(A/N: Just a warning going into this chapter, it's gonna be a lot of learning, so be prepared! Also, I'm sure many of you had to have noticed that this story is rated T, and for a good reason. Not because of Sex ed, cuz I also learned it in 6th grade, but because going forward there will be more sensitive themes and situations. I'm mentioning it now, cuz I may not remember later on. So, education and sensitive topics... you've been warned. Unrelated, but I really wish I could reply to reviews because that last one from a guest made me tear up. Honestly! I dunno who you are, but you're a fantastic human being, and I love you for it! I love all of my fan reviews! They're what get me to pump out chapters faster, usually, because I can see how much many of you enjoy them, which in turn makes me enjoy them even more! It's an honor to have each and every one of you, especially those who've been here since the beginning and waited the near 2 years for my hiatus to be over. You're the real ones XD anyway, This long author note is making up for the lack of one last chapter since I really didn't know what to say, and was half asleep. In fact, pretty sure it took like 4 more days until I realized I never uploaded it on AO3 or Wattpad. Oops.)
The air around the classroom was thick, and heavy with an uncomfortable silence, as the class of 6th graders blankly peered at the colorful sign in front of them; their eyes slowly moving from the jolly woman in front of them, to their peers in uncertainty, whilst others awkwardly stared at the tops of their desks instead. No one was really sure of what to say, or what to do. Was Nurse Shelley looking for an answer? Or was she just letting the anticipation sink in?
"I can see that all of you have some mixed feelings about this subject…" The woman said softly, her voice full of sympathy, "When you hear the word 'sex,' it may make you feel a little strange and uncomfortable, almost like it's wrong to hear or know about, however, I'm here to teach you just exactly what the term means, and how important it is for you to learn about it."
Shelley walked over to her bag and pulled out a few laminated pictures; each depicting outlines of a different body, and stuck them just under the sign. "There are two categories that we and most other living things are divided into due to our reproductive functions: man and woman." She explained, pointing at the respective pictures. "While we're all made up of the same things, such as blood, bone, and tissue, our reproductive systems are what separate us." Looking at her students, she could see that some of their attentions were fixed on the diagrams, while others eyes roamed elsewhere as if trying to find another place for them to dwell. "Can anyone tell me the purpose of the reproductive system?"
"To reproduce," Nadine stated blandly, a bit confused at why this question was being asked.
"Yes, that's true." The husky nurse nodded, "but what exactly does it mean to reproduce?"
"To make more of," replied Phoebe. "In this case, to make more of ourselves."
"We have cloning machines inside of us?!" Harold shouted in bewilderment. "What?!"
This made Shelley laugh. "Sort of, Harold. The job of our reproductive system is to pass on our DNA; our genes!" She then pointed to the male body. "Men have slightly different chromosomes than females. They have an X and a Y." Picking up a black marker, Shelley marked those letters underneath the picture. "While females have two X chromosomes!" She continued, doing just the same under the picture of the female. "Chromosomes are part of our DNA, and inside of our reproductive systems, are something called reproductive cells. A man's reproductive cell is his sperm, and carries both his X and Y chromosomes, while a female's reproductive cells are her ovum's or more commonly said, eggs, which carry her two X chromosomes."
"Ewww!" Sid blurted out carelessly. "So, you're telling us that girls have eggs in them, just like chickens? Do you lay them too?!"
"No, of course not." Nurse Shelley shook her head. "At least, not in the sense you're thinking about." She then capped her marker and crossed her arms. "But we're getting ahead of ourselves! Let's go back to the main topic! Can anyone tell me how babies are made?"
The room became silent once more until Harold loudly cleared his throat. "Babies are made when a mommy and daddy love each other very much…-" But before the boy could finish, the classroom door opened suddenly, and in stepped Mr. Simmons.
"Oh, am I interrupting?" He asked, looking around with a panicked face. "I'm so sorry! Please continue!" He said as he hurried over to his desk, and sat down to join in whatever their discussion was on currently.
"Harold was just telling the class how babies were made." She smiled, before turning back to the boy in question. "Please, continue!"
With a face now a bit reddened from embarrassment, Harold began to fumble with his thoughts. "Uhhh, oh yeah. Right. So, when they love each other very much, they give each other special hugs, and then babies are born!" He finished triumphantly.
"How juvenile." Helga snickered lowly, holding in her amusement.
Shelley smiled at the uninterested girl. "We must all start somewhere, Helga, and what Harold said is a fine start! It's the act of this 'special hug' that gives our reproductive cells the chance to meet, join and then become a new baby!" Her smile widened as she gestured towards the class. "In this class, you'll all be learning more about your bodies, what exactly is going on in there while you grow from a child into an adult, the role of your reproductive system, and all the magic that goes into creating another life, as well as the potential risks and complications that can occur." Her gaze softened as she empathized with the group of kids in front of her. "Sexual education is far more than just that word 'sex' that makes you feel uncomfortable, but rather it's just learning more about yourselves and what makes you, you!"
"Very well said." Mr. Simmons clapped from his desk. "And as we all know, there is nothing more special than being you!"
"Thank you, Mr. Simmons!" Nurse Shelley replied, turning to the man, and giving him a small bow as a courtesy, before going back to her audience. "We know you'll all have many questions, and we hope that with the both of us here, you'll be comfortable enough to ask them, even if privately after class. Anything we can answer so far?"
"Does that mean we'll see genuine depictions of copulation?" Asked Curly, as he raised his glasses to get a better look at the teachers. "You know, between humans and not animals?"
