Chapter 3:
School. School was something that Lenore would never understand, just why she needed to attend it and learn al lthe lessons taught there. It was also something that she dreaded with a strong passion – she hated nothing in the world more – well, practically nothing – than school. So, that was why, when the next morning finally came, she didn't drag herself out of bed, until Geordi had come to join her for breakfast.
"Lenore, c'mon!" Geordi began. "You heard what the Captain said about going to school, if you want to stay aboard the Enterprise."
Lenore grumbled as she dragged herself up out of bed. "He never said I had to be on time."
"No. But it would be a nice surprise if you were," Geordi answered, unnerved by her comment. He was used to her grumbling in the morning, as she wasn't used to having to get up and go to school, unless staying with one of her friends. "And please don't cause any mischief today. That would be another nice surprise, not just for the Captain, but for all of us."
"I'll try," Lenore answered grudgingly, as she sat upon the one stool at the counter to the kitchen area. "But nobody better make me mad, 'cause I can't stop, if I get mad." And she was right too – if she should get mad, she wouldn't be able to control herself, as she'd the worst temper any of them had ever seen in a child – especially one of eight. They all knew, that once started when mad, she wouldn't be unable to stop, unless an adult took immediate action and a firm hand to her backside.
"Well, please try to avoid getting mad," Geordi sighed, as he handed her a bowl of cereal. "If you keep getting into fights, pretty soon, the Captain's going to have me take you over my knee, instead of him or Commander Riker doing it. And I do not want to have to do that at all – if I have too, I will be very upset with you, Lenore."
"Kay...." Lenore said quietly. She never wanted to make Geordi mad – ever. She vowed quietly to do her best, as to ensure that he would never have to take her over his knee for punishment. "I'll try."
"That's all we can really ask of you, Kiddo," Geordi replied. "Is that you try your hardest to stay out of trouble, the best you possibly can."
Lenore nodded, munching silently on her cereal now. She was thinking about whether or not it would be hard to stay out of trouble – for a day at least.
"Now, tell me, did you have any dreams, you want to share with me, last night?"
Lenore looked up at him, now smiling softly. "Yeah....Jon an' Stevie were here visiting, an' we had to run the ship. Stevie was Captain, Jon was Number One, an' I was in engineering. It was so cool!" She gushed dreamily. "I saved the ship, 'cause I knew what had to be done – an' only I knew 'cause nobody else was in engineering. Oh! And Chief O'Brien was there, an' he said I did a really good job of saving the ship an' everybody on it! Then, I got promoted! I got to be a Commander an' not just a Lieutenant!"
Geordi nodded and smiled, as she talked, while they both ate their cereal. He knew just how much she dreamed of being an Officer on the ship. He also knew of the Captain's plans, to officially make her a Junior Ensign, so that would be the start of her Officer career aboard the Enterprise. Sure, technically, it would basically just be some sort of game they would all play, but the Captain, and the other Officers on the ship wanted to encourage Lenore to follow her dreams, and figured if they made her a Junior Ensign, it would be a start. That maybe – just maybe – then she would be more concerned with her studies and actually want to go to school, instead of having to be forced to go every day.
After they had breakfast, and Lenore had gotten dressed in her blue jeans and favourite T-shirt, Geordi took hold of her hand, and led her to the schoolroom.
"Now, remember what we talked about this morning," he said, crouching down before her, to look her in the eye. "I don't want to come back later, only to receive a bad report. The better you behave, the better the chance the Captain will let you back to your visits with me in engineering."
"Kay...." Lenore answered. She gave him a small smile, and hugged him tight, wishing she could go off with him, instead of having to go to school. She found she learned more in engineering than she did in the stupid old schoolroom. "I'll be good – I think."
Geordi gave a small laugh, and kissed her head. "I'll be back for you later. If not me, then probably Lieutenant Worf, as he's in charge of making sure you stay in your quarters this week."
Lenore nodded, and finally let him go. "Kay...See yah later!"
Geordi stood up then, and waved to her as he reached the end of the hall. He turned the corner, then hid there, without Lenore knowing, to see whether or not she would go into the schoolroom on her own. He trusted her to do so – and hoped she wouldn't break that trust.
