Not Academically Challenged (Casper)

[EMILIE GRACE BENNETT]

Outfit- www.polyvore.com/untitled_91/set?id=66407029

Emilie always tried to make every lesson unique every time her students came in. When she taught her seniors Macbeth, she made some of them dress up in costume and had to act out a scene of their choice. She always made sure to cover the Romantics around Valentine's day, on Halloween they read Poe, and the students would design what their tombstone would look like. Keep it interesting in the classroom, and you keep their attention. That is what she always went for.

Today in class, her AP senior English students were rewriting their own version of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Each group would create their own pilgrims, draw them and put a story together that explains where they are going and why. For extra credit, the group would stand in front of the class and dress like their pilgrim. Most of the time the students did the extra credit because Emilie always made the extra credit worth earning. Emilie's class room was littered with posters, poems, drawings, and signs from the students projects. The bell rang, and she smiled as her students left noisily from their desks to go to their next class. She caught her breath, and brushed back a loose strand of hair that had fallen in her face. She checked her watch and picked up a few pens and papers that had fallen onto the floor. She looked around her room and smiled. She loved her job.

[CASPER JARED THORNE]

Casper waited for each of the students to leave Emilies class, before waiting in the doorway. He smiled and waved at a few of the students who greeted him on the way past. “The more we study, the more we discover our ignorance” he quoted to her, announcing his presence. “Any self respecting English Teacher should know that quote” he chuckled, trying to bait her.

He walked into the room. “What was the task today?” he asked, wandering around her class room and thumbing at a couple of the posters in her room. Casper's own classroom was a little more scientific and less colourful, but he made sure to teach as many practical lessons as he could fit in as he could. Most students preferred to do practical lessons that theory lessons. He had to agree the practical bit was fun, but he did enjoy teaching the theory.

He smiled at her then made his way to the front and middle table in front of her desk and perched on it, stretching his legs out as he did. “Do you need any help Emilie?” he asked, and leant forwards till he was just leaning on the table, not sat on it.

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[EMILIE GRACE BENNETT]

Emilie used to student teach for little kids before she finally set her heart on teaching high school students. She remembered the little kids being all a buzz when they came in with their lunchboxes, and were so full of energy. Now she upgraded to the older version who hold hands and have braces. She still loved it.

She was picking up a few more pens and was slightly startled when she heard a voice at the door. She knew that quote anywhere, one the first day of school, she would write it down on the board and make the students figure it out what they think it means. It was also her personal quote in her senior yearbook in high school. She smiled when she turned to see her good friend Casper Thorne in the doorway and she blushed and bit her lip. " I see someone has been reading their Shelley book that I lent them. Very well said Mr. Thorne," she smiled wide and slowly walked to him and get him a hug. " You're not even an English teacher and even you know that. I bet you did not know that our Percy Shelley was married to the famous Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein. Put that in your beaker and what it fizz over."

She put the pens and papers on a spare table in the back, and watched Casper scan the room of all her student's projects. We are currently covering English literature and the students really wanted to cover Chaucer, so how could I refuse," she said standing next to Casper and admired their work. She leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed, " It's sad to think that soon it will be over, and they will graduate," she said sarcastically.

She walked with him over to her desk and she sat down and went through the clutter that was on her desk. " If you can grade 45 papers by the weekend's end, then I shall gravel at your feet and proclaim my love of Einstein," she joked and laughed as she reached for a red pen.

[CASPER JARED THORNE]

Casper smiled, he always enjoyed their little chats. “Of course I read it Miss Bennett” he told her, replying with her surname like she had him. Casper chuckled, “I thought their might be some relation between the two, I always liked Frankenstein, all the mad scientists and what not” he laughed. He returned the hug eagerly. He ruffled his hair, making him look a little like a messy spaniel. All he needed was the wagging tail. He held a lot of respect for his fellow teachers. He smoothed down the back of his 'manly' cardigan, and bit on the corner of his lip.

“Can't say I know much of Chaucer” he shrugged. He wasn't one of English a few authors and poets he enjoyed – like Keats and the Shelleys – but mostly he was happier to tinker with computers or test tubes. “Science Teacher here” he reminded her. “What's this Chaucer bloke like then?” he asked thumbing the edge of the desk beneath him.

“Is that a challenge? I could totally do that” he chuckled, then paused “though as a chemist I would prefer you proclaim love for Robert Wilhelm Bunsen, and not Mr Einstein” he teased. “Seriously I could try a few papers for you, I have a decent grasp on English Literature, not to your level but it's there” he offered, he knew that marking papers could be tough. He'd finished his last lot for the week already. It was a weight off his shoulders but he could try to help.

