Well, I have painstakingly recovered my ideas for this story and have created the fourth chapter, I hope you enjoy and review.
Why was high school so incorrigible? Paul wondered to himself, as he looked over the essays the students had done before their last teacher left, without of course, grading them. He had, albeit begrudgingly, accepted the idea of putting on a movie while he graded work and planned for not only this week but also the next. Apparently the teacher wasn't much of a help even when he was still employed here. He could tell from the light glow from cell phones and the ever present chatter from the class that their old teacher rarely contradicted them.
Whammy.
To make matters worse none of the essays that he had graded so far had gotten a score above sixty-five percent.
Double whammy.
Paul gave a long sigh before resuming back to his grading, and to think he was supposed to search for clues to whatever Ashton was working on. If he had any hope of doing any of that searching undetected he had to keep up appearances.
He flinched at the loud outburst of laughter that erupted from the class at what he assumed to be a 'funny' part of the movie. What was it again, Shrek? Not a very appropriate movie choice for a history class but it was the only movie that the last teacher had, which only enforced Paul's assumption that the last teacher was incompetent. Well he probably still is.
The bell rang loudly breaking Paul from his reverie as he watching the students rush off to their next period class. Paul couldn't have been happier to get rid of them his elation rising as he remembered that the next period would be his free period. That would give him more than enough time to finish that last few essays that were left. That's what he originally thought, anyway before his phone started vibrating. The digital letters on the screen showed that it was a text from his brother. Why did he always seem to want to talk at the most inopportune times?
Reggie: So how's it going, enjoying the fresh country air?
Paul ignored the text, not that it stopped Reggie from continuing his text assault on Paul. The desk vibrating continuously, which Paul ignored. He was accustomed to his brother annoying him; he would not be sucked into his little game while he had work to do. Even if he did answer and told Reggie to stop bothering him it would only do to encourage Reggie. No, it was best to ignore the texts as much as possible even if the vibrations from his phone were starting to impede on his concentration, but he couldn't risk turning it off. If there was a chance that Cynthia called and he missed it. No, best not to think about that, just because Paul wasn't afraid of the women didn't mean he was stupid enough to miss her calls.
Paul would have allowed this little cycle of Reggie texting him and Paul ignoring the texts to continue because it was easier to ignore the vibrations then an actual voice. That was until someone walked it even more difficult to keep on task.
"He I have the rest of the papers you- Oh what are you doing here!" Ash exclaimed standing at the doors opening, a handful of papers in one hand.
And this must have been the triple whammy.
Paul kept his eyes on his work acting oblivious to the situation. He had done paper work under worse conditions mainly trying to disregard Reggie when he was trying to persuade him to go to some sort of family outing or to 'hang out with the guys or some sort of nonsense that Reggie keeps going on about.
"Hey I'm talking to you." At this point Ash had moved from the door to the front of the desk. His hands on his hips as the papers dangled precariously in danger of falling to the floor. It was at that moment that the phone started vibrating again to signal another text.
Could this day get any better?
Paul put his pen to the side, understanding that he would not be able to finish his work if he didn't deal with at least one of his troubles.
"Can you set the papers down on the desk please." Paul started organizing the essay papers in their original place. "Now, what can I do for you?"
Ash glared gripping the papers even tighter causing them to crinkle. Paul calmly stared back feeling slightly irritated. Why couldn't anyone ever leave him to his work?
"You can start telling me why you are here. Geez, I thought you were some annoying brother or uncle or something not a teacher!" Ash said seething clutching the papers even tighter.
"Obviously you were wrong," Paul stood extending his hand toward Ash who looked at it confused. "the papers please."
The teenager narrowed his eyes before giving the papers to Paul, and then crossed his arms to look at him suspiciously. "Aren't you going to answer that." He said nodding toward the vibrating phone.
"No one of importance, ignore it."
He flipped through the papers that he was given. It was nothing really new, just a few more essays but it wouldn't help his work load. He still had to talk to Mrs. Ketchum, she had texted him the day before asking if he wanted to eat dinner at her house this afternoon. To say Paul was looking forward to that would be a lie. He wasn't accustomed to eating at a family table doing small talk, which he was sure Mrs. Ketchum was probably expecting him to do. Not exactly the type of thing he was comfortable with. It's not that he hasn't talked at a dinner table before, but it was usually with a suspect. That usually ended up as an interrogation nine times out of ten. As a kid, well, no one really talked at his table.
"I can't believe I have to deal with you for the rest of the year." Ash muttered under his breath, turning his face so he wouldn't be facing Paul.
Paul sighed, noting for the second time that day that he had been doing the action a lot lately and he didn't like it. He had already known that Ash would come in to the classroom eventually but he wasn't due until fifth period. It could have been that he was curious about the new teacher; after all he was to be Paul's new student aid. He wasn't too thrilled about the idea either, not even when he first started his assignment. Add to the fact that Ash already disliked him.
