The Faculty

A small family-owned crafts store resided in downtown Almond Bay, rustic with the smell of unlit candles of various scents. A young woman was weaving in and out of the aisles, occasionally stopping to examine an object of interest, mutter to herself, then return the product. The indecisive woman repeated this several times before coming to a halt at an aisle that was filled with various DIY kits. She smiled, seemingly finding what she was looking for. 

          The young lady had a cute, round face. Her skin was fair, and she wore very modest clothing: a grey turtleneck sweater with a knee-high white skirt, long stockings that were checkered blue and white.

          Her hair was as blue as an open clear sky, shining and full. It was long, hanging down to her lower back. Bangs had concealed a portion of her sweet-looking face. The eye that was not hidden behind the veil of hair was an orb of yellow, sparkling with life and wonder.

          Leena White: kindergarten teacher at Blue Diamond Elementary. She had arrived home from a flight just yesterday.

          Leena had taken time off due to her father having a heart attack. Upon hearing the news, she took the next flight out to Grand City where her father had been hospitalized.

          Grand City was where Leena was born and raised. Leena’s parents were husband and wife CEOs of a large corporation: the White Corporation. They owned well over half of Grand City, the third-largest city in the U.S. 

Her father has had heart complications ever since she was a baby, so this had not been the first scare she has had, nor would it be the last. Such an event ended up with him being in the hospital for several days while her mother pestered him about not pushing himself so hard or scolding his eating habits while her father complained to Leena how her mother is killing him and not his heart. Leena could not help but find levity in it; her parents never changed. The White family was very wealthy but modest.

          After a bit of pushing from her mother, Leena decided to remain at her childhood home while her father recovered. It seemed like an opportune time to spend time with her parents. She rarely talked with her mother and father in person due to distance, but whenever she did, they always mentioned that they wanted her to take over the company someday and live a relatively easy life in Grand City. But in the end, they knew it was pointless to try and convince their daughter.

          Leena was already doing what she always dreamed of doing; being a teacher. She did not care about wealth or power. Leena White’s home was Almond Bay where she worked as a humble kindergarten teacher. She would not be satisfied with any other job.

          She thought about her time back home as she looked about the crafts store. The young lady would come here often to find neat and fun things that her kindergarten class might enjoy. She ended up getting a bunch of origami crafting kits. The instructions provided seemed simple enough for a group of five- and six-year-olds to follow. 

          At the checkout, the woman behind the register struck up a conversation with Leena�"she was a regular at this family-owned business and a delight to have around.

          “I’ve heard rumors that you were out of town for a week, that true?” The cashier asked as she scanned the origami kits.

          “Why yes, I was in Grand City.”

          The cashier whistled. “Fancy, no wonder you haven’t been in here for a while. What was the occasion? Vacation? Romance?” She leaned in and winked when she said “romance.”

          Leena smiled sweetly, shaking her head, “No, nothing like that. My father had a heart attack. My parents live in Grand City.”

          “Uh�"Oh... I see. You doing, okay? Is he doing, okay?” The cashier set down an origami box gently with a concerned look plastered all over her face.

          “Oh. I didn’t mean to worry you. He’s fine and just needed some bed rest. I’ve gotten used to his sudden heart problems. Hahaha.” Leena spoke as if it was a less severe condition, like a stomachache or seasonal allergies.

          That’s not something I would ever want to get used to, the cashier contemplated while ringing up the total of Leena’s purchase.

          Leena finished paying. The cashier attempted to change the subject; it was a slow day with few customers in the store, so having a Leena to talk with was nice.

          “I’m sure your students will be happy to see you back and to see the thoughtful gifts you have brought them.” The cashier pointed at the origami sets. “Honestly, I think you spoil them sometimes. I heard that a substitute has been in your place, doing the job solo, but that’s not the amazing part. The amazing part is that he is still there! Hasn’t been run out of town by that ‘beast’ of a school yet. Wonder what kind of patience that guy has.”

          “Really?” Leena was astonished. Substitutes seemed to run from Blue Diamond all the time. Run like they were on fire. She daydreamed of what kind of person this man could be if the Three Terrors couldn’t scare him away.

          “Anywho, have you seen that mov�"” The cashier stifled herself, staring beyond Leena.

          Leena felt a strange aura seeping over her. It was heavy, terrifying. She glanced over her shoulder to see a large man waiting behind her. The giant towered over her. His eyes were dark, and he was carrying an enormous stack of cloth with just one hand.

          He had a red petunia on the top of his head.

          Leena felt like she had to leave that instant. Her anxiety spiked�"she thought the man was angry because she and the cashier were talking too long.

          Quincy was not though, he was thinking. Unfazed by the two young ladies before him. When he was deep in thought he wore a scowl on his face�"unaware he did so.

          The giant broke away from his train of thought and set his eyes on Leena. He looked down at her without moving his head. Two white eyes glaring at her from the dark crevasses that were his eye sockets.

          “I-I just realized I’m late for something, heh, heh. H-Have a nice day,” Leena said to the cashier as she scurried off.

          “Yea...” The cashier made a weak attempt at a