Lenore stared down the hall after Geordi had disappeared. She'd the feeling she was being tested – and possibly watched – and didn't know what for. She eyed the schoolroom door warily, then looked back down the hall again. She was debating whether or not to actually enter the room – though, she knew either way, someone would be contacted – they always were.
Geordi watched as she sighed, then turned and actually entered the schoolroom on her own. He smiled to himself, and waited a couple more minutes, to ensure that she was, indeed, going to stay for the day. Once he was sure, he left his hiding spot, and went on his way to engineering.
Lenore had finally entered the schoolroom, and quietly took a seat at one of the tables. And – as usual – she sat alone. None of the other children there wanted to play with her, as she usually tended to get mean, if they said something she didn't like – or used something she figured was hers. She sat there, silently watching the other children play and learn – they were to make clay sculptures for their parents, put them on display for 'Parent Day', then take the home the day afterwards.
She would never admit it to anyone in that room, but she felt left out – majorly. All the other children there, had parents to take their sculptures home too, and she didn't. She didn't have any adults to take hers home too. She though about making a sculpture and giving it to Geordi, but she always made him stuff. She then thought of Commander Riker and Chief O'Brien, but she always made them stuff too. It was then, that she thought of the Captain. She'd never really given the Captain anything, to thank him for letting her stay on the Enterprise, though she was parentless. She smiled to herself then, and set to work on making something for the Captain.
While she worked quietly on her sculpture, she realized she was running out of clay. She eyed her sculpture thoughtfully, before getting up to go and get some more clay. It was while she'd gone to get more clay for her sculpture, that one of the boys had come over, and purposely smashed her piece of work.
Lenore had just started to head back to her seat, when she saw one of the boys smash what she'd painstakingly worked on all morning. She hurried over, to where the ruins of her, once beautiful, dinosaur lay. She tried to control her temper – she really did – but seeing something she had worked so had on all morning, lying there squashed flatter than a pancake, made her see red. Without thinking, she turned and shoved the clay she held in her hands, into the boys face, then tackled him to the floor. Once they were both on the floor, she began to beat him up while screaming at him through tears the entire time. And she wasn't normally one to cry over something as 'stupid' as art – but this particular piece had meant a lot to her – a whole lot.
The teacher heard the commotion, and quickly hurried over to pry Lenore off the boy. Once she'd done that, she began to yell at Lenore, assuming she had started it all – when she hadn't – as she ninety-nine percent of the time, did start these types of things. While she yelled, she led Lenore over to the one corner and stuck her in a chair that was there.
"And you'll stay here, until the Captain is able to come deal with you!" The teacher yelled. "You haven't even been back in class one day, and all ready you're causing trouble again!"
Lenore just sat there and cried – she'd known it would have been useless in telling the teacher she hadn't started it – she wouldn't be believed, so what was the point of wasting her time and breath on it? She stayed there, sitting in the corner, until the end of the day, when Commander Riker came to get her.
Commander Riker had come to get Lenore from school, as the Captain was too busy to be dealing with a rambunctious child right then. He wasn't too happy with her either, but had offered to pick her up long before the clay issue, and wasn't about to back out now. It wasn't often he could come get her from school anyway – and this was supposed to be a welcomed surprise, but now it would just be an annoyed type thing, which would include a lecture.
Lenore was quite surprised when she saw Commander Riker enter the schoolroom – she hadn't known he was coming to get her. She almost wished it was the Captain who was coming to get her instead of Geordi. She returned her gaze back to the wall, not wanting for him to know that she'd been crying – she didn't cry. Only 'cry-babies' did that, not her!
Commander Riker had headed over to the corner, in which Lenore sat, and crouched down to her height. "Ensign, you were told to behave today. You told everyone you would, and yet, you didn't even try to behave. You have no idea just how disappointed we all were, when the Captain told us of the call he'd gotten from the school teacher about you and your behavior."
Lenore sniffled softly. She had tried to behave – she had!
