SDF 83: William and the Counselor
Segment: William and the Counselor
the cast | the story list
Note: For those of you who read the cast list recently will know the title is evidence of horror. Muwhaha! Also, I have no idea what Fred is playing with in here.
William briefly wondered if he was insane. Standing in front of Mr. Ethan Rayne's classroom as the final bell of the day sounded, William had to admit that he was, indeed, insane. Yes, insanity was the perfect name for what he was suffering from, because otherwise there was no explanation. Just because Ethan was his counselor did not mean he had to actually take him up for the challenge. Ethan Rayne, school counselor? That just didn't sound right in William's ears.
"Bradshaw, please stop hovering around my door and come inside." Ethan's voice ordered from within. William paused, wondering how Ethan knew it was he, before pushing the door open and stepping up to the teacher's desk.
Ethan didn't look up from him stack of papers for a very long time. William didn't speak. It wasn't polite to interrupt people, after all. Instead, he took a moment to look at the room. He usually tried to get as far away from this classroom as possible once the bell rang, so he had never taken the time to get a good look. He was a writer, not a scientist. Chemistry was as lost on him as it was on Spike.
Behind him the door opened and a tall girl with flowing brown hair entered. Ignoring William and Ethan, she bounced to the storage room and entered it. William waited for Ethan to tell her to get lost or not to touch his stuff, but the teacher merely picked up his red pen and gave some unknown soul an F on his homework.
"Ms. Burkle, your requested items are in the back of the storage closet, second shelf." Ethan said, his voice barely above a whisper. William was rather shocked that the girl had been able to hear him, but there she was grinning broadly and lugging three jars of unknown chemicals. "Try not to blow up the school."
"Well, of course I won't, Mr. Rayne." A southern voice replied. William shifted on his feet and watched her pull on a pair of goggles.
"Now, Mr. Bradshaw, what can I do for you?" Ethan asked, looking up.
"I-I, well, I was hoping for some... Advice." William stammered, before wincing at how pathetic he sounded.
"On what?" Ethan glanced around William and at the girl. William knew her name, somewhere in his mind, but couldn't muster up the energy to remember. All of his attention was on not making a fool of himself in front of a teacher.
"Well, I have to admit that as a lower being within the hierarchy of this school, I've encountered quite a few... Bullies." William managed to say. He sounded like a walking dictionary, but at least he didn't stutter this time.
"Ah, yes, every school has them. It's part of the American life. Surely you had them at your old school?" Ethan raised an eyebrow and looked to be fighting a smirk.
"Well, yes, but... These football players are rather--"
"Allow me to inform you of something, Bradshaw." Ethan twirled his pen in one hand, making William feel just a tiny bit dizzy. "Football is almost like a religion to most American towns, especially the small ones. Boys are raised to play it and to assume those that don't are below them. Now, not all football players are like that, I'm sure... I've never seen one, but there has to be at least one oddity out there. Nonetheless, it is essential to their pride that they beat up those smaller than themselves. May I ask who you are having the most trouble with?"
"Err, Larry Blaisdale." William said.
"And his method of torment?"
"Uhh, shoving me into the lockers, stealing my homework, and he read my poetry book out loud during gym class today." William blushed heavily. While most of his work tended to be on the dark side -- he was a fan of Poe, after all -- that particular book had held what Spike called his 'Harris Devotional'.
"Hmm, sounds like a crush to me." Ethan said under his breath. William stared. "Nothing to worry about, Bradshaw. He won't get to the point of actual violence unless you provoke him."
"No offence, Mr. Rayne, but that doesn't sound very reassuring." William admitted.
"I'll file a complaint to his counselor." Ethan stated, smirking. William didn't know it, but Ethan was mostly smirking because Larry's counselor was Mr. Lorne. The thought of sending that all-male football player to the art teacher was the best thing Ethan had ever had the pleasure of imagining. Aside from Rupert Giles in nothing but a Speedo, that is.
"Thank you, sir." William said. He stood there a moment more, unsure if they were done or not.
"Ms. Burkle, you had better be wearing gloves when you open that container." Ethan said in a loud voice without even looking at the chemistry nerd.
"What is she--?" William cut himself off. It was rude to be nosey, though he really wanted to know what that girl was up to.
"I haven't the slightest clue, if you must know." Ethan informed him, shrugging. William was pretty certain that that comment made him a tad uncomfortable. How could the chemistry teacher not know what sort of experiment was going on in the back of the classroom. "Anything else, Bradshaw?"
"No, that is all." William began making his way toward the door.
"Well, darn, I don't think that was suppose to happen." The girl announced just as William was about to leave. He turned to see a large amount of green foam bubble out of her vial.
"Fred Burkle, what are you doing back there?" Ethan demanded, standing. Fred gave him a sheepish smile, before rushing toward the storage closet. She came back a moment later with another bottle, which she measured and poured into the vial. The foam liquefied.
