Summary: AU one-shot series. After citizens evacuated and ghost hunters gathered in the First Invasion, a recently formed agency in Amity Park founded Casper Academy of Ghost Hunting (CAGH) – a school with an aim to train new ghost hunters. "Exasperation: Sam (Short)": Sam tries to get a substitute teacher's attention while he prepares for an activity involving ghost locators.

"Ready or not, here I come!"

- Phrase to start the children's game hide-and-seek

Exasperation

Sam questioned why Mr. Kaplan was even allowed as a substitute teacher, let alone chosen to be one. While it was true that Mrs. Tetslaff's absence was very sudden – she had received a minor concussion during the wave just last evening, it didn't make sense that Mr. Kaplan was the default substitute.

Yes, he seemed enthusiastic and had fun ideas. He was knowledgeable. He could bring the topic down to the level of the students. She would admit that.

But, he was missing the fundamental skill of actually paying attention to said students. There was something important called audience feedback.

Such as her clearly raised hand in the air.

"CAGH provides all of its students with low-grade ghost locators." Mr. Kaplan waved the pocket-notebook-sized device in the chilly air as he lectured. "Unlike the more expensive ghost radar or heat detectors, these locators work simply by using a small amount of ectoplasm. You should all know by now that ghost cores attract ectoplasm. So, by detecting the force on that small amount of ectoplasm, the ghost locator can detect the presence of a ghost. This is especially useful because ectoplasm is attracted to ghosts even when the ghosts are intangible."

He made a pinching gesture that looked like the American Sign Language version of a "g" or "q" as he spoke about the "small" amount of ectoplasm. His movements in the air were full of energy.

Sam couldn't care less. Her arm was gradually tiring. She stole a glance at the other two who were supposed to be caring about the problem – one much more than she was because, hello, a half-ghost in a ghost locator exercise. That would go so well.

Mr. Kaplan then came closer, advancing on the front row. "As a demonstration, I need five volunteers. You four, from the front. Come up here. Spread yourselves around me, and hold onto me somewhere. The next person from the front, come up here and stand to the right."

For whatever reason, Danny was not trying to inform Mr. Kaplan of the obvious issue. He only sat there looking nervous and uncomfortable. When is he going to learn to embrace his uniqueness?

She put her hand down as she watched the people assemble themselves to Mr. Kaplan's instructions. Whatever they were doing up there looked like a waste of time.

"Now, see here. Let's assume that he over there is a ghost, and I am the small bit of ectoplasm. Because he has a ghost core, I am attracted to him." Mr. Kaplan started walking toward the student that had stood to the side. "Do you see how all four students around me move and use force to keep me in place? The ghost locator basically has its four own students around it, except they are mechanical detectors. The ghost locator can tell how much the ectoplasm is pulling at the four detectors around it, or how much force the detectors feel is acting on them. That is how it senses the direction."

It was a waste of time.

Sam contemplated whether to congratulate him for getting the sounds of appreciation from the audience or headdesk because some of the students in her class had needed such a demonstration to elicit such an understanding. There wasn't a desk in front of her, since they were sitting outside in his impromptu "fieldtrip" to an area of ruins right by the Agency, so she decided to compromise by raising her eyebrows.

Mr. Kaplan thanked and dismissed the student demonstrators before continuing. "However, the issue with only using the four detectors is that you can't separate the two possible causes for the amount of force the ectoplasm makes against its four detectors, otherwise known as the magnitude of the measurement. The two factors are distance and power.

"Let's say the ectoplasm is pulling very strongly at the detectors. It could be because of high power – there could be a really powerful ghost far away that makes your ectoplasm pull toward it powerfully, or it could be because of low distance – there could be a weak ghost really close to you. Both would make it pull strongly. So, the ghost locator has a function that measures the different forces at two different positions. But, enough talking about how the locator works. Basically, just know that this allows the detector to calculate the distance." Mr. Kaplan practically skipped to a blackboard on wheels that he had brought out earlier. He flipped it around to show a sketch of the ghost locator and pointed towards it with a piece of chalk.

Sam put up her hand again. It looked like he would head towards a demonstration soon.

She turned her head slightly and checked her fellow members of Team Phantom again.

