Beauty and the Beast
Chapter Five: Do you Waltz?
"This is a wonderful place, Hank," remarked Jennifer, looking around the library. The faint strains of classical music filled the room. "There are so many books here. . . I could stay here for weeks, maybe months, and not get bored. There are so many books," she repeated, shaking her head in wonderment.
"Yes, there are," replied Hank, smiling.
As the two adults conversed, they were unaware that they had company listening through a crack in the doorway.
"Shove over, Kurt!" hissed Kitty. "I want to see!"
"It's my turn!" replied Kurt, shoving Kitty back. "Besides, there's nothing really to see."
"Than you won't mind-" shove "-letting me have a look then, will you?"
"Well, I may say, Hank, that I do not mind spending time with someone like you."
The sound of Jennifer's voice stopped any further arguments between Kitty and Kurt.
"From what I heard when I first arrived at Bayville High, you were a very popular teacher, and well liked by the students. I wish I received that much respect from my pupils."
"Why? Don't they like you?" asked Hank.
Jennifer sighed. "I am not that popular amongst the faculty for my views on mutants. The students also do not like me that much because of my views. The only students I would say do like me, are the mutants, and it is because of that that the human students say that I am biased towards the mutants."
"But you are human yourself, aren't you, Jennifer?" asked Hank.
"Yes, I am. And that is what makes my life quite hard. Not as hard as the life of a mutant, perhaps, but still difficult at least."
"You are right. Being a mutant is hard. Especially when you look," said Hank, lowering his head, "as I do."
Jennifer walked over to Hank, and sat in the chair next to him. "What do you mean, as you look? I think you look very handsome." Having spoken those words, Jennifer turned bright red, embarrassed.
"You do?"
"I do."
"You are very kind, Jennifer," said Hank. "But not all the world sees me the way you do."
"But it is a start," replied Jennifer.
The song being played on the stereo changed, and Jennifer smiled. "Johann Strauss' Rosen aus dem Suden. I love this piece."
Hank rose from his chair, and extended a hand to Jennifer. "Do you waltz, Jennifer?"
Jennifer smiled. "I do," she replied, taking the hand.
"Are they dancing?" asked Kitty.
"Yes, they are!"
"Oh, how romantic! We are the greatest matchmakers ever!"
*
"Are you sure that you will not be staying for dinner, Jennifer?" asked Hank. "I am sure that the students will not mind having company."
Jennifer smiled sadly. "I'm afraid that I have to be going now. Besides, their would be even more suspicion, and accusations of favouritism, if it was known that I was spending my free time with the mutant students."
"You are probably correct, Jennifer. But know that you are most welcome to return. It is very rare that I have the company of someone like you these days."
"I'm sure the daily problems of adolescence can be, well, annoying," replied Jennifer. "But it is probably more annoying when those same adolescents turn their attentions on the problems in your lives," she finished.
Hank smiled. "You are right. But at least a only teach a few students these days, unlike you."
Jennifer laughed. "So true! Perhaps I need to get out more, if my attention is only on my students. That reminds me," she added. "I have recently come into possession of some tickets to the ballet. A company from Russia are performing Swan Lake on Saturday night. Perhaps you would like to join me?"
"I don't know what to say, Jennifer."
"Then how about 'Yes'?"
Hank smiled again. "Yes. I will go to the ballet with you."
"I will call you with more details later on in the week. Does that suit you?" asked Jennifer, beaming.
"That would be perfect."
"All right, then," replied Jennifer. She looked up to top of the stairs in the foyer. "Oh, and Kurt? Don't forget about the test tomorrow!"
"Oh, man! I completely forgot!"
"Goodbye, Hank," said Jennifer, before walking away.
*
As soon as Hank reentered the mansion, having said goodbye to Jennifer on the doorstep, he was bombarded by the voices of the students.
"All right!"
"Go, Mr McCoy!"
"Chicks dig fuzzy dudes, right?"
"You are the man, er, the Beast, Mr McCoy!"
"All right, all right," said Hank. "Enough of this nonsense."
"But she asked you out, Mr McCoy! That is not nonsense," called Bobby.
"Yeah!" added Kurt. "You've got a date with her!"
"Jennifer and I are not going out on a date," replied Hank. "She just asked me to accompany her to the ballet."
"Are you going to dress up?" asked Amara.
"The ballet is a formal event."
"Will you go get something to eat?" added Kitty.
"Perhaps."
"Then you are going out on a date with Ms Reed!" chorused everyone.
Realization stuck Hank like one of Ororo's lightning bolts. Then he sighed. "It appears as though I am indeed going out on a date with Jennifer."
"Just one question, Mr McCoy."
"Yes, Tabitha?"
"What are you going to wear?!" cried everyone.
