye!"

Sora rambles hurriedly and I just stare at him as he runs across the corridor and disappears through a pair of glass doors leading towards the main exit. Seriously, I hope he wasn't on another mission of mischief given by Seifer or Vanitas.

Checking the math class's doorway for any possible traps like water buckets or wet sponges I enter and see class 3A already seated with their math books open.

"Hey sorry I'm late, did you have to wait long?" I apologize looking at the time and notice I'm only a few minutes late. I hear a few say "Naah" and "Not at all" and I start my lesson.

My lessons have a very systematic flow that I decided was the best way to teach because it was the most effective way. I usually begin with checking everyone's homework. Not that I'd doubt everyone's been doing them, but because correcting mistakes that could occur during independent studying is an important part of the course. When that's done I start talking about something new or then I rehearse what we went through last time. After that I let them solve problems from their exercise books.

As I expected, this lesson goes by very quickly and painlessly compared to the other lessons today with other classes. After ordering the pupils to spend the rest of the lesson to do the exercises in the book I decide to sit down by my own desk in the front and pretend I'm doing something important when I'm actually doing a shopping list. I'm having Naminé, Olette and Hayner over on Sunday so I have to be a good host and prepare dinner for them.

When I sit down I feel a sharp pain in my backside and remember I actually hurt myself when I fell on it before. I try to sit as lightly as possible as I start making the list.

Let's see... What would be fitting for my budget and fairly delicious at the same time? Well at least nothing with onions cause Hayner hates them. Olette is allergic to nuts, tomatoes and curry if I remember correctly, Naminé however is fine with anything that is called "food". I'm not too fond of sea food myself... Oh! I should buy ginger ale for Hayner, it's his favourite. And ice cream is a dessert that works for everyone...

"Excuse me, Mr. Strife?"

I look up mid-sentence writing down the ginger ale and the ice cream and see one of the students raising his hand.

"Yes, what is it Riku?"

"I'm done with the exercises, what should I do now?"

"You're done already? At this rate I won't have any homework for you." I say a bit jokingly as I get up and walk to him to check his work for mistakes and he just snorts with a calm but humoured smile. As usual, I find no mistakes whatsoever.

Riku Falter is the best student in his class, and I'd even bet my head on that he's also the top student in the whole school. Maybe the whole town even. He's not only good at math, I hear he's also the top student in all the other subjects, except for art. He's also good looking and tall.

To be honest I'm a little envious, then again who wouldn't be. Riku's got pretty much everything I always wanted, what almost everyone would want. He has the brains and the looks, and he's strong. Both physically and mentally. Speaking of strength, I heard he's the only one who's ever stood up to Seifer too. It's said that they often clashed with each other in various fights, physical and verbal, but Seifer always drew the short straw.

Anyway, a little annoyed I tell Riku to read further in the theory book as I walk to the next waving student and help with a problem. The rest of the lesson I decide to go around helping the other students, not liking the idea of sitting on my hurt butt any more than necessary.

When the bell finally sounds and every student starts leaving, I also gather my things and wait until the class empties. Locking the door after the last student I start walking towards the main exit in the same direction where Sora ran off to earlier. Then I remember that before I go home I need to get some papers from my office that have to be looked over due Monday. I was planning on getting them done over the weekend.

I take a detour back to the common hall and as I enter I hear two... no, three voices coming from the direction of my office. I walk a bit closer and come to an abrupt stop as I recognize one of the voices belonging to none other than Axel. Now, he's the absolute last person I wanna see, and even if I say so myself, I've been doing a great job avoiding him these past two weeks, so as a first reaction I start walking away immediately. To hell with the papers, I'll just come earlier on Monday and do them then.

But then I hear someone mention my name and I hesitate. I look down the hallway towards the voices and when I hear my name spoken again my curiosity gets the better of me as I find myself slowly creeping towards the voices. As I get closer, I realize the voices are coming from Axel's office and that the other two voices belong to Demyx and Xigbar, which I'm not too surprised about since those three seem to like hanging out together. Xigbar once claimed that he's only keeping an eye on the "bluntest knives in the kitchen" though, but I still think he's more entertained in their company than the other teachers. Besides, some of the other teachers have extremely unsettling personalities, and some like to keep to themselves a lot. So out of everyone, Axel, Demyx and Xigbar are definitely the most humane individuals. Well… I'm not really counting the redhead anymore to be honest.

