Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. They are property of Marc Brown and PBS.
A/N: Am I the only one in the known universe who is writting a Arthur lovefic? I'm the one who wrote this pairing, I'm sure!
A/N2: I've searched everywhere and there is no record of Prunella's last name, so I am pretending that thier last name is Kirst. Don't ask me why. I got it off of a college book.
A/N3: I know Prunella isn't in Ratburn's class, but for the sake of my storyline, let's pretend she's in the same grade as Arthur and everyone.
LEARNING TO BREATHE
by Lina Shay
Chapter One: The Moment I Set Eyes On You
Ratburn's eyes narrowed as he watched Prunella sprint to her seat. He walked to his desk, straightening the papers in his hand.
"Now you've done it," Ratburn could faintly hear Arthur Read whisper.
"Prunella," Ratburn addressed sternly, "why are you late?"
Prunella screwed up her face as if to be thinking of the perfect excuse. Ratburn set the papers down, leaned back against his desk and folded his arms, waiting for her answer.
"You see," Prunella began finally, "I was in the playground when I got a psychic vision telling me that something terrible would happen if I arrived to class on time. I was afarid for my life, Mr. Ratburn, so I stayed in the playground a little longer just to be safe."
"A little longer?" Ratburn repeated. "You missed the entire exam."
"No one regrets it more than I," Prunella insisted.
"I guess you'll just have to make it up after school," Ratburn said, revolving raound his desk and sitting in his chair.
"After school?" Prunella repeated slowly and struck with horror.
Everyone looked at her sympathetically. What did she expect for missinf the exam? Ratburn didn't want her to get a low grade in his class. Though he hated to take time from her fun with her friends, staying after school was for her own good. He wished these students could see that he wasn't trying to be mean to them, he was just trying to help them. No one understood.
When the bell had rung, all the students related their heart-felt sympathies to Prunella as they filed out the door. Prunella sat in the empty class with her head down low, her nose almost touching her desk. Ratburn handed a cpoy of the test to her.
"You have fifteen minutes," Ratburn told her. "I will send a note to the office for them to call your parents."
Prunella nodded glumly and glanced over the test. Ratburn wrote out the note and sent it with the first kid he saw roaming the halls. The small dog-kid looked quite terrified when Ratburn called him over. He carried-out the task requested immediately. So immediately that Ratburn had to call after him, telling him not to run in the hallway.
Prunella sat, sweating and fretting over that simple exam. Ratburn returned to his desk and sat down.
*********some time later*********
As Ratburn began to look over his lesson plan for the next day, a gust of especially pleasant smelling air wafted across his nose. It was like lilac in springtime. The aroma wiped out Ratburn's mind. He could not for the life of him remember where he was or what he was doing, nor did he care. Dizzily, Ratburn glanced at the door to see a lovely poodle standing there. She was tall and slender with long, curly hair and an air of grace and sophistication about her.
"Pardon me," Ratburn said, standing instantly, "but you seem quite young to be Prunella's mother."
"I'm her sister, Rubella," the poodle informed him, putting her hands on her hips casually. She turned her head sharply toward her sister, the earing which dangled from her right ear jingling. "Pruny, what did you do to deserve detention?"
"I'm afraid you misunderstand, Miss Kirst," Ratburn began as Prunella walked up.
"It's Rubella," Prunella's sister insisted. "The whole Miss Kirst thing just sounds way to stuffy for my taste."
"Forgive me, Rubella," Ratburn cleared his throat. "Your sister stayed after school merely to take a test."
"Oh!" Rubella excalimed, lifting a graceful hand to her forehead.
"My goodness! Are you feeling all right?" Ratburn asked, stepping toward her with worry.
"Oh, I'm having a premonition," Rubella said in an airy voice.
So this was where Prunella got her flights of fansy, Ratburn thought to himself.
"Give me your hand!" Rubella deamnded, not waiting for him to comply, but just taking his hand and staring at his palm.
Ratburn felt quite uncomfortable. This was not appropriate behavior in school.
"Oh dear!" Rubella gasped. "I see great stress and anguish in your future. Something is about to happen that will change your whole life."
She sqinted and pulled his hand closer to her face. The feel of her breath on his palm gave Ratburn goosebumps.
"It's dark now," Rubella said mistily. "There is nothing more."
Rubella dropped his hand, put an arm around Prunella's shoulders and said, "Let's go, Pruny."
Ratburn stood in shock for a few moments after she left. Ratburn had never believed in such a thing as fortune-telling or psychic premonitions, but he found himself facinated by this girl, Prunella.
