A/N: Oh dear me this chapter is long. Recently I've been doing myself the deed of hiding my word count. You guys should try that :> It magically increases your speed and capacity for writing HAHAHAHAHA. Hope you enjoy <3
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"Miss Rowanda," Xander and I were following the lady who addressed us when I noticed that unfamiliar faces were waving at me. Were they from another class? I've never taught them before...
"Angela's fine," the lady—um, Angela—interrupted my husband to say. "This way please. It won't take long."
Anxious, I tugged at Xander's sleeve and signed for him to lean closer. "Who is she? Are we in trouble?"
"Angel," he laughed low, "we're not highschoolers anymore. They aren't going to give us demerit points. Let them find their faults, I bet it's nothing big—probably something about being too nice to the students...which I'm sure you're guilty of doing," he teased with a wink and I poked his elbow in return.
"Well! But, I-I mean...she looks scary."
"She's the discipline mistress, Angel. What do you expect?" But what would the discipline mistress want from us?
Miss Rowanda turned around all of a sudden, as though she had overheard our private conversation. "Not exactly the time for secrets, Mr. Honeycutt, Mr. Jaxon. Please refrain from your...intimate conversations in the campus." Then she turned back and continued along the second floor of the building.
I froze, turning to Xander anxiously. "Told you we're in trouble."
"For what, exactly?" Xander was being difficult as usual, frowning at Miss Rowanda's back as though wondering what her problem was. "We're the ones doing them a fucking favour by filling in their unethusiastic teachers all the time."
"Xan!"
He gave in with a sigh as soon as he saw my very scary glare (I've tried practicing in front of the mirror lately, and I mean personally, it scares me so) and decided to cut down on the course language. "I'll be nice. Try to, be."
Miss Rowanda stopped infront of conference room number two and knocked sharply on the door. There was the faint sound of someone asking us to come in before she opened the door and gestured for us to enter. "Go ahead."
To Xander and my surprise, or so I assume, three members of the school commitee were present, apart from Miss Rowanda herself. "Morning Mr. Jaxon, Mr. Honeycutt. Have a seat, first period will begin soon so let us cut to the chase—since Mr. Honeycutt over here has a class."
I panicked as soon as I recognized the one who spoke. He was the vice-principal, or um, the deputy headmaster. The other two, I wasn't quite familiar with but they looked really important so I knew this wasn't going to be good for the heart. Not with the heavy mood in the room, and certainly not with the stern faces around the conference table.
"Mr. Jaxon and Mr. Honeycutt, you two are...married to each other, yes?" The deputy headmaster began as soon as we sat.
"Yes," Xander responded without hesitation, looking him straight in the eye. "Has this have to do with anything?"
"Unfortunately yes," he went on with a frown, glancing at a translucent folder one of the other members handed to him. "I assure you that the school is not religiously inclined in any manner, or against any sort of...special groups, but it has come to my attention that a parent of one our students has filed a complaint regarding your, uh. Marital status."
Xander almost laughed and I had to pinch his arm under the table. "Ha—sorry, Marital status?"
"We do not wish to reveal the name of the student, for procedures sake and privacy purposes, of course," the deputy headmaster lowered his gaze to scan the complaint that was filed. "There has been strong claims of 'indecency' and 'corruption', although I, hm...don't quite understand what that would mean. I'd like to hear you explanation, but make it brief."
I turned to Xander, confused. Was it that time when Xander came to my class? I don't recall any other interaction...
"We would like to know if the parent specified the exact instance of...'indecency' and 'corruption'," Xander somehow read my mind and was still trying hard not to laugh at the choice of words.
"It is exactly because they have not, that we have asked for your explanation," the committee member seated directly opposite Xander responded to his question straightforwardly, and it was just at this very moment that the bell for the first period rang.
The deputy headmaster had a vague frown that crossed his face, as though suspecting the magic of it all—the power of the bell and its absolutely timeliness. I laughed inwardly, imagining that it was indeed, the certain magic words of a cupcake that timed the ringing of the bell, even the very thoughts that crossed my mind till this point. It sounded cute and amusing all at once, but highly unlikely.
