July 8-14
"Hey coach, what do you think of writing to Russell and getting us some new uniforms?" Damian, his senior starting quarterback asked as his ten students filed into the classroom.
When he'd agreed to teach summer school he hadn't imagined that Principal Matthews would ask him to teach the junior remedial English course. He had ten students four of which were on his football team and two were in glee club, but they were not the brightest kids. Plus he was a PE teacher and none of the kids expected him to require they actually learn.
"You have to have found some kind of defect with our current uniforms that can be blamed on the manufacturer, so what do you suggest is wrong with our uniforms?" he questioned, with a raised eyebrow.
"They're old," he rolled his eyes, "besides if we gon be winnin this season, I need to look good."
"Take your best shot," Finn laughed, nodding, at least if he was writing a letter he was doing some form of English work, "don't forget to use your book."
"Sure thing Coach," he nodded, grabbing a book and setting up at a desk in the back of the room.
Finn rolled his eyes, they may not be the best students but so far none of them seemed to want to challenge his assignments or his authority.
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"So I was thinking I could put together a Broadway mash-up for the first week of school," Rachel's voice filled the area around him as he clicked away at his x-box controller. While he was never going to grow out of the games he did not play them nearly as much as before, but with Rachel in Lima there was hardly anything for him to do at home.
"Sounds awesome," he agreed, leaning towards the phone so it would clearly pick up his voice, "but please remember that I've got some kids from a not so good part of town, and they may not like anything to over the top."
"Oh I've already thought up with the perfect songs," she assured him, "how are your kids doing?"
"Good, it's a pain convincing them that they really should read and write, especially because I'm still not entirely convinced it's completely necessary for them to pass the Regents exam."
"It's just another test that someone somewhere decided was necessary to measure that all students were learning the required material," she supplied, as she did every time he mentioned the exams.
"I know," he sighed, "so have you done anything exciting since I left?"
"Well Kurt and I did a little shopping, I had brunch with your Mom and my Dads last Sunday, and I've hung out with Quinn a couple times."
"Rach? I thought you weren't going to meet with her?" he paused his game, picking up the phone and dropping the controller.
"I just…I wanted to be able to contact Shelby…and I didn't want to go behind your back to talk to Puck…so when I ran into Quinn-"
"It was easier," he sighed, nodding to himself, "she wasn't a bitch was she?"
"No," Rachel giggled, "I think she was genuinely remorseful about her actions in high school."
"That's good. So, what'd you learn about your mom?" he asked, settling back into the comfortable couch.
"Not much, she sends Quinn and Puck an e-mail every six months about Beth, Quinn never answers, but she's thinking about responding soon, wants to meet Beth."
"Wow, that's a big step," he sighed, "I'm assuming she's talked to Puck about all this?"
"I don't know, she's assuming Puck has always wanted to have open contact, but has held off for whatever reason," he heard a lot of rustling and then she let out a heavy breath.
"Because that's what she wanted, I was prepared to do the same," he shrugged, as if she could witness what he was doing, "you can't really argue with Quinn Fabray."
"I'm sorry, I know you don't really want to talk about this," she sighed, "Kurt has decided that he is going to design me my own maternity line."
"Is that a good thing?" he chuckled, remembering the many fights between his wife and stepbrother over the years; especially concerning her fashion choices.
"We'll see, he says there is no excuse for the fashion available to pregnant women," he shared in her laugh.
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"So I did it," Rachel greeted the next afternoon when he dialed her number as he slung his bag over his shoulder stepping out onto the busy sidewalk. "It's all up to Shelby now."
"She'd be crazy not to want to be a part of your life," he sighed, stopping at the corner. His biggest complaint about the city was having to stop every block to wait on the traffic.
"Thanks," he could hear the soft smile in her tone, "I also sent you an e-mail with some of my mash-up ideas and Kurt measured every part of my body today so we'll see what he comes up with. How was your day?"
"Good. Principal Matthews said he's really impressed with the kids' work ethic for the summer, says they normally just goof off for the entire summer and then they end up passing them because they can't justify holding them back again," He was proud of himself, it was a feeling he never really thought he would experience, but ever since he'd become a teacher and saw his student's achieve their goals with his help, he'd been feeling it more and more often.
"Oh baby," she squealed, "I'm so proud of you, we'll have to have a celebratory dinner when I get home."
"Speaking of you coming home," he had to lean against the railing for the subway, knowing he would lose their conversation if he headed down, "I can't wait for you to be here of Friday night."
"You're still coming to get us at the airport right?"
"Of course," he nodded, "I've got no place else to be."
"Good. You are planning to do some laundry and shopping before I get home, right?"
"I am insulted that you would think that I have not kept up with the laundry since you've been gone."
"Well have you?" she asked with a hint of doubt in her voice, "And don't think I didn't notice that you didn't mention anything about food."
"Well what can I say, I love the fact that we live in a city where I can get any kind of food I want at any time of the day or night," he shrugged.
"It's like those weekends in college when you came to visit me isn't it?" she asked with a laugh.
"Pretty much."
"Don't think I didn't notice how you completely avoided the laundry question," she responded.
"Guess you'll just have to wait and see," he shrugged, "hey, listen babe, I'm about to get on the subway so I'll call you back later okay?"
"Alright, love you."
"Love you too baby."
