Episode 10

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"They look like a chain gang!" Melissa quipped to John as she came out of the mess hall with a cooler full of water bottles

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"They look like a chain gang!" Melissa quipped to John as she came out of the mess hall with a cooler full of water bottles.

"Just learning the value of hard work!" John replied with a smile while accepting the offered beverage. "Storm knocked the fence down, everyone has to pitch in and put it back up."

"Yeah," Melissa agreed but her eyes strayed off to a particular pair of her students. "Do you think they took our little talk seriously this morning?"

"I do," John said as he followed her gaze. "They're both smart young men. They know the consequences if they mess up. Plus, we won't earn Stiles' trust if we don't show any faith in him..."

"Suppose you're right about that one. Any luck hearing back from that investor of yours? These repairs are going to add up!" Melissa tried to inject some positivity into the question and winced when she failed.

"Not yet, but the phone lines have only been operational for the past hour, and half of the students' parents have been calling to check in on them."

"Only half." Melissa shook her head. "And that's part of the problem."

John shot a questioning gaze up at her. Melissa knew it wasn't like her to be so pessimistic, but it had been a long night and the more she watched over the common room full of sleeping students, the more she thought about how each and every one of them ended up there in the first place.

She needed some sunshine and some good news, but instead she had to tell two of her boys that they would be pulling extra clean up duty for sneaking out and threatening to separate them permanently if they couldn't respect the no inappropriate contact rule. It was especially difficult because deep down she felt that Derek might just be the best thing Stiles had going for him and that just maybe, Stiles could get Derek to open up about the loss of his family in turn. Derek was going to need the support too, with his uncle coming up in just a few days.

"Hey, Mel!" John said brightly. "It'll all work out, it always does. Why don't you take your group over to the rock wall after lunch? Classes are canceled today, take advantage of it!"

"The grounds are a mess."

"And we'll get it straightened up in no time," John assured her. "Your group's been helping all morning, go have some fun!"

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