Don't Ask Me Y (Sam)

[Kateri Rivera]

Thank God it was Friday. The week hadn’t been bad. Not really. Oh, there’d been the usual things to deal with. Homework assignments, jitteriness before spring break—and this math test that she’d handed out. She’d finished grading them last night, showing Janice some of the better ones, and had given out the grades on sheets of paper. She didn’t want to hand them back. First, she wanted to make sure that she had time to talk to her students.

One in particular. So while her students were doing the “homework” she’d assigned them—okay, so they were mostly texting, but in THEORY they were doing homework—she shuffled through the papers, then glanced up at the clock. And three, two…one…

The bell rang. She sighed softly in relief, glad that it was lost in the bustle that was the students preparing to flee out the door, then rose. Not that it made much difference. One of the downside of teaching a bunch of high schoolers was that she was always, always going to be shorter than them.

“Sam Rixon, a moment?” she called over the din. She wondered if she should call one of the security guards to keep him inside, but decided that might be overkill. Well, maybe she’d just keep the number up on her phone, just in case… It was a Friday, after all, and this was downright cruel.

Well, no one had ever said she was NICE.

[Samuel Rixon]

Sam was wriggling in his seat.

Why?

Because it was almost. Spring. BREAK.

He couldn’t have cared less about the math test. Whatever it had been on. Algebra. (Which was cool ONLY because it had the word ‘bra’ in it.) Angles. Statistics. Multiplication. Despite the help Spencer had been giving him for his academics, he had a special spot in his heart for math. Right in the darkest corner, beside things like vegetables and soap operas.

No, he did not like math. Nor was he doing the homework he’d been assigned. Instead, he was tapping on his phone, texting back and forth with Vincent, and trying so very hard to look like he wasn’t. Not that the little giggles gave it away or anything.

He was also keeping a careful eye on the clock, because in moments he would be free to run around the grounds like a crazy person, spend time with his girlfriend, and tackle Verax. Not to mention stuff his face with pizza and watch slapstick movies.

That had been the plan, anyway. He popped up from his seat and was on his way to the door when he heard his name.

“Eh?” He slowed, looking up at Miss Rivera. “What’d I do now?” It couldn’t possibly be about the look she’d given him when he’d gotten his grade back. Nope. It had to be something else.

[Kateri Rivera]

It said something about Sam that the question wasn’t “What is it?” or “is something wrong?” but instead, “what did I do now?” Kateri wasn’t sure whether to be amused—because she was, and she couldn’t quite help herself, because she was human, after all—or hit him upside the head. She settled for giving him the Look.

“This is about the fact that you got a poor grade on your test, Sam. C’mon and sit down. Spring break can wait for a few minutes—I promise it’ll still be there when I’m done with you.” And if he was sitting she wouldn’t be feeling so damn short. Oh well. She fetched his test and slid it over to the side of the desk where he was sitting. Or would be sitting, if she had her way. Probably squirming, but as long as his butt was in the seat she wouldn’t have to pull the scary teacher act complete with wind slamming on the windows until she got their attention.

What? It didn’t affect regional weather patterns beyond belief. Besides, it made everyone much quieter and at barely over five feet she needed all the help she could get.

“I wanted to talk to you about some of your answers on the test,” she said, and then tapped one or two of her favorites. Um, the more interesting—more outstanding issues. She hadn’t read them to Janice as some of her best answers, why would you suggest such a thing? “What was going on in your head when you wrote these? Sam, you do know how to do some of these problems, right?" Or did everything she say just go in one ear and out the other? Maybe if she danced naked on the table she'd get his attention.

[Samuel Rixon]

There was a reason Sam knew the questions to ask. The number of times he’d been called aside after class for something good were fairly limited. It was always something he’d done. He just assumed it had something to do with spitballs or something. So when he was fixed with The Look, he wasn’t surprised.

The reason, however, did surprise him. So much so that he actually threw a desperate look at the door, as if someone would appear and save him from this discussion. No such luck, little pyro. When it became apparent that no one was going to save him, he groaned and flopped into the chair beside the desk. He really wanted her to be right, that Spring Break would wait until she’d finished her lecture.

Curiously, he took the papers she gave to him, recognizing it as his own test. He beamed. Honestly, he hadn’t tried. Who would, considering it was nearly Spring Freaking Break? The easy ones, he’d managed to keep himself focused enough for. But anything requiring work? He’d copped out and pulled some, in his opinion, pretty spectacular answers.

So her disappointment was somewhat baffling to him.

“What’s wrong with ‘em?” He thought they’d been brilliant, honestly. Especially the one where she’d asked them to find x. All he’d done was circle it, with a big ‘HERE IS IT’ beside it. Brilliant, right? Right.

“Uh...” What did go on in his head was actually sort of scary sometimes. So he just shrugged. “Thought it would be funny? It totally made y’ laugh, right?” It worked on Morgan’s tests. Especially if he didn’t know an answer. A little drawing of a dinosaur, and he was good to go!

Apparently, Kateri wasn’t as fun.

[Kateri Rivera]

Kateri wouldn’t have thought of herself in that sense. For one thing, she hadn’t failed him. Even though she was sure that anyone who had ever helped her to get her teaching credential would have said she should’ve. He’d gotten some of the questions right, after all, and his answers had made her laugh when she didn’t want to hit her head against something. They were kind of…ingenious in their stupidity.

