Authors note: This is the final chapter of The Simpsons Fate dealt in school. Bart has had his heart broken just before his final test, how will he deal with this? Edna has placed her heart with Seymour and must break news to Bart, how will she find the courage? We're on the final leg, I hope you enjoy the conclusion…

CH.4: Parting ways

Bart held himself in the locker and felt the tears cascade down his cheeks like there was a leak above. How could she do that to him? Hadn't there kiss meant anything to her? Bart heard the bell and held his ears while the noise rebounded off the locker walls. Getting up he got out of the locker and before anyone could see the flowers he threw them away with a crumpled look. Love had wings, but now they were clipped, where would his heart walk to next?

"Hey Bart…what are you doing coming out of the locker?" Millhouse asked. Nelson whom seemed confounded by this discovery followed Martin.

"I, um, thought I left some notes to study up on," he looked inside and then closed his locker quickly. "Well, we don't want to keep the teacher waiting do we? This is, after all, our final stepping stone to leaving this dreaded school right?"

"Amen to that," Nelson shoved Millhouse into the locker and marched into the room. By now Skinner and Edna had parted lips and were in their usual places. Nelson shot Skinner a look of dislike while Skinner shook his head in amusement.

"Principal Skinner…what brings you here?" Bart had an edge in his voice and as he took his seat he folded his hands neatly on the top.

"Well, I am here to see your faces…hopefully for the last time," he looked over at Nelson…then took longer to stare across at Bart. "With each school year comes a closing unlike any other. The brightest and even those lacking in that shine move on from here to do better things. So don't take offense when I hope I don't see your faces again, but, rejoice in not seeing my face and living life to its fullest."

"Eat my shorts Skinner," Bart smiled across at his Principal. The class erupted in laughter and Skinner actually joined in the laughter. I really hate him, he thought, but…he does seem to have what Edna wants the most…

"As promised Bart," Skinner stood near the door and smiled, "all your personal belongings will be returned…should you pass the fifth grade. You wouldn't want to sit in Ms. Krabapples class for another year would you?"

Bart stared across at Edna and felt a pang in his heart. Her face was studying his, and shedding any tears now would be pointless. Manning up he wore a defiant grin and shook his head. "Nope, I'll be running out of here when I hand in my test Seymour!"

"Then I shall be where your stuff is," Skinner bade a farewell for now to Edna with his eyes before departing the class. I sure hope he passes, he thought, other wise that stuff will be cluttering up a room that uses new stuff daily.

"Well class, I wish I could say it has been fun, but then I'd be lying. This is your last test, the math portion. Take all the time you need as this test has a huge factor on whether you pass or not. Do your best and when you get your test you shall begin."

"This is it boys," Bart said, "do or die…live or choke…do what must be done to get the gold. I for one say I won't go down here…not when being here means seeing that face everyday." No matter how he tried to sound brave, he yearned to taste those lips again, even if it was for one more time.

"This test is toast," Nelson crunched his knuckles and would breathe fire if he could. Even as a bully, he was not going to let his nerds go on without him. This test would make him, or break him, and he chose to pass.

"My mom said I'd get a raise in my allowance if I pass," Millhouse got a dreamy look and the guys rolled their eyes. "I will not let my fortune go to my dad's haircut."

"Ha he ha hee…who is smarter then I…me?" Martin rocked back and forth in his seat and had a whimsical voice to him.

"I wonder if Martin will be ok," Millhouse whispered to Bart. I wonder what caused him to lose his marbles.

"He is probably just faking it," Bart shrugged, "a genius like him wants to put pressure on us anyway he can. This test will decide if we move on, so, let us do our best…or best not show your face to my celebration party."

"Alright, definitely worth passing now," Nelson was quite hungry and passing this test was his ticket to a burger.

"Keep your eyes on your own paper and if you make a mistake make sure you erase it well," Edna handed each sheet to the student and avoided eye contact with Bart. The taste of Seymour's lips on hers was still present, and, she didn't want to seem guilty of anything.

