The Academy In My Head

School Rules.... NOT

Sean collapsed down on Owen's couch and sighed softly, rubbing his hands over his eyes.

"Long day, hmm?" Owen arched an eyebrow at his best friend.

"You have no idea."

"I might." Owen shrugged.

"Maybe not." Sean sat up and looked at him. "You have Sang in class. One class a day." He pointed at him. "These kids are horrible. I don't think I was ever that way and the boys were never that way. Holy crap, Owen. The kids at this school are like every reason somewhere out in the wild some animals eat their young."

Owen's lips twitched. "Really, Dr. Green. Do tell, oh by all means, do tell me all of it." He said, leaning forward in interest as he watched Sean.

Sean eyed him for a long moment. "Have we ordered dinner yet?"

"No, but even better, Erica gave me a pan of lasagna when I stopped by today." He said.

"Why'd you go over there?" Sean's attention was diverted.

"Checking in on Miss Sorenson, of course." Owen said. Sean raised an eyebrow at him. "Fine, yes, I was casing the neighborhood in case some other 16 year old girl needs an Academy rescue." He rolled his eyes at his best friend. "And then Jessica saw me and had a few book questions."

"And being the hero to her that you are, you jumped all over the chance to see her and Erica was home and foisted dinner off on you."

"Don't knock it. She makes great lasagna." Owen said. "And she sent garlic knots and a salad." He said.

"Sounds good. Is that all?"

"There may or may not have been an apple pie included but it comes with the admonishment that she wants you to stop by soon. She's got a few questions for you about something you were talking about with her before school started."

"Of course." Sean nodded. "I mean, that's cool if she gave us pie." He shrugged.

Owen snorted and smirked at him. "I know you tell her anything she wants to know for pie." He said.

"I'm wounded by that statement." Sean clutched his chest. "Like I tell her just anything she wants to know."

Owen tilted his head and adjusted his glasses as he looked patiently at Sean.

"Fine, maybe I do. But you do too." He said.

"Not for apple pie."

Sean rolled his eyes. "No, peach pie for you. And maybe a wide eyed adoring look from Jessica."

Owen frowned. "I wouldn't say I tell her everything." He shrugged. "She's been a good friend to us. You know it as well as I do that she's pretty much the mom they all needed for their entire lives. It's exactly why Uncle and Dr. Roberts were so encouraging of us to go after the boys. They knew that Erica would question what needed to be questioned and agree to things but be the parent that we all needed at that point."

"True." Sean said quietly. "To be honest, I do sort of wish she was my mom too."

Owen smiled. "I know. She does see us at least as part of her family and as much as she's gone mama bear on us to protect them, she goes mama bear to protect us too from other people."

Sean smiled as he remembered the time that Erica had actually pulled a mama bear attitude on his mom and boy, bear vs tiger was actually a very interesting battle to be sure. Even if his mama-san insisted that tiger moms were Chinese and not Japanese so it was not an appropriate title for her. "Yeah, she's good for us." He said softly.

"So. Back to your long day with the students who should have been eaten in the wild by their mothers...?"

Sean groaned. "It was just one of those days but I swear... I should just let Sang teach the class because at least the notes that would be taken would be appropriate. Not just some sheaf of notebook paper that Victor ends up confiscating and passing off to North in the hallways."

Owen shook his head. "I wonder if we have enough pull to institute a no note writing and passing in class rule that would be over the entire school."

"Probably not but that gives me an idea. I'll make it a classroom rule on Monday and say that if there are any non Japanese notes passed around, I'm destroying them and making paper unnecessary in my classroom."

"Not sure how you'll pull that one off but if anyone can, it'll be you." Owen said encouragingly as he got up from his chair. "Want to come toss the salad Erica sent home?" he asked. "Lasagna should be about ready and the garlic knots don't take long."

"Sure." Sean said, getting up and rubbing his hand over his eyes again as he followed Owen into the kitchen. Tossing a salad was one of the few meal preparation tasks he always could handle. "Remind me to thank my parents this week when I talk to them." He said.

"Why's that?" Owen asked as he washed his hands and got ready to take care of the garlic knots.

"Because I always resented the fact that they told me I had to be a doctor instead of letting me be a teacher the way I wanted to." Sean said. "I think by the end of this year, if we've all survived it, I will be so glad that it was a temporary thing. These kids don't spend any time trying to learn anything you want to teach them." He shook his head. "Such a waste of time."

Owen's lips tilted up in a slight smile. "Except for our family and Miss Sorenson, of course." He said.

"True. And maybe a few others beyond them but it's a pretty slim list." Sean said as he grabbed the salad and dressing from the fridge.

(Fade...)