"Fascination Through Articles"
By: Sirius
Jess left the school after he'd finished talking with Rory. As he stepped out of the building, he looked around. If he crossed the street and turned the corner, he'd be back at Luke's and he'd have to work. He could explore a little, but by the looks of it, there wasn't anything to explore.
He sighed and moved over to one of the vacated benches on the school grounds. He lay down on his back and cross his arms behind his head to prop it up. He pulled his headphones out of his backpack, fastened the headphones over his ears and listened to the first chords of the burned Dropkick Murphy's CD Dustin had given it to him just before he'd left.
He missed Dustin more than he'd thought he would. School was boring without someone to hang out with. Jess had practically lived with Dustin, they were that close of friends. It was hard not seeing him every day. School here was different, the people here were different, and the life here was different. Not necessarily bad different, just different. Confusing. The classes weren't that bad. He didn't have to catch up much in any of them and it didn't seem like he'd missed much. The teachers were okay. He'd forgotten all of their names already, but it wasn't a problem because he usually didn't promote personal student-teacher relationships. He went to class, he listened, he did the homework, and he came back the next day to start all over again. Nothing personal about it.
Minutes had gone by now and Rory exited the building, obviously just finished with her newspaper meeting. Her backpack was swung across her front and she was trying to force a textbook into its already packed compartments. Jess's eyes were closed so he didn't see her approach. Quietly, she sat down next to his head and lifted the headphones from his ears. His eyes shot open and he looked straight up at her.
"Hey." She said brightly.
"Hey." He said back. He sat up and pushed his backpack to the ground in front of him.
"I thought you left."
"I did."
"No, I mean, like left to go home. As in you actually went home."
"Home is a four hour bus ride away."
"Oh."
They paused and Jess wound the cord to his headphones around the CD player before sticking it back inside his backpack.
"So where are you off to?" He asked her.
"Home, probably."
"And where is home?"
She pointed in a general direction over his left shoulder and said, "That way."
"You want some company on your trek?"
She smiled. "Sure."
Simultaneously, they stood up, hoisted their bags onto their backs and began to walk.
"So when did you first read it?" She asked him, referring to the Oliver Twist excerpt he'd written a half hour ago.
"I was in eighth I think."
"It's a classic."
"Agreed."
The conversation stalled again. This wasn't supposed to be this hard.
"So," he started lamely. "What were you writing?"
"At the meeting?"
He nodded.
"An article about volunteering. I do a section on the Feature page. My article can pretty much be about whatever I want, as long as it holds some significance."
"Significance to what?"
"Anything, school, current events, the season. Volunteering ties in with charity and the gift of giving, so it works with the season."
"Oh."
"You should write something."
"Nah. I'm not very good."
"You don't have to be good, you can be funny or you could be hardcore. It's up to you."
"I'll think about it."
"You should."
"I will."
They turned down a narrow street with little houses on either side. He knew that Rory only lived with her mom, so he figured they were getting close to her house.
"So, overall, how'd it go today?"
"School?" She nodded. "All right, I guess."
"Well, in my opinion, if you could get your locker open, the day was a success."
He motioned toward his heavy backpack that was full of the textbooks that had been issued to him. "I failed." They laughed for a second.
"Oh man, do you have English Lit in there? That book is massive."
"Yup, along with three other slightly smaller ones."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to have to lug that all the way over here."
"It's no problem, I offered anyway." He looked at her sideways and gave a small smile. She blushed and returned it. They turned again, but this time up a long driveway.
"Well, this is my house. I'd better go."
"Okay, I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Yeah, see you tomorrow." She smiled and turned to go into the house. He stood and watched her as she reached the door and pulled it open. "Thanks for walking me home."
"Anytime." He said as the door closed.
~*~
Sixth period English Lit. The class with the massive textbook. He'd been here for three weeks now and he was still amazed that they hadn't moved on past A Tale of Two Cities. It didn't help that he'd read the book before, twice. The debates were amateur and pointless. The homework was simple. The class was a waste of time. He didn't see a point in going anymore. In fact, he'd skipped yesterday. It was Friday and he was two periods away from the weekend. He could feel the freedom. The bell rang. He was on his feet with his low-slung backpack in place within seconds. Halfway to the door, he heard his name being called by Mr. Stone.