"We'd like to further the investigation at a later time. Perhaps after lunch," he offered but was immediately corrected by the discipline mistress.
"Sir, I believe we have a staff meeting after lunch, and your presence will be required as well..."
"Ah. Right, how about after the staff meeting?"
"I didn't hear about a staff meeting," Xander cut in rather impolitely, but the deputy headmaster didn't seem to mind.
"Not for temporary staff, I believe. But, well. I do see that you're almost always here, given Mr. Ward's paternal leave, so," he turned to the commitee member by his side. "Is he required to attend...?"
"I...suppose there is no harm sitting in," they concluded after exchanging uncertain glances, and Xander nodded, although under the table was busy drawing a sad face with his index finger on my knee. Uwa.
The commitee members and deputy headmaster rose from their seats to leave the conference room when Xander shocked me by standing up all of a sudden.
"Sorry if we...caused any trouble," my mind blanked out and my eyes remained fixed on him. W-what? "And thanks for being reasonable. It's nice to see that we were asked for an explanation, instead of jumping to conclusions."
"H-he's right," I added quickly, not wanting to seem distant either but still recovering from the shock. "Thank you for taking the time to meet us." I glanced up at Xander for a short while and saw his eyes soften.
"No no," the deputy headmaster turned around to give me a pat on my shoulder (I think he picked me because Xander was a little too tall for a shoulder pat), "it's always been a policy of my own to make the best decisions, and one can only do so by understanding. That, and the help you have been giving for the past couple of weeks isn't going to go unacknowledged by the school, so. It is the least we should do."
"Thank you," we sort of said at the same time, unplanned of course, just a little surprised by his gratitude and change in events.
"Which also reminds me of the...strongly-worded complaint," the deputy headmaster went on as he neared the door. "It called for the teachers involved to keep their relationship private. Meaning, well. I'm sure you know what it means."
"We can't tell the students that we're together?" Xander frowned.
The disciline mistress scanned the report briefly. "The parent called for a temporary stop to all interaction between the two teachers. So as to prevent the rumors from spreading and to quell...uh, corruption."
"Which we understand, is absurd," the deputy headmaster assured as soon as he saw the expression on Xander's face (I assume he looked like he was about to seek out this parent and um...ask them what their problem was). "But the parent of the child has been very active in parent-support groups for the school, including donations. We, too, are in a difficult position...I hope you understand."
Xander and I nodded. "We will discuss this further after the staff meeting?"
"Yes," the discipline mistress answered on behalf of everyone as the deputy headmaster excused himself and left the conference room. "It will be held at the staff conference room, Mr. Jaxon. Two o'clock."
"I-I'm so sorry but I have to go now," I excused myself, glancing up at Xander with an apologetic expression. "I have to be around in the home economics room before the students arrive. It's dangerous if they are left alone."
I'll see you later, Xander mouthed with a reassuring smile, and there were a whole lot of things I wished I could say to him at the moment (like complimenting him for being nice but also telling him not to draw on my knee under tables) but it was hard to with other people around.
Love you!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
[Nguyen]
"Are you serious?" Liz flared up outside the home economics room while we were waiting for the teacher to arrive. "You couldn't keep your mouth shut about that to your 'staunch-Christian' family?"
The entire class stared at the pair, Liz and Brendon, who were deep in conversation moments before until now. None of us really minded, I mean—they were home economics partners so I assumed they were discussing something relevant but apparently not.
"Oh for fucks sake Liz," Brendon's gaze was shifty when he noticed that everyone had turned to see what was going on. "You didn't have to...I didn't expect them to—"
He stopped as soon as our gazes met. Well, Shin and I were standing right in front of them since we were the pair who occupied the station before theirs, so. "What?" I blinked. "What's going on?"
Liz was about to spill everything (I could tell from the look on her face, it's the look she always gives before she starts to spoil me about the latest gay fanfic I was reading) when Brendon shut her up with a glare, which she casually ignored and lowered her voice so that only Shin and I were within earshot.