No. That was mean. She couldn’t think of her students in that sense. But it still kind of threw her for a loop that he was beaming over this test. Honestly? He thought—okay, so some of the answers were pretty clever, but that wasn’t the point! She pushed down the rebellious voice inside of her that was trying to say that was bloody brilliant and instead attempted to give him a stern look. It kind of worked. Kateri always felt that it never had a strong impact because she never had any glasses to do it over.

“Whether I laughed or not wasn’t the point, Sam.” Although she had. And then had read them to Janice and laughed too. Remembering that, Kateri couldn’t help smiling a little. No, no. Stern. She had to try being stern for at least ten minutes or she’d never forgive herself.

“The point is if you actually know how to answer these questions. And not with funny little circles, Sam. But with real math. Do you?” She gave him a look. “Or should I make the wording more strict next time so you won’t be able to pass with drawings?”

[Samuel Rixon]

In all honesty, Sam was starting to consider this a colossal waste of time. He hadn’t failed, so what was her issue? Yes, it was his lowest grade since Spencer had started tutoring him, and bribing him into paying attention to what she was trying to teach him. But seriously, it was almost Spring Break. Who wanted to do real math just before holidays?

Not him.

The stern look his teacher tried to give him went right over his head. He was still proudly looking over his test. He’d have to share some of his genius moments with Vincent. Guaranteed, he would laugh his ass off. He almost wanted to take a picture of the thing, just to prove he’d really done it.

None of this was actually him feeling remorse for driving his teacher crazy.

At least she was finally getting to the point? Sam gave her a blank stare as she questioned him. She was really going to ask if he knew how to do it right? Really?

He studied the paper for a minute before shrugging and leaning back, hands behind his head. “I don’t fuckin’ know. Can I pleeeeaaaaaaaase go for break now? I asked nice!” Yes, he was avoiding the question. While he did vaguely know how to answer it properly, he wasn’t sure he could do it on the fly if she asked him to prove it. Maybe whining would get him out of this. Whining, and the magic word. It usually worked, right?

[Kateri Rivera]

Kateri felt like hitting her head on something. This was exasperating. But Kateri was good at dealing with impatience—uh, mostly her own, because when it came to students she just got frustrated—so she swallowed it and propped her elbows on the table and her chin on her folded hands.

“Language Sam,” she chided, but there was no heat in it at all. “You did ask nice. Ah. Nicely. Sort of.” She brushed hair from her eyes and stared at him, mouth twisted to the side as she tried to figure out just what she was going to do with him. Let him go and be a nice teacher or keep him there and have him squirming?

“You already have a tutor, right?” she asked after a moment. “I’d like to talk to…her, right? See if you really can do all this when it isn’t close to spring break and I’m not holding you here against your will.” Her lips quirked into a smile, and she straightened up. “And I want another appointment with you when you come back where you can try answering these questions again. Got it? Swear and then you can go.” What? She doubted Sam would really do any of it, but at least it would get his squirming butt out of her classroom and she could stop being stern.

[Samuel Rixon]

Sam tended to have that effect on his teachers. He couldn’t count the amount of times he’d inspired some kind of frustration in classes. His behaviour, his test answers, his comments. It wasn’t just limited to academic courses, either. He was just as badly behaved in his training classes. Lately, he’d been behaving just a little better, but then again, he was positive that Miss Sippercup was part dragon.

The language comment went right over his head. Especially because it looked like he was being promised freedom. He was fully geared to pop right out of his seat and head for the hills, but he was pulled back into reality when she continued.

“Uhh... yeah...” His ‘tutor’ was also his girlfriend. Who often let him off the hook when it came to studying. It wasn’t like he didn’t try! His mind just wandered, and it wasn’t his fault that math was entirely boring. “But y’ don’t need to talk t’ her! She’s a good tutor, promise!” Was he trying to protect Spencer? Of course he was. He was a genleman, after all.

Still, if that was the deal he’d have to make, he sighed and rolled his eyes up so that he was looking at the ceiling. He’d need to get off some more help, so he could do the questions right and save Spencer’s reputation. “... I swear.” It was more of a mumble, and hardly committal, but he’d said it. That counted.

[Kateri Rivera]

At least he’d stopped. That was a step, right? She sighed as he faltered over it and tried to remember the situation with his tutor. It was a she. Pretty, too, maybe? She couldn’t remember but reflected that, at a certain age, it didn’t seem to matter. It was sweet that Sam was defending her, but somewhat exasperating because she wasn’t accusing the tutor of anything.

“I never said she wasn’t,” she promised in barely-patient tones. “I just wanted to talk to her about different ways for you to study, that’s all. She’s not in trouble.” The indication was that Sam was, but she doubted he’d get that. Any thoughts other than she’s keeping me from spring break seemed to be going in one ear and out the other. She gave Sam a look, and then leaned forward over her desk to wait as he swore, watching him intently. When he finally did, she smiled and leaned back. It wasn’t the best answer, probably wasn’t going to work out, but she could enjoy it for this moment at the very least.

“Thank you, Sam,” she said, then tilted her head toward the door. “All right. Get out of here.”

Who was she to keep someone so long into their spring break? Besides, if she kept him any longer she suspected he’d spontaneously combust, and she did hate cleaning her classroom.

((I AM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG MY DEAR.))