Commander Riker raised his eyebrows when he heard her sniffle. Was she crying? There was just no way.... He turned her head about, to face him, gently, and was quite surprised to see her tear-stained face, which greeted him.
"Ensign, why are you crying?" He asked, softening his tone some. "You're normally not one to cry."
Lenore gave up her tough exterior then, and threw her arms about his neck, burying her face into him as she began to cry all over again.
Commander Riker was shocked beyond belief, at her unexpected response, and cautiously held her close, as he rubbed her back softly. He wondered just what had happened to make this ever-so-tough child, become so much more emotional than ever before.
"Hey-Hey...." He said softly. "What's wrong Ensign?"
"Tommy – Tommy ruined – ruined my – my dinosaur," Lenore began to explain, through hiccups and tears. "It – It was for – for the Captain! For – For 'Parent Day'!"
Commander Riker was surprised once more at that. Lenore usually made stuff for him, Geordi, or Chief O'Brien – but never for the Captain. He held her closer to him then. "Is that why you attacked him?"
Lenore nodded sheepishly. "I – I tried to be good, Commander! I did! But – But Tommy – my dinosaur – for the Captain!" She was starting to speak gibberish now, as she was so upset. She hadn't ever been this upset before – least, not over a piece of art she'd made.
Commander Riker smiled softly then. "Ensign, it's all right. I know you must've worked very hard on it – but you can always make another one – there is still time, before Parent Day."
Lenore sniffled, as she lifted her head up to look at him. "You think – the Captain will like it – as much as he would've liked – the first one?"
"Yes, Ensign. He will like it very much," Commander Riker told her. "Just – stay out of fights, okay? Even if Tommy – or anyone else – should ruin your dinosaur."
"Kay...." Lenore whispered.
Commander Riker gave her a playful Look.
Lenore smiled slightly. "I mean, 'Yes Commander'."
Commander Riker smiled, and kissed her head. "Now, c'mon. I believe Geordi might have a snack for you waiting in your quarters."
With that, the two of them set off for her quarters, where they did find a snack - cookies and chocolate milk – waiting on the counter for them.
School. School was something that Lenore would never understand, just why she needed to attend it and learn al lthe lessons taught there. It was also something that she dreaded with a strong passion – she hated nothing in the world more – well, practically nothing – than school. So, that was why, when the next morning finally came, she didn't drag herself out of bed, until Geordi had come to join her for breakfast.
"Lenore, c'mon!" Geordi began. "You heard what the Captain said about going to school, if you want to stay aboard the Enterprise."
Lenore grumbled as she dragged herself up out of bed. "He never said I had to be on time."
"No. But it would be a nice surprise if you were," Geordi answered, unnerved by her comment. He was used to her grumbling in the morning, as she wasn't used to having to get up and go to school, unless staying with one of her friends. "And please don't cause any mischief today. That would be another nice surprise, not just for the Captain, but for all of us."
"I'll try," Lenore answered grudgingly, as she sat upon the one stool at the counter to the kitchen area. "But nobody better make me mad, 'cause I can't stop, if I get mad." And she was right too – if she should get mad, she wouldn't be able to control herself, as she'd the worst temper any of them had ever seen in a child – especially one of eight. They all knew, that once started when mad, she wouldn't be unable to stop, unless an adult took immediate action and a firm hand to her backside.
"Well, please try to avoid getting mad," Geordi sighed, as he handed her a bowl of cereal. "If you keep getting into fights, pretty soon, the Captain's going to have me take you over my knee, instead of him or Commander Riker doing it. And I do not want to have to do that at all – if I have too, I will be very upset with you, Lenore."
"Kay...." Lenore said quietly. She never wanted to make Geordi mad – ever. She vowed quietly to do her best, as to ensure that he would never have to take her over his knee for punishment. "I'll try."
"That's all we can really ask of you, Kiddo," Geordi replied. "Is that you try your hardest to stay out of trouble, the best you possibly can."
Lenore nodded, munching silently on her cereal now. She was thinking about whether or not it would be hard to stay out of trouble – for a day at least.
"Now, tell me, did you have any dreams, you want to share with me, last night?"