"This is it," Bart stared down at his test and took a breath. Even though his body was in an emotional turmoil, failing this test would cause him to falter more. Even with no studying, he had to ace this…and rely on memories dug up from his mind.

"Begin…and good luck," they are going to need it, she thought as she took her seat and noticed the crumpled letter. I could memorize, she thought, but…it would seem recited to him. I need a nap, she thought as she let her head rest on the desk.

"Ugh…this material is last month," Bart moaned, "rummaging through the ole noggin will take all period." Still, he thought, seeing Edna again will just be too much on my 10 year old heart split in two.

"I hate math," Nelson groaned, "nothing but numbers for which no use could ever come out good and stuff." Writing on the scratch paper he tried to solve some problems he thought he'd have trouble with.

"Math…ho fun," Martin grinned and hummed as he solved the problems. If his shirt wasn't on his body he thought he'd dance a jig on his desk.

"I don't want to end up like Martin," Millhouse thought aloud, "so best not look his way." I don't even know if it is contagious, he thought continuing his test at a leisurely stride.

Bart felt his heart race as the clock began to dwindle away the remaining time and his chances of passing began to disappear. In this test, I have a 50/50 chance of passing, and not getting 100 still means I pass…hopefully.

"You have half an hour," Edna said looking absently at the clock, "I advise you skip the ones you don't know and return to them near the end." Only half an hour till I tell him about me and Seymour, she thought, I wonder if I can brave it?

"This is no sweet," Martin smiled, "me thinks I can do thes," he was nearly done and quite out of his brain at the moment. Bart could act loose and do this stuff, so, perhaps he was in that brain set right now?

"Time is almost up," Nelson fretted, "to fail here would mean all this stuff would be for naught. I must…con-concentrate," he fumbled with the word. Steadying his pencil he began to work on the final stretch.

"Pass…or stay behind knowing she can't be with you," Bart sighed, "and staying behind would only give Leese a chance to be in my class and torture me. I started from love…and now I have to work towards my future."

The fifth graders all had personal goals; each striving to perform their most valiant of effort in order to peruse that taste of being a sixth grader. Being in the same school so long gave them dreams, ideas, and all were waiting once the bell rang and they were clear for summer vacation. Bart, Nelson, Millhouse, and Martin were the main students in that class. All held their pencils and jogged in the dots with black to make sure they would be noticeable. The bell rang just then…each student dropping their pencil from sheer fear. The test was over…fifth grade was over as they knew it.

"Alright, now if you will come up in an orderly fashion I will take your tests and you can leave," Edna said with a calm face. There was no excitement to see them go, as with Martin, he was the smartest and she usually enjoyed reading his papers. Nelson, well, ok some people she would miss more then others.

"You coming Bart?" Millhouse halted just a bit as he handed in his paper and noticed his usually excited to prank friend was planted in his seat.

"Huh…oh you can go on ahead Millhouse," Bart smiled and ran a hand behind his head. "I just have to remember to write my name, you never know…they can dock points on that."

"That is why I wrote my name twice," Millhouse giggled as he ran out the door and took off his shirt. "See ya later school!"

Bart shook his head and stared down at his paper. His name was already written, and, all the bubbles had been filled in. Though, he couldn't bring himself to move his butt out of the seat. For so long he had sat there, now, to leave it would mean it was finally over.

"Well Bart…aren't you going to catch up with your friends?" Edna found her eyes locked on her miscreant of a student and smiled weakly.

"The party is at my house," Bart shrugged nonchalantly, "they usually wait for me to lead the way." Bart held his papers in his hands and remembered the kiss. The thing is, for every kiss there was one greater, and that person was the said champion.

"Oh right," Edna craved a cigarette but found herself hesitating for once. "Ha, you know it is funny…this is how we first met."


Edna Krabapple was a new teacher to the fifth grade, having taught the fourth grade for sometime. She was eager with a fresh face and an outfit to knock any guy in her track dead. Finding the door already open she pushed it open wider to see one student already in his seat. Aw, she thought, looks like I get to meet the smart kid. He had a weird shaped head with yellow spikes and his form was perfectly straight.

"Hello young man…what is your name?" Edna went over to her desk and stood by it, her eyes focused on her smart student.

