A/N: I'm in love with this story right now. Please let me know if you like it too! I hope it's not going too slow or something!
o-o-o
Three.
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"There's a difference between being late and being fashionably late," stated a certain red-haired demon.
"I have to disagree. If you're not in the door by 8:15, I'm marking you as tardy. End of story."
Over the course of my teaching career, which, mind you, has only been three years so far, I've heard a multitude of every excuse in the book. I was secretly hoping for something clever and elaborate to come along someday, purely for my own entertainment, but all I got were mediocre ones. Seriously, people, you have one job. Just get to class on time.
I didn't feel like I asked for much.
This didn't go over well with her, but honestly, I wondered what did at this point. Kairi got upset at the smallest things and Sora telling me that she was cranky was definitely an understatement. I was starting to wonder if there was any dimension to her character or if she was just addicted to drama of any sort. Did Kairi know how to smile? Even when Sora was around, she didn't crack one, but that was probably because her mistake was sitting right across the table at the time.
Hold on.
Did I just refer to myself as a mistake? Hell no. If anything, she was the mistake. You know what? She can just shove it. I was really starting to dislike her as the weeks passed, and it was no longer about the one night stand I so unwillingly partook in. She was just unpleasant to look at now. At first I wanted to help her, but I rendered that pointless a while ago. Kairi was nothing but rude to me, and she hardly ever did her work, either.
When she fails the class, I'm definitely putting a word in to ban her from taking mine again. I had a pretty good track record, so I didn't need to concern myself with unmotivated individuals that did nothing but waste their parent's tuition money.
I don't think she's allowed to take it with me again, anyway. Wasn't that a policy? The student handbook changed every year and I didn't even bother to learn every single detail. I don't think anyone took the time to read it.
Fuck that book.
Leaning against my desk, I readied myself for today's lesson. I decided to take a different approach today. Group assignments weren't really my forte, but maybe the students would like this a little more. However, this wasn't the typical group assignment. The class waited in anticipation (that may be a little exaggerated) for whatever I had to say as they settled into their seats.
"You all know that your first test is coming up and that it's ten percent of your grade, so today we're going to do a little group assignment," I said as I looked around the room. A few students sat up in their desks, meaning I had captured their attention. "Think of this as a sort of review for the test. History has a lot of precision, so I can understand if your memories are a bit foggy after the last three chapters. I'm going to split you into two teams."
"Oh! Do we get to have team names?" Riku never failed to chime in. Honestly, I should have been more excited that he was so engaged with the lessons, so I guess I couldn't complain.
"Sure, why not?" I answered and then went back to what I was saying. "The teams will be split down the middle, so get to know your fellow peers around you. Although you will receive a group grade, if one or two individuals decide they don't want to contribute, it won't affect everyone else." Somehow, my eyes landed on Kairi when I said this, but whether it was just some subconscious reaction was over my head. She seemed aggravated by it, but whatever. I handed out two sheets of paper with the same questions and waited for the teams to huddle around one person.
"Here's how the game is going to work. I'm going to draw your names out of this jar," I said, raising the jar that I had placed on my desk. I had already written down everyone's names on small pieces of paper and mixed them into it. "If I call your name, your team gets to answer the question. If you don't get it right, the question goes to the other team. If I draw more than two times for the same group, the other group will get the next question whether that team gets the answer right or not. Sound fair?" I watched as everyone nodded in unison.
"Are these the same questions that will be on the test?" Kairi spoke. Taken aback that she was actually participating, I hesitated.
"More or less, but they're not exact."
Hah! Like I'd actually give them the answers. I would never spoon feed my students. You had to earn your grade in my class. These questions were roundabout wordings as to what I was looking for, so they would really have to think about their answers on the test.
I liked challenging people. It made the results more rewarding when they came back on a good note. Sometimes it was risky and it made me work harder, but I was positive that at least ninety percent of the class had the potential.
"This will be a guide as to what to look for when you study. Now, I'm going to give you all ten minutes to go through the questions and answer them as a team. Make sure you write everyone's name on the paper."
"We're going to be Team Flagstaff," Riku announced.
"Flagstaff?" I questioned, bewildered as to where he came up with such a name.
"After that one general that defeated the south in the Revolutionary War! He had a goat named Flagstaff. Goat power!"
Wow, you could remember that little detail but you couldn't tell me what you had for breakfast? Sometimes I wondered how he made it into the University. I looked to the other team.