"You don't like me, fine I understand that, but like it or not you're stuck with me until the end of the year." Paul said calmly as if speaking to a small child. In this case, perhaps he was. "Understand."
Ash nodded his head, gritting his teeth, as he looking everywhere except where Paul was.
"Good, then I will be seeing you in fifth period, Mr. Ketchum."
He nodded once more as he turned around the phone vibrated audibly. "Would you answer that phone already, god it's driving me nuts." With that said he rushed out the door.
Paul only shook his head as he turned to his phone, the texts all reading the same.
Reggie: So how's it going, enjoying the fresh country air?
Paul really hated his brother.
The end of the school day came sooner than Paul expected. Even if he still had a few hours let before he was allowed to leave himself, he actually quite enjoyed the hours of solitude that the school offered. There were a few students that wandered the halls because of their extra-curricular activities but they never entered his room. The school day itself wasn't at all bad though, except fifth period, the students were the best-behaved, ironically they were freshman. It might have been due to the obvious tense atmosphere between him and Ash but Paul didn't complain. He was able to finish the last of his grading.
Now all he was doing was going over class plans for history noting that the majority of the classes except world history AP were on World War two. The AP class was currently on Religions. He found that the current plans or all classes were complete and utter rubbish. They were disorganized and confusing to follow not that it surprised Paul, it just made Paul's job all the more intolerable. This wasn't even his real job, he was only supposed to dig up information and maybe that's what he should do. Ignore the school work and continue on his original assignment it's not like the students would mind, but it did set him on edge to the fact that these students weren't getting the proper education that they need. He was unfortunately going to try just as hard at the teaching position as much as his original assignment, no use in lying to himself. He wasn't going to turn himself into 'Jaime Escalante' and inspire his students to be the best students and go above and beyond and reach their full potential, but he could at least give them a better learning experience to the students who actually want to learn.
It was during his musings that someone walked into his classroom.
"Hard at work I see." The man said smiling." I'm Brock by the way."
Paul put down his pencil noticing Brock extending his hand so Paul could shake it. He didn't.
"Paul Shinji." He said putting his reading glasses to the side. He never liked using them, and only did so when the words started to blur into one another. Reggie scolded him whenever he did this but as always he didn't care what his brother thought and disregarded him.
Brock noticing that Paul wasn't going to shake his hand lowered it his smile still in place. He didn't seem bothered by the fact that Paul didn't shake his hand, like so many other people had. That was good, Paul supposed.
"I thought I should introduce myself since I didn't see you at breakfast or even lunch, which reminds me." Brock, who had been holding a paper bag, put it on Paul's desk. "Some cookies, but you don't strike me as a man who likes cookies."
"They're too sweet for me."
Brock nodded sagely. "Thought so, not a big fan of sweet things myself, those are green tea cookies."
"Green tea cookies, it's possible to make those?" Paul questioned seriously.
Brock nodded, a cheerful smile plastered on his face." You can make cookies out of basically everything. Green tea is actually the more normal of the recipes that I have found there have been times I've baked cakes, cookies with Chile pepper, beans, and even bacon."
Paul nodded his head as he took in the information he was given. Oddly enough it wasn't as annoying as he thought it would be. Yes the baking bit was annoying but he said it in such a dispassionate manner that it didn't bother him, much anyway.
"You seem to have a lot of time in your hands to be baking so much."
Brock shrugged." I do, more then I would like, but the baking's more for my siblings then anything else. Now that I mention it, I have to be getting home soon. Dinner for the kids and all." He started making his way to the door, giving a small wave of goodbye. "I hope to have another conversation with you Mr. Shinji." Brock said before leaving.
Paul nodded more to himself since Brock had already left before he could catch it. He grabbed his glasses and put them on. He noticed the brown bag at the side of his desk and reached out to it opening the bag. The bag was filled with green cookies in the shape of leaves possibly to commemorate the coming of fall. Paul grabbed a cookie, hesitating before taking a captious bite. Reggie would be having a field day with this if he ever found out about this, saying something along the lines of, "one bite for Paul, one leap for society".
It probably wouldn't have helped his case if he found out that he actually liked the cookie and grabbed another one before settling back in for work.
I dont know why, but I felt Paul should meet Brock and get some Green Tea cookies, Paul strikes me as a guy who likes Green Tea cookies. By the way should I turn this into a mature story, I know a way I could incorporate it int the story, but I feel nervous just putting a mature scene in. Feedback about this would be appreciated and also Paul is twenty-five in this fic hopw that not much of an age difference for you.
Unrelated subject: wayne/crane ( higly recommend reading shadow selves) and fake moustaches because I've been wearing them a lot.