"Curly…" Mr. Simmons began, with a stern look but before he could continue, his colleague placed her hand on his desk to stop him.
"Not in the ways you might be thinking of, I'm afraid." Nurse Shelley answered, moving back towards her outlined pictures of the human body. "You'll be given plenty of knowledge on just how the act of sexual intercourse is performed, but using pictures such as these, outlining the specific roles your reproductive system has to play, their purpose, and the outcomes!"
"Lame." He muttered to himself, crossing his arms, and slouching in his seat.
"Oh, you may think this now…" She replied, walking over to his desk, and giving him a charming grin. "But I'm pretty sure there will be a handful of things that you'll find intriguing!" She then turned her grin to the rest of the class. "I'm sure all of you will!"
"Then how will we know we're doing it right… if you're not gonna show us how?" Sid asked with a smug half smile, thinking he was being witty. "What if we do it wrong?"
The woman walked back over to the whiteboard and uncapped the black marker. "If I asked you to, let's say, make a burger but only showed you a picture of the burger and the ingredients, do you think you could make it?" She asked, giving her best hand drawn version of a cheeseburger, then the individual pieces that would go into it. "Would you need to see me place the ingredients on the bun? Or do you think you could grasp the concept on your own?"
Sid's expression soured, now reciprocating Curly's disappointment after being shut down as well. "I guess."
"Remember class, everyone is different so everyone's experiences will also be different!" She explained, turning back to them with a look of worry. "All you'll need to know, are the facts and this is what I'll be here to help you with, along with Mr. Simmons, Of course. Are there any more questions?"
Rhonda was the next person to raise her hand. "Don't you think it's a little, I don't know, invasive for the boys to know what our bodies look like, and what's going on with them?" She asked, adjusting herself in her seat. "I mean, it's all pretty personal and now we'll have to deal with them looking at us even more… imagining who knows what."
"It is ever so embarrassing…" Lila added as she fiddled with one of her braids. A chorus of girls chimed in, all nodding and agreeing.
"Oh, my dears… I understand how you feel, however, this is just something you'll have to press on passed." Shelley sighed. "One day, some of these boys in your class may have wives or daughters of their own, and understanding what's going on with their bodies is important so they'll be able to help them in their very personal time of need. I'm sure some of you have already experienced… emergency situations; one that may have required a caring family member, or friend, to help you through."
"Yeah, and it's not like we're gonna feel any better while you're looking at our anatomy either." Gerald scowled across the room, thinking of the lack of privacy he already had at home, as well as his helpless feelings when wanting to help his own girlfriend.
"Wait!" Harold's mouth dropped. "We're gonna have to look at pictures of ding dongs?!"
The class then began to murmur to themselves, causing Shelley to give Mr. Simmons a worried look.
"Settle down, everyone." He said firmly, gaining a bit of their attention. "I know that this is all a bit strange, and maybe even a little scary but I can assure you that there will be no explicit content shared within this class. This is no different than when we learned about the digestive system last year." He watched as some of the boy's faces begin to relax and giggle at the thought of poop, but continued on. "It's important to understand how each and every part of your body works, in order for you to take care of yourself, as well as understanding what may be going on in someone you care about in the future."
Feeling a twinge of sadness, Lila looked down at her desk, letting her braid go in the process. "It's… not a very good feeling…" She spoke, almost in a whisper, "Watching someone you love go through something invisible to you, and not knowing how to help. It's ever so heartbreaking."
Though her voice was small, those who did hear her gave the girl a look of concern, before turning back to their teachers.
"I'm actually pretty excited to know more about myself!" Eugene piped up, hoping to steer the conversation into something more upbeat.
This caused Sheena to agree, nodding to him and her aunt. "The more you know, the better!"
Turning around to face her peers, Rhonda gave the two dirty looks. "Of course, you geeks would enjoy things like this, but some of us find all the… weird and squishy organs, utterly repulsive!"
"Those squishy organs are what's keeping you alive, Rhonda," Shelley informed, gaining her own look of disapproval from the girl. "And you'll need to know how to keep them in tip-top shape, or else your future won't look so good." The woman then remembered something informative, causing a twinkle in her eye. "Did you know, that when a woman is pregnant, her skin glows, and her hair and nails become strong soft, and shiny?"
"Huh?" Rhonda replied, cocking her eyebrow with a little curiosity, but still some arrogance.
"It's true!" Shelley cheered, happy to gain her interest. "The extra hormones can make them grow faster, and become stronger! It's all a part of your amazing body as it changes to get ready to sustain a growing baby, and I'd be happy to go further into it once we get to that segment."
"I mean… I guess that's sort of cool." Rhonda remarked, with a roll of her eyes.
"I heard it's common for some animals to eat the placenta once their babies are born, in order to provide them with the extra nutrients needed, which in turn also causes their coats to become more lustrous," Phoebe informatively added. "I must say, the instinctual aspect of motherhood is rather fascinating."
"Ugh!" Rhonda screeched, now becoming further fed up with this class. "How disgusting!"
"All right now." Mr. Simmons scolded. "Let's not get this train too derailed. Does anyone else have any more questions before Nurse Shelley continues?"
The two adults waited for a moment, while the class settled back down and gave their focus back to them.
"I'm sure you'll all have plenty more to ask as we move forward, and I hope to have all the answers you're looking for!" She stated, placing her hands together as a sign of readiness. "Today, we'll begin by focusing on something that both boys, and girls will be going through. Some, maybe sooner than others, however in due time, everyone will have gone through it!" With a few squeaky marker strokes, Nurse Shelley wrote a word on the whiteboard. "And this is called Puberty."
