Note from the Author: Okay...this chapter sort of defeated my goal that I stated in the beginning- you know, of making the characters sound like themselves? It's more of the teacher's point of view. This probably won't happen too often, but I just kinda write whatever's on my mind write then and there, so I never really know what's going to come out. Anyway, I had fun with this chapter. Ed and his teacher...the true story may never be revealed, but here's my telling.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Full Metal Alchemist or any of the characters, no matter how much I may want to.

"Edward! You're late!" Miss Meyers yelled the minute the three walked in the door. Their spontaneous game had gone overtime. They had all been tagged twice and the only way to determine who officially lost the game was to tag just one more person. Whoever had three points was declared loser, and the remaining two would share victory.

Winry lost.

"They're late too! Why yell at me?!" Ed shouted back, pointing at Al and Winry, who were feeling rather betrayed at the moment.

"Of course," the teacher corrected, calming down by clearing her throat, "Please take your seats you three. I don't want this to happen again." She shot a look at Ed, who glared just as coldly, if not more so, back at his teacher.

"Do you have something you'd like to say to me, Mr. Elric?" Miss Meyers snapped in response to Ed's icy stare.

"No, teacher," Al innocently answered.

"Oh, no, Al, not you," she assured the younger of the two, a gentle smile radiating her face, "I was talking to your brother." How did such a sweet little boy become the brother of the devil reincarnate? her mind bit.

"Sorry, I got nothing," Ed said in response to the question which had been meant for him.

"Really?" the teacher tried keeping a loving tone, but it came out more bittersweet, "From the way you were looking at me, I could have sworn you wanted to tell me something."

"What do you know," Ed sarcastically sighed, "You're wrong again." Miss Meyers felt herself tense as she pointed to the hallway.

"Out!" she shouted, "Don't forget the buckets!" Ed hopped out of his seat, grumbling as he walked to the door, angrily snatched up the water-filled buckets, one in each hand, and stepped out the door. He set down both buckets so he could get both hands on the door to the classroom and slam it shut with all of his strength.

Miss Meyers took a deep breath in and let it out through her mouth. She had to be harsher with him than her other students. He was the only one who acted out in class…

Miss Meyers had declared Edward Elric as her one and only enemy on her very first day of teaching, almost one year ago. Apparently, the previous teacher had quit in a state similar to insanity, telling the entire staff that she just couldn't work with "a boy like that Edward." Miss Meyers had seen it as her opportunity to prove her skill as a teacher. She was going to be sweet, loving, understanding- the whole package! -and there was no way any one of her little students could think about harassing her. But she had thought this Edward would be just another troubled child, in need of someone to hear his problems and help him.

Not. At. All.

In the first hour of her lesson in the little countryside schoolhouse, somewhere from the middle of the sea of desks, a young voice began complaining about the math being written on the board.

"This is BO-ORING!" it informed, "I thought school was supposed to be educational!" Miss Meyers had spun around furiously, trying to catch the culprit before everything had returned to normal. But it wasn't hard to single out the child leaning back in his chair, letting out an exaggerated yawn. She didn't have to ask who he was.

"Do you have a problem with my lesson, Mr. Elric?" she tried to ask kindly, remembering her plan.

"Yes," Ed blatantly replied, putting his head on his desk, "I'm going to bed now. Wake me up when I can learn something."

And that was that. He was her enemy. Always and forever. She tried punishing him for anything even remotely out of line, hoping she could have her revenge. She tried shoving him out in the hall, keeping him after class, talking with his parents, even going so far as to threaten him with suspension, but he didn't care.

Ed was convinced he was the only one who could teach himself anything.