"I'm Bart Simpson…who the hell are you?" Bart stared at his teacher and already could tell he didn't like her. She might be all happy now, he thought, but things will change soon enough.

"Such language on you Bart," Edna said taken aback, "you should know better to address your elders in such a way. Now, I know you didn't mean it, so let us start again. Hello young man…what is your name?" Edna felt her smile twitch anticipating his answer.

"Look lady are you death? My name is Bart Simpson…who the hell are you?" Bart rolled his eyes and propped his feet up on his desk. This was going no where, and, he had plenty of things to do at home then be here.

"My name is Edna Krabapple…I am your fifth grade…teacher," she felt her teeth grind and her nails dug into her hands. "Now get your feet off that desk or-."

"Your going to assign detention on the first day of school?" Bart chuckled and held his belly. "Man that is hilarious…don't have a cow man," he fell to the floor still laughing.

"Bart…Simpson…that is enough! You shall get off that floor this instant and report to Principal Skinner's office. Now move it!" Edna pointed the way out and watched him wear a smirk.

"Don't miss me too much," Bart said with a wry grin, "I'll be back." Bart left the room and stuffed his hands in his pockets. It was only then that as Edna sat down she heard a woopy cushion under her.


Edna and Bart were laughing at that memory and the two stared at each other with a understanding. For so long they had been fighting an uphill battle, now at the end, they seemed completely at ease with one another. Bart finally eased up from his seat and walked down that lonely aisle, all the chatter seemed to be a ghostly wail about him.

"Bart I…I have something to say," Edna hated for herself for relaying this message to him and have him carry it into summer, but, she couldn't find any other time.

"You don't have to say anything," Bart slapped his paper and scantron down and approached the very private area of a teacher. "I…I had fun here, more then you would realize by my prankster ways. You taught me a lot…and…if it would be alright-."

"You want to kiss me one last time?" Edna didn't see the harm in one little kiss, seeing how they would never see each other on school campus again. The Middle school was already done since the earthquake and would be open for business in the fall.

"Yeah, I think one last kiss will do the both of us good." Bart saw Edna lean forward for him to kiss her lips, but, he took her hand instead and kissed it. "Ma Chere, you will always have a place…close to my brain."

Edna blinked her eyes in a dumbfounded way, but, the gesture alone meant he had grown up. Sure he got his French wrong and he probably meant heart instead of brain, but, she wasn't going to correct him. Watching him leave her room she felt a tear run down her face… "So long…Bart Simpson."

Bart saw his friends at the end of the hallway, but, he had one more place to stop by before leaving this hallowed halls. Principal Seymour Skinner stood at bay near the room where all his treasured things were. "Hello Principal Skinner."

"Bart…I would've expected you out before the others," Skinner said, "but being early was never your style. Shall we?" Skinner led the way into the room and turned on a light showing off the arsenal of pranks and weapons gathered.

"Wow…is this stuff all mine?" Bart gawked in wonder and went to the woopy cushion he had used on his teacher on the first day of the fifth grade.

"Well, actually it is the stuff gathered from all the pranksters since the school first began. Yes, there were pranksters before you Bart. Do you want to know where they are now? They are graduates of high school in college achieving their dreams. Perhaps you will end up in college one day?"

Bart and Skinner burst into laughter and stared at each other. "Do you remember when we first met?" Bart leant up against a pile of pranks and a flashback occurred.


Bart was mumbling under his breath as he came to the Principals office. Taking a seat in his office he noticed a rather tall man with scruff on his face and a clean blue jacket over a tie and shirt. The guy was humming a weird song under his breath and he seemed to be looking out a window. "Hey man…can we hurry this along?"

"Oh right," Skinner turned around and fixed his tie before taking a seat in his new desk. "So…you are…Bart right? My name is Principal Seymour-."

"Wait…your name is Seymour? Ha, what, did your mommy name you that?" Bart couldn't take anyone serious with that name. It was hard to, he dared any kid to not crack a smile at that name.