"Puberty?" Repeated Stinky. "That's an awfully funny sounding word."
"It does sound a little funny, you're right, Stinky!" Nurse Shelley replied with a silly smile, understanding his sentiment. "But it's very important to learn about. Puberty is a time in your life when your body goes through many changes; some you can see, and some you can't. Some of these changes affect how you feel, and you may even feel different from one day to the next. You'll even start to get many new urges, that make you want to be closer to another person in a brand new way, even if once you weren't very fond of them. All these new urges and changes, are part of a design to make it possible for you to grow up, and have children of your own someday if you so choose! And do you know what causes all of these new changes?" She asked openly to her class. "These nifty little chemical messengers called Hormones!"
"Isn't that the name of a rock band?" Asked Sid, looking up and thinking deeply to himself. "My mom likes to listen to them while she's cleaning the house. Goes something like 'rock, rock, rock n roll high school'" He sang, off-key. "Pretty catchy!"
"You're thinking of The Ramones…" Mr. Simmons answered, shaking his head. "Now try to focus."
Sid blushed, but did what he was told.
"You've had hormones all along, even when you were just a baby!" Shelley lectured, erasing the former picture of the burger, and replacing it with the drawings of both a boy and girl infant. "Hormones travel to all parts of your body through your bloodstream, and regulate many of the things your body does! They affect growth, how your muscles develop, whether you gain or lose weight easily, and more!" She finished, drawing a trail from their heart, through their limbs, and to the brain.
"Hey yeah!" Harold blurted out. "My mom said I've got something like that! Something like a… a…"
"A thyroid issue?" The nurse suggested, thoughtfully.
"Yeah! That gland problem!" He confirmed, proudly.
"The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of the neck, just below your Adam's apple, and makes two main hormones: thyroxine and triiodothyronine. These hormones affect every cell in the body, such as supporting the rate at which the body uses fats and carbohydrates, and in your case, likely go at a much slower rate than normal." She explained to the portly boy. "This makes it much harder to lose weight, as these hormones are telling your body to store its fat longer."
"See!" Harold declared as he stood up and stared at the rest of the class, but mainly Sid and Stinky. "I told you I wasn't making it up! My hormones are broken!"
"Sit down, Harold." Mr. Simmons scolded again.
"No, they're not broken," Shelley assured him, soothingly. "This just means that your thyroid underproduces the amount of a very specific hormone, and if you follow your doctor's advice, this is something you can get under control." She then turned back to the board to continue her lesson, drawing a little dot between each of the babies' foreheads. "The Pituitary gland is located here and is the control center for many other glands in your body that produce hormones. It makes hormone production slow down, or speed up throughout your life, and even turns some hormones on and off at times! Think of it as your own inner clock, that dictates how and when you'll grow and change! This is why even though all of you are around the same age, you all might be at different stages of puberty. I can see that some of you boys already are growing facial hair, while some of you aren't! Some of you girls have experienced your special time of the month, while some of you haven't, and all of this is perfectly normal! It's just your body's clock tick, tick, ticking at its own pace!"
"But Nurse Shelley…" Phoebe began, as she raised her hand. "Doesn't your family genes have a role to play in that as well?"
"A fine question, Phoebe!" The joyful woman clapped towards the studious youth. "It is true, that depending on your family's background, you may or may not develop in the same way. For example, some men will grow a lot of hair on their chests, but some won't! This is due to hereditary genes that have been carried over from generation to generation! Those who do develop a lot of body hair, likely have ancestors who possibly lived in a much colder climate, causing their bodies to need this hair to stay warm, while others likely lived in a much warmer climate, and never needed to develop such things! Chest hair, as well as mustaches and beards, are all caused by a very specific hormone called Testosterone, and this is a very important sex hormone!" She then drew two small circles within the groin area of the baby boy. "In men, testosterone is made here in the testicles and plays a very important role for a boy as he matures throughout his life! It's what causes you to have a growth spurt, for your penis to grow, your shoulders to broaden, and causes your voice to get deeper!"
Arnold looked down at his legs, and frowned, not totally sure of how to feel. He knew he was currently going through a growth spurt, but it felt awkward to know that this was why. In fact, a lot of what she was going over, pertained to him and it just felt plain weird.
"Ah, so that's why I have such a fine, smooth sounding voice…" Gerald grinned, showing his deepened voice off to everyone else as if they'd never heard it before.
"Exactly!" Shelley nodded. "It causes your vocal cords to get thicker, which makes your voice deeper. It also affects your sweat glands, causing you to sweat more often, even if you're not being physically active. You'll notice even your face becomes somewhat oily, which causes those pesky pimples to appear!"
Feeling called out, Sid slid down in his seat and looked around nervously, as if people might be possibly looking at him. While his stringy black hair covered a lot of the problem, there was only so much his new ointment could do to help lessen the breakouts from happening. He'd even changed his shampoo, but it was no use.
"Hey Sid!" Stinky yelled out to the boy, in a mocking tone. "You outta know somethin about that!"
"Shut up, Stinky!" Sid cried back, slouching further down into his seat, to hide from the world.
