( eric ) i want to be a crystal baller,

[madelinenolan]

The teenager let out an almost inaudible sigh as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her gaze frequently flitting up to the clock fastened high on the east wall of her French classroom. Ms. Riter was droning on about the homework they were to complete for the following day, but she could hardly bring herself to listen. Not with the way that clock was taunting her. The minute hand was creeping agonizingly slow, lingering just two black lines left of the twelve, teetering on the edge as though it wanted to move forth but some invisible force was holding it back. Some one hundred seconds later, it struck, prompting the eruption of a loud bell, followed by the quick rustling of clothing and papers as the students scrambled to collect their bearings, their minds after that long period of foreign language, eager to return to the English speaking world where the rules of grammar were deemed optional and slang was aplenty.

But none were more eager to escape the clutches of the classroom than Madeline Nolan. It wasn’t as though she didn’t enjoy her French class; actually, foreign languages were her forte. French was her most prominent language but she was well on her way to being fluent in Spanish and Italian as well. Her goals were ones that could not be satisfied in America alone- hell, she hadn’t even narrowed down all of her goals. All she knew was that they were going to send her all over the world and she wanted to be prepared for that moment. That moment when she’d get her ticket out- whether it came in the form of a semester abroad, or a magic influx of money, or even just a guy willing to whisk her away for a year. She was biding her time in school, really. It was just another option, another way, and she was waiting.

Because, in all honesty, Maddie never really felt happy in America. She was surrounded by ignorance and fast food and she wanted out. She only liked a handful of people, anyways. There was her father, who was the only family she had anymore- her mother had taken her five year old brother and walked out, proclaiming that there was no hope left in the house. Mads couldn’t disagree. If her mother didn’t love her enough to stick around, then there wasn’t much hope left for her. All she really had was her boyfriend, but even he was starting to turn on her. Too many harsh things were said in his presence, and they didn't even come from her, for the most part. He just made her sad, now. She had a couple of friends, sure. But if she had to pick one friend whose company she genuinely enjoyed, it was someone that she probably shouldn’t have considered a friend at all. Mr. Parker (or Eric, as she insisted on calling him), her math teacher, was probably the closest thing she had to a “best friend”. Perhaps it was because they matched each other in maturity and weren’t all that far apart in age. A few years, but what was a few years when you got along with someone, right? He was new to the school but she found that she’d quickly taken to his teaching methods and personal nature, enjoying his class and the times she spent hanging out with him after school.

In his classroom, of course. Elsewhere would have been highly inappropriate and frowned upon. Not that she cared, really, but she figured that he might object.

It helped that he was good looking, too- but she tried not to let that one get to her head.

He was precisely who she was so eager to see. It probably wasn’t healthy, how much time she invested in that classroom, but at this point she couldn’t help it. She’d lost a dangerous amount of weight since her mother had left and she’d dived far too much into her school work, that she thought it was only healthy that she enjoyed at least a little human interaction. Her boyfriend probably should have counted, but honestly, he was just the only one that stuck through it all- he was there when her mother left, he stayed with her while she cried, while she went through the proper stages of grieving. She wasn’t the same person anymore, and most people didn’t stick out the transition. But he did, which earned him enough for her to want him around. But it wasn’t the same, not really. At least he was the only person who knew what really happened.

Today, though, she needed a break, and was headed off to Eric's because he always seemed to have time for her, provided he wasn’t busy tutoring a student. She shifted her bag further up her shoulder and folded her arms over her stomach, quickening her pace as she weaved in and out of the clumps of her peers, all of which oblivious to their surroundings. C’est la vie. She quickened her pace until she found herself in the comfortable, familiar environment, which she’d frequented enough to know that knocking wasn’t a necessity. At least where she was concerned.

She entered further, shutting the door behind her. “Don’t tell me you’re busy,” she piped up, tucking a lock of red hair delicately behind her ear while a smirk appeared on her face, “Then again, you’re never busy, not really.” She set her bag down and took a seat atop the edge of his desk, not really bothering to worry about whether or not she was imposing in on anything. “So, what’s up? Working hard? Hardly working? Just plain tired of my cliché, unfunny jokes? Any combination of the above?” Her smirk softened into a genuine grin and she tugged down on the hem of her off white dress, which was fastened tight around her by a black belt modeled for fashion.

[katy2]

If Eric had been asked when he was a kid what he was going to be when he grew up, he would’ve give a simple answer: a superhero. Just like any young boy, he had delusions of growing up to be just like Superman. To be like the men he read about in comics that were able to stop bad things from happening and never seemed to get hurt. He wanted to be just like him. Now that he was actually old enough to have an established career, the desire to be a superhero was not longer in the forefront of his mind. Though, if he thought about it, that was still something he desired. He’d be lying if he said that he felt like he was in control. Everything at the moment was crazy. Alina had been talking more about marriage; sure, subtle hints here and there but Eric knew that it would be more than that soon. On top of that, with his mother’s recent passing he certainly hadn’t given himself proper time to mourn. He was going full speed ahead without signs of stopping because he couldn’t possible let someone see he was close to the edge.