"Would you guys like to have a team name as well?"
"We decided on The Wielders," Olette answered shyly. "After the… brave people that fought for us."
"Sounds good."
As they started working on the assignment, I kicked back in my chair and put my feet up on the desk. This was so much easier than lecturing. As much as I enjoyed the subject, I had to find different ways for my students to learn because not everyone was awesome like me.
Totally kidding. I wasn't that egotistical.
Or maybe I was. Oh well, it wasn't like I shoved it in anyone's face. People just liked to compliment me nowadays, and although I was generally pretty modest about it, now I just said thank you and moved on.
I don't think people would like me as much if they got into my head, which was really quite a shame. I always had something going on.
It seemed like everyone, even Kairi, was working diligently on the assignment. I mentally patted myself on the back for a job well done. I had many more ideas, such as pulling my old guitar out of the closet and working with my students to form a historically accurate song, in which we could all perform on the side of the road to raise money for the school clubs. Wouldn't that be a sight? The Rap Battles of History were definitely entertaining, so why not? The first year, after I was comfortable enough, I actually recited one of these in relation to one of my topics, word for word. It was lame as hell, but when the results to the test came back, it was a seventy percent turnover from the last one. Ever since then, I have tried to come up with creative ways to make the class more interesting.
I didn't believe in just lecturing off of a projection screen. I wanted my students to look forward to coming to class and to actually pertain the information. Yeah, they may never use this knowledge again in life, unless they specifically wanted to delve into the marvelous world of teaching, but it was still good to know.
You could learn a lot from the past.
After the ten minutes were up, it was time to start the actual game. Standing up to stretch, I then walked around to the front of my desk and crossed my arms. The class quieted down a little. Students respecting you made it so much easier for obedience. Yeah, there were a few exceptions to the rule, but that was beside the point. For the most part, I never really had any disciplinary problems.
Let's play.
"As an added bonus, the winning team will receive five extra credit points that can be used at any time. These points can be the difference between a passing and failing grade, so if you get them, use them wisely."
This made them happy, but it also raised the stakes.
Kairi's hand slowly went up.
"Mr. Ishida, I feel a little sick. May I be excused for a moment?"
Whoa, she actually knew how to be polite?
"Uh, sure," I said as she got up and slowly headed for the door with her hand over her stomach. Um, alright. Turning back to the class, I was ready to start. "The first question is, 'Explain what differences or disagreements the first settlers to the islands had and what they did to cultivate a society here on Destiny Islands.' Okay, I'm drawing now," I said as I stuck my hand into the jar. "Selphie?"
"That's me," the girl behind Riku called out. "Do I… have to answer?"
"Just read what your team came up with."
"O-Okay. Well, we all said that the settlers came from different backgrounds, so culturally, they had trouble getting along with one another."
"Yes, that's true. What else?"
"There were disagreements as to who will have power?" Riku blurted out.
"Between who, specifically?"
"I don't know, I just made an assumption."
Of course. I shook my head as I called on the other team.
Kairi didn't come back any time soon.
o-o-o
Kairi returned to retrieve her things just as the class had come to a close. As the other students dispersed, I noticed that she looked a little pale. Maybe she really was sick.
Oh, fine. It must have been difficult for her to be so nice to me, so I decided to show some compassion for her troubles for once.
"Hangover?" I simply asked.
What? I thought it was a legitimate question.
"Actually, no. I haven't had a drink for weeks," she answered irritably as she threw her backpack over her shoulder. A moment later, Sora appeared at the door, just like he had been doing since he found out that Kairi was here. They kissed and he immediately noticed her unwell state.
"Kairi, are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she lied as she walked past him. Sora waved to me but was quick to go after her. After putting my stuff away, I was about to leave when I nearly ran into Aqua as I stepped out into the hallway.
"Oh, hey Ven!" She said cheerily as she held her binder close.
"Good morning," I said as I locked the door. "How was your class?"
"It was pretty good, but we could hear you guys from across the hall."
"Oh, sorry," I gave her an apologetic smile as we made our way out of the building. "We tend to get a little rowdy."
"I don't know how you do it," she said with a chuckle. "By the way, I was going to ask you—a few of the other teachers are heading over to Rafferty's for a late lunch. Did you want to go? It will be after your 12:00 class ends."
