Title: Tales of A Single Father: Shikamaru
Summary: We always hear about the single mother's raising their children in this indifferent world. But about the single fathers? Well Shikamaru has two growing troublesome daughters, but a beautiful blonde down the hall just may be the answer to his prayers.
Author: Bibliophile Nincompoop
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There are three good reasons to be a teacher - June, July, and August.
~Author Unknown
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Chapter Four: Back to School
The piercing wails of the blaring alarm clock sounded off for roughly fifteen minutes, before the lazy man rolled out of bed. He showered, putting on his work suit leaving his tie loosely wrapped around his neck, and went to the kitchen to eat breakfast. He heard the girls alarm go off, and was immediately turned off. Sora yelled at Kaiko for jumping on her and then the sounds of hangers shuffling in the closet and opening and closing of drawers proceeding to echo in his ears.
Shikamaru looked outside, frowning with distaste. "Girls it's raining, get jackets on."
Kaiko bounded out of the room first, wearing a bright pink raincoat, the atrocious color gave he father a headache. "Does Kaiko look pretty?"
"Always." He smiled pulling on his coat and searched for his car keys, "Sora where are my-"
"Next to coffee pot!" She called from the bathroom.
"Are you both going to be ok walking to bus stop?" Shikamaru took a double take of the rain, the heavy sheet fell like Niagara Falls. "I can take you..."
"You'll be late for work." Sora walked into the kitchen putting two pieces of bread in the toaster, and pulled two bowls down for her and Kaiko. "Don't forget your umbrella."
"Yes dear." He mummbled sarcasticly, bending over to kiss her on her forehead. "Be safe."
Kaiko jumped into her father's arms, not waiting for him to at least prepare for her, "You be safe too."
"I will, listen to your sister." He gave her a tight squeeze and kissed her forehead as well.
Shikamaru stepped out into the hallway shutting the door behind him, he hated having the girls walk several blocks to the bus stop and then wait twenty minutes to catch the bus. He looked down at 'her' door. He couldn't possibly ask her, she worked at their school now why not? Even though he was still muling over whether or not to ask Temari, the obsidian haired man found himself at her door, knocking twice.
The thick wooden door opened slowly, as a pair of aquamarine eyes peered out, "Nara, what is it?"
Did she just refer to me by my last name? Maybe she's a military brat or something. "I was wondering if you could take the girls to school, it's pouring outside and-"
Temari held her hand up to him, cutting him off. "Say no more, I'll swing by there in ten minutes."
"Thank you."
Temari shut the door and walked into her warm apartment, boxes still laid all over the wooden floors, but she had gotten pretty far with the decorating. She just needed to find a place to put all her books. She sat at her kitchen table and began to sip on her coffee, trying to wake up fully. After finishing she put her mug in the sink and brushed her teeth. She gazed at herself in the mirror, smirking appreciatively.
She wore a white sleeveless ruffled blouse, a waist high black skirt, and matching jacket. Topping it all of were her pearl earrings and black pumps, she looked like the sexy business woman that every boy has fantasized about.
If only. She thought bitterly.
Temari crossed the hall and knocked on 5e, the door shot open and two pearly white smiles greeted her. "We are ready Miss. Temari."
"Lets go." Temari motioned toward the elevator, while they walked Kaiko's small hand wrapped around her two of her fingers. Temari looked down shocked at the little girl, who just smiled brightly up at her.
Damn kids. She shook her head pressing the 'Lobby' button. They are getting to me.
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Shikamaru sat at his desk, staring at the same faces from last semester, give or take a few. All of them looked just as depressed as he did, their eyelids just as heavy, and brains just as tired.
The lazy man stood and passed out a worksheet, "We're going to watch a movie on the French Revolution, you will answer the questions on a separate piece of paper. Don't write on my paper, I don't want to photocopy anymore than I have to. Girls, if you don't like blood, decapitation, violence etc. then you can go outside and write me a summary of chapter thirteen in the book."
Everyone looked at each other, but no one moved. "Good, now I am going to take a nap."
The loud bell, startled Shikamaru awake "Pass up your papers."
He looked up to see that several of his student had taken his example and had fallen asleep as well. They flooded out of the class room, and then another horde of teenagers came in. "Why'd I become a teacher?"
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Temari was also not happy being a teacher today.
"They told me that I was only going to teach English, not Social Studies too." She tried to remain calm with the principle.
The busty blonde gave her a cold look, "It's a joint class, it's to prepare our fifth graders for the multiple classes they will be taking in the future. But if you want to teach just one subject than you can go to the high school, though I doubt they have any openings with all the lay offs."
Temari took a big breath, "Alright, which room am I in?"
"Room 124, good luck."
Temari walked to her class following the numbers, and to her amazingly good luck, noting extreme sarcasm, her classroom was in the very corner of the school furthest away from the teacher's parking lot. "No quick escape."
She walked into the door, just as the bell rang. They were freaking animals! The kids hopped on desks, screaming like banshies, and pounding on their chests like gorillas. "SIT DOWN NOW!"
Thirty-two faces stared at her in shock and plopped their butts in the uncomfortable desks. Temari made her way up to the front of the class, preparing her long speech to reprimand these heathens.