"Brendon 'let slip' to his family," she began with fingers in the air as quotation marks to Brendon's anger and frustration, "that we have a gay couple as our teachers."
I blinked, turning to Brendon. "What's so bad about that?"
"Lol Nguyen, they're staunch Christians, that's what. His grandfather's the pastor of the church nearby—his dad handles the finances, his mom plays the church organ while his sister leads the church choir. Every. Freaking. Sunday," Liz groaned, as though it wasn't obvious enough that Brendon should have understood when he should keep his mouth shut about what. "And now he's telling me they might have filed a complaint."
Shin and I turned anxiously to Brendon, waiting for any possible elaboration. "Look, it wasn't what I meant to do. They asked why I came home so late, and I talked about the bakery and...well and kinda let slip that it was my teacher..."
"Where'd the gay come in?" I pointed out, wondering just how stupid he must have been to let slip something so obviously taboo in their family.
"The point is," Liz directed us elsewhere, turning onto Brendon with a glare. "Why couldn't you just have lied like every other time you partied overnight and slept around?"
"Don't make me sound like a fuckboy," said victim snapped irritably.
"Technically, you are one," I pointed out next, silently congratulating myself for being specially observant today having pointed out many details. I mean, usually I'm stuck in my mind weaving gay fanfics about every human male that exists. Fictional or not.
Brendon looked scarred. "Nguyen? C'mon, I thought Asians were nice."
I laughed. "No."
"What's going to happen to Mr. Honeycutt and Mr. Jaxon?" Shin was the one who asked the real questions, partly because he's always the one who had the most rational mind lol.
We directed the question to Brendon, since he was the only one who'd actually receive news regarding this.
"Like hell I'd know," was all he could come up with. Real clever. "I wasn't the one who filed the complaint...I don't know what they came up with."
"They?"
"My parents. Uh, and my sister helped."
I couldn't believe my ears. "That is one very, uh, enthusiastically-religious family you have there."
"Whatever it is," Liz interjected jujst as the class was beginning to get a little restless from waiting, "how'd the rest of the school know all of a sudden? It's like someone posted it all over Facebook."
"Wait, you use Facebook?" My jaw dropped and I was ready to change my entire opinion of Liz when she rolled her eyes.
"No, I'm better than that," my best friend clarified. "I'm just refering to the trashtalkers all over it. Facebook, I mean. You have no idea how crazy shit can go down in there."
I was about to agree (and Brendon was about to attempt to use his not-so-common common sense to explain to us how the entire thing got blown up) when we heard Mr. Honeycutt's voice coming from the front of the class' line.
I felt horrible for feeling happy (I mean, Mr. Honeycutt being here would either mean Mrs. Harry's unwell or that age is getting to her and she's finding it hard to keep up with a class full of raging teens) but Mr. Honeycutt was by far our favourite teacher, so. Mr. Jaxon's cool and all but not when he's giving us extra running.
"I'm so sorry for being late," he managed between pants. Aw, he rushed to class! Lol, most of my teachers don't give a damn about being late sometimes. "Please go to your stations quickly, and in your pairs—o-oh, you're already lined up, that's good."
The class shuffled into the home economics room with our textbooks and aprons in hand, unusually quiet. Mr. Honeycutt seemed to notice as well since he was blinking abnormally fast and looking at us in surprise. Lol, yeah we're usually a rowdy bunch.
"We'll settle this over lunch," Liz concluded the conversatin between us four—looking at Brendon particularly, who did not seem very keen on 'settling over lunch'. I figured Mr. Honeycutt might have already heard about the rumors and had Miss Rowanda or some other IC talk to him about the complaint so I made sure to give him a hearty wave as Shin and I passed him on our way to our stations. I could also hear Evans from behind, greeting him with utmost enthusiasm.
Looks like the cupcakes did their magic. Wow, and I have Mr. Honeycutt's bakery to thank for the survival of my ship—how's that? I must admit that I am a blessed fangirl.