Terra worked at Rafferty's. I wasn't sure if I wanted to torture myself today, but since Aqua had been pretty insistent lately on getting me to hang out with her and the other faculty members, I decided to give it a whirl.
"Alright. I can meet you guys there, I guess," I said right before we went our separate ways. Walking into the University Center for my mid-morning snack, I realized that my regular booth was taken by some students, so I just found another corner to sit in. There were some guys near me that were pretty loud, so I immediately regretted sitting here. I pulled out the textbook and began looking over the chapters, just so I could possibly squeeze in a bonus question or two on the test.
"Hear about that girl, Kairi?"
My attention was averted to the guys at the next table over.
"I heard she slept with the entire soccer team."
I probably wouldn't doubt that, but honestly, this made me a little uncomfortable. I thought gossip was something that was left behind after high school, but I guess that some people just never grew up.
"I heard she gave a few of them the clap," another guy added.
My clinic results were STD free, so this couldn't have been true unless Kairi decided to sleep with other people within the span of a few weeks. I tried not to listen, but it wasn't working. Kairi may have been annoying, but they really didn't have the right to talk about her like this. Just as I was about to intervene, Sora had appeared and was already one step ahead of me. He had his arm around Kairi and she looked very upset. She must have overheard what they were saying.
"What the hell is wrong with you people? Why are you spreading lies about my girlfriend?"
Nice job, kid. Now the guy was in your face. Sora wasn't backing down, however. He held Kairi close as he glared intently into the taller guy's eyes. Figuring that it was time to put a stop to this before anything really started, I stepped in, gently pushing Sora aside. The guys seemed to recognize me, so they just grunted and backed off. I may not have been the most intimidating person, but I still had the authority to get them expelled if I really wanted to. (Trust me, I would). Turning back to Sora and Kairi, I sighed as I noticed the pain etched on her face. Gathering my things, I followed them out of the cafeteria.
"Thanks for standing up for her," Sora said after we got outside. Kairi stayed quiet.
"If you didn't do it first, I would have shut them up. People don't realize the weight their words can have."
"True," Sora agreed.
"Whatever, I'm used to it," Kairi said finally, her eyes glued to the pavement.
"You shouldn't be. You don't deserve to be treated that way!" Sora stated adamantly. I could tell he really loved this girl.
I guess I could extend a helping hand every now and then. As much as it tormented me to admit, my dislike for her had come to a temporary halt. I actually pitied her right now. Just like Sora said, she seemed like she had been through a lot in her life.
"Well, you two take care of yourselves, and Kairi," I paused as she slowly looked up at me, "Feel better," I said with the utmost sincerity.
She nodded.
"This means a lot to us, really," Sora added. "We'll see you around!"
"Bye," I waved.
They seemed to go well together, despite her overdramatic tendencies. With a heavy sigh, I found myself gravitating back to my classroom and staying there for the next two hours.
Blah. What a life.
o-o-o
Terra was a half glass full kind of guy. Always smooth with his words, (when he was sober, at least), he knew how to woo the ladies and make the dough. One thing that I had yet to understand was his innate ability to sound smarter than he actually was, as well as the skill to effectively pull it off in front of a crowd of unsuspecting audiences that he regularly came into contact with.
This was what Aqua was going through right now. The woman was smitten as Terra set her glass of water out in front of her, flashing his pearly whites and using body language to his full advantage. The other female teacher, Miss Lockheart, also couldn't take her eyes away as he repeated the same actions to her. With me and the other guy, Zack Fair, he was pretty normal.
"You look like a woman that likes to eat her veggies," Terra said to Aqua as he scribbled something onto his notepad. "I'm going to throw in a complimentary Caesar for such a lovely lady." Aqua blushed and turned her head to the side in embarrassment as she whispered something to Miss Lockheart. Zack and I exchanged impassive stares.
"And for you," he continued, referring to Miss Lockheart, "How does an eight ounce sirloin sound? You're pretty tone, so I'm sure protein is a big part of your diet."
"How did you know?" She giggled, making me cringe.
This was ridiculous.
"Ven, you getting the same thing you always do?" Terra asked. I shrugged.
"I'm feeling a little adventurous today. I think I'll try the salmon this time."
"Salmon? You hate fish."
"No I don't. Axel hates fish."
"Oh, right! Gotcha. For you, sir?" He turned to Zack. After we were all done ordering, Terra hurried off and I was left in the wake of the two infatuated women.
"You know him?" Aqua asked, as if this tidbit of information was some spectacular phenomenon.
