Through the Bottom of a Glass
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and any OCs.
Chapter 14: Oh, What a Life
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Friday, 12.35 PM
It was the last class before lunch and Pietro was typing away at his computer in his big, red-walled Geography room. Johnson High School was like two rectangles stacked on top of each other, with a small courtyard in the middle. Because of the courtyard he could see straight across into his sister's language class when he glanced sideways. It was slightly immature but Pietro liked to glance over during lessons, just to insure she was alright and not too stressed. He was maybe a little protective.
He was filling in the roll for each of classes he had- a task that was supposed to be done before class started, but Pietro constantly flew into lessons as soon as all of his students were seated. Thankfully, he had an empty slot to catch up on paperwork, lest Phil would make an appearance. Suddenly, there was a soft knock on the door. Pietro sighed and closed the tab as he lent backwards on his chair, lifting the front two legs of the ground.
"It's open!" he called. A smiling Jamie entered and Pietro shot up, returning her small smile.
"I was wondering if, by any chance, you had a map of Europe?" she asked uncertainly. He scratched the back of his neck in thought.
"Uhh, I may have one… Political or physical?" he asked, crossing the room to sift through the various maps and posters heaped in an untidy corner behind the door. He heard some kind of noise of approval as Jamie yawned and stretched behind.
"Tired?" he chuckled, finally finding the furled up map. She gave a soft laugh.
"Little bit."
Pietro held out the map. Her fingers brushed his as she took it from him. He noticed the dark bags under her eyes and saw the thin scab on her cheek. The kid had been expelled for the incident, but Pietro still seethed when he thought of it.
"Are you alright? You are very quiet today," he said gently. She smiled.
"I'm fine, Pete. Don't worry about it. Hey, thanks for the map. I'm trying to show them where the old empires were, I'm going to start the Punic Wars. I need them to get a scope of just how huge they were at the time, you know?"
Pietro smiled.
"I do. Have fun with that. I'll see you at lunch?"
Jamie smirked.
"Hopefully, if I don't lose my sanity by then."
"Bye, Jamie."
"See you."
With that she left and closed the green door behind her. The walk across the hall took five-point-six seconds according to Leo Fitz. The kid had a brain like a damn computer.
"Alright, folks. Settle down," Jamie order. She had good kids in her eleventh grade class and despite how much she complained about them, she was quite fond of the kids. She found a couple of magnets and used them to secure the map, then, picking up her trusty wooden ruler, she took up a position at the side of the whiteboard.
"Okay, can anyone tell me where Carthage would have been?"
A girl at the back raised her hand and answered.
"North Africa?"
Jamie smiled and nodded.
"Absolutely right," she said as she placed her ruler over an area of North Africa on the physical map. "Carthage was situated in what we call today Tunisia. Their empire stretched across North Africa and the south of the Iberian Peninsula." Jamie took a red whiteboard marker and put a dotted line around the areas she mentioned. She did the same with a different colour when they went on to Rome.
"Quick! Grant, name one Roman Emperor!"
The boy in the back left row, shifted in his seat and answered lazily.
"Caligula."
"Yes, the mad one. You know, he actually tried to make his horse a Consul, or so the story goes. But, this was a guy that had conversations with the moon so that's not actually too far-fetched." Jamie always tried to incorporate something to give students a smile. She knew history could be boring, but some bits were quite funny. She continued making little dots on the map as she informed them about the Punic Wars. She eventually retired to her computer and brought up the notes for the class to take down from the projector.
"Where did you get the map?" Skye asked from her front seat. Jamie didn't get annoyed with them asking off-topic questions as they took stuff down as long as they actually wrote things down.
"Mr. Maximoff," Jamie answered, picking at her nails with her feet on the desk. "Just hope he won't mind the dots."
"He definitely won't mind," Skye said suggestively. There were several snorts and sniggers around the room. Jamie peered around her feet at the teen.
"And why's that?" she asked, one eyebrow raised.
"Don't you two have something going on?" the student asked innocently. Jamie frowned at her, then burst out laughing.
"No, no way! Who told you that?"
Silence.
"What? Did you take some sworn oath?" Jamie heard Skye sigh as the girl beside her filled in.
"No, Miss Hennessy. It's just that you both are always smiling when you're together. And you're always together…" Jemma Simmons said, trying to defuse the situation. Jamie sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"There is nothing going on. Now, take down those notes before I give you a thesis on the effects the Romans had on modern day society."
No one dared say anything else.
1.15 PM
The bell for lunch had gone ten minutes ago, but Jamie sat on a desk staring out the windows that lined the west wall of her room. The weather was as dark and grey as the day before, except now it was rain. The droplets pelted loudly off of the roof and ran down the window panes. The day reflected Jamie's mood perfectly. After the night before, all the memories she had tried to suppress came flooding back; laughter, arguments, 'I love you's, the seldom 'I hate you', several half-hearted attempts at break-ups. Everything.
