"Alright, class." Ms. Haruna lectured from the head of the class. "Home economics is over, and now it's time for real economics."
"Ugh." Serena groaned as she sat at her desk. It was always very pleasant to have Ms. Lambert teach home economics. Aside from the fact that it was much easier than anything Ms. Haruna taught, Ms. Lambert was pleasant, and cheerful.
And who could concentrate on class when the latest and greatest gossip had just been released: Ms. Lambert was actually going to get married shortly.
"And so, class, who here can tell me the central point of supply-side economics?" Haruna asked her students. While Amy, and Melvin, along with a few of the other nerds in the class, Haruna scanned those who did not volunteer.
"Okay, Serena." Haruna delivered.
"Umm...supply-side economics. The central point...is...being on the side of supply?" She guessed. From the look of her teacher, the answer was wrong.
"No, Serena. Did you even read the assignment? Or do your economics homework?'
"Ummm...no." Serena admitted.
"Serena, oftentimes I wonder why on Earth I think I can teach you. Class, expect an exam tomorrow on supply-side economics, and I hope the rest of you have studied." Groans erupted from the class as Haruna gave the news. Some glared at Serena. Serena just sank into her desk.
"Wow, Jed, this place sure looks great!" The old priest remarked kindly to Jedite as he continued to sweep leaves.
"Thank you, sir." Jedite remarked respectfully. This was hardly a surprise, considering how he really had little else to do, so he spent a lot of time on the chores at the temple.
"You're a miracle worker, where you been all my life?" The old man half-flirted, half-praised, and Jedite knew to just accept it and hide his nervousness at being hit on by a man three times his age. It never stopped being awkward.
"Take the afternoon off." The man instructed. "You've earned it."
"Well, thanks, sir, but that's really not necessary."
"I insist. We all deserve rest from time to time. Take a jog, do a little window shopping. Not much left to do around here, and most of that is mine." The old man walked back into the temple.
Jedite was hoping the old man didn't say anything like that. Chores were the one thing keeping him sane, keeping him together aside from the "interrogations" of the Sailor Scouts. The word wasn't accurate considering Serena's friendliness, but he was still an exile from the Negaverse being drilled on such matters by its enemies. Such things were interrogations.
Jedite returned back into his room. One of his many powers was the ability of disguise, and many a time had he used it's powers to fool others into believing he was a normal person.. He concentrated a bit and his uwagi changed into a Western t-shirt, his hakama became a pair of sweatpants, and his geta became sneakers. A sweatband appeared on his head, and two more on his wrists.
Jedite knew what exercise was, he had exploited it once as a source of energy. He himself used it, for both physical strength as well as mental strength. Jedite may have been gifted with telekinesis since birth, but he was not able to move jumbo jets since that long. It took many years of concentration, honing, and focus.
Physical strength was less important, but it still had it's benefits. Telekinesis wasn't very useful in close combat, and to leave a weakness like that was foolish. Jedite tied his shoes tightly, and followed the man's orders to go for a jog.
"Aw, Serena, you couldn't have picked a worse day to blow it." Molly complained as she, Serena, and Amy all began their walk home after school ended.
"Come on, Molly, don't blame me. Ms. Haruna's in one of her moods, and we all know the reason why." Serena pointed out. Molly didn't want to admit it aloud, but Serena had a point. There were many teachers around the school, and whenever wind came of one of the female teachers was getting married or had a boyfriend, Ms. Haruna always seemed to go on the warpath. In contrast, the homework load always seemed lighter when Ms. Haruna had a boyfriend.
"Even so, Serena, you really need to hit the books harder." Amy remarked.
"Even I knew the answer to that one." Molly teased.
"Thanks a lot." Serena remarked glumly.
"Alright, goodbye." Amy smiled at the two girls. "I need to go and drop by the hospital to see my mother." Amy smiled, and made her way into the hospital parking lot.
"It's so sweet how Amy checks on her mother a lot. I mean with me it's easy since she's in the store right downstairs." Molly remarked cheerfully.
"Yeah, but now I've got all this homework and no one to help me out with it." Serena moped.
"You could always ask Melvin." Molly teased.
"Molly, your sense of humor can be downright vicious." Serena remarked.