"Yeah, he's been my friend since I entered adolescence. He's about your age, actually, but I wouldn't be too keen on getting to know him."
I was warning them as a concerned co-worker and friend. Whatever you do, steer clear of Terra.
"Wow, man. Ditching your own friend, huh?" Zack intervened, laughing right after. "Hey, Tifa, you should have seen yourself."
Tifa. That was her name. She and Aqua were the English teachers, but I heard that Tifa also had a Public Relations class. She hung out with Aqua a lot, but this was my first time actually meeting her. Zack Fair specialized in Military History. From first glance, it seemed like he and I would get along just fine. I believe that Aqua has been the object of his affection for many years now, but she usually paid him no mind as you so obviously could see. As Tifa and Aqua talked among themselves, Zack and I found our conversation falling short. It didn't really matter, though, because we had a mutual understanding simply being men. We didn't have to engage in deep conversations to have a good time, although I was curious as to what his theory was on something that happened with our military in the 1930's. Nobody really knew, but there had been many speculations.
I kept the question to myself, though.
Once the ladies had stopped worshipping Terra's existence and come back to reality, Tifa decided to start a twenty-one question session in an effort to get to know me better. I actually preferred this over 'tell me about yourself,' so I was a little more comfortable answering as she started out with the more general questions, like my age, how long I've been working, blah, blah.
Things were different in your thirties, apparently. People didn't really ask about your interests unless they were directly correlated with your career, at least in my experience. I was turning thirty at the end of April, so I guess I needed to start paying more attention in order to 'get with the program.'
I don't get out much.
"How far is your commute?" Tifa inquired casually as she picked up her glass of water and sipped on it.
"About ten minutes. I have my own house out in the suburbs. It's just a dainty, little ol' two story home," I said, but it probably just came across as bragging. "I mean, I saved a lot of money since I was a teenager."
Yeah, my parents instilled in me to make sure I was ready for retirement. I opened up an IRA account when I was eighteen and I put at least ten bucks in every time I get paid. I have also invested in gold and silver coinage, so I watched the market every now and then. I thought I was being pretty smart.
But I wasn't a bragger, at least not out loud.
"Oh, wow! Well, you just have your life set, then, don't you?" Aqua intervened.
"I just like being prepared," I admitted. We all sat for a moment before talking again.
"Would you ever teach any other subjects?" Tifa asked.
That was a good question, actually.
"I've considered teaching Destiny Islands History specifically, but I'm not sure how many people would actually sign up for it."
"There's probably some History majors that would," Zack pointed out. "My class is an elective to anyone that's not a major or minor, but I do have some that take it purely out of interest."
"I was never really good at History," Tifa admitted. "I'm not one to focus on the past, anyway!"
"I get that a lot," I said, laughing it off with her. My students used it all the time and honestly, it just sounded like yet another excuse to me. With Tifa, though, it didn't come across that way. I knew that not everyone would care for such a complicated subject, and I didn't mind.
"What got you interested in it?" Aqua asked.
Ah, memories.
"My family and I used to go on a lot of educational trips up until my teenage years, such as historical landmarks and whatnot. My dad was a pretty big History buff himself, so I guess his influence rubbed off on me. I also used to live a block down from an old nursing home and so sometimes I would volunteer to play my guitar there when I was a teen," I was cut off my Aqua when she gasped.
"You play guitar?"
"Occasionally. I was good enough to make the elders bob their heads, I guess."
"That's really sweet," Tifa pointed out.
"Yeah. Anyway, the older folks would tell me a lot of stories and that was when I really began to pursue the career. Once I got accepted to the University and was able to pick my classes, History I was the first one I signed up for."
"It's not really a subject you take up unless you plan on teaching it, right?" Tifa questioned.
"I suppose there are other things you can do, but I just like sharing my interest with like-minded people. My class may be mandatory, but I try to make it as fun as I can."
"So we can hear," Zack added with a chuckle. "You seem to be very passionate about it."
"Sorry, I'll try to quiet it down."
"I've been teaching for nearly eight years now, yet my students aren't nearly as engaged as yours seem to be," Tifa stated in awe. "Then again, who likes studying a language they should already know? You'd be surprised how many students don't know proper grammar!"
"No, I wouldn't, and yeah, well, I tend to let my walls down in the classroom and just have fun with it."
