Back to School ((September 1915))

[amanika]

One more lesson and he was free for the afternoon! Tugger couldn't wait, he'd been back in high school less than a day and was aready wishing it was his last. He sloped into the lab and quickly chose a seat near the back of the room, dumping his books on the workstation in front of him and immidiately glancing at the clock before looking down again for something to do with his paws, surpressing a desire to fiddle with the gas taps.

He didn't look up as the other ninth graders filed in, fresh from graduating middle school and still looking a little nervous. At least they hadn't seemed to twig he'd been here a year already; he'd mostly kept himself to himself. Though there had been a few raised eyebrows from teachers each time they had called his name when taking attendance, several that had risen further, when they realised he was actually present. But Tugger had promised Macavity he'd show up for all his classes, for the first week or so at least. He knew Macavity was trusting him, and just yet, it wasn't a promise he would break. Though so far he was failing to see what difference it made, in his eyes, nothing had changed here.

[victoriousscarf]

Mistoffelees slid into the room, almost, almost running late. He had been held up asking the last teacher about something, only realizing how close it was to the start of the final class when the other class room had almost filled up. Glancing around, he found the nearest empty seat at one of the lab tables, not sparing his companion much thought.

Pulling his supplies out of the bag, he glanced at the other tom, blinked to take in his appearance and looked back at his notebook.

[amanika]

Tugger's glance at the cat who'd sat down next to him was about as disinterested, then he turned back to slouching at the desk, only straigtening himself a little when their teacher walked in and started to take attendance.

"Hollister."

"Here sir."

"Mmm, still here I see." was the remark, "Hunter."

Tugger's fur bristled, moreso as he noticed a few of the other ninth-graders turning to look at him. To think he'd nearly got through a whole day without anyone cottoning on.

[victoriousscarf]

Misto glanced over at the other at the teacher's oh so snide comment, but returned his attention to the teacher without saying anything or otherwise reacting. He winced slightly when his own name was called. Dying duck, it sounded like a dying duck...

Twirling his pencil in one paw, he rested his chin in the other paw, listening to the teacher drone on about the syllabus.

[amanika]

Tugger was chewing on the end of his own pencil, the amount of tooth-marks suggesting this was somewhat of a habit, his tail flicking idly behind him in a combination of boredom and irritation.

He glanced up at the clock, it seemed to be taking forever for the second hand to move, he was beginning to think that it went backwards every other tick.

[victoriousscarf]

Finally the teacher got to some information about partners for the term. He named several pairs off, saying that most people would simply be working with who they were sitting next to, though the teacher broke up several pairs. He stopped in front of Tugger and Misto's table.

"Ah, Mr. Quaxo, I wanted to talk to you about this."

Misto blinked at him and then the tom next to him. "Um. Yes?"

"Yes. I am actually rather glad you have Mr. Hollister here as a partner. I can only hope that from what I've heard about you, you can rub off on him." With that, he turned back to some other group, snapping something about proper lab behavior.

Misto blinked at that, turning to the other tom with more wariness now than before.

[amanika]

Tugger's tail swished sharply behind him, hating being talked about with a complete lack of aknowledgement to his presence. He scowled at the teacher's back, his humiliation manifesting itself as anger as he turned the glare on his new lab partner.

[victoriousscarf]

Misto blinked at that. "So," he said somewhat mildly. "Um, why am I supposed to rub off on you?" And why had the teacher gave him a look like he was making a huge sacrifice for a cause by partnering with this tom?

[amanika]

Tugger shrugged, still glaring at Mistoffelees, "You tell me. Gotta be a reason he thinks you'd be an influence." he deliberately left out the word 'good'.

[victoriousscarf]

Misto's eyebrows rose at that. Lovely. This was going to be just a joyful term. "I was the top of my class for the last three years?" he said, offering a reason for why he might be considered an influence, good preferably.

[amanika]

"Figures. Enjoy bein' stuck with me then." great, this was all he needed.

[victoriousscarf]

Misto frowned at that. "I... Are you always this cranky? Because if so, this is going to be a very long term. Also, I'm hardly worried about having a dead weight partner as long as you at least show up. And I hardly know if you're a dead weight partner at this point anyway, so what is your problem?"

[amanika]

Wow, whatever answer Tugger had expected, it hadn't been that. For a moment, he was dumbstruck, before finally manageing, "It's the first day of term, I think I'm entitled t'be a little cranky."

[victoriousscarf]

Misto glanced away, back to the front of the room, though the teacher hadn't returned up there yet. "Really? I tend to be crankier at the end of term myself, since there's so much work shoved on us at that point."

[amanika]

Tugger snorted, "It ain't the work that makes me cranky, it's the bleedin' teachers."