fandomhigh | Living on the Outskirts, Friday, Period 2

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living on the outskirts

Living on the Outskirts, Friday, Period 2

When the students made their way to the classroom for Jonothon's first ever class on the island (and really, what the hell had he been thinking when he had decided he could do this?!) they'd see that the setup for the room was a little on the informal side. Jono had given up on desks, having decided that they were anathema in a class that was supposed to be about making antisocial teens just get over themselves and socialize, already. In their place, sofas. Loveseats. A few bean-bag chairs if people so desired.

And a requisite shadowy corner. Big enough for one. Because he was a brat and wanted to see if any of his students would give one another dirty looks over it. He liked to think he knew their type, for some reason or other.

"Congratulations. If you're here, you've either decided that you're sick of standing in the shadowy corners, or else whoever it is that wrote your schedule for you has decided that you need to get the hell out of them. If it's the former, I hope I don't disappoint. If it's the latter, then I hope you don't disappoint. If you haven't noticed by now just by looking at me, yes, I do have some passing experience with not quite fitting in among my peers." Understatement was fun and educational! "My name is Jonothon Starsmore. You may call me Professor Starsmore if you wish, though I'll likely give you a strange look for it. Jono is just fine, informal though it might be. Everyone else calls me that, you might as well too."

Why mess with something if it worked, right?

"An entire week of classes is nearly out of the way, and I'm certain you're all sick and bloody tired of introductions, but there are half a million of you in here, and I'm going to need to know what to call you if you want to get an attendance mark and pass this course." This course on playing nice with others, yes. "So. Names. Year, if you feel so inclined. And a little something about what it is I'm to be working with, here. Tell me what it is that you feel puts you on the outskirts. Why you feel as though you'll never quite fit in, or what makes your life harder than everyone else's. You're most likely all teenagers. There's a good start. I haven't met a teenager yet who doesn't feel at least slightly as though their life is a ball of misery and darkness so bleak that the sun might never shine through the despair that simply waking from day to day brings them. I know how it works. I used to be a teen, myself. And what you share with the class doesn't have to be anything utterly horrible. If your biggest complaint is that you have to sit here and listen to a large grey British man lecture you about what it's like to be a teen, then that will do just fine."

His grin took on a slightly playful twist to it, perhaps a little in spite of himself.

"And then I want you to talk with your classmates, the people who have just introduced themselves to you, and give them one bright side. Even if that bright side is just that they woke up this morning with all of their body parts still attached.

"Oh, and..." Jono glanced at his class roster. "Surreal and Cade. Congratulations. You have been selected at random for the right to complain that you've just been drafted into a semester of extra responsibility as my TAs. If it's any consolation, that means you get to sit in the recliners near the back of the room, today."

Lucky them.

[Open!]

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Rapunzel started with a hesitant smile and a little finger wave at Jono. She wondered if he remembered her. Or recognized her, really.

"Um," she said after a moment, "I'm Rapunzel? I'm a senior." It was weird how only a year ago the word hadn't made any sense when other people had used the word during introductions, but now it seemed (almost) natural.

"And I guess my big complaint is that I still haven't managed to find a way to get home." And while that still made her pensive and sad, she was working on focusing on the positive sides of things, and managed not to fall into a little spiral of introspection.

"Um... that's it?"

"Home," Jono replied, nodding in understanding, and perhaps a bit of recognition, as well. He remembered the sentiment from another timeline, if not the hair. "I wonder if this is a case of the island grabbing somebody away and insisting that they stick around through graduation? It's done that before, that I've seen."

"Really?" Rapunzel hadn't actually heard that suggestion yet. She smiled just a bit, the expression ghosting around her lips. "That would be nice."

Then she drew herself up slightly. "Though I've decided that in any case, I'm not going to let it stop me." From... whatever.

"Stop you... from graduating?"

Jono wasn't entirely certain, himself. But he was game for the conversation that might follow from asking. Which was... an accomplishment for Jono, really. Game for conversation, and all.

Rapunzel pursed her lips, brow drawing down in concentration. "No." She tried to think of the right words.

"I think I won't let it stop me from... living my life? From..." Actually, it was harder to put into words than she'd thought it would be!

"From moving forward, wherever 'forward' might lead you?"