Lenore looked up at him, now smiling softly. "Yeah....Jon an' Stevie were here visiting, an' we had to run the ship. Stevie was Captain, Jon was Number One, an' I was in engineering. It was so cool!" She gushed dreamily. "I saved the ship, 'cause I knew what had to be done – an' only I knew 'cause nobody else was in engineering. Oh! And Chief O'Brien was there, an' he said I did a really good job of saving the ship an' everybody on it! Then, I got promoted! I got to be a Commander an' not just a Lieutenant!"
Geordi nodded and smiled, as she talked, while they both ate their cereal. He knew just how much she dreamed of being an Officer on the ship. He also knew of the Captain's plans, to officially make her a Junior Ensign, so that would be the start of her Officer career aboard the Enterprise. Sure, technically, it would basically just be some sort of game they would all play, but the Captain, and the other Officers on the ship wanted to encourage Lenore to follow her dreams, and figured if they made her a Junior Ensign, it would be a start. That maybe – just maybe – then she would be more concerned with her studies and actually want to go to school, instead of having to be forced to go every day.
After they had breakfast, and Lenore had gotten dressed in her blue jeans and favourite T-shirt, Geordi took hold of her hand, and led her to the schoolroom.
"Now, remember what we talked about this morning," he said, crouching down before her, to look her in the eye. "I don't want to come back later, only to receive a bad report. The better you behave, the better the chance the Captain will let you back to your visits with me in engineering."
"Kay...." Lenore answered. She gave him a small smile, and hugged him tight, wishing she could go off with him, instead of having to go to school. She found she learned more in engineering than she did in the stupid old schoolroom. "I'll be good – I think."
Geordi gave a small laugh, and kissed her head. "I'll be back for you later. If not me, then probably Lieutenant Worf, as he's in charge of making sure you stay in your quarters this week."
Lenore nodded, and finally let him go. "Kay...See yah later!"
Geordi stood up then, and waved to her as he reached the end of the hall. He turned the corner, then hid there, without Lenore knowing, to see whether or not she would go into the schoolroom on her own. He trusted her to do so – and hoped she wouldn't break that trust.
Lenore stared down the hall after Geordi had disappeared. She'd the feeling she was being tested – and possibly watched – and didn't know what for. She eyed the schoolroom door warily, then looked back down the hall again. She was debating whether or not to actually enter the room – though, she knew either way, someone would be contacted – they always were.
Geordi watched as she sighed, then turned and actually entered the schoolroom on her own. He smiled to himself, and waited a couple more minutes, to ensure that she was, indeed, going to stay for the day. Once he was sure, he left his hiding spot, and went on his way to engineering.
Lenore had finally entered the schoolroom, and quietly took a seat at one of the tables. And – as usual – she sat alone. None of the other children there wanted to play with her, as she usually tended to get mean, if they said something she didn't like – or used something she figured was hers. She sat there, silently watching the other children play and learn – they were to make clay sculptures for their parents, put them on display for 'Parent Day', then take the home the day afterwards.
She would never admit it to anyone in that room, but she felt left out – majorly. All the other children there, had parents to take their sculptures home too, and she didn't. She didn't have any adults to take hers home too. She though about making a sculpture and giving it to Geordi, but she always made him stuff. She then thought of Commander Riker and Chief O'Brien, but she always made them stuff too. It was then, that she thought of the Captain. She'd never really given the Captain anything, to thank him for letting her stay on the Enterprise, though she was parentless. She smiled to herself then, and set to work on making something for the Captain.
While she worked quietly on her sculpture, she realized she was running out of clay. She eyed her sculpture thoughtfully, before getting up to go and get some more clay. It was while she'd gone to get more clay for her sculpture, that one of the boys had come over, and purposely smashed her piece of work.
Lenore had just started to head back to her seat, when she saw one of the boys smash what she'd painstakingly worked on all morning. She hurried over, to where the ruins of her, once beautiful, dinosaur lay. She tried to control her temper – she really did – but seeing something she had worked so had on all morning, lying there squashed flatter than a pancake, made her see red. Without thinking, she turned and shoved the clay she held in her hands, into the boys face, then tackled him to the floor. Once they were both on the floor, she began to beat him up while screaming at him through tears the entire time. And she wasn't normally one to cry over something as 'stupid' as art – but this particular piece had meant a lot to her – a whole lot.