It probably wasn't the best thing to offer to do. The teachers were encouraged to do their own work and all but he couldn't help himself. Casper puffed out his cheeks before slowly exhaling. “How are you my lovey?” he asked calling her by one of his affectionate pet names. He used pet names for most of his friends, mostly he called them dears, but for Emilie he called her 'lovey' because he could.

[EMILIE GRACE BENNETT]

" Well, then in that case Mr. Thorne," she said taking a step away and walking to her large personal shelves of books. Emilee was a bookworm to a T. She always kept her books in order by the author's name, and there were 5 shelves full of books. She skimmed her fingers over the multiple bound books, stopped her finger on a large book with ' Chaucer' written on the side. She pulled it off the shelf and slowly walked back to him and handed the book to him. " You don't have to read all of it, but just a few of his works, and let me know what you think." She leaned against the desk next to him, and rest her hand right next to his. " Next to Shakespeare, Chaucer is one of my favorite English literature writers. I wrote my dissertation on him in college while I stayed went to Cambridge for a semester. That was a challenge to say the least. He's written many works such as Book of the Duchess, his earlier works were Anelide and Arcite and The House of Fame, but his most well known work is of course Canterbury Tales. I don't expect you to read all those," she said laughing and blushed a little.

" Oh, Bunson is your hero then, is it? Well grade a few papers for me, and I will be forever in your debt. I won't tell," she teased and smiled. " This is what I get when I assign so many essays and papers so close together. I blame myself," she said and stood back up and stood close front of him and rested her hands on her sides. She crinkled her nose and sighed, " I've been alright, just trying to get caught up on work here. My brother is finally coming home from being overseas, so I will get the chance to see him next week. I also ran into an old friend of mine from where I grew up. Turns out, he teaches over at the high school. Small world, right!." she smiled and rested her palms on his knees.

[CASPER JARED THORNE]

He watched as she moved away and had to admit she was beautiful. He sighed and looked at the shelves. Whistling lightly under his breath he chuckled. "How many books do you need my lovey?" He asked softly though he was amused by her collection he was in no way making fun of her. He thought it was sweet that she had so many books. His shelves were filled with different gadgets and science related bits, but he had a few books. Frankenstein was one he had.

"Chaucer, Chaucer, Chaucer” he repeated to himself, the name was beginning to ring a bell. He figured he might have briefly studied the man during his time at the Academy. “Right, I'll be sure to read one of those” he laughed, and placed a hand on her cheek “Bless ya, you're blushing” he chuckled.

“Bunsen is my hero yes” he laughed, “He's responsible for the Bunsen Burner, which is like needed for everything in Chemistry” he told her. “Gimme a couple and I'll get them back to you as soon as possible” he said. “Why did you do that?” he asked then added “assign so many essays?” he didn't often assign essays, he mostly gave the students research tasks to do, so his marking was never too heavy unless he had tests to give out. He licked his lips then smiled brightly at her.

“That sounds great, how long has he been away?” Casper asked. He grinned “Small world indeed” he chuckled. “What's this old friends name then?” he asked him. He blinked as he felt a pressure on his knee and glanced down, before laughing at his shock. He placed his hand atop of hers and gently rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. He was a pretty affectionate person when he wanted to be.

[EMILIE GRACE BENNETT]

Emilee leaned against her desk next to Casper and looked at her books. Many of those books she's had ever since high school and college. She looked at her books and thought, how many books did she really have? She actually never took the time to count them. She crinkled her nose and replied," I honesty don't know how many I have. I've just been accumulating books here and there since high school. It's really just my own personal library," she said and looked at him when she blushed and he gently touched her cheek. The warmth from his hand would make her cheeks grow rosier. She stuttered and said " I...I think I have about over a hundred books," she said softly and looked into his eyes.

He gave her a short history about Bunson and she cringed. " The last time I handled a bunson burner was in high school chemistry. My partner was careless and left it on, so when I reached across to pick up something it burned my skin. See," she said and pointed out a small scar that was on her wrist. It was very faded, so honestly you couldn't tell if you just happened to glance at it. She handed him a few essays and laughed at herself, " I like to push my students to be better and also it keeps them on their toes. Bad thing for me, because then they all come back at once and just clutters my desk." She told him that her brother had been overseas for 2 years, and actually was coming home as a surprise for their mother's birthday. " His name is Oliver Trent. We grew up together, and went to the same school. We ran in totally different social circle, but we got placed in a project group together and just clicked," she said. She looked at him and tried not to make any noises when he rubbed the back of her hand. She looked at him and felt his warm breath on her face.