A/N: Am I the only one in the known universe who is writting a Arthur lovefic? I'm the one who wrote this pairing, I'm sure!
A/N2: I've searched everywhere and there is no record of Prunella's last name, so I am pretending that thier last name is Kirst. Don't ask me why. I got it off of a college book.
A/N3: I know Prunella isn't in Ratburn's class, but for the sake of my storyline, let's pretend she's in the same grade as Arthur and everyone.
LEARNING TO BREATHE
by Lina Shay
Chapter One: The Moment I Set Eyes On You
Ratburn's eyes narrowed as he watched Prunella sprint to her seat. He walked to his desk, straightening the papers in his hand.
"Now you've done it," Ratburn could faintly hear Arthur Read whisper.
"Prunella," Ratburn addressed sternly, "why are you late?"
Prunella screwed up her face as if to be thinking of the perfect excuse. Ratburn set the papers down, leaned back against his desk and folded his arms, waiting for her answer.
"You see," Prunella began finally, "I was in the playground when I got a psychic vision telling me that something terrible would happen if I arrived to class on time. I was afarid for my life, Mr. Ratburn, so I stayed in the playground a little longer just to be safe."
"A little longer?" Ratburn repeated. "You missed the entire exam."
"No one regrets it more than I," Prunella insisted.
"I guess you'll just have to make it up after school," Ratburn said, revolving raound his desk and sitting in his chair.
"After school?" Prunella repeated slowly and struck with horror.
Everyone looked at her sympathetically. What did she expect for missinf the exam? Ratburn didn't want her to get a low grade in his class. Though he hated to take time from her fun with her friends, staying after school was for her own good. He wished these students could see that he wasn't trying to be mean to them, he was just trying to help them. No one understood.
When the bell had rung, all the students related their heart-felt sympathies to Prunella as they filed out the door. Prunella sat in the empty class with her head down low, her nose almost touching her desk. Ratburn handed a cpoy of the test to her.
"You have fifteen minutes," Ratburn told her. "I will send a note to the office for them to call your parents."
Prunella nodded glumly and glanced over the test. Ratburn wrote out the note and sent it with the first kid he saw roaming the halls. The small dog-kid looked quite terrified when Ratburn called him over. He carried-out the task requested immediately. So immediately that Ratburn had to call after him, telling him not to run in the hallway.
Prunella sat, sweating and fretting over that simple exam. Ratburn returned to his desk and sat down.
*********some time later*********
As Ratburn began to look over his lesson plan for the next day, a gust of especially pleasant smelling air wafted across his nose. It was like lilac in springtime. The aroma wiped out Ratburn's mind. He could not for the life of him remember where he was or what he was doing, nor did he care. Dizzily, Ratburn glanced at the door to see a lovely poodle standing there. She was tall and slender with long, curly hair and an air of grace and sophistication about her.
"Pardon me," Ratburn said, standing instantly, "but you seem quite young to be Prunella's mother."
"I'm her sister, Rubella," the poodle informed him, putting her hands on her hips casually. She turned her head sharply toward her sister, the earing which dangled from her right ear jingling. "Pruny, what did you do to deserve detention?"
"I'm afraid you misunderstand, Miss Kirst," Ratburn began as Prunella walked up.
"It's Rubella," Prunella's sister insisted. "The whole Miss Kirst thing just sounds way to stuffy for my taste."
"Forgive me, Rubella," Ratburn cleared his throat. "Your sister stayed after school merely to take a test."
"Oh!" Rubella excalimed, lifting a graceful hand to her forehead.
"My goodness! Are you feeling all right?" Ratburn asked, stepping toward her with worry.
"Oh, I'm having a premonition," Rubella said in an airy voice.
So this was where Prunella got her flights of fansy, Ratburn thought to himself.
"Give me your hand!" Rubella deamnded, not waiting for him to comply, but just taking his hand and staring at his palm.
Ratburn felt quite uncomfortable. This was not appropriate behavior in school.
"Oh dear!" Rubella gasped. "I see great stress and anguish in your future. Something is about to happen that will change your whole life."
She sqinted and pulled his hand closer to her face. The feel of her breath on his palm gave Ratburn goosebumps.
"It's dark now," Rubella said mistily. "There is nothing more."
Rubella dropped his hand, put an arm around Prunella's shoulders and said, "Let's go, Pruny."
Ratburn stood in shock for a few moments after she left. Ratburn had never believed in such a thing as fortune-telling or psychic premonitions, but he found himself facinated by this girl, Prunella.