Chapter Five: Do you Waltz?
"This is a wonderful place, Hank," remarked Jennifer, looking around the library. The faint strains of classical music filled the room. "There are so many books here. . . I could stay here for weeks, maybe months, and not get bored. There are so many books," she repeated, shaking her head in wonderment.
"Yes, there are," replied Hank, smiling.
As the two adults conversed, they were unaware that they had company listening through a crack in the doorway.
"Shove over, Kurt!" hissed Kitty. "I want to see!"
"It's my turn!" replied Kurt, shoving Kitty back. "Besides, there's nothing really to see."
"Than you won't mind-" shove "-letting me have a look then, will you?"
"Well, I may say, Hank, that I do not mind spending time with someone like you."
The sound of Jennifer's voice stopped any further arguments between Kitty and Kurt.
"From what I heard when I first arrived at Bayville High, you were a very popular teacher, and well liked by the students. I wish I received that much respect from my pupils."
"Why? Don't they like you?" asked Hank.
Jennifer sighed. "I am not that popular amongst the faculty for my views on mutants. The students also do not like me that much because of my views. The only students I would say do like me, are the mutants, and it is because of that that the human students say that I am biased towards the mutants."
"But you are human yourself, aren't you, Jennifer?" asked Hank.
"Yes, I am. And that is what makes my life quite hard. Not as hard as the life of a mutant, perhaps, but still difficult at least."
"You are right. Being a mutant is hard. Especially when you look," said Hank, lowering his head, "as I do."
Jennifer walked over to Hank, and sat in the chair next to him. "What do you mean, as you look? I think you look very handsome." Having spoken those words, Jennifer turned bright red, embarrassed.
"You do?"
"I do."
"You are very kind, Jennifer," said Hank. "But not all the world sees me the way you do."
"But it is a start," replied Jennifer.
The song being played on the stereo changed, and Jennifer smiled. "Johann Strauss' Rosen aus dem Suden. I love this piece."
Hank rose from his chair, and extended a hand to Jennifer. "Do you waltz, Jennifer?"
Jennifer smiled. "I do," she replied, taking the hand.
"Are they dancing?" asked Kitty.
"Yes, they are!"
"Oh, how romantic! We are the greatest matchmakers ever!"
*
"Are you sure that you will not be staying for dinner, Jennifer?" asked Hank. "I am sure that the students will not mind having company."
Jennifer smiled sadly. "I'm afraid that I have to be going now. Besides, their would be even more suspicion, and accusations of favouritism, if it was known that I was spending my free time with the mutant students."
"You are probably correct, Jennifer. But know that you are most welcome to return. It is very rare that I have the company of someone like you these days."
"I'm sure the daily problems of adolescence can be, well, annoying," replied Jennifer. "But it is probably more annoying when those same adolescents turn their attentions on the problems in your lives," she finished.
Hank smiled. "You are right. But at least a only teach a few students these days, unlike you."
Jennifer laughed. "So true! Perhaps I need to get out more, if my attention is only on my students. That reminds me," she added. "I have recently come into possession of some tickets to the ballet. A company from Russia are performing Swan Lake on Saturday night. Perhaps you would like to join me?"
"I don't know what to say, Jennifer."
"Then how about 'Yes'?"
Hank smiled again. "Yes. I will go to the ballet with you."
"I will call you with more details later on in the week. Does that suit you?" asked Jennifer, beaming.
"That would be perfect."
"All right, then," replied Jennifer. She looked up to top of the stairs in the foyer. "Oh, and Kurt? Don't forget about the test tomorrow!"
"Oh, man! I completely forgot!"
"Goodbye, Hank," said Jennifer, before walking away.
*
As soon as Hank reentered the mansion, having said goodbye to Jennifer on the doorstep, he was bombarded by the voices of the students.
"All right!"
"Go, Mr McCoy!"
"Chicks dig fuzzy dudes, right?"
"You are the man, er, the Beast, Mr McCoy!"
"All right, all right," said Hank. "Enough of this nonsense."
"But she asked you out, Mr McCoy! That is not nonsense," called Bobby.
"Yeah!" added Kurt. "You've got a date with her!"
"Jennifer and I are not going out on a date," replied Hank. "She just asked me to accompany her to the ballet."
"Are you going to dress up?" asked Amara.
"The ballet is a formal event."
"Will you go get something to eat?" added Kitty.
"Perhaps."
"Then you are going out on a date with Ms Reed!" chorused everyone.
Realization stuck Hank like one of Ororo's lightning bolts. Then he sighed. "It appears as though I am indeed going out on a date with Jennifer."
"Just one question, Mr McCoy."
"Yes, Tabitha?"
"What are you going to wear?!" cried everyone.