Deciding it was best to leave the two alone, in case something exploded, William pushed through the door and let it swing shut behind him.
the cast | the story list
Note: For those of you who read the cast list recently will know the title is evidence of horror. Muwhaha! Also, I have no idea what Fred is playing with in here.
William briefly wondered if he was insane. Standing in front of Mr. Ethan Rayne's classroom as the final bell of the day sounded, William had to admit that he was, indeed, insane. Yes, insanity was the perfect name for what he was suffering from, because otherwise there was no explanation. Just because Ethan was his counselor did not mean he had to actually take him up for the challenge. Ethan Rayne, school counselor? That just didn't sound right in William's ears.
"Bradshaw, please stop hovering around my door and come inside." Ethan's voice ordered from within. William paused, wondering how Ethan knew it was he, before pushing the door open and stepping up to the teacher's desk.
Ethan didn't look up from him stack of papers for a very long time. William didn't speak. It wasn't polite to interrupt people, after all. Instead, he took a moment to look at the room. He usually tried to get as far away from this classroom as possible once the bell rang, so he had never taken the time to get a good look. He was a writer, not a scientist. Chemistry was as lost on him as it was on Spike.
Behind him the door opened and a tall girl with flowing brown hair entered. Ignoring William and Ethan, she bounced to the storage room and entered it. William waited for Ethan to tell her to get lost or not to touch his stuff, but the teacher merely picked up his red pen and gave some unknown soul an F on his homework.
"Ms. Burkle, your requested items are in the back of the storage closet, second shelf." Ethan said, his voice barely above a whisper. William was rather shocked that the girl had been able to hear him, but there she was grinning broadly and lugging three jars of unknown chemicals. "Try not to blow up the school."
"Well, of course I won't, Mr. Rayne." A southern voice replied. William shifted on his feet and watched her pull on a pair of goggles.
"Now, Mr. Bradshaw, what can I do for you?" Ethan asked, looking up.
"I-I, well, I was hoping for some... Advice." William stammered, before wincing at how pathetic he sounded.
"On what?" Ethan glanced around William and at the girl. William knew her name, somewhere in his mind, but couldn't muster up the energy to remember. All of his attention was on not making a fool of himself in front of a teacher.
"Well, I have to admit that as a lower being within the hierarchy of this school, I've encountered quite a few... Bullies." William managed to say. He sounded like a walking dictionary, but at least he didn't stutter this time.
"Ah, yes, every school has them. It's part of the American life. Surely you had them at your old school?" Ethan raised an eyebrow and looked to be fighting a smirk.
"Well, yes, but... These football players are rather--"
"Allow me to inform you of something, Bradshaw." Ethan twirled his pen in one hand, making William feel just a tiny bit dizzy. "Football is almost like a religion to most American towns, especially the small ones. Boys are raised to play it and to assume those that don't are below them. Now, not all football players are like that, I'm sure... I've never seen one, but there has to be at least one oddity out there. Nonetheless, it is essential to their pride that they beat up those smaller than themselves. May I ask who you are having the most trouble with?"
"Err, Larry Blaisdale." William said.
"And his method of torment?"
"Uhh, shoving me into the lockers, stealing my homework, and he read my poetry book out loud during gym class today." William blushed heavily. While most of his work tended to be on the dark side -- he was a fan of Poe, after all -- that particular book had held what Spike called his 'Harris Devotional'.
"Hmm, sounds like a crush to me." Ethan said under his breath. William stared. "Nothing to worry about, Bradshaw. He won't get to the point of actual violence unless you provoke him."
"No offence, Mr. Rayne, but that doesn't sound very reassuring." William admitted.
"I'll file a complaint to his counselor." Ethan stated, smirking. William didn't know it, but Ethan was mostly smirking because Larry's counselor was Mr. Lorne. The thought of sending that all-male football player to the art teacher was the best thing Ethan had ever had the pleasure of imagining. Aside from Rupert Giles in nothing but a Speedo, that is.
"Thank you, sir." William said. He stood there a moment more, unsure if they were done or not.
"Ms. Burkle, you had better be wearing gloves when you open that container." Ethan said in a loud voice without even looking at the chemistry nerd.
"What is she--?" William cut himself off. It was rude to be nosey, though he really wanted to know what that girl was up to.
"I haven't the slightest clue, if you must know." Ethan informed him, shrugging. William was pretty certain that that comment made him a tad uncomfortable. How could the chemistry teacher not know what sort of experiment was going on in the back of the classroom. "Anything else, Bradshaw?"
"No, that is all." William began making his way toward the door.
"Well, darn, I don't think that was suppose to happen." The girl announced just as William was about to leave. He turned to see a large amount of green foam bubble out of her vial.
"Fred Burkle, what are you doing back there?" Ethan demanded, standing. Fred gave him a sheepish smile, before rushing toward the storage closet. She came back a moment later with another bottle, which she measured and poured into the vial. The foam liquefied.
Deciding it was best to leave the two alone, in case something exploded, William pushed through the door and let it swing shut behind him.