"Today's theme will require a little more planning and preparation, um, depending on your level of preference, I guess but you're all very fast learners, so that would not be—well, it won't really be a problem...I hope," our substitute teacher hurriedly filled the board with instructions. And at the very top, CUPCAKES.
I looked at Shin and Shin looked at I and we were like MIND=BLOWN because coincidence?? I think not. Anyway, regardless of whether Mrs. Harry was the one who decided the theme and told Mr. Honeycutt or, whatever it was, we were excited.
"Mrs. Harry was kind enough to provide the recipe for vanilla cupcakes, which I will be writing out on the board shortly...i-if I can reach the top and there's enough space...um," Mr. Honeycutt said the last part to himself WHICH WAS CUTE because Shin and I were stationed close enough to hear him say it. "Apart from that, I'll also provide the recipe for a chocolate cupcake."
"Oh, and um, because it might be a little plain, I was wondering if you guys would like to do celebratory cupcakes—w-which means more planning so if you don't like that, well, it's alright, but for those who do, you can get creative and make some Valentine's or Easter cupcakes. Or even Christmas! Anything you like."
I had my pen and notebook out immediately and was doing cute shamrock-cupcake-doodles all over, featuring mainly a chocolate cupcake with mint frosting. Hm, not too sure if Shin would agree.
"You have fifteen minutes to discuss and gather ingredients before we start at eight forty-five!" Mr. Angel-Honeycutt (quite an accurate nickname, really, I guess Mr. Jaxon wasn't kidding with all the cutesy naming sense lol what would their child's name be I mean Angel+Devil=DISASTER?) announced to the class as he put on an apron of his own. It had strawberries printed on it.
Immediately, I turned to Shin.
"Okay, so. I was thinking about a mint—" "Nguyen, let's do a lemon meri—"
"..." "..."
"Lemon wha—" "You were saying mint—"
"..." "..."
Problem: we tend to have issues with social interaction. Like, both of us. Awkward mine life is.
*
We ended up deciding on lemon meringue cupcakes for a refreshing summer/beach thing, not just because Shin is the food expert aka Masterchef but because it sounded legit good (and complicated but yeah it's like his thing, Shin loves complex food he probably hasn't even heard of a vanilla cupcake lol). Additionally, there was only one miserable bottle of green food coloring with only a few drops left which Finn and Evans needed for their 'earth-day' cupcakes (I bet it was Evans' idea since it's way too dorky for Finn to even conceive, not that he had any space in his mind to, anyway, I mean it's probably filled with evans-evans-evans in there).
I didn't want to be a nuisance and get in between them and their love/cupcake-making, so I gave up on my shamrock cupcakes and settled with the complex Shin-like lemon meringue.
I was squeezing out as much lemon juice as possible from a single lemon while Shin was beating in the zest and vanilla like a pro when Mr. Honeycutt came round with his usual sparkle and compliments. Is it just me or is Mr. Honeycutt filled with, like, fluff and sprinkles? He's never said a single negative thing about our creations even if they sucked balls. Like there's constructive advice and all but negativity? Nu-uh.
"Wow! Lemon juice," he said as soon as he saw me in my unglamorous state, torturing a lemon. "Lemon cupcakes?"
"We're making lemon meringue cupcakes, sir," Shin corrected politely, still incorporating the zest and vanilla to the batter like a pro. "For a summer kind of theme."
Mr. Honeycutt looked very pleased and excited. "That sounds very unique! And different, definitely. You guys always have the most intereting creations."
"Aw, thanks sir," I answered on behalf of Shin and myself. Well, uh, just Shin actually. He's like the solo-chef and I'm just the assistant squeezing lemons. "How's your day, by the way?" I added as a side-remark, not sure whether I wanted to be hearing about the complaint or his cute sexy times with Mr. Jaxon which I was sure occurred in the day as well as night.
He was surprisingly good at playing fine. "Everything's alright," he smiled and I thought I was looking at the sun (literally I blinked and saw dark spots wtf his purity! It blinds!). By this point, I wasn't too sure if they'd been confronted just yet or if Mr. Honeycutt even knew about the complaint and how it might affect Mr. Jaxon and him.