"Sorry, it was too easy." The two of them reached the park.
"Alright, I've actually got to get some grocery shopping done for my mom, so I'll see you tomorrow." Molly smiled as bid farewell to Serena, who had to cut across the park. Perhaps Ms. Haruna did need a boyfriend, but where would Molly find a man like that?
Patricia Haruna was truly grateful for school to be over. She had known about her dear friend, Helen Lambert's, marriage since this morning, before the gossip mill spread amongst the students.
Helen deserved it, Patricia would never feel any other way. She was a sweet, kind woman who smile and disposition won over many a student. Patricia knew her friend's fiancé, and, while he was no looker, he was a sweet, lovable dope of a man who had a wonderful career. He'd be a good husband.
And while Patricia had no malice in her heart for her friend, there was plenty of jealousy. Patricia had been single for a long time. She had plenty of dates, but most never mustered out. The men never called back, or broke up with her.
Patricia looked at her face in her compact. She was pretty, she engaged in conversation. Why couldn't she find a man to marry like Helen did?
The park always seemed to cheer her up, so she took a stroll in the park, eventually sitting on a bench and people watching for a moment. Some children played, couples walked arm-in-arm. Everything reminded her of how unattached she was. She was getting on in years, she knew. Would any man ever want to marry her?
She immediately became distracted by a young man jogging past her.
"Wow, he's pretty handsome." Patricia thought. Most handsome or not was debatable considering how many men Patricia knew, but he was definitely one sharp looking man. His hair was short and blonde, he looked to be in good shape. He looked a bit younger than she was used to, but Patricia was not picky.
"Jed?" A voice Patricia knew, one that haunted her nightmares, called out to the jogging man. He stopped jogging for a moment, Serena Tsukino, the girl who never seemed to apply herself at anything that wasn't eating, called over to the handsome man.
"Oh! Good afternoon." The man, Jed, greeted her.
"I didn't expect to see you out. Gramps give you the day off?"
"He did, actually. Have you finished school?"
"Sure did, on my way home." Serena laughed a bit. "Well, enjoy your run, I get enough of that trying to make it to school every morning." She laughed a bit more. Serena walked off, while Jed stretched his legs for a moment, probably so he didn't pull anything before resuming his jog.
So that Jed was acquainted with Serena? There was never accounting for taste, it seemed. But Patricia knew Jed was handsome, and, considering how pleasantly he interacted with Serena, he was a very patient man. Or had a high threshold for pain, but what was the difference?
And then, Jed resumed his jog, moving away from Haruna, giving her a full glimpse of his back. And backside.
"Definitely in shape." She smiled. Definitely in shape.
Serena definitely perked up a bit when she ran into Jedite at the park. It was her decision to save his life, and she felt responsible for his...adjustment, to the work of everyday people. It couldn't be easy. Serena knew Jedite had considerable powers that set him apart from humanity, and a great deal of pride, a pride that was battered from constant failures and the eventual betrayal. He was doing things now, going out in public. That would help.
Serena began her stroll back home, but her schoolbag slipped out of her hand. As she picked it up, she noticed that Ms. Haruna, her teacher, was sitting nearby on a park bench. She seemed preoccupied, looking at something in the opposite direction. She followed her teacher's gaze to see that Ms. Haruna had her eyes locked firmly on Jedite, in a location not appropriate to let linger.
"Ms. Haruna!" Serena chastised. Only in her mind could she get away with such words. Serena knew, of course, the man-crazy antics of her teacher. Half of school gossip was about her legendary failures on the dating circuit. Of course, if she was like she was on dates as she was as a teacher, no wonder she was single. Boyfriends wouldn't appreciate being given a 30 on a test.
Sometimes Serena wondered whether or not there was a man on Earth who would want to date Ms. Haruna. She wished it wasn't the case, however, the homework load was always lighter when Ms. Haruna had a man in her life.
And then she saw how she looked at Jedite. Smitten, she certainly was. And Serena was of the opinion that Jedite needed to adjust to the human world by forming relationships with other people, making a life for himself. Life involved dating, or so Serena, and Ms. Haruna, it seemed, wanted.
And then the crafty plot began cooking in her head.