The alarm clock buzzing in the background Owen's hand searched for it until he finally found it and turned it off. Rolling over onto his back he stared at the ceiling for a bit, today was the day. After three hundred and fifty two years he couldn't remember when he was ever this nervous about anything. Looking over to the other side of the bed he wished she would hurry and get her, he needed all the help he could get this morning. Realizing he couldn't put it off any longer he got up, stretched a bit as his immortality took care of the rest and got ready for the day. Fresh out of the shower and half dressed he looked at his reflection as he lathered up the lower half of his face. If they saw him looking this scared they would eat him alive. His phone started ringing as he was almost done, although he looked away at the right time to miss a faint shadow cross his reflection. Cleaning up he hurried into the bedroom and glanced at the ID on the cell and broke into an immediate grin. "Good morning Natalya."
"Hi Owen," she answered. "I hope I got the timing right. I was worried I was going to beat the clock waking you up."
"I can think of worse ways of being woken up," he told her. "In fact I remember somebody trying to take my head while I was... hey wait a minute."
"I think it's time you let that go," she said, obviously not as amused as he was. "That was a long time ago.
"After all the crap you won't let me live down?" he shot back. "I got to have something."
"If it makes you feel better I'll get you have that one for a couple of more years, then it goes for good. So are you ready for the big day as your first official day as a high school teacher? Or as you put it becoming one of the damned."
Trying to fix the phone so it stayed between his chin and shoulder as he put on a shirt he answered, "I'm still trying to figure which is worse, the fact I've seen how teenagers act now a days or the fact they're making me wear a suit."
"Don't bitch, I told you it's not an attractive look for you," she told him. "And you look cute in a suit, looking all professional like it's kinda hot."
"You're lying through your teeth and I was hoping to be the hip teacher. I look young enough to be the hip teacher."
"New guys can't be the hip teacher, I think it's a law or something." He could hear the smile in her voice. He couldn't wait to see that smile again.
He started searching for the tie that went with the rest of the suit he was planning on wearing, "Well I wouldn't feel quite as bad if you were here. How much longer are you going to be in Malaysia? I'm getting used to having the bed to myself again and that can't be a good thing."
"Especially when I do get back," she laughed. "But I'm afraid the reunion going to have to be postponed a little while longer."
He immediately stopped what he was doing, "What happened?"
"I just took on a student," she explained. He relaxed a bit, that could have been so much worse.
"You're not going to sleep with this one are you?"
"This one is female thank you very much," he could just the annoyance on her face right then. And right then he was glad she was a half a world away. "That's almost as bad as calling me a slut you know."
"Well if you do could you tape it and send it to me?"
"Owen McAllister!", she chided him.
"Joking joking," he quickly backtracked. "So what about this one is keeping you around?"
Natalya sighed, "From what I can gather she's never been out of the country. I don't even think she's ever left her town."
"And we don't want culture shock along with the usual immortality shock," he said in understanding. "It's probably a good idea to keep her someplace familiar for a while until she gets used to the idea."
"I'm glad you agree I talked it over with Susan this morning and she thought to would be better to get it out of the way." She was silent for a bit, "We also talked about something else, something about you having a relapse."
"It's nothing," he quickly told her. "It hasn't happen again since. Even she said it was probably my imagination and she's old enough to know the difference."
"I'm going to tell her you said that," she teased. "Just let me know if anything changes alright. I hate being kept in the dark."
"I know you do," he said. "Were the hell is that tie?"
"Bottom rack, probably near the door handle," she said. Owen looked and there it was exactly like she said.
Holding it up in disbelief he uttered, "You are officially scaring me now."
"I just know you that's all. I better go and let you finish whatever you do. Now don't embarrass yourself in front of your students."
He smiled, "I love you too."
"I'll be there before you know so you can show me personally," she said in a seductive voice that usually got him going.
"Then we better hope this house is soundproof."
"I made sure it was before we put in the down payment. Just let that thought sink in until I get there."
"I have to work today I don't need thoughts like that on my first day."
"Then you have the wrong girlfriend. I'll talk to you later Owen."
"Not if call you first."
"You better," she said before hanging up. Well this day just got a whole lot better.
