fandomhigh | Cooking 101, Tuesday, Period 1

Karla was absolutely devastated that the first day of classes was devoted to introductions and that she wouldn't be cooking. She'd been planning to get to the school early and whip something up for the class to nibble on while they did introductions, but Cook had kept her late with questions about an upcoming banquet and then Warren had needed her help choosing a suit and then Nyles had pestered her about a trip he wanted to take with her friends and by the time her family was done with her, she was barely making it to class on time to begin with.

Weird that.

Cook, at least, had handed her a basket of nutcakes to hand out, so at least no one had to starve during her class.

"Hello, students," she said as the class filed in. "Welcome to Cooking 101. This being our first week, we're doing introductions as per Fandom custom. Those of you who are new to the island, yes, you will do this every day this week and for every semester you're here. I'm Karla, graduate of FH Class of 2013, and we were doing introductions then, too."

She grinned at them. "So, today, I'm going to ask you the basics: names, grades, favorite foods, anything specific you're looking to learn in class. I've been cooking for years now - got started in the dorms in fact - so I'm pretty sure that we'll be able to handle anything you're looking to learn."

That was very optimistic of you Karla. As was the idea that you could cook in the first place.

"And, in the last half-hour of class, you're gonna make your favorite fast, go-to meal. Whatever you make when you need to eat, but you don't have much time. Eggs, cereal, a sandwich, whatever! But at the end of the class, I want you to have prepared something you can show to the class." She held up her basket. "Feel free to have a nutcake while you make your introductions!"

See, naysayers! One class down and no disasters! She was so good at this!

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Karla wasn't grinding her teeth. That sound was something else entirely.

"I'm sorry you lost her," she said, since she could hear (and see and sense) the grief that Nell still carried at Leah's loss. "She sounds like she was quite dear to you."

Nell nodded. "Yes, ma'am, she surely was. I took care of her the last three years of her life and she was 'most always kind to me. I miss her a lot."

"The last three years?" Karla asked. "Darling, how long have you been married for?"

...Probably not what she should be getting from this, but oh well.

"Three years, ma'am," Nell said. "That's partly why they offered to have me marry John - so I could help take care of Leah in her illness and do what needed done for John that she couldn't do no - any - more."

She was trying to think more about her words. No sense sounding like she was a churchwoman if she didn't have to.

"Why couldn't John take care of Leah?" Karla asked. "She was his wife, after all."

She wanted to know which duties specifically these people thought a twelve year old should take over, but that was just going to lead to a charred hole in the ground where Nell's village once stood, so...

"In the church, men don't do that kind of thing. Women do. So he needed someone to help her. And he saved me from the colonel who's a nasty perverted man who wanted me for a junior wife or his concubine." Nell shrugged. "My parents would have given me to him, but John and Leah offered to have him marry me. And said I wouldn't have to do my wifely duties till I was fifteen."

Frost spun out over Karla's desk at the term 'wifely duties' but Karla smoothly stepped in front of it to keep Nell from noticing. Had any of the boyos - or even her old friends from school - been present though, they would have immediately braced for trouble.

"Fifteen is still a child," she said, deliberately keeping her voice even. "And twelve is an abomination."

Calling it in advance. Nell was going to go home to a charred and smoking ruin with a ribbon around a tree and a banner that read Surprise!

"Not goin' to argue with that there," Nell said quietly. "It's why I told the Colonel to his face that I wasn't gonna marry him and just what I thought of him. But iffen John and Leah hadn't offered for me right quick, well... there was no where I could go or anyone to turn to. They saved me. And they been good to me."

Cooking 101, Tuesday, Period 1

Re: Introductions

Re: Introductions

Re: Introductions

Re: Introductions

Re: Introductions

Re: Introductions

Re: Introductions

Re: Introductions