Jonothon smiled a little, raising his brows in encouragement.

"And really, you shouldn't. Life will throw little obstacles in everybody's way, there's no escaping that. But overcoming those obstacles is a very telling thing. It shows that you're strong, that there's perhaps some measure of you that's capable of more than you had thought, before."

That got a decisive nod. It was, perhaps, a bit unpracticed, but no less determined for it.

"That's what I think I'm learning," Rapunzel agreed. "That maybe, maybe I can help people in ways I never thought of before."

And that? That right there, had Jono breaking into a grin.

She was the girl from the beach, then, not-quite-Sampson hair and all.

"That there's more to you than a touch of magic, perhaps?" He gave her an encouraging nod. He hardly expected her to recognize him, on fire as he'd been that day in that other reality. But it was good to see that she was learning these things here and now, too. "You seem like the sort who genuinely cares about those around you, Rapunzel. I'm certain there are ways you can help people that you still have yet to discover. I hope you get the opportunity to learn those things, luv. I really do."

Rapunzel grinned, not even flinching at the mention of magic. (Though she didn't say anything about it, either. She still wasn't comfortable with it not being a secret.)

"That sounds nice, actually. The idea that there are other things I can do..." Her grin flashed into something deeper: a genuine, grateful smile.

"Thank you."

Hey! Sholeh recognized that girl! From that week where things were crazy!

After she and the teacher had finished talking, Sholeh gave her a little wave and said, "I know it's nothing compared to not being able to get home, but your hair is really pretty."

Rapunzel managed a slight smile. She thought she remembered talking to the girl at one of the picnics. She mostly remembered because they'd discussed mothers, and mothers were a subject near to Rapunzel's heart.

"Thank you," she said with a smile. "I like yours, too." It looked quite a bit more manageable, for one thing.

It was, though Sholeh might be tempted to argue a bit on wet mornings. "My sister Zhahar would love to get to play with your hair if she could," Sholeh said, listening to said sister natter away. "She loves coming up with new and pretty styles for people. Uhh...too bad she's at home, though," she added quickly.

Because she was sly like that.

"Oh," Rapunzel agreed. "That is too bad." She considered. "Maybe she will visit sometime?"

"Maybe she will," Sholeh said with a strained smile. "Umm, sometime. You know, later. Certainly not anytime soon."

*Now it sounds like you hate me,* Zhahar teased.

::Shush!::

"Oh, well," Rapunzel offered a smile. "That's too bad. She sounds nice."

Then something occurred to her. "Um! Not that you aren't nice, too! I don't mean to imply that she should replace you or anything!" That wouldn't be very nice, after all.

"She is nice," Sholeh agreed with a smile to show she didn't take it the wrong way at all. "Much nicer than my other sister, who's kind of a brat."

=Hey!=

*She's right,* Zhahar said, smug.

"Younger sister?" Rapunzel guessed. Because that's who the brat always was on TV, which was where most of Rapunzel's knowledge of such things came from.

"Middle sister," Sholeh said with a sigh. "I'm the youngest."

"Oh." Rapunzel blinked, trying to reconcile that with sitcoms. "Is that hard? On TV being the youngest usually means that everyone picks on you."

"That's so true," Sholeh said, sounding almost tragic. "They do! When they're not telling you how young and silly you are and keeping secrets from you."

Rapunzel huffed, looking indignant on Sholeh's behalf. "That's just mean of them," she declared, wishing that the other girl's sisters were around so that she could tell them that herself.

"Isn't it though?" Sholeh agreed, sounding superior.

Inwardly, her sisters were snickering.

"I think it's also very childish."

After a moment, Rapunzel nodded in agreement. "You're the one with the sisters, so I'm inclined to trust your judgment," she decided with a conspiratorial sort of smile.

Re: Introductions!

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Re: Introductions!

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Re: Introductions!

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Re: Introductions!

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Re: Introductions!

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"It won't let me leave, either," Anna told the other girl. "I've heard these things usually stop after graduation?"

"It won't?" Rapunzel offered Anna a look of sympathy because she totally got that. Or, at least, she assumed it was as frustrating (and sometimes scary) for the other girl as it was for her. "Do you have any tricks for coping with it other than waiting?" Not that waiting was bad, Rapunzel could wait, she was just hoping for some other things, too.

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