"Hey Jess, wait up a sec."
"Yeah?" He said, eager to leave.
"Where were you yesterday? We missed you in class."
"I had stuff to do." Vague answers usually ensured fewer questions.
"What stuff?"
"None of your business." He said defensively.
"Whoa, hey buddy. I'm not trying to get in your way or anything. I just wanted you to know that I'm here."
"Here for what?"
"You know, if you wanna talk or something. If you're having problems."
"I'm doing fine thanks."
"Well, your grade has slipped in the past week. You're missing a lot when you're not here pal."
"I'm not missing jack. This class is pointless. I've read the book, I can quote it from start to finish. I know the hidden meanings. I'm done with this."
"Well, I just think that it might be helpful to you if you stuck around. You might be surprised."
"Okay, listen. You're not my buddy and you're not my pal, you're my teacher. And you don't know a damn thing about me."
"You're right, but did I ever pretend like I did?"
Jess sighed, frustrated. "Just leave me alone."
"Yeah, sure."
Jess left the class in a hurry. That guy didn't know anything. And even if he did have problems, he sure as hell wasn't gonna admit it over tea with a teacher. Quickly, Jess ran to his locker, opened it successfully (he was getting better at that), and slammed it shut.
"Whoa, what's wrong?" It was Rory.
"Nothing." He mumbled bitterly as he tried to walk away.
She put her hand on his arm. "Hey, hang on a sec. Are you okay?"
"No." He looked up at her. "Look, can we just talk about this later?" She stared at him, trying to read his expression. He looked away.
"Yeah sure. I'll probably see you later tonight." He nodded. "Bye."
"Yeah, bye."
She gave him one last concerned look before he hurried off to World History.
(A/N: Hey guys! I was doing dishes the other night (my new job since my brother left for college) and I thought of the scene between Jess and his teacher. I know there was a time gap, but nothing really happened in there. When you move, time goes really slow and nothing happens for a few months. I dunno when the next chapter of this will be up, but hopefully soon. I'm working on the eighth chapter of Recalling the Best of the Worst Times, so that will be up before another update of this story. Thanks for reading and please review! ~Amanda)
By: Sirius
Jess left the school after he'd finished talking with Rory. As he stepped out of the building, he looked around. If he crossed the street and turned the corner, he'd be back at Luke's and he'd have to work. He could explore a little, but by the looks of it, there wasn't anything to explore.
He sighed and moved over to one of the vacated benches on the school grounds. He lay down on his back and cross his arms behind his head to prop it up. He pulled his headphones out of his backpack, fastened the headphones over his ears and listened to the first chords of the burned Dropkick Murphy's CD Dustin had given it to him just before he'd left.
He missed Dustin more than he'd thought he would. School was boring without someone to hang out with. Jess had practically lived with Dustin, they were that close of friends. It was hard not seeing him every day. School here was different, the people here were different, and the life here was different. Not necessarily bad different, just different. Confusing. The classes weren't that bad. He didn't have to catch up much in any of them and it didn't seem like he'd missed much. The teachers were okay. He'd forgotten all of their names already, but it wasn't a problem because he usually didn't promote personal student-teacher relationships. He went to class, he listened, he did the homework, and he came back the next day to start all over again. Nothing personal about it.
Minutes had gone by now and Rory exited the building, obviously just finished with her newspaper meeting. Her backpack was swung across her front and she was trying to force a textbook into its already packed compartments. Jess's eyes were closed so he didn't see her approach. Quietly, she sat down next to his head and lifted the headphones from his ears. His eyes shot open and he looked straight up at her.
"Hey." She said brightly.
"Hey." He said back. He sat up and pushed his backpack to the ground in front of him.
"I thought you left."
"I did."
"No, I mean, like left to go home. As in you actually went home."
"Home is a four hour bus ride away."
"Oh."
They paused and Jess wound the cord to his headphones around the CD player before sticking it back inside his backpack.
"So where are you off to?" He asked her.
"Home, probably."
"And where is home?"
She pointed in a general direction over his left shoulder and said, "That way."
"You want some company on your trek?"
She smiled. "Sure."
Simultaneously, they stood up, hoisted their bags onto their backs and began to walk.
"So when did you first read it?" She asked him, referring to the Oliver Twist excerpt he'd written a half hour ago.