"Oh, don't you worry, dear!" Nurse Shelley said to comfort him. "Everyone has pimples! They're just caused when tiny holes in the skin, known commonly as your pores, but are really hair follicles, become blocked. Your Sebaceous glands, which are located near the surface of your skin, lubricate the hair and the skin to stop it from drying out and they do this by producing an oily substance called sebum. It's the excess of this sebum, mixed with dead skin cells that cause pimples to form. If the clogged follicle is close to the surface of the skin, it bulges outwards, creating a whitehead, and if the plugged follicle can be open to the skin, it creates a blackhead. Sometimes harmless bacteria that live on the skin can then contaminate and infect the clogged follicle, which then leads the pimple to develop into something bigger, and deeper, possibly even needing medical intervention. It can be painful, and scary but it's very easy to treat depending on the situation. To prevent this, all you'll need to do is make sure you wash your face every day, with mild soap and water, to not irritate it further, and dry it out!"
"And to apply moisturizer," Rhonda added, with a flip of her hair, showing off her shiny perfect skin. "Just not too much of it, of course."
"Ohhhh~!" Curly swooned, making groping hands at the poor girl, and causing her to recoil. "Maybe you can share some of your moisturizers with me, Rhonda baby!"
"Ugh! Not in your wildest dreams, you creep!" Rhonda shouted back, feeling violated from afar, even with Harold in between them.
"Curly, keep your hands to yourself or you'll have to stand out in the hallway." Warned Mr. Simmons, with a tone now more serious than before. "I don't think your parents would appreciate another call home."
Nurse Shelly was now beginning to understand just what he was trying to hint at, during their lunch hour together. "Keeping a daily cleaning regime is indeed important, as much of the time, your body is producing this sebum because your skin is too dry, so keeping it moisturized can avoid this oil being produced in access. Very helpful, Rhonda!" She applauded, doing her best to veer everyone back to her, and avoid any more indecencies. "Now then, let's go back to the testicles for a moment." She said, circling them on the board, and ignoring a few giggles behind her. "Earlier, I spoke about something called reproductive cells, and for boys, this is called sperm and they're located in here as well! This is the cell that will carry your individual DNA, including your X and Y chromosomes, but I'll be speaking more about all of this in-depth, at a later time. For now, let's focus on the girls." She said, drawing a circle around the baby girl's lower abdomen. "During puberty for girls, the pituitary gland sends messages down to these little things, called the ovaries. The ovaries begin making a hormone called estrogen! This causes us to begin growing our breasts, our hips become wider, and our voice will also get a little deeper, but not quite the level of the boys. Much like the boys, we also will begin growing hair in places, and this is all perfectly normal and healthy!"
"That's another thing." Rhonda interrupted, once again. "Why do girls even grow a bunch of unsightly body hair, anyway? It's far nicer to have smooth skin!"
"The purpose of body hair, whether for a boy or a girl, is to protect you, whether it be from harmful bacteria, from unnecessary friction or to keep your body temperature regulated." Shelley pointed out. "However, in the case of armpit hair, it's actually for a more primal reason. When you sweat, your body produces something called pheromones, which are used to find a mate! Your sweat will attach itself to your armpit hair, causing your individual scent to linger, and up your chances of attracting a very special someone!"
"How… horrifying!" Rhonda screeched, completely disgusted. "You cannot expect me to believe that I'm supposed to be attracted to gross, smelly armpits! That's absurd!"
"While armpits can certainly not smell so great, pheromones are actually odorless." The nurse corrected. "As crazy as it may sound, this is why we're attracted to many perfumes."
"Yeah, because they smell good and NOT like unwashed armpits!" Rhonda retorted, angrily.
"You might find this fact surprising but it's because synthetic pheromones are usually used within the fragrance." Sighed Shelley, wishing the girl wasn't so difficult, but feeling grateful for her input even so. "No one wants to smell bad, which is why we often are drawn to pleasant smells, such as flowers! In fact, flowers also have their own pheromones in order to attract bees to pollinate them! This is why at certain points of their growth; they smell stronger than others!"
"We recently learned all about pollination, remember class?" Mr. Simmons asked, as he rose from his chair and ventured over to the windowsill. "Pollen is a plant's way of reproducing. Isn't it amazing to know how much in common both plants, and animals have?"
"Bees collect the nectar to make honey, but their fur ends up collecting the pollen, so when they move on to the next flower, they're unintentionally mixing up this pollen, thus helping the flowers reproduce!" Nadine chimed in, helping out her teacher and exerting her expertise on insects. "It's why I'm always telling you guys to leave the bees alone! Squishing them just because you're afraid, is really causing more harm than good!"
"Yeah, well I'm also not trying to be stung," Helga replied, with a side-eye. "If it wants to get into my space, it'll have to pay the price."
"Or, you could just move away!" Nadine argued irately, not appreciating the girl's selfishness. "In the case of the honey bee, it'll actually die if it loses its stinger while stinging you! They're far more afraid of you than you are of them, and some are even becoming endangered!"
"Moving along, Ladies…" Nurse Shelley calmly reminded them. "Now that we've learned the purpose of armpit hair, let's explain the purpose of pubic hair." She explained, circling both groins of the babies on the board. "Both men and women have it, but its purpose is much different! Just like in armpit hair, it also serves by collecting pheromones, but it also reduces friction against your delicate skin and keeps the area clean and healthy for women. How? You might be wondering. Much like your eyelashes or nose hair, it traps things like dirt, debris, and other possibly harmful microorganisms from invading such a sensitive area. In addition to this, remember that sebum I spoke of earlier? This oil actually prevents bacteria from reproducing, so it's really quite helpful! Men, on the other hand, need it to keep the temperature of their testicles just right, as them being exposed to too much heat, or too much cold can cause complications such as lower sperm production. This is also why it's important to wear warm underwear during the winter, and loser fitting underwear during the summer!"