"Ok kids, I don't like being here and I know you don't either. So you guys be good and I won't make the rest of the semester a living... a really really horrible experience." She managed to catch herself before cursing. This is going to be harder than I thought. "I am going to start you guys on something fun my teacher did when I was in school. I am going to give you a list of the twenty-three verbs of being. And if you can say them in order by the end of class, I will give you a candy."
"But first things first, I need to put you in my seating chart. Since this is an English class use your elementary alphabet skills to arrange yourselves in alphabetical order by your last names. Now go."
Kids scrambled around asking each other for their last names. What they didn't know that this was also a ploy to get rid of some of the kids anxiety of not knowing anyone.
Maybe this won't be so hard afterall. She smiled watching her class.
Sixth period came all but too slowly for Temari, she hated kids now and forever. They were monsters sent from hell and they should all be extinguished. Thankfully they had only thirty minutes left of school.
The door of the classroom opened and Temari's head shot towards it, and in came Sora. "Hey, Miss. Temari."
"Sora, what are you doing here?" She asked inquisitively.
"My schedule got changed, so I am in this class now." Sora smiled. "I'm happy now that it was all messed up, I have you as a teacher now."
"Don't be too excited." Temari chuckled. "Well go sit behind Tamaki there, here is the paper everyone is working on. If you can remember these and say them quickly, I will give you candy at the end of class."
Sora's face turned bright red as she looked at where she was supposed to sit, "Yes, Miss. Temari."
"You alright Sora?" The blonde followed the young girls line of sight and saw he problem. He was quite cute, blonde hair, big blue eyes, a bright dazzling smile. "I'll move you if you want tomorrow. And refer to me as Miss. Sabaku now."
The onyx haired girl quickly made her way to her seat, and looked at the paper mouthing the words. Then she'd look at the back of his head, then the words, his head, the words, his head, the words. Temari giggled at her antics, she was in Sora's position not so long ago, so she understood all too well.
Tamaki stood up and walked towards the teacher, "Miss. Sabaku, I have them memorized."
"Continue." She demanded.
"Is am are was were being be been has have had do does did shall will should would may might must can could." He said without missing a single one.
Temari pulled out a bag of assorted candy from her purse, "Here, choose."
I can see why Sora likes him so much, not only is he adorable, but intelligent as well.
He grabbed a Kit-Kat and went to sit back down, he turned to Sora tapping on the paper. "Want some?"
"Uh..." Sora's eyes widened, "Sure, thank you."
He broke it in half and gave it to her, "I'm sorry about my friends."
The flaxen haired girl looked down at her desk, "It's ok. They're just stupid boys."
"Yeah, just don't listen to them." He grinned, "Plus I think you're very pretty."
Temari listened to their conversation, her mouth confused whether to smile or frown. His friends were picking on her? Telling her she was ugly? That's not possible, Sora is such a pretty girl... Well boys are idiots, they'll say anything to get a girls attention. Temari thought of Sora's father. Well maybe he's an exception, he tries to avoid me like the plague. When we have to share an elevator he will will take the stairs, which I know he is a lazy ass, so it makes no sense. Ugh, stupid boys.
The blond looked at the clock and giddily jumped to her feet, "Five minutes left! Everyone pack up, and wait at the door. Now! Now! Now! Quickly!"
The students laughed at their teacher who was shoving all her belongings into a large bag she brought. She was probably happier to leave than they were.
"Kids, tomorrow is Social Studies, we'll go grab our books tomorrow." Temari reminded. "So bring your i.d cards!"
As soon as the bell ran all the kids stormed out, peeling rubber on the way. Temari locked her classroom door and opening her umbrella, and booked it to her car, yelling every now and again at kids who were making out. "This is an elementary school! You kids are supposed to still have cooties!"
"Miss. Sabaku!" Called an adult voice, Temari stopped her sprint and looked at the pink haired woman coming toward her. "We have a board meeting for the first day, you have to attend."
"Fuck."
After two hours of listening to teachers explain how the first day went, Temari was finally able to go home. She got in her car and began to leave the school gates, but a sight made her slam on her brakes. Sora and Kaiko were both sitting on the curb, waiting.
She pulled up to the girls, "Get in."
"But our dad should be here soon." Sora looked hopefully down the road.
"Get in now girls. Your father shouldn't be this late, no matter what. So get in, I'm taking you home." Temari growled in anger. The two piled in the car and sighed in bliss from the warmth, they were both shivering. "Does he have a cell phone?"
"Yes," Sora said as she watched Temari pull out her mobile device as well. She told Temari the number and waited for the explosion.
"Yeah?" Came a voice on the other line.
"Shikamaru, you stupid insolent dip shit how could you let your daughters wait in the rain for two hours!" Temari wailed into the phone, not caring to bite back her vulgarity. "I'm taking the girls home, like you should've asked me this morning! Instead of probably getting them sick on the first day back!"
Temari hung up, she was fuming. She always thought Shikamaru was a good father, but this was unacceptable! The blonde drove off, taking only twenty minutes to get back to the apartment building. None of them spoke until they got to the fifth floor.
"We don't have a key to the apartment." Sora said looking at the older woman.
Temari nodded, "That's good actually, I was needing to talk to you anyways."
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Okiely dokiely. Another chapter, another chapter later this week :D I love the quote at the top, it is completely true.