After all, the last thing I wanted was for them to stop teaching us.
He was about to move on to Liz and Brendon's station behind when I kinda blurted out some unecessary shit like the unecessary shit I was.
"Stay strong sir! You can do it!" My lemony-hands shaped themselves into a cheesy double thumbs-up. My brain was like: wtf u doin. But apparently my hands had a mind of their own so they were like: woohoo.
Thankfully, Mr. Honeycutt saved me from dying of embarrassment by giving me a thumbs-up as well. "I, um, don't quite know what you mean but all the best with the lemons!"
Several minutes passed in silence while we appeared to be absorbed with our tasks (Shin would be, obviously, but), until my partner asked for the ingredients.
"Nguyen, can you pass me the lemon juice and buttermil—" he stopped as soon as he saw my face. "U-uh, what's wrong? Are you crying? Did...did you cut yourself?"
I wiped my eyes with the sleeve of my shirt, shaking my head. "Why are the lemons in life so sour?" Was all I could manage sobbing incoherently. "He doesn't deserve any of this."
Shin didn't know what to do, or what I was talking about—I could tell from the look on his face through my blurred vision. Somehow, he passed me a tissue.
"I-it's okay, everything's fine. Don't be too upset about it..." He said patting me on the back when i turned to him all of a sudden, having realized something.
"How can I cut myself from squeezing lemons?"
Shin blushed. "I um, didn't know what else to say."
"Okay."
"Are you okay now?"
"Yeah."
Brain to tearducts: wtf u doin. Tearducts: woohoo.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
[Chip]
"Great job today everyone!" I felt obliged to say at the end of class, having tried and tested the creative and delicious cupcakes they had come up with whole-heartedly. "I could tell that everyone was very engaged in what they were doing, and, well, it goes to show that as long as you put your heart to it, you guys can make really good food!"
Evans was grinning really wide at the back of the class, since I gave him an A+ for the earth-day cupcakes that were really creative and for a good cause. And they tasted fine! So. He deserved the grade.
"Thank you for the effort you put into coming up with fresh ideas, and for the treat as well. You can go home and enjoy your cupcakes! O-or, um, share it with your friends and family," alright, that should do it! Oh, theres the bell. I praised myself for beinng punctual, after all, no student likes to be dismissed late. "Thank you class! You're dismissed."
There was the sound of chairs scraping across the floor and final arrangements of the kitchen tools back to where they belong, and I waited for the class to clear.
"Bye Mr. Honeycutt."
"O-oh, goodbye."
"Bye sir! Hope you'll come next week again."
"Um, I don't think I'd be coming but..." Oh, she already left.
There was a buzz in my pocket, indicating that I had received a text. Of course, I could only check it when everyone had left, so I didn't pull out my phone immediately. Nguyen and her friends were the remaining few, since Elizabeth and Brendon were a little slower on clean-up today. Come to think of it, they weren't very chatty during baking either. Oh no, I wonder if they got into some argument. I hope they make up...arguments are terrible, and unhealthy.
"Is everything okay?" I called out to them, since they appeared to be huddled around the third station, as though deep in discussion. Finn and Evans were with them as well.
They looked slightly startled at my voice, exchanging glances. "We're fine sir." "All good." "Yeah."
The group began to file out of class really slowly; Brendon was first, and then Finn and Evans, each giving me a strange look of their own which left me really confused.
"Um," I addressed Elizabeth since she looked particularly bothered, "is everything really okay?" She shook her head immediately, turning to Nguyen. I couldn't see the expression on her face from where I was standing but her friend looked equally upset.
"Nothing sir. We're fine, um but you know, are you?"
I blinked. The girls looked over and Shin seemed to be waiting for my response as well but I didn't want to worry them with anything, and d-did it show on my face? Was I looking troubled throughout class? Uwa, I hope not...
"I'm perfectly fine! Really," I tried to reassure with a smile. "Why do you ask?"
"Nothing!" Nguyen said very suddenly, and they were already at the door frame, but still turning to look at me. "Uh, bye sir! And, yeah, see you soon!" They hurried off as a group.