Work offered a release from all of that. He was certainly no Superman, but at least he had a bit of control. He had the opportunity to make a difference once he stepped foot into the high school; something he didn’t have the power to do elsewhere. Change; impact; empower. All of that was possible; all of it could be done… in the right setting. No matter how much he wished that bled over into other areas, he was completely stuck. It was one reason that his classroom had become his second home. Working was a way to focus on something that didn’t have an overly devastating effect on his life. He could sit there all night and grade papers if he wanted too… or, at least until they kicked him out and locked the doors. Until then, he had at least some amount of quiet time.

By the time he finished his last lesson for the day, he was already thinking about whether or not he would head home or stay late. The latter option sounded more appealing, especially so once he looked down at his phone to see a text from Alina that read “Going to be home soon? Hoping to talk about plans.” If that wasn’t a loaded text, he didn’t know what was. Discussing plans sounded far more intimating than he needed to make it, but he couldn’t help it. Sliding back down into his chair, he let out a deep sigh and dropped his head into his hands. Muttering lightly under his breath, he ran a hand over his face before leaning back. His gaze remained glued to the phone that was now discarded on his desk; the text left unanswered for the time being. Eventually, he would have to reply or she’d get worried. Even if he wasn’t ready to commit his life to the woman, he didn’t want to cause unnecessary problems. He couldn’t punish her because he was failing in the authoritative department. But, damn, it was hard.

Pushing open a folder on his desk, he tried to get himself to focus on the paper in front of him. It really didn’t matter how many times he looked over the first sentence, it didn’t register in his mind. His eyes were seeing, but he didn’t comprehend a thing. It was times like this that he truly wished for those childhood dreams to come true. If he’d been Superman, the world could’ve easily been turned back. Time could’ve been halted. Something could’ve been changed. He wouldn’t have been so damn powerless to do anything and, maybe, his mother would’ve still been alive. Maybe he wouldn’t be in the current mess with his girlfriend… hell, maybe he wouldn’t have even been with his girlfriend. He didn’t really know. There was no way to know what would have happened because, at the end of the day he could dream all he wanted, but he was still just Eric Parker. Superman was saved for the comic books; a fantasy that taunted him with the stability that he wanted. Instead of granting that wish, it left him grasping at straws and realizing that he had no hope of catching them.

At the end of the day, this was all there was. Papers to grade, belongs to sort through, and problems to suppress with everything he could.

There was that… and there were also the people that cared about him. The ones that he kept close; or tried too. Whether or not he chose to acknowledge their presence half the time, they were there and they hadn’t gone anywhere. Although he wasn’t familiar with too many people in Capeside, the ones he did know where ones that he had gotten friendly with over the last year and a half. Though most teachers would associate their students among their lot of friends, Eric found it easy to relate to them; or, at least to the seniors. Sure, he was a good eight years older than most of them, if not more, but that really wasn’t that much of a gap if one were too really think about it. Considering he had siblings that were well over ten years his senior, the eight years didn’t seem all that much of a gap to Eric. He didn’t share personal information, but they were at least there. And that counted for something. As his mind started to dwell on that concept, there was a voice in the doorway that jerked him out of his thoughts.

He hadn’t caught what it said, but as soon as he looked up he realized that he didn’t mind all that much. Madeline Nolan stood in the doorway, a pleasant little smile slipping across her face and her red hair falling perfectly over her face. Swallowing quickly and plastering on a quick smile, he started to stand up. Common courtesy, he would call it. Once she started speaking again, his eyes dropped to her lips and he focused on her voice. Though he doubted what he heard was how she really sounded, he thought it was nice, regardless. He would’ve motioned her in and welcomed her, but she made herself at home anyway. It wasn’t all that uncommon. She tended to wander in there after school at some point, whether it was for actual math help or just for a quick chat. It was something that he’d come to expect, honestly; something he looked forward too on most occasions. It was times like this that he had to remind himself that she was a student and he was the teacher. As much as he depended on the consistency that their meetings offered, there were still boundaries to be followed… whether or not he felt like it.

Once she sat herself on his desk, he lowered himself back into his chair and did his best to keep the smile on his face. It was easier than normal, now that she was actually in the room. Without having at least something good there was no reason to smile. “Working hard… trying too, at least.” His hand motioned absentmindedly at the few folders sitting on the desk containing a few quizzes and several other odds and ends he had to take care of. “And not at all… I think your jokes are funny.” Clearing his throat a bit, his gaze dropped towards his cell phone once more before he refocused on Madeline. “Is there something I can do for you, Maddy?”

Tag;; Madeline Nolan / Ashley <3
Words;; 1,281 ... Sorry for length. xD /swept away.
Wearing;; Life Goes On
Notes;; WHOO. Go them~

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