She fidgeted with the small, round magnet in her hands as she stared out. She had been doing so well, then, like flicking a switch, everything came back in one day and night. Five years was a long time to be alone, but then again, eleven years was a long time to with somebody. She was the same age as Skye and Jemma when they had first gotten together. Now she was twenty-seven and on her own.
Sharon used to tell her that she would move on eventually, find the someone else that would be the love of her life. But Jamie knew it was just hopeful thinking, she had already found hers and he was gone forever. The One only comes around once. It was times like these that she longed for the comfort of home. Jamie missed her family but it helped slightly to know they missed her just as much. Her sister also enjoyed Skyping her in the middle of the night. What a life.
"There was snow, There was snow,
Stretched for miles and more.
Where we buried, where we buried
Our souls.
Oh I long, Oh I long
For them days left and gone
Where we sang and where we danced to a brighter song…"
She sang softly and quietly so that no one would hear. So, she nearly jumped out her skin when there was a loud knocking at the door. Her caller- well, callers- entered without waiting for permission.
"Here." Sharon thrust a cardboard cup of coffee at Jamie. The Irish girl smiled weakly as she accepted the drink. Wanda sat on a desk opposite Jamie and bit into her large cookie, Sharon made herself at home on Jamie's desk.
"Do you want to tell us why you have decided to become a hermit?" Sharon asked, sipping her own tea. Jamie chuckled at her best friend.
"Seriously though, what's up? Is this about last night?"
Jamie sighed.
"I just… I just needed to think."
Sharon chewed her bottom lip, a look of disapproval on her face. She tossed her long blonde hair over her shoulder, seemingly annoyed by its falling into her cup.
"That's the problem, Jay. You think about life way too damn much. I know you teach kids about philosophers but that doesn't mean you have to become the new Plato…"
"What she means is: you don't have to do everything alone. You can talk to us," Wanda rectified.
"That's not what I me-" Sharon was silenced by Wanda's glare. Jamie laughed at them but said nothing. She returned her gaze to the bleak conditions outside the window, smiling when she saw a familiar mop of pale blue hair sprinting after two ninth graders attempting to sneak out amongst the seniors who were permitted to go outside the school for lunch.
"Seriously, does he walk anywhere? Every time I see him moving he's either jogging or full out sprinting…" she said, shaking her head. Wanda giggled as Sharon smirked.
"He likes you," the blonde stated. Jamie opened her mouth to say something but Wanda beat her to it.
"He really does. Told me himself. Pietro's dying to ask you out," she said. Jamie tried to say something but Sharon shut her up.
"No, no. Do not pull that martyr card again. I'm sick and tired of you moping around whenever anyone asks you about your love life. From here on in, I'm taking it upon myself to kick your Irish ass into gear. He's crazy about you, and you like him, no matter how much you deny it. You're gonna go on one date with him if it kills us…"
Jamie gave Sharon her death stare, the one every kid feared, but not Sharon. Wanda raised her hand.
"Us…?" she asked. Sharon smiled deviously.
"Oh yeah, no way I can get Mother of Perpetual Loneliness over there to do this alone."
Suddenly, Jamie's phone went off and 'Superstition' by Stevie Wonder filled the air.
"Good song choice," Wanda sniggered. Jamie held up a finger to shush her.
"Hello?"
"Hey, jamie. It's Clint."
"What's up?"
"Nothing much. I just need you to meet me later. I have a proposition for you…"
"Uhh, okay? Where?"
"Meet me at Cap's around five. Deal?"
"Deal. See you then, Yank."
"See you, Guinness."
Jamie laughed as she hung up the phone. She was slightly worried by Clint's 'proposition' , he wasn't necessarily the type to use the word 'proposition'
Meanwhile, at Cap's it was all hands on deck in preparation for the Friday night. Steve and Natasha were working tirelessly together to turn on all of the televisions while Sam selflessly manned three different pots and a deep fat fryer. With Asgard FM blaring, they rushed around. Natasha set the tables with the unlit candles and beer mats as Steve topped up the taps.
"How's Bucky?" Natasha asked over the cacophony.
"Good, been spending a lot of time with Darcy recently!" he yelled back.
"I ship it!" Sam shouted from the kitchen. Steve was puzzled.
"Ship?"
"Oh my god, Steve. What are you, ninety-five? It's when you want two people to be together. Seriously, where have you been?"
"Oh I don't know… Running a successful bar in New York City, maybe…" he said pointedly. Natasha whirled around.
"Watch it, Rogers. Never know where this candle might wind up…"
Steve gulped visibly and stared down at dishcloth.
"Yes, ma'am…"
Helloooo, I am Lindsay Lohaaannn! Lol, not really. This was actually a lot of fun, especially the last part at Cap's. I really have no clue where that came from. My mind can be scary sometimes. Anyway, I used the start of a song that reminded me of traditional Irish music, it was 'Oh, What a Life" by American Authors. Good band, check them out. Let me know what you think of my Sharon, I actually really like her. That's all for tonight.
Have a great day, night, afternoon, etc…
Thanks for reading,
Love ya! ;)