"Yeah, well it's still gross." Finished Rhonda, holding her opinion despite the facts being given to her.
"It's perfectly okay if you feel this way, Rhonda!" Nurse Shelley encouraged, despite the girl's harsh attitude. "In the end, it's up to you whether or not you want to keep it, or remove it! Just know, that removing it may cause an increase in things like infections, but I'll be going more into things like complications later on."
The woman continued to move on with her lecture, explaining the different parts of the male, and female anatomy, as well as a brief overview of their purposes. Each student did their best to follow along, despite the frequent interruptions, each feeling their own way towards what they were learning; some interested, some disgusted, some a bit awkward, and some completely unenthused.
"Now that you know the proper names of the individual parts of your reproductive systems," She diligently pressed on. "It's time to briefly explain the purpose of the system as a whole. Plants and animals, all have it within themselves the ability to reproduce, as to keep their species alive. Should you decide you do not want kids, that's perfectly okay, and if there are troubles within your system causing you an inability to procreate, this is something that can be discussed with your doctor, to hopefully find alternatives if you should want to make a family of your own someday!" Shelley then drew a picture of a flower and a bee. "Much like we discussed earlier, the way flowers reproduce is by alluring bees over to them with their sweet smell, causing their pollen to rub off on the bee, and as the bee flies on over to a new flower, it rubs off of the bee, and on to the flower's stigma, which will then travel down inside the flower, until it reaches an ovary. For human reproduction, it's not a lot different."
"Is this why this talk is referred to the birds and the bees?" Arnold asked awkwardly, remembering his past conversation with both of his paternal figures, and causing many of his classmates to look his way.
"Precisely! Good catch, Arnold." Nurse Shelley applauded, causing a few of the students to giggle once more, and making the boy feel even worse. "The way bird eggs are fertilized is much different, however, the outcome is much the same. A baby bird will grow inside the egg and eventually hatch. Humans, of course, don't lay eggs, as we're warm-blooded mammals and that right is reserved for cold-blooded animals, like lizards, snakes, and turtles, but the outcome of a youngling being grown in an egg before it finally reaches maturity and coming out to greet the world, is still the same." Now was the part that neither adult nor child would really have fun with, and the woman steadied herself for whatever was to come from her respective young minds. "In our case, in order for a man's reproductive cell, the sperm, to reach the woman's reproductive cell, her ovum or egg, sexual intercourse is usually needed."
A few boys began to giggle, causing some of the girls to roll their eyes at the immaturity on display. Not even Mr. Simmons was immune to the awkwardness, and so he found comfort in watering the plants on the windowsill, as an appropriate distraction.
"Sexual Intercourse, is that special hug that Harold mentioned before, where two people willingly unite their reproductive organs, such as the erect penis and vagina." She happily simplified, pointing out the two highlighted parts in the pictures provided on the board, causing the class to quickly become a sea of red faces and poorly stifled giggles. "Now, I'm sure many of you are wondering, why two people would even want to do this. It does seem a little weird, and invasive on a personal level, however, this is usually needed for the two reproductive cells to meet, combine, and make a potential baby, as I mentioned earlier!" She continued but paused for a moment to consider her next words choicely. "And while the saying goes that 'when a man and a woman love each other, they chose to have sex to make a baby,' this isn't exactly accurate." She spoke slowly, keeping her audience's attention. "Yes, this is often the case, but it isn't solely the case. Some people will choose to have sex for procreation, but some will do it just because they find it pleasurable to have that sort of closeness with another person. There are also some couples who aren't able to have babies of their own, so artificial insemination is required, but I'll be explaining things like this a little later. All you'll need to understand right now, is if semen is able to reach an egg, regardless of method, fertilization can occur and a baby can be formed."
"Aunt Shelley!" Sheena called out as she raised her hand patiently. "Why is it that some people aren't able to have babies?"
"This is a great question, but not easily answered, I'm afraid." Shelley frowned. "In some cases, men may not be able to produce sperm, or a female's uterus may have issues that make implantation very hard. This is nothing that either person caused, so it's nothing to be ashamed about! Often, you're able to work with a doctor to possibly find ways around this issue, such as artificial insemination, or even hiring someone to carry the baby inside their uterus for you!" Her frown turned upside down, as hope pored through her smile. "Science has come a long way, and made it very possible for even the most challenging of situations, to find an outcome! Aside from the medical complications one may have, there are also same-sex couples who may want a baby of their own! You'll always need a sperm and an egg, so if both partners have the same reproductive cell, they'll need to borrow the other from someone else, or even adopt!"
"What do you mean, same-sex couples?" Harold asked, scratching his head, and looking confused. "Couples are supposed to be a boy and a girl. Why would two boys want to kiss?! I would rather barf than kiss another boy!"
A couple of the boys began to laugh and agree, while an uncomfortable tone filled the room. Nurse Shelley began to open her mouth to explain it, however, Mr. Simmons pried his way away from the flowers he was so dutifully watering, to take on this task. "Because love is a beautiful thing, Harold, and can come in all shapes and sizes." He explained warmly, walking on over to his belligerent student. "Let me ask you this, what is your favorite food?"
Harold hummed for a moment, while he deeply contemplated this very important question. "I would have to say… probably my Mom's chocolate cake!"
