Vinegar 7, Guava 11, Cola 24: Announcements
Title: Announcements
Main Story: In the Heart
Flavors, Toppings, Extras: Vinegar 7 (for external use only), guava 11 (the time has come), cola 24 (the best part of waking up), My Treat (Olivia in her new life), malt (Ichthusfish's egg: Babies are such a nice way to start people. - Don Herrold), chopped nuts (Sunny AU).
Word Count: 622
Rating: PG.
Summary: Somebody's cell phone was ringing.
Notes: This is Arelie's Dennis. I love him dearly. Also, this is for gandolforf, who failed to specify which of Olivia's new lives was meant.
Somebody's cell phone was ringing.
Professor Dennis McCutcheon looked up from the experiment and panned a gimlet eye across his audience of students. He had Rules about cell phones in the lab, and not because he was a tyrant, but because he believed (with good reason) that they distracted the students. Distraction, when you were dealing with chemicals that could and did melt holes in things, was a bad idea. Especially in this morning class, where most of the students were only half awake anyway.
At least it was the Ode to Joy and not some damn song by Avril-Kelly-Britney or whatever the latest pop tart's name was.
"Whose phone," he asked, in freezing tones, "is that?"
Somewhat to his surprise, it was Olivia Marhenke who raised a tentative hand, while she dug through her bag with the other. "Mine, Professor," she said. "Sorry. I had to leave it on."
"Oh?" He folded his arms and gave her his best Look. "You are aware of my rules, Miss Marhenke?"
She gave him an apologetic little half-smile. "I am, sir," she replied, still groping for her phone, which was still ringing.
Hence his surprise, actually. Olivia was usually a very quiet and rule-abiding young lady. He'd had to tsk at her for talking in class, but he'd had to tsk at every student he'd ever had for the exact same reason, and Olivia at least had listened. "I see," he said. "So you know the rules. Can you explain to me why you felt the need to break them?"
"I really am sorry, sir," she said. "I thought I put it on vibrate." She made a soft 'ah' noise and the ringing abruptly ended.
Dennis raised an eyebrow. "The rules," he said, "forbid cell phones being on in my classroom at all, young lady."
"Except for emergencies," Olivia pointed out. She pulled the phone out and set it in her lap without moving it.
"Which must be cleared with me in advance." It was a good thing that he hadn't added the active chemical in today's demonstration yet, or something would have exploded by now.
Dennis believed in old-fashioned methods of keeping his students interested.
"I couldn't exactly," Olivia said, her tone gone apologetic again. "I'd have told you but it only happened today and you weren't here before class."
He sighed. "All right," he said. "What is this emergency?"
"My stepmother went into labor last night. Or really early this morning, whichever," Olivia said. She glanced down at the cell phone, and her face lit up. "And that's my father, so I think..."
Ah-ha. Well, he supposed that was understandable. "Knock before you come back in the classroom."
She beamed at him, then grabbed her phone and ran outside.
Dennis returned to the experiment, although he was pretty sure he'd lost whatever attention his drowsy students had been paying. He'd get it back after the explosion.
After less than a minute, Olivia knocked, and he refarined from putting the active chemical in. Instead, he raised an eyebrow at her again. "Well?"
Olivia beamed at everyone in the class, indiscriminately. "Matthew Alexander Marhenke, six pounds three ounces, nineteen inches long, extremely healthy and fifteen minutes old."
"How lovely for you," Dennis said, over the coos and congratulations of her classmates. "I assume you won't be in class on Tuesday."
"No, sir," she said, still sounding much more cheerful than he was used to at nine-thirty AM. "I'm flying home tonight. I'll be back after Thanksgiving."
"Attempt to pay attention for the rest of this one, then," he said, and smiled back at her.
"Yes, sir," she said, and took a seat.
She didn't actually pay attention, but Dennis hadn't really expected her to.
Main Story: In the Heart
Flavors, Toppings, Extras: Vinegar 7 (for external use only), guava 11 (the time has come), cola 24 (the best part of waking up), My Treat (Olivia in her new life), malt (Ichthusfish's egg: Babies are such a nice way to start people. - Don Herrold), chopped nuts (Sunny AU).
Word Count: 622
Rating: PG.
Summary: Somebody's cell phone was ringing.
Notes: This is Arelie's Dennis. I love him dearly. Also, this is for gandolforf, who failed to specify which of Olivia's new lives was meant.
Somebody's cell phone was ringing.
Professor Dennis McCutcheon looked up from the experiment and panned a gimlet eye across his audience of students. He had Rules about cell phones in the lab, and not because he was a tyrant, but because he believed (with good reason) that they distracted the students. Distraction, when you were dealing with chemicals that could and did melt holes in things, was a bad idea. Especially in this morning class, where most of the students were only half awake anyway.
At least it was the Ode to Joy and not some damn song by Avril-Kelly-Britney or whatever the latest pop tart's name was.
"Whose phone," he asked, in freezing tones, "is that?"
Somewhat to his surprise, it was Olivia Marhenke who raised a tentative hand, while she dug through her bag with the other. "Mine, Professor," she said. "Sorry. I had to leave it on."
"Oh?" He folded his arms and gave her his best Look. "You are aware of my rules, Miss Marhenke?"
She gave him an apologetic little half-smile. "I am, sir," she replied, still groping for her phone, which was still ringing.
Hence his surprise, actually. Olivia was usually a very quiet and rule-abiding young lady. He'd had to tsk at her for talking in class, but he'd had to tsk at every student he'd ever had for the exact same reason, and Olivia at least had listened. "I see," he said. "So you know the rules. Can you explain to me why you felt the need to break them?"
"I really am sorry, sir," she said. "I thought I put it on vibrate." She made a soft 'ah' noise and the ringing abruptly ended.
Dennis raised an eyebrow. "The rules," he said, "forbid cell phones being on in my classroom at all, young lady."
"Except for emergencies," Olivia pointed out. She pulled the phone out and set it in her lap without moving it.
"Which must be cleared with me in advance." It was a good thing that he hadn't added the active chemical in today's demonstration yet, or something would have exploded by now.
Dennis believed in old-fashioned methods of keeping his students interested.
"I couldn't exactly," Olivia said, her tone gone apologetic again. "I'd have told you but it only happened today and you weren't here before class."
He sighed. "All right," he said. "What is this emergency?"
"My stepmother went into labor last night. Or really early this morning, whichever," Olivia said. She glanced down at the cell phone, and her face lit up. "And that's my father, so I think..."
Ah-ha. Well, he supposed that was understandable. "Knock before you come back in the classroom."
She beamed at him, then grabbed her phone and ran outside.
Dennis returned to the experiment, although he was pretty sure he'd lost whatever attention his drowsy students had been paying. He'd get it back after the explosion.
After less than a minute, Olivia knocked, and he refarined from putting the active chemical in. Instead, he raised an eyebrow at her again. "Well?"
Olivia beamed at everyone in the class, indiscriminately. "Matthew Alexander Marhenke, six pounds three ounces, nineteen inches long, extremely healthy and fifteen minutes old."
"How lovely for you," Dennis said, over the coos and congratulations of her classmates. "I assume you won't be in class on Tuesday."
"No, sir," she said, still sounding much more cheerful than he was used to at nine-thirty AM. "I'm flying home tonight. I'll be back after Thanksgiving."
"Attempt to pay attention for the rest of this one, then," he said, and smiled back at her.
"Yes, sir," she said, and took a seat.
She didn't actually pay attention, but Dennis hadn't really expected her to.