I carefully tiptoe as close to the open door of Axel's office as I can and try to listen to what the trio inside is talking about. I know it's very rude to eavesdrop on people like this, but in my opinion I have every right to listen to a conversation that has to do with me. I lean on the wall beside the doorway and listen.

"Well if you ask me, it's not all that surprising Roxas's not exactly in the mood to see you let alone talk with you..." I hear Xigbar's sarcastic comment which confirms my suspicions that they're indeed talking about me.

"I mean, if I were just a little whipper snapper like him myself, I'd also be fairly terrified if a scarecrow-like weirdo twice my size suddenly came and put me in a closet with him for an hour on the first day of my job."

Note to self: Remember to hit Xigbar with something hard on the head later without telling him why.

"You don't have to spell it out to me! I know what I've done." I hear Axel retorting with a whine.

"Yeah, you practically raped him." I hear someone facepalm (probably Xigbar) as Demyx makes a comment with a tone that sounds way too innocent and plain for the phrase.

"Shut up when the adults are talking Demyx."

"I'm an adult, stupid Xigbar!"

"Yeah, yeah sure. Here, have this lollipop and be quiet."

I hear a 'plop' sound indicating that Demyx got his mouth temporarily stuffed with most likely the lollipop and to my slight surprise he really stays quiet as Axel continues.

"Look, I really wanna talk and apologize to him properly, but seeing as he doesn't even want to be in the same room as me, it's not gonna be an easy task."

"No definietly not. The guy seems to be a natural at bearing grudges, and he's probably got a traumatic past filled with bullies which is why he decides to immediately distance himself from anyone who comes too close his personal bubble. You can see it just by looking at him."

A sharp pain runs through me like an electric shock as I hear Xigbar talking about me like he's known me my whole life when he has known me for roughly two weeks. I knew he was smart, but his observation skills are something out of this world!

"But that's just the thing! I know he's really an interesting person cause I've talked to him! He's really funny and actually opens up a little after you've talked to him for a while, he can even pull off jokes!"

I feel something weird swell inside my chest as I listen to Axel eagerly talk about when we first had a normal conversation. I remember it feeling almost like we were friends, which was weird for me since I never had any guy friends in my whole life. I guess I forgot all about it when I got angry at him.

Slowly I start realizing that maybe... just maybe I might be acting a little bit childishly.

"Whoa there, don't tell me you've got the hots for the little guy?"

I freeze.

"Oh, come on Xigbar. You know I'm better than that. Just because I'm gay doesn't mean I want to jump everything with a penis."

I double freeze.

"Well, you never know. He seems to be your type after all. He's blonde, small and probably has a cute face beneath those bangs and glasses."

I hear Axel and Xigbar getting into a quarrel about the whole topic and I forget for a moment that I was supposed to be quiet and eavesdrop on them.

Really now. Axel's actually gay? And I'm his… t-type?!

The shock of all these revelations make my legs shake and by accident I hit my left heel in the wall that causes a regrettably loud thud noise.

Everyone in the office goes eerily quiet and not even a second has time to pass until Axel has rushed out of the room, immediately spotting me. He looks at me with big, horrified eyes, which are probably very close to the size of my own staring ones.

"R-Roxas...? How long have you...? He starts but doesn't get the chance to finish as I bolt off in the opposite direction.

"Roxas! Wait! We have to talk!" I look back and notice to my uttermost horror that he set off chasing me.

Without thinking I throw my satchel in a panic aiming at his feet that he luckily stumbles over. I hear him cursing in pain and Xigbar and Demyx joining in the hassle. But I never look back as I run as fast as I can out of the building, throw myself inside my car and drive home without obeying any of the speed limits on the way.