"That's the best way to do it," Aqua agreed. A few minutes later, Terra brought our food and the questions were put on hold as the women gawked once more.
"By the way, Ven, what happened to you that night? On Axel's birthday? You kind of just disappeared."
"You're a few weeks late with this question," I said nervously as the others listened in. "I decided to go home." I swiftly kicked at his foot in order to send some sort of message that we would talk about it later, although I would never reveal to him what actually happened. I knew I was making myself seem more suspicious, but it was better than Terra blurting out that we went to some hotel with a bunch of girls. I didn't need that kind of impression on my coworker's psyches, not when I was doing so well.
Terra definitely wasn't going to mention that around customers, however, so I was pretty relieved.
"Axel has been trying to get a hold of you. You should call him."
"What? I never got any calls or texts."
"He must be lying, then."
Or high.
"Enjoy your meal!" Terra exclaimed, winking at Aqua and Tifa and going off somewhere else. Tifa left her number on the napkin before we left the restaurant.
I needed new friends.
o-o-o
A major storm broke out just before my last class of the day ended around four, and of course, I was completely unprepared for it. I guess I didn't think to check the weather, considering it was so nice out before. On top of that, my car was parked on the other side of the campus. I stood at the doors along with a few other students, trying to come up with some way to turn into the Flash and make it to my car without getting wet at all, but I got nothing. Unfortunately, superhero powers just didn't work in this universe.
Time to run!
Obviously, I got completely soaked. Coincidentally, I recalled that I had some towels in my trunk for whatever reason, so I quickly moved them to the front and set one down in the seat before I got in and shut the door.
I couldn't wait to take a shower.
I put on an old CD and took a moment to catch my breath. I hadn't run that fast in a while and I had to admit that I was pretty out of shape. I guess I couldn't make any more trips to the burger joint on campus for a quick, convenient fix. My gut was starting to show, anyway. In my peripheral vision, I spotted none other than Sora and Kairi, desperately attempting to open a car door as the rain doused everything in sight. It seemed like Sora lost his key, so he was looking everywhere for it while he tried to shield Kairi from the rain with his other arm. It clearly wasn't working.
How the hell did I always run into these two? Haven't I been punished enough?
Damn it. Turning my car on and carefully pulling out of the parking lot, I cast my problems aside and went around to the next row where they were. Rolling down my window, I yelled, "Get in!" Once Sora saw who I was, he hurried over and let Kairi into the passenger's seat before I could set the towel down. She shivered beside me as he got into the back seat.
She looked as if she had been crying. How I could tell that in the rain was a mystery. Her long hair was a bit wavy from the impact and she just seemed really miserable.
"Here," I said, handing her a towel. She stared warily at me before finally taking it and wrapping it around herself. Sora did the same.
"Seat belts," I reminded them as they settled down. After I heard two clicks, I was on my way.
"I think I left my key in the classroom. I'm sorry. It seems like I'm always thanking you," Sora said.
"It's not a problem. Where do you need to go?"
I suppose I could have just taken him back to the building he left his key in, but they were already here and I really wanted to get home.
"Over to the Sunset Apartments. They're a few blocks away. If the weather is any better tomorrow, Kairi and I can just walk to school." Sora leaned forward to check on her. I glanced over a few times, but obviously I was paying more attention to the road. The music made this a lot less awkward.
"What band is this?" Kairi asked in a rude manner. Since I knew she wasn't feeling well, I let it slide, but Sora went ahead and answered for me.
"This is the Eagles. They were really popular in the 70's or so. I've played their songs before."
"Whatever," Kairi said as she leaned her head on the window. Sora started humming along to the song. The streets were beginning to flood, so I at least wanted to make sure I got them home safely before it got any worse. It was getting harder and harder to see the road, so I definitely was going to need to proceed with caution. As I waited at the light, I glanced at Sora in my rearview mirror. Maybe what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him. He and Kairi seemed to just pick up where they left off, right? Why ruin it with something Kairi did when they weren't actually together?
Yeah, it was time to stop thinking about this once and for all. It will become my dirty little secret and I will move on with my life. Whether Kairi decides to do the same is her own choice, but I am done dwelling on this.
Unfortunately, karma had other plans.
o-o-o
o-o-o
A/N: Well? What did you think? Review and let me know! Feedback is always appreciated! I think this is the one of the only VenKai fics on the entire site...
Other updates:
Heart Station chapter 18: 60%.
VanAqua one shot: 20%.
