Ch 5
After talking with Cait and Shelke, it's off to the next classes: Geography and another Study Hall
Geography: A miracle happens!
Alexis ran down the hall, as soon as the bell rang, towards her the next class on her list: Geography. Sephiroth and some of her other friends, including Mrs. Lucrecia, were rather surprised at the way she was up and out of the classroom in less than a second. But, they simply brushed it off, saying it was her unknowingly using her vampire speed to leave, but Sephiroth knew better.
It wasn't the class that excited her to leave so quickly: it was the teacher, Reeve Tuesti, which got her going. A grin was on her face as she zoomed down the stairs. It had been awhile since she saw him. To her, he was like another uncle.
She nearly ran into Director Lazard, who was just coming out of the main office. She quickly apologized to him before rushing off again. He just chuckled and shook his head before heading off towards his destination. He also knew why she was in such a hurry.
'Look out, Reeve. Here she comes,' he thought.
With the vampiress, excitement grew within her as her destination was near. 'I can't wait to see him!' she thought happily.
Seeing the classroom up ahead, she slowed down a bit before entering. There sat Reeve, a novel in his lap. Hearing someone coming in, he looked up and a grin of his own spread across his lap.
"Alexis!" he set his book down on his desk and got up from his seat. "Good to see you again," he said while the two embraced.
"Good to see you, Mr. Tuesti," she said.
"Still calling me that? It makes me feel me old. Call me Reeve, I told you. I still understand you respecting your elders," he chuckled, patting her head.
"Anyway, had a good summer?" she asked, taking a seat in the middle row of the room.
"Why, yes I did. Thank you for asking. I had to help ShinRa Sr. with some work he needed done. I think he's going senile a little," he replied.
"I hear that. I hate that old geezer. I wonder sometimes why he just doesn't want to retire yet. He's nearing his sixties now," she rolled her eyes.
"He believes that if he retires, ShinRa would be nothing without him, which I highly doubt," Reeve said.
"He's definitely going senile," came Sephiroth as he entered the room.
"Hello, Sephiroth. Good to see you as well," Reeve nodded to the silver haired dragon.
"By the way Alexis, you left your library book in my mother's class. She's got it on her desk," Sephiroth added.
Alexis let out a sheepish laugh. "Oops. I guess I was so excited to get here, I forgot my book. Hehe... my bad," she said before leaving the room.
The men started laughing as soon as she left. "I CAN HEAR YOU!" they heard her shout, causing them to laugh more.
Retrieving her book, she headed back down. As she passed the main office, her ears caught sounds of arguing, mostly from, what sounded like, Hojo. Tuning in while hiding behind a brick column, she listened in.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'M BEING REPLACED?" Hojo shouted at Lazard, who just glared at him. Alexis's eyes widened considerably at the piece of shocking info.
"From what I'm hearing from the students, you're not living up to our expectations as a teacher. A teacher supposed to help students grow, not bring them down with harsh remarks," Lazard replied calmly.
Hojo was seeing red. "YOU'RE TAKING THE STUDENTS' SIDE OVER MINE? They're nothing but a bunch of brats! How can you take their word over my own!" he screeched.
Alexis winced at his loud tone. And she thought Yuffie was loud and Hojo's not even a banshee, yet he was making her ears hurt almost to a point where she was about to cover them. But, she sucked it up and continued to listen.
"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to let you go. Now... get out of my school," she heard Lazard growl.
The door to the office was flung open and out stormed the black haired scientist, fuming. As soon as he left, Alexis got up from her hiding place, grinning like a fool. Hojo was really gone! She had to tell the others! Making sure no one else was around, she bolted back to Reeve's class. Getting to the door, she flung it open, startling some of the students and Reeve himself. Panting, she leaned against the doorway, trying to catch her breath.
"Alexis, are you alright? It looks like you've—"
"HOJO GOT FIRED!" she suddenly blurted out, cutting off Reeve's question.
The class went silent. Then, Zack broke the silence. "Are you freaking serious! Hojo got the boot?" he exclaimed.
"Yeah!" Alexis slammed the door shut, eyes still wide in shock. "I heard him and Lazard arguing on my way back here. Then, that's when I heard him say that he was being replaced! Hojo was ticked! But, he's out of the school for good! No more Hojo!" she said almost hurriedly.
Another moment of silence... then... they broke into cheers as the news of Hojo's ejection finally sunk in. Even Reeve was smiling a little at the celebration. Zack turned to his ghost form and flew around the room in jubilation, whooping and shouting for joy.
"Guys, do you think Lazard will let us hold an after school party for this moment?" he asked while now floating lazily about the room.
"There's a good chance. From how Lazard sounded with him, I think so," Alexis nodded.
"Right now, I think that can wait. We still have class to do," Reeve said.
Suddenly, the door opened again and in came Genesis and Angeal. "What's going on in here that's making you guys—"
"Hojo got fired, baby! The old crab got the boot just a few minutes ago!" Yuffie laughed, pumping her fists into the air.
Both commanders' eyes widened at the news. Then, grins broke out on their faces as well before giving each other a high five.
"So Lazard gave the buzzard the pink slip, huh? Nice," Genesis said.
Alexis squealed in delight as she jumped into her brother's arms, grinning a toothy grin. Genesis embraced her, earning several 'aww's from her classmates. They let go a moment later, allowing Alexis to go back to her seat behind Sephiroth, but not before giving each a fist bump. The celebrating did not leave the class when Reeve finally began teaching as soon as the two lovers left. After copying down the last of their notes, the class looked up to him as he turned to them.
"Even though it is the beginning of the school year, it's time for me to assign your first project," he said.
Instead of groaning and complaining coming from the class, it was opposite; they actually sat at attention, eager to hear what it was.
"Your project will be to choose any place on Gaia and present it to the class. Make sure to include education, culture, types of food they eat, their native language, when it was founded, and any famous events or monuments that place has. In this little basket here" he held a small, brown wicker basket. "I have numbers from one to twenty. Once everyone has their number, I will ask you to call it out to me so I record it in my attendance book." He placed the basket down on his podium before continuing.
"The person with the number one will be able to choose first on what place they can do. Once it is claimed, no one else can do it. Then, it goes onto the person with the second number and so on. There will be a time limit on your presentation, which is between five to eight minutes. Everyone got that?" he explained.
Some nodded while others were still writing down the said instructions that pertained to the project's requirements. One by one, they came up and grabbed their number until it was Alexis last. Only one slip of paper remained inside the basket. Pulling it out and looking at it, she suddenly smirked as she went back to her seat.
"Alright. Let's hear your numbers, starting with Cloud," Reeve said after a moment.
"I got number ten," said the blond elf.
This went on until he got to Alexis. "Alexis, what's your number?" he asked finally.
"... It's number one and the place I choose to do my project on is Nibelheim ," she replied, smirk still there.
Zack's jaw dropped. She took his idea! Looking to his slip of paper, it read the number twenty; he was going to be dead last and he knew he was going to be forced to do some place lame. He always wanted to a project on Nibelheim... and now, his chance slipped away. He laid his head in shame.
'I hate being dead last...' he thought with an inward groan.
Reeve recorded the said place in his book before continuing onto the next person, which was Vincent. Zack felt a pat on his back from Yuffie.
"Chin up. Why don't you do it on Gongaga, your hometown?" she whispered to him.
Zack perked up. She was right; Gongaga was considered a place on Gaia! Nodding to her, he mouthed to her 'Thanks'.
