Conny: I hope you understand how hard it is to write a story in a week. I understand that I've had months/years, but I just had to take an extended hiatus, which I think now officially ends. Please understand that I know this is fairly short, as I've been very busy this past week. I hope this story is living up to all of your expectations-I hope it continues to live up to your expectations. I have to thank everyone who reviewed the previous chapter, but I need to extend a greater thanks to Marie King, who had PM-ed me when I updated a different story. Her eagerness spurred me into promising her that I'd finish this chapter in a week. It was difficult, but I hope its all worth while. Thank you.

me:

I actually think I enjoy being an art teacher. All of the different works intrigue me, at least, so far they have.

Anime Girl of courses like a Japanese cartoonist and makes an anime portrait of herself. I'm not really into drawing in anime, but her style is pretty neat. It's a blend of realism and cartoon-so no outrageously large eyes, but still retains the expressiveness in the eyes that anime shows. I give her an A for today.

Bald Boy made himself a clay statues of those creep hip hop clowns. I don't remember what they were, but they sure kinda freaked me out. I didn't peg him for the hip hop type, but well, clowns, maybe. I'll give him an A too.

Around and around the room I went, examining each of the pieces. There are flowers and rainbows, ponies and dragons, stick figures having sex, and- I shudder.

me: "Freeman, I don't like this one."

He comes over and glances at the base of a potential masterpiece-of me and my shirt unbuttoned. I almost want to throw up. I don't understand why boys have to constantly think about girls and sex. The stick figures I didn't mind (I think it was two guys, or else someone had an extra leg), but this is just…

Freeman: "This would be Michael. He's been held back for a few years, but he's definitely graduating this year." So he's an adult stalking the hallways of a high school. Potential IT infection, must remember to observe for symptoms.

I make my way to the back of the room and find the last thing I wanted to see. It was a clay tree of death. This wasn't a tree of grief and sadness, but one of malevolence and inhumanity. A serpent slithered up the trunk with a dead bird on the ground. I hated that the evil actually made this sculpture seem alive.

Freeman: "The Williams are impressively gifted." Was that grudging or sincere? "Hmm, it seems one fell."

The malformed creature was once a bird, I am sure of it. However… this bird wasn't petite like the dead one. This was a bit more plump, a slightly larger beck, and much shorter tail feathers.

My eyes glanced to the right, a mirror showed me the answer. A woman with a bit more fluff on her body, a bob haircut that gave way to a more distinct nose…

me:

I took one look into the Zoo and I realized I wasn't ready to go back to the grubs they fed the animals. I should have cooked a lunch.

Messages zipped to and fro between David and I.

me: "I'm hungry."

David: "What do you want?"

me: "Not fast food or chinese."

David: "Five star meal?"

me: "Perfect."

I wait indoors, since the warmth drained away from the day. Rain drenches every car, and I almost feel bad about the person who left their convertible bug without a roof. Although, I think people need to learn to take a hint. This is New York, weather changes with a snap and if some quintessential being decides it is going to rain, there shall be rain.

When that quintessential being says food must be delivered, is it. David parks his car and runs to me with a plastic box in tow. I open the door-totally against the rules, but the office ladies are off at lunch as well-and allow the drenched man-boy in.

David: "Your food, my awfully picky housemate."

me: "Thank you." I can't find words nice enough to fire back, so I take the food away. My stomach rumbles it's thanks to him.

David: "I hope the lady enjoys Thai."

me: "She does."

What is this? Is this that strange occurrence called casual talk? Or is this that even stranger occurrence called flirting? Something so foreign doesn't happen to something so alien like me. I haven't truly spoken to a guy my age in a while. I didn't make many male friends out in NYC and to be honest, David was the only guy I really talked to back in high school. Male teachers and store clerks and now students are hard to avoid, but talking to them is different from this.

David: "I'll see you tonight?"

me: "Nah." I pause, trying to find laughable material. That doesn't really work.

David: "I drove you to work today, who will take you home?" Why does he have to be so smart? I really want to wipe that smirk off his face. It bothers me that he got me with this.

Wait. Aha. Unfortunately, before my lips could move, lightning vaporizes a tree by the school. Thunder murders our eardrums and several screams wail through the school.

David: "Hate to run off, but I'll get you later." He runs back to his car, while I rush back into the building.

Freshmen are all panicking in the lunch room, so I go in to help keep the lion cubs and zebra foals in their seats. We hear the tree snap and then the lights go out. Turns out we don't have-half of the lights flicker back.

HairWoman: "Calm down, kids! Calm down?"

Mr. Neck: "Listen up!" All the anxious animals ceased their commotions and listened to the beefy man. The monkeys stopped their chattering and eased their whipping tails, while the growling lions and the skittish zebras sat still.

me:

Why can't I find her? With Mr. Neck around, no one will really have any problems with these kids, so I leave and go into the bathroom. Some of the girls are hiding out in here and doing their makeup, so I send them back to the lunch room.

I look under stall number one and find two girls trying to hide. I step back and clear my throat. I did not expect that one right away.

me: "I won't send you to the office, if you go to the lunch room."

The door swings open and two girls stand together. Goldilocks looks like a fairy, while her partner looks like the alpha wolf of a pack, very intimidating and stands proud.

Wolfie: "Thanks."

Fairy: "Sorry about this, it won't happen again."

They scurry off and now I have to check under doors two and three. Thankfully, two is empty, which leaves door number three.

Conny: "You don't need to look… I'm here, Melind-I mean, Miss Sordino."

Conny: Like I said, this was extremely short. Give me time to find the plot again and I promise to give you an even better story. In the meantime, please review and tell me what you think? Again, thank you for your patience and your support of this story.