Hello Again, Sir {s/t - complete}

What About Now?: 14.

                “Okay, so I want to look at the structure of fairy tales and how many stories are based on them.”

                “I thought we were studying Romeo and Juliet this term?”

                “We will.” I reassured my student. “But right now I want you to all see if there is a pattern. We only have five minutes of class left and tomorrow is Friday, you all have a day off. Please.”

                A few people cheered when I mentioned that they had the day off but someone snorted and I frowned as I looked across the classroom, towards the middle of the room where the noise came from and sent a flat look at Hanna when I realised it had been her. “Is there something wrong, Miss. Franz?”

                “I don’t know,” she challenged, “you tell me.”

                “Do you have a problem with this lessons line of work?”

                “Yes.” She said tartly.

                I set myself upright from leaning on the desk. “Is that so? Would you mind telling us why?”

                “Oh come on, A-Mr. Clarke. They’re all the same vindictive, stupid, sick minded stories. There are no happy endings. Each and every story is about a girl in some kind of trouble with a villain trying to upset them and the prince charming comes to rescue her. Boo-hoo. I’m sure they would survive on their own.”

                “Well,” I replied, clearing my throat, “you certainly told us a pattern. But you are right. There is always a damsel in distress and a hero.”

                “You forgot the other thing.”

                “No I didn’t. I assume you are going to mention a nefarious plot.”

                “Yes.” She replied, narrowing her eyes. “Looks like it’s not just the villains that have nefarious plots.”

                “Could you please elaborate…?” I said sarcastically. “I don’t think we’re on the same page.”

                “Well let’s say the princes are usually following the “damsel’s in distress” then they’ll stalking them. That’s a wicked thing to do, stalk someone. So aren’t the prince charming’s usually up to some nefarious plot as well? Because nothing lasts forever so what’s the point of getting obsessive and chasing the girl when in the end all they’re going to do it break the girl’s heart. That’s the sick parts about these stories.”

                I clenched my jaw. Now Hanna was being out of line, suggesting that I was following Hanna to this college, all of a wicked plan to be near her when really it was just a coincidence. She would not turn this around on me in front of my own class. I didn’t mean for what happened in the motel room. “H—”

                “What does nefarious mean?” Sophie asked raising her hand as someone else cleared their throat, obviously feeling the tension in the air that something wasn’t right.
                I snapped my head away from Hanna to look at the rest of the class and then letting out a long breath of air, looked at Sophie. “It means extremely wicked or villainous; characterized by injustice. Iniquitous.” 

                “Well Hanna Franz,” A student said from the front of the room, “certainly has a nefarious plot. Don’t you?”