I paused for a moment, wondering if all that was just their form of teasing—or simply a bout of hormonal mood swings. It's normal! I'd be fine with that though.
Sighing, I went around the empty home economics room for a final check, ensuring that the ovens were properly cleaned and turned off; the stoves in good condition; the baking tools in place; ingredients were put in cupboards and the refridgerator respectively, and began cleaning my own station.
Oh, I forgot about the text. I recalled all of a sudden whilst cleaning the tabletop, and paused to fish out my phone.
From: Mortal
Lunch together? ;)
I thought about it for a moment, wondering aloud. "We shouldn't...should we? The vice principal said that there were rumors...and what if more parents start to notice? Do students even talk about these kind of things to their parents? Ah, I wouldn't know...uwa, this isn't good for the heart."
I formed a reply.
To: Mortal
Maybe not today ;-; we should do the deputy headmaster a favour. He was really nice to us!
I went back to cleaning soon after and saw his reply across the table as I was washing a mixing bowl. Alright. Miss you already.
Then came another one right after. Can't wait to have dinner at home. And dessert ;)
I felt my ears grow warm, and decided to continue with the washing without a reply. A-after all! He says the same thing everyday, so. What does he even expect me to say in return...? Dessert served? That's asdfiokljhgh!!
*
I made my way to the school cafeteria right after ensuring that the home economics room was squeaky clean, hoping that they served apple juice today when I realized (upon opening the double doors and entering the canteen) that I had literally returned to middle school.
Bad memories were beginning to surface when I shook them away, somehow mentally persuading myself that adults didn't need company over a meal. I-I mean, it's just sitting alone at lunch! Anyone could do that. Doesn't need to be an adult. I used to do it all the time in middle school (and elementary!) haha. Ha...
"Hello Mr. Honeycutt," the lunch lady greeted me warmly when I joined the almost-empty staff queue. "What would you like today? We have a nice potato gratin today."
"Okay, that sounds good," I resisted the temptation to ask about the apple juice. "Oh, and the baby carrots please."
"Would you like some breadsticks?"
"Ah, no thank you," I declined politely, and was about to pay for my meal when the lunch lady slipped me a kids serving of apple juice. Feeling super embarassed but also quietly pleased, I thanked her.
"The previous time you came, you asked about it. I remember you because you're the only home economics substitute we have," she laughed, handing me the change. "Enjoy your meal."
I thanked her once again and proceeded to exit the queue, feeling my confidence lift on her kindness but then crash after seeing the crowded tables and scary students.
Okay, not scary but I-I mean, highschoolers can be kinda scary...it's when they're all tall and big-sized already. If only I was as well.
Gathering whatever that was left of my self-confidence and courage, I scanned the cafeteria for an empty table where I could have my quiet lunch in peace and loneliness when I noticed a table filled with teachers. And it had an empty seat!
But then a closer look revealed that the teachers were all from the P.E department, meaning they were either a coaches for the school teams or regular gym teachers. Before I knew it, one of them was waving someone over—and I realized that the seat was reserved already.
Oh, it's Xander. He had a lunch tray in his hands and was walking towards the table I spotted from before. Ah...so the seat's reserved for him...
Brushing aside the rising burn of regret for declining to have lunch together (it's for the best, I suppose ;-;), I was about to search for another desperate seat when someone tapped me on the shoulder.
I turned in surprise to see that it was Nguyen.
"Hi sir, uh..." She glanced around. "Would you like to sit with our class?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N: ehe yay! I might be getting back into updating weekly ( ' ^ ' )/ cuppie on a mission. HAHAHA I really enjoyed writing this chapter, and I hope you guys had a good laugh. Meanwhile, I was writing a Disneyland extra for my readers over at Flight School and HAHA it was the best thing I've ever written so I'm probably going to do one for the Baked series as well, since I enjoyed it so thoroughly. Oh, I hope you guys do too tho D: I just don't know when o.o
Thank you for reading! Till next week (hopefully)
-Cuppiedoodle