"We're all on the edge of madness; deep down, darkness is within all of us and we're on guard constantly trying to avoid losing control."
In which Mickey Lodge has a few skeletons in her closet.
{COMPLETED WITH ALL SEASONS + epilogue}
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Mickey stands behind her teacher's desk as she makes sure she has everything she will need for her first day of classes. Chalk and markers? Check. Attendance sheet? Check. Material outline and models for the kids to pass to each other? Check. Worksheets? Check. Coffee? Check.
She still can't believe she's teaching at Riverdale High instead of back at home in New York. Once she agreed to help Toni, she called the hospital she works at and used some of her vacation days to take off for a few weeks. It should be more than enough time for Toni to find her replacement.
Mr. Weatherbee knocks on her classroom door to get her attention. "Ms. Lodge, it's nice to see you," he smiles warmly.
"Hi, Principal Weatherbee."
"Please, call me Waldo," he insists. "We're colleagues now."
That will never stop being weird for her.
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"Any questions so far?"
Mickey has gotten through three classes already. It's made her realize one thing, she never wants to deal with teenagers again.
A couple hands pop up immediately. One of them just blurts out their question, "Did you have sex in high school, Ms. Lodge?"
She halts in front of the chalkboard, locking her arms over her chest. "That's an inappropriate question."
The boy in the striped tee leans against his desk. "I only ask because teachers are so used to telling us what to do, but they forget what it's like when they were our age."
Mickey nods. She understands what he's saying, but she says, "I'm just going to tell you guys that abstinence is the only one-hundred percent, full proof way to not get pregnant at your age." She moves to sit on the edge of her desk, "But I do know what it's like to be your age and all the feelings...and excitement. If you do have sex, be safe. One day we'll discuss different contraceptives, but today we are just discussing our anatomies."
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"How was the first day?"
Mickey puts her glass of wine down on top of the stereo, sighing. "I have no training to become a teacher. School nurse? Yes. Teacher? No." Another job Toni needed Mickey to fill was as the nurse during the periods she didn't have a class.
Fangs asks, "Is it that bad?"
"The only topic these kids really want to hear about is sex."