"Yes my mother did name me that," Skinner shook his head, "I wanted a more manly name, but, my mother argued it was a manly name. Anyway, why are you in here…and on your first day regardless?" Skinner folded his hands on his desk with a furrowed brow.

"I just placed a woopy cushion under that Krabapple chick's desk. Though, I think that came after my behavior." Bart looked over at the window and saw a man with a full head of red hair raking the lawn.

"Bart, you will find out someday that pranks aren't all their lived up to be. You have to have respect towards your teachers…for they will guide you to someday leaving this school. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

"Uh…if I say yes can I go?" Bart motioned with his thumb towards the door. When Skinner rose and looked out the window again Bart slid under the desk and placed glue on his seat. Going back to his seat he watched Skinner address him with a serious face.

"I guess since this is the first day I can let you go with a warning," Skinner took a seat and stared across at him. "I don't want to see you in my office again…ok?"

"Crystal clear man…now later." Bart skedaddled and leant up against the wall as he heard Skinner get up with the chair attached to his bottom. "Classic move," he raced off to join a now full class and knew he would be having fun here.


"Classic move indeed," Skinner tossed Bart the glue used that day and wore a smirk. "I apprehended this when you glued Martin and his pants up on the flagpole. I do hope you take it easy in the middle school. I hear the Principal there is a rough and hard nosed person who won't be a stickler for pranks such as yours."

"I'll keep that in mind," Bart said with an appreciative smile. The two had reached an understanding and in an hours length of time, though it only took 5 minutes, they had collected over 200 pranks compiled in 5 boxes.

"Bart…don't have a cow as you leave," Skinner shook his hand and was glad he was able to reach him in the end.

"Ay carumba…you guys get sappy in the end don't ya?" Bart took hold of each box and then dumped them in the trash. Skinner stared in dumbfounded confusion as each box piled up making it look like a tower of success.

"Bart…why are you throwing them away? Those pranks were your success, your very institution for being bad. Won't you need those in the future?" Skinner remembered every prank committed, including the balloon of him. Still, perhaps Bart had a reason.

"Nah, these things are my past. I have to look forward to the future now man, not look back and be reminded of my time here. I thank you for upholding the rules here Skinner, so that I could break them every day. Time for me to leave here on a clean slate…oh…and take care of Edna for me will you?"

"I suppose you are right Bart," Skinner hadn't uttered those words that much, but, his friendship with Bart had made this place less boring then he thought it would be. The last part caught him off guard and he raised an eyebrow at it. "Uh Bart…what did you-?"

"So long Skinner," Bart skipped down the hall and stopped dead in his tracks as Skinner left. On the top of boxes piled in the trash, only one item stood out like the Excalibur of school. The famed slingshot was held upright; caught between two joke books. Approaching the slingshot he reached up a hesitant hand and pulled it free.

Wearing a grin he stuffed the slingshot into his back pocket and joined his friends at the threshold of their school. By now the school yard was empty, a whisper of a wind rushed past them blowing images of their school days off and away. "I can't believe it."

"Boys…we are not saying goodbye forever," Nelson glared at him and Bart gulped, "ok so we are saying goodbye to this place forever, my point is, our memories will stay as long as we choose to keep them. We still have a long way to go before we can say goodbye to school though."

"I plan on dropping out in High School," Nelson scoffed, "no way am I going to run this stupid story of school for the rest of my life."

"I want to graduate and someday marry Lisa," Millhouse held his hands together and had a dream look on his face.

"Yo man that is my sister your talking about." Bart slammed his hand on his friend's head and Nelson laughed. "Anyway…we have a party to attend…lets go."

"You think they'll be alright without us around?" Millhouse groaned as he stepped down the steps and was walking towards the gate.

Bart looked back once more at the school and remembered the ring he saw on Edna's finger during class and when he kissed her hand. With a smile on his face he placed his arm on his friend's shoulders and led the way out. "Oh…I'm sure they'll be just fine."

Authors note: Well there it is, that is the final chapter of this story. Sorry it took so long, and hoped you enjoyed it. The story started controversial, and, I surprised you all I bet with this ending. Who knows what I'll think of for future stories.