The teacher heard the commotion, and quickly hurried over to pry Lenore off the boy. Once she'd done that, she began to yell at Lenore, assuming she had started it all – when she hadn't – as she ninety-nine percent of the time, did start these types of things. While she yelled, she led Lenore over to the one corner and stuck her in a chair that was there.
"And you'll stay here, until the Captain is able to come deal with you!" The teacher yelled. "You haven't even been back in class one day, and all ready you're causing trouble again!"
Lenore just sat there and cried – she'd known it would have been useless in telling the teacher she hadn't started it – she wouldn't be believed, so what was the point of wasting her time and breath on it? She stayed there, sitting in the corner, until the end of the day, when Commander Riker came to get her.
Commander Riker had come to get Lenore from school, as the Captain was too busy to be dealing with a rambunctious child right then. He wasn't too happy with her either, but had offered to pick her up long before the clay issue, and wasn't about to back out now. It wasn't often he could come get her from school anyway – and this was supposed to be a welcomed surprise, but now it would just be an annoyed type thing, which would include a lecture.
Lenore was quite surprised when she saw Commander Riker enter the schoolroom – she hadn't known he was coming to get her. She almost wished it was the Captain who was coming to get her instead of Geordi. She returned her gaze back to the wall, not wanting for him to know that she'd been crying – she didn't cry. Only 'cry-babies' did that, not her!
Commander Riker had headed over to the corner, in which Lenore sat, and crouched down to her height. "Ensign, you were told to behave today. You told everyone you would, and yet, you didn't even try to behave. You have no idea just how disappointed we all were, when the Captain told us of the call he'd gotten from the school teacher about you and your behavior."
Lenore sniffled softly. She had tried to behave – she had!
Commander Riker raised his eyebrows when he heard her sniffle. Was she crying? There was just no way.... He turned her head about, to face him, gently, and was quite surprised to see her tear-stained face, which greeted him.
"Ensign, why are you crying?" He asked, softening his tone some. "You're normally not one to cry."
Lenore gave up her tough exterior then, and threw her arms about his neck, burying her face into him as she began to cry all over again.
Commander Riker was shocked beyond belief, at her unexpected response, and cautiously held her close, as he rubbed her back softly. He wondered just what had happened to make this ever-so-tough child, become so much more emotional than ever before.
"Hey-Hey...." He said softly. "What's wrong Ensign?"
"Tommy – Tommy ruined – ruined my – my dinosaur," Lenore began to explain, through hiccups and tears. "It – It was for – for the Captain! For – For 'Parent Day'!"
Commander Riker was surprised once more at that. Lenore usually made stuff for him, Geordi, or Chief O'Brien – but never for the Captain. He held her closer to him then. "Is that why you attacked him?"
Lenore nodded sheepishly. "I – I tried to be good, Commander! I did! But – But Tommy – my dinosaur – for the Captain!" She was starting to speak gibberish now, as she was so upset. She hadn't ever been this upset before – least, not over a piece of art she'd made.
Commander Riker smiled softly then. "Ensign, it's all right. I know you must've worked very hard on it – but you can always make another one – there is still time, before Parent Day."
Lenore sniffled, as she lifted her head up to look at him. "You think – the Captain will like it – as much as he would've liked – the first one?"
"Yes, Ensign. He will like it very much," Commander Riker told her. "Just – stay out of fights, okay? Even if Tommy – or anyone else – should ruin your dinosaur."
"Kay...." Lenore whispered.
Commander Riker gave her a playful Look.
Lenore smiled slightly. "I mean, 'Yes Commander'."
Commander Riker smiled, and kissed her head. "Now, c'mon. I believe Geordi might have a snack for you waiting in your quarters."
With that, the two of them set off for her quarters, where they did find a snack - cookies and chocolate milk – waiting on the counter for them.