A few hours later Owen was glad he got that call because the day hadn't stated out all that well. Starting with the fact lost him in the paperwork since he had been hired. The modern age was great when things worked properly. On a slightly more personal note he was worried about getting challenged by another immortal if he came across one, and because his sword was in his car, and the car was at the far end of the parking lot, he was going to have to book it to have a chance in a fight. And since he was teaching history and hadn't really taken a good look through his text book yet he was slightly worried a picture of him might be in there somewhere. God know it's happened before. But at least his fears about the students weren't coming true. Outside a couple of wise asses the kids were pretty well behaved, so maybe this wouldn't be too bad. Then again it was the first day, most of them were probably just laying low before they started acting like normal. After lunch he was getting ready for another class as they came pouring in through the door. "Just sit anywhere," he told them. "I'm not really worried about assigning seats unless it becomes necessary." The bell signaling the start on the new period and he let them have a moment to get settled. "All right every one welcome to eleventh grade world history…," he stopped when he picked up something, something small and faint in the back of his head, that quickly went away when another blond teenage girl walked in the door.
"Sorry," she said, "I don't know the school just yet."
"It's my first day here too," he assured her. "Just find a seat….", he said while glancing at his class list.
"Janet Smith," she answered.
While she did so he addressed the class, "I might as well say this now since it's come up. Despite they're making me wear I'm pretty lenient so I'll give you a couple of tardies before I start marking them down. Not many so keep that in mind in case you start thinking you can be late to my class anytime you want." While he was talking he saw the new girl stand in front of a seat that was currently being occupied by a book bag. Owen looked over the room and not seeing another empty chair he said, "Could whoever owns that bag move so Janet can sit down."
"She can find someplace else to sit," the apparent owner of the bag said. He could just see the attitude come off there as she sat in her chair, so he immediately dubbed her Princess in his head. Shooting a disdainful look at the new girl she didn't attempt to move the bag. "There's plenty of floor space. It looks like she's seen it enough time."
Oh yeah this one was going to be the headache causer. The new girl, Janet, look like she was about to say something but he quickly got involved. "And book bags are supposed to be place under the chair not on top of them."
"My dad is the principle of this dump," she said with a look that she thought she just won. Obviously a girl used to getting her own way. Where was Natalya when he needed her?
"And I'm sure your father would be glad to know that you're keeping a student from getting a proper education," he said instead. She tried to stare him down, he stared right back. They stood a stalemate for a few moments before she apparently realizing he wasn't going to back down. Slowly she took the bag off the chair and placed it under her's. Looking like she was trying to find a way to get even with him he smiled, just to piss her off a little more. "Now that's settled let's get back on track. "Janet took her seat as he continued, "This is World History. My name is Henry MacDonald. As I said before I'm pretty easy going so inside this class I will answer to Henry. I will answer to Hank. I will answer to Mr. MacDonald. But only my good friends get to call me old."
After a few seconds most of the students started chuckling and smiling. "It took me five periods to find a class who got that joke," he said grinning. "I have hopes for this class now. Okay then let's get started." He walked round his desk, grabbed the text book and class assignment list and went to the black board. After the few wars he'd been in part of him recognized a quiet spot that just formed behind him. The part that usually signaled incoming fire. Waiting a beat until he heard it he quickly turned around and blocked the spitball that was coming at him with the text book. Overly dramatic yes, but the look on the shooter's face was worth it. Beside it was a good thing to let his students know he'd been around the block a few times right off the bat.
Flicking the wad off the book and into the trash he looked at the guy who still had the straw up to his face and was still dumbfounded. "And here I was thinking the spit wad died out in the fifties. Good distance though I'll give you that much." He walked toward him, "And since this has also come up you all should know that you all get one freebie in the screw up department." Taking the straw from the kid, who still hadn't moved, he leaned in a bit, "And you just wasted yours on the first day." Genius he finished to himself, although he kept his face as neutral as possible. Okay he was enjoying it a little bit, but he was a teacher now he had to be professional. Or at least fake it.
"As I was saying before I was interrupted by target practice, in fact let me do a quick roll call to make sure everybody is here first." That done he looked at them, "Let's forget the formalities, you all know the drill by now. I'll assign you stuff, you'll hopefully learned it by the time we go over it. I'll throw in the occasional pop quiz when I feel like it. Kids usually groan here." The class obliged and he started smiling, "This might be my favorite class so far. Are there any questions?" A boy in the back raised his hand, "You, Terry was it?"
"How did you get that scar on your neck?"
"I ran with scissors. Any questions about the class? No? Alright let's dive right in so all of you can come right up and pick up a book and we can start with start with chapter one then," and something told this was going to be a long school year, especially if the look "Princess" was giving him was any indication.
