fandomhigh | Child Development- 1st Period- Class #5

The class was in the Danger Shop again, though the cribs were gone. Today the room looked very much like an indoor play area full of toys and games.

For a long moment after the bell rang, Lily just stared at the class.

Then she let out a heavy sigh and said, "I had to have a class where I have to talk today, didn't I? Okay, look, if you're in the same boat I am, you just want to do what you need to do and get out before telling the cute guy you've been staring at you like him or something, or whatever kids do these days when they're supposed to be listening to the lectures. So. We are covering ages two and three today. You know this as the terrible twos. Kids are running, jumping, climbing trees, and yelling 'no' at you a lot. They're a lot like teenagers that way.

"You have handouts, look at them instead of listening," she said, passing them out. She was also talking really quickly, like it was the speed of her speech and not so much what she said that might stop her from yelling something like "SOCK" out in the middle of class. "You're going to have fake toddlers in class today. You each get one, and you get to take care of him or her for the class period. Good luck with that, I made them especially annoying."

She covered her mouth with her hand and said, "And don't forget to clean up after them before you go."

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"You." Francine pointed. If by pointed you meant stabbed a finger at his chest in a way that would connect if he didn't stop her. "Are a meaniehead."

...She hadn't exactly intended that to come out so...well, toddlerly, but what the heck. Direct is good, right?

Emmett didn't mind her poking him in the chest. It would end up hurting her more than him and, anyway, it was just adorable. Look at her angry badger face.

"A meaniehead?" Emmett asked, not being able to contain his grin. "That hurts, chick I don't know."

Francine stared at her finger. "Really? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to poke you that hard." She blinked. "...I got distracted there."

She blinked more, because she so totally hadn't planned on admitting that. When in doubt, badgerface. "I'm Francine, and you were mean to Merlin. You gave him that dvd and didn't tell him what it was, and then everybody laughed at him or got embarrassed or both, and his ears turned red which I'll admit is kind of cute, but it was mean. And now everybody's calling him Porn Guy!"

Emmett burst out laughing. "Porn Guy? Really? Oh, man, that's hilarious!"

He caught look at the badgerface and did his best to regain a little bit of composure. He was still grinning like an idiot though, even if he did stop laughing.

"Look, um, Francine. I already explained it all to Ears," Emmett said. "It was just a joke. Just a little prank."

"It was a mean prank!" she countered. "And it could've caused serious injury when we cracked our heads together trying to find the batteries to the remote to turn the stupid tv off! And I didn't mean to tell you that!"

Oh what the...

"What the heck?"

Oh dear lord, Ears' girlfriend was insane. As if the kid didn't have enough problems.

"...There's really no such thing as a nice prank," Emmett said after a moment, thinking she was what'ing him over the porn thing still.

"Sure there is. You could break into people's rooms and leave cookies on their beds. Or make all the water fountains run with Pepsi or something, except the island probably already did that." Francine deflated slightly. "...I got distracted again. And I keep saying stuff out loud that I didn't mean to."

"Are you drunk, Badg--Francine?" Emmett asked. Because that'd be cool if she was.

"No, I'm not drunk! The only time I've ever been drunk was that one weekend when I gave Chuck the lapdance and ran through town naked. Oh GOD what is wrong with me?" She buried her face in her hands.

"Lapdance, nice," Emmett said approvingly. "You should give Ears a lapdance."

And now Francine's ears were turning red. "What? I'd never do that unless we knew each other a lot better or I was really drunk or possessed! Oh God, why can't I stop talking?"

"Because you're insane?" Emmett suggested.

"I might be. It runs in my family," Francine admitted, then banged her forehead into her hand. "But I don't usually say this much stupid stuff."

"If it makes you feel any better, the stupid stuff you're saying is really funny," Emmett said.

"A little, but that also makes me feel dumb because I didn't mean it to be."

"Oh," he said, frowning slightly. He didn't mean to make her feel dumb. "I don't think you're dumb. Just insane."

"That really does make me feel better," Francine said, smiling slightly. "I'm know I'm not exactly a genius, but I hate people thinking I'm stupid just 'cause it takes me a while to figure stuff out."

Beat.

Beat.

"Oh, this is the telling cute boys you were staring at them thing!"

"What telling cute boys you were staring at them thing?" he asked. Not only was Emmett slow, he didn't pay attention during lectures.

"The thing Ms. Aldrin said about wanting to get out before she started telling boys she liked them. Or before we did. Something like that. I was mostly paying attention, but I was also working up the nerve to come over here and yell at you, 'cause you're really tall and kind of intimidating."

Which is saying something coming from a girl who's 5 foot 10.

"Ohhhhhhhh," Emmett said, catching up slowly. "I don't think I'm having that sort of problem. Thank god. I have radio tonight and I don't want to blurt out anything stupid."

Or anything about drinking blood. That too.

Cue eye-bugging. "Oh my god, please don't say anything about the lapdance stuff on radio!"

"You know I can't guarantee that," Emmett told her even though he probably wouldn't say anything.

"I don't want Merlin to think I'm easy!" she wailed. "...Even though I kind of am, maybe."

Emmett stared at her for a moment.

"Whoa."

"Not like that! I've never been easy except when everybody was crazy and I thought I was a stripper. I just mean I might be, for a boy I really liked." Not. Helping. "...I hate today."

Edited 2009-02-04 03:19 (UTC)

Re: During the lecture

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