"I was in eighth I think."
"It's a classic."
"Agreed."
The conversation stalled again. This wasn't supposed to be this hard.
"So," he started lamely. "What were you writing?"
"At the meeting?"
He nodded.
"An article about volunteering. I do a section on the Feature page. My article can pretty much be about whatever I want, as long as it holds some significance."
"Significance to what?"
"Anything, school, current events, the season. Volunteering ties in with charity and the gift of giving, so it works with the season."
"Oh."
"You should write something."
"Nah. I'm not very good."
"You don't have to be good, you can be funny or you could be hardcore. It's up to you."
"I'll think about it."
"You should."
"I will."
They turned down a narrow street with little houses on either side. He knew that Rory only lived with her mom, so he figured they were getting close to her house.
"So, overall, how'd it go today?"
"School?" She nodded. "All right, I guess."
"Well, in my opinion, if you could get your locker open, the day was a success."
He motioned toward his heavy backpack that was full of the textbooks that had been issued to him. "I failed." They laughed for a second.
"Oh man, do you have English Lit in there? That book is massive."
"Yup, along with three other slightly smaller ones."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to have to lug that all the way over here."
"It's no problem, I offered anyway." He looked at her sideways and gave a small smile. She blushed and returned it. They turned again, but this time up a long driveway.
"Well, this is my house. I'd better go."
"Okay, I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Yeah, see you tomorrow." She smiled and turned to go into the house. He stood and watched her as she reached the door and pulled it open. "Thanks for walking me home."
"Anytime." He said as the door closed.
~*~
Sixth period English Lit. The class with the massive textbook. He'd been here for three weeks now and he was still amazed that they hadn't moved on past A Tale of Two Cities. It didn't help that he'd read the book before, twice. The debates were amateur and pointless. The homework was simple. The class was a waste of time. He didn't see a point in going anymore. In fact, he'd skipped yesterday. It was Friday and he was two periods away from the weekend. He could feel the freedom. The bell rang. He was on his feet with his low-slung backpack in place within seconds. Halfway to the door, he heard his name being called by Mr. Stone.
"Hey Jess, wait up a sec."
"Yeah?" He said, eager to leave.
"Where were you yesterday? We missed you in class."
"I had stuff to do." Vague answers usually ensured fewer questions.
"What stuff?"
"None of your business." He said defensively.
"Whoa, hey buddy. I'm not trying to get in your way or anything. I just wanted you to know that I'm here."
"Here for what?"
"You know, if you wanna talk or something. If you're having problems."
"I'm doing fine thanks."
"Well, your grade has slipped in the past week. You're missing a lot when you're not here pal."
"I'm not missing jack. This class is pointless. I've read the book, I can quote it from start to finish. I know the hidden meanings. I'm done with this."
"Well, I just think that it might be helpful to you if you stuck around. You might be surprised."
"Okay, listen. You're not my buddy and you're not my pal, you're my teacher. And you don't know a damn thing about me."
"You're right, but did I ever pretend like I did?"
Jess sighed, frustrated. "Just leave me alone."
"Yeah, sure."
Jess left the class in a hurry. That guy didn't know anything. And even if he did have problems, he sure as hell wasn't gonna admit it over tea with a teacher. Quickly, Jess ran to his locker, opened it successfully (he was getting better at that), and slammed it shut.
"Whoa, what's wrong?" It was Rory.
"Nothing." He mumbled bitterly as he tried to walk away.
She put her hand on his arm. "Hey, hang on a sec. Are you okay?"
"No." He looked up at her. "Look, can we just talk about this later?" She stared at him, trying to read his expression. He looked away.
"Yeah sure. I'll probably see you later tonight." He nodded. "Bye."
"Yeah, bye."
She gave him one last concerned look before he hurried off to World History.
(A/N: Hey guys! I was doing dishes the other night (my new job since my brother left for college) and I thought of the scene between Jess and his teacher. I know there was a time gap, but nothing really happened in there. When you move, time goes really slow and nothing happens for a few months. I dunno when the next chapter of this will be up, but hopefully soon. I'm working on the eighth chapter of Recalling the Best of the Worst Times, so that will be up before another update of this story. Thanks for reading and please review! ~Amanda)