Tucker didn't seem to be paying any attention at all and was messing with his PDA. He probably didn't think this was a concern. She rolled her eyes.

Danny was hugging his knees, instead of sitting cross-legged like almost everyone around him. Sam let out a small sigh – he needed to be proud that he was different from everyone else, not ashamed for "bothering people because of his special circumstances." Which would be what he would say. Or, he'd say that it was "unnecessarily getting other people's attention." He shouldn't be trying to hide himself.

She briefly lamented that they had been in assigned pairs earlier, causing her to have to sit down away from him. Otherwise, she would've talked some sense into him by now.

Plus, you couldn't hope the problem away. What was he thinking? Probably not thinking.

She tried to get his attention, but he didn't look over.

"So, to start out, hold the green button and don't let go of it. The green light over here will show you when the measurements from the four detectors are taken. When the green light is on, an arrow will appear here that shows you where the ectoplasm is pulling towards most, or basically the direction towards the ghost. If you let go, the locator will stop taking measurements and the arrow will disappear in a few seconds.

"To use the function for distance, point the locator in the direction of the arrow and press the button labeled 'Distance.' Wait a few seconds. You do not have to hold this button, but you cannot move the locator while waiting if you want the distance to be accurate. A distance then shows up on the screen, usually in units of feet but you can adjust it here. And you're done!" Mr. Kaplan scribbled notes and then a flourish on the board, which resulted in snapping the piece of chalk.

Sam waved her arm in the air slightly, still vying for attention against . . . whatever Mr. Kaplan was distracted by that made him forget his audience. Currently it seemed to be the broken chalk piece.

And did no one else in the class remember what the Fentons had said during the blood-blossom incident?

"Oh, we have a question! Please proceed, miss." Mr. Kaplan finally noticed her.

Sam scowled slightly from the gender-specific term – did people really have to point out the difference between genders? But, she continued with her original intention. "Actually, this isn't a question. A student in our class has residual ectoplasm in his body and can't participate in this activity. If he does, the locators all react to him."

"Ah, don't worry. I'm sure that's impossible." Mr. Kaplan waved his hand dismissively. "On the topic of what your activity is today, I have set up jars of ectoplasm around the area."

Sam felt her jaw drop as she let out an indignant sound. He had completely ignored her!

"Since ectoplasm also attracts ectoplasm, the ectoplasm in the jars will cause the locators to react to them. After you all spread out, I will blow the whistle. I want you to find the jars with your ghost locators and shoot nets at them. That way, you can also practice aiming! Now, go spread out!" He spread his arm dramatically to indicate the area.

Sam shoved down her offended feelings. Well, that doesn't sound too bad. If she let the class continue, they would waste more time. But, at least Mr. Kaplan might learn to listen to his students and Danny might learn that he should bring up his differences. The two of them deserved it.

Tucker seemed to have realized the dilemma at last and raised an eyebrow at her. She shrugged in return, and he nodded. He seemed to have reached the same conclusion.

She positioned herself near Mr. Kaplan but still in sight of Danny and waited for the whistle.

The shrill signal sounded. Sure enough, several seconds later, the sound of nets firing at slightly different times permeated the area. A very unbecoming yelp followed.

Yes, some of her classmates were dumb enough not to look at what they were shooting at. She supposed she could compliment them that so many could judge the distance correctly and that only a few had hit the small, crumbled remnant of a wall near Danny. Actually, she couldn't. It was just a little too pathetic.

"But . . . what?" Mr. Kaplan seemed lost.

Danny squirmed in a tangled mess of nets on the ground. Students and substitute teacher looked on confusedly. Tucker laughed loudly in the background.

Sam crossed her arms and gave Mr. Kaplan her best "I-told-you-so" look.

"Exasperation" . . . END

A/N: A bunch of mumbo-jumbo nonsense and an exasperated Sam. I couldn't think of an appropriate nursery rhyme – so hide-and-seek. Danny was not ready (if that makes any sense).

The amateurish, accompanying piano piece has not been uploaded.

I don't think I'll update this soon again. My next planned one-shot is a longer one, and I ignored things to work on this. Also, I was very uncertain if I should leave "Initiation" as its own one-shot and make a new series, but I decided it would be easier just to continue this one.

Criticism is welcome. Thanks to the unsigned reviewers in the first chapter!