"Alright, now who here also loves chocolate cake?" He asked the class, causing quite a few hands to rise, but not all. "I see many of you share the same taste as Harold. I, myself, prefer vanilla over chocolate. Do you think that's okay?"
"Yeah, of course it is!" Harold blurted out, astonished that this question would even need to be asked. "Vanilla is delicious too!"
"I agree, it is quite good!" Mr. Simmons happily agreed. "My grandmother used to make this very delicious vanilla pound cake for special occasions. It was my favorite! So much, that I watched her make it over and over until I could make it too!" His tone then changed from one of whimsy to one more serious. "How about a food you don't like?"
Again, Harold thought for a moment. "My mom made me eat kale once, and it was pretty gross!"
"I see, and does anyone here like kale?" The older man asked, looking over his class.
"I find kale to be quite pleasant when cooked inside soups or added to salads." Explained Phoebe, with her lone hand up. "It also has many nutritional benefits."
"I also enjoy kale, Phoebe!" Mr. Simmons nodded to her, then went back over to the confused looking boy. "Do you think Phoebe and I are gross because we like kale, but you don't?"
Harold scrunched his face up at the question. "I still think it's bitter and gross, but if you like it, then that's fine too."
This answer made the teacher smile. "It's the same when it comes to couples! We all have different preferences in the food we eat, the clothes we wear, and the company that we decide to keep! You may have some friends you really like, but not everyone may like those same people, and that's perfectly okay! It just makes you, you! And that's very special, much like your love for your mom's chocolate cake."
The class became silent for a moment, before Harold realized the connection, and returned the teacher's smile. He remembered his talk with Arnold, about how he liked Patty, even if Sid and Stinky didn't. They didn't have to like her, but he did, and that's all that mattered to him, so long as they didn't say mean things about her, otherwise, he'd have to pound them. "Yeah! I get it!"
"So long as your relationship is based on love, trust and understanding, you're free to love whomever you choose." Mr. Simmons finished, looking over at Nurse Shelley, who was holding back tears of admiration.
"I couldn't have said it better myself, Mr. Simmons." She replied softly, keeping her emotions in check. "And even if you're in love with a person of the opposite sex, and wish to give each other this special embrace, you still may not want to have children yet, or at all, and this is what birth control is for."
Just before someone could stop her to ask for more information, the school bell loudly rang, causing each student to forget any questions they might have had, as their home was patiently awaiting them… or anywhere besides school, for that matter.
"We'll begin a deep dive into the female reproduction next class!" she called out to them, despite the likelihood of this falling on deaf ears. "If you have any questions, be sure to write them down so I can answer them!"
"And as always, thank you, Nurse Shelley, for taking your time to educate us on such riveting topics!" Mr. Simmons called out to her, over the clambering of his class. "And Lila, Eugene, if you could stay behind for a moment?"
"Why, of course, Mr. Simmons." Lila smiled pleasantly, walking over to his desk, and dodging a few peers along the way. "Whatever is it?"
Amongst the dust of the preteens rushing out of the classroom, Eugene slowly packed his bag and carefully attached it to his back. "Huh?" His brain was in a bit of a fog, and he was pretty sure he had heard his name called, but wasn't completely sure. "Me?"
Mr. Simmons patiently waited for the stampede to finally exit his class, causing the room to be much quieter. "Yes! Of course, you!" He laughed, waiting for the boy to come closer and join Lila and himself. "You're the only Eugene here!"
Giving his kind teacher a small chuckle, Eugene gradually made his way over to them. "You're right!"
"While I was in the faculty lounge earlier, I overheard one of the new 4th grade teachers talking about putting on a play." He began, sitting on top of his desk and hunching forward. "Being a lover of plays myself, I began to listen in. It seems the stars of his show, aren't very stage ready. I then thought to myself, who do I know who is a natural on the stage…?" He gave a dramatic pause, then leaped forward with excitement. "You two!"
"Why, I'm ever so flattered." Lila blushed, grabbing onto her green skirt, and swaying back and forth bashfully.
"I was hoping, if you two had some free time tomorrow, if you wouldn't mind staying after school for a little bit, to help them out a little. What do you say?" He asked, excitement beaming on his face from ear to ear.
Shocked, Eugene could only stand there and absorb the information, slowly but steadily. "I… I don't know what to say." He began, adjusting the straps of his backpack to be a bit loser, and more comfortable. "Which play is it?"
"They've chosen The Sound of Music, one of my personal favorites!" The teacher squealed out, causing a giggle from the girl. "And I know the two of you could definitely pull them out of their shells!"
"But Mr. Simmons…" Eugene frowned, nervously. "I don't really think I'm that great as an actor…"
"What?" The teacher replied, completely bewildered, and placing a hand on the koi boy's shoulder. "What are you talking about?! You were my number 1 pick as Romeo! You played the star in Eugene, Eugene! You're an amazing actor!"
"You also helped rescript the ending of that play, remember, Eugene?" Asked Lila, as she too tried to encourage the unusually downtrodden boy.
They both looked at him, their faces beaming with light and excitement, causing Eugene to feel compelled to give in, despite how he wasn't exactly comfortable with the idea. "A-alright."
"Thank you! Both of you!" Mr. Simmons cried out, placing his free hand on Lila's shoulder as well. "I'll let Mr. Clark know that you've both agreed and will meet Holly and Jacob after school!"
"This sounds so exciting, just ever so exciting!" Lila rejoiced, smiling at them both but wondering what might be bothering her partner. "Come on, Eugene!" She said, tugging lightly at his backpack and motioning for them both to leave. "Thank you, Mr. Simmons! We'll see you tomorrow!"
The man waved to them both, then gradually sat down in his chair the moment they were both out of sight. This day had completely exhausted him.
"I think today went very well." Nurse Shelley remarked as she finished packing up her own belongings. "What you said in class today, definitely made an impact on our blossoming young adults."
"Yeah…" He agreed, propping his elbow on the desk, and holding his head tenderly in his hand. "I just wasn't expecting that sort of reaction out of my kids, though."
"You said yourself, they're a bit crude." The curvy woman zipped up her bag, grabbed the handle, and hoisted the luggage in her arms. "But even so, just like with those flowers you love so much, all they need is the proper nutrients and they'll flourish into a beautiful bouquet!"
Her words meant a lot to him, as he too felt the same way. "Thank you." He said, sighing in relief. "They're good kids. I couldn't ask for better."
"Wow!" Lila exclaimed, stretching both of her arms into the air as both she and Eugene emerged from the confines of their school. "The Sound of Music! How exciting, don't you think, Eugene?" She turned her head towards him but saw that he seemed to be in his own little world. "I've only ever seen the show on Broadway once, but it was ever so enchanting!"
He could hear her voice speak, but the words just didn't seem to formulate anything comprehensible, resulting in Eugene giving the cheery girl a confused smile back. "Huh? I'm sorry, Lila. I must have missed that."
Upon reaching the bottom of the concrete steps, Lila gave Eugene a good look up and down; her braids dangling in her movements. "Is there something on your mind? You've looked so lost in thought since the end of class."
"I suppose you could say that," Eugene replied, giving a feint giggle as he scratched the back of his neck with embarrassment. "In fact, I guess you could say I've been lost inside my mind for a little while now." He then looked up at the sky and saw the clouds begin to crowd themselves over the sun, bringing the shadows out from around their hiding places. "I've never really considered myself a worry wart, since the sun usually peaks itself out from just around the bend eventually… when you give it enough time but…"
Lila followed suit and peered up into the clouds herself. "Sometimes things can just take longer than you'd expect?" She suggested, thoughtfully.
"Something like that." Eugene laughed, enjoying the moment of comradery without fear of judgment. He could feel a deep, yet difficult sort of sensation beginning to throb within his chest, similar to what he'd been experiencing as of late, but even deeper now.
"I can't assume to know what you might be referring to, Eugene," Lila spoke, breaking her eyes away from the haze overhead, "but I'm happy to listen if you'd like to talk about it."
Not expecting such generosity, the boy blushed, dismissingly waving his hands back and forth. "No, it's alright!" He insisted. "I'm sure you have other things planned for this afternoon! I don't want to trouble you at all!"
"I assure you; this isn't the case at all!" Lila replied honestly, meeting his gaze with a warm, and welcoming smile. "But if you're worried about it, why not walk me home? This way, we'll both get to our destinations soundly. Deal?"
Finding no way around her suggestion, Eugene nodded and walked beside the pre-teen miss as she led the way. It was an odd situation for him, to say the least, as even though the two seemed to have enough in common, he had never really hung out with her outside of school obligations. Not that he didn't want to, but the opportunity never really presented itself. Just how was he even going to begin such a conversation, and would it be okay to talk about it at all? After all, he wasn't exactly sure of things himself, so how would someone like Lila even understand? Eugene took in a deep breath and focused on his footing so as to not make any careless mistakes as they walked.
"What did you think of today's class?" He began, placing his hands in his pockets and zig zagging around a pile of trash bags near the sidewalk's curb. There was so much more he wanted to say, but starting off on something neutral would likely be sure to help get his thoughts clear.
"Oh, I don't know…" Lila replied, with a tilt of her head. "I've always enjoyed learning, just ever so much but…" She then scrunched up her nose in discomfort. "I think our new topic just really isn't my thing." Glancing to the left of her, she could see that Eugene looked pretty uncomfortable himself, but wasn't sure if it was due to the class also, or if it was due to whatever internal struggles he was having. "How about you?"
Unintentionally letting out an unnerving chuckle, Eugene could feel his insides tense up. "There were some parts I liked, but as we got towards the end of class…" His voice quieted down as he thought of how to best describe his feelings. "I guess it just wasn't really for me, either." He let out another chuckle, hoping to give off a sense of common grounding for the subject. "Things just got pretty confusing." This is enough, he felt, as he crunched some leaves beneath his feet.
"How about when Mr. Simmons started talking to Harold about food?" She mentioned, trying to bring a little positivity to their conversation. "At first, I found Harold's comment rather insensitive but Mr. Simmons just has ever the way with words!" Her smile softened as she considered her great esteem for how he approached the sensitive topic. "It's just ever so important to keep an open heart, that way, love always finds its way in... don't you think?"
Eugene found himself staying quiet, mulling over her words and their possible implications. "How do you feel about kale, Lila?" He asked, awkwardly.
"I suppose if you cook something in enough butter and spices, it'll always taste good but on its own, I find it just ever so bitter." She whimsied, giving the boy another glance and absorbing his expressions as they happened organically. "How about you?"
Again, Eugene found himself without a reply, as he felt hopelessly lost within his own mind and feelings.
"I think everyone liking something different, is a good thing! Imagine a world where we all only liked chocolate cake. Eventually, the ingredients would be harder and harder to come by, and the prices would go up until no one could even buy them anymore! I think that would be pretty scary." Lila giggled, grasping onto her backpack straps, and swerving around a telephone pole. "Then chocolate cake would lose all its special feeling and become another boring dessert." She continued, trying to fill the void. "The world is full of delicious desserts, and it would be such a shame that they'd go to waste!"
"But wouldn't you feel different, liking something that everyone didn't?" He finally asked, after some time, finding it harder and harder to keep his real feelings from pouring out. "What if the people you care about suddenly avoided you because of it?"
His question caused Lila to give him a curious, yet concerned look. "I just don't think that would be the case." She replied, finding his statement to be utterly ridiculous. "I think that if one person was to decide to open up and express that they don't actually like chocolate cake, that…" She paused, letting out a small hum while in thought, "It would probably be scary at first, and maybe they would be alone for some time since it's scary to go against the majority… but eventually more and more people would join that person." She observed his shocked expression and enjoyed it silently to herself. "It only takes one brave person to speak their truth and soon, people won't feel as scared anymore to join in. It may be only a trickle of people, at first, but that's all it really takes for a whole flood of people to eventually join them in liking whatever dessert it is they find more enjoyable!"
A small twinkle unearthed itself from beneath Eugene's conflicted appearance. "Do you really think so?"
"Ever so much." Lila nodded earnestly, feeling so happy that her companion seemed to be figuring himself out. "Take a look at the leaves on the trees." She pointed out, as they passed a few planted in the sidewalk. "Don't you think they're ever so pretty, with their orange, yellow, and red hues?"
Eugene looked at the leaves, as instructed, but didn't reply in order to give her more room to elaborate.
"Imagine if they were always these colors… would you think they were still pretty? Maybe, but I think it's only when things change and can become different, that we are able to see the beauty in them." Lila then knelt down and picked up one of the fallen leaves to hand to the spellbound Eugene. "Personally, I've always preferred the color green, but this only gives me more of an appreciation for spring when it comes around!"
"That…" Eugene twirled the stem within his thumb and forefinger, watching as the leaf danced as he did so, "I really like that, thanks, Lila."
"Of course!" She replied, chuckling again and playfully bumping into him. "And just remember that it doesn't matter what your favorite color is, or dessert, the people who care about you will love you just the way you are. Everything else, is simply trivial, just ever so trivial."
Eugene could feel his shoulders raise higher, as her words chiseled off pieces of the encumbrance he had been carrying. Things didn't feel so grim anymore, and he found a new appreciation for the world around him and its vast differences.
Before long, they stood in front of her run-down apartment building. "Well, this is my stop." She shrugged, casually.
Looking from both the building to the cheery girl, Eugene couldn't help but feel a little unsettled. Although he never had a picture in his mind of where she might live, this definitely wasn't the sort of place he would have imagined. "Oh… I see."
The wind blew, tossing some leaves about, causing her braids to waft around her face, but her smile never faded as she looked upon him with care. "I don't know if our talk helped, but I hope it did, just ever so much."
Eugene looked back down at the leaf in his hand, to the right at the few trees losing the little foliage they had left, and considered the meaning in her words. They did make him feel better, especially knowing that at the end of the day, she would definitely be on his side, regardless of how different he may be… but still, he liked to surround himself with people. He was an extrovert, after all, so the people he could socialize with and potentially create bonds with, the better… but this did bring up the equation of quality over quantity. "It did Lila." He smiled back confidently, before holding out the leaf in front of him. "I've always done my best to find beauty in the world, even when I find many people can't… so it's helpful to have a friend to help me out of a slump. I mean, I've always found the warm autumn colors to be beautiful, especially considering their situation."
"Their situation?" The girl asked, curiously tilting her head to the side, and wondering what he could possibly mean by that.
"Well… yeah." Eugene shrugged with a somewhat melancholic sense about him. "They only turn this color when the trees are dying, right?" Another gust of wind blew, this time much harder, causing the leaf to wiggle itself out of his pale fingers, and into a pile that had been forming across the street. "Even in death, they're still beautiful and even more so, to some of us. They become as vibrant as the warm season that's just passed and I wonder if that's possibly on purpose…? It's sort of like, I don't know, a reminder that even though it's going to be pretty cold soon, we should remember the fun we had over the summer! With our friends and, I suppose in your case, with family!"
Lila became silent; her perfectly painted smile still on her face as her eyes closed, seemingly ingesting his creative thought in her mind. "That's certainly a lovely viewpoint…" She replied, a sigh hanging off her last word as she gripped the straps of her backpack firmly in her hands, causing the knuckles to turn white. "And just ever so like you, Eugene! It's always a breath of fresh air to see the creative side to things and I'm happy that you've turned a bit like your usual self again."
A small chill went through Eugene, causing him to shiver despite the sun still shining down on him. "It's all thanks to your help, Lila!" He smiled gleefully. "I'm glad that we're friends!"
Placing her hand on his shoulder, Lila let out a giggle. "I agree, Eugene. Just ever so much." She gave an awkward pause, then turned away from him and ran up the steps to her house. "Thanks for walking home with me! See you tomorrow!" and after giving a happy wave, she abruptly disappeared behind the door.
"Bye..." Eugene said, with an off expression on his face as he spoke to the closed door. Did he say something wrong? Or was she possibly just cold? He did notice that her hand on his shoulder didn't feel as warm as he would have expected, so that was probably it. He looked the apartment building up, then down, before jumping at the sound of breaking glass and two guys arguing somewhere from around the corner. Now feeling unsafe, Eugene began jogging in the direction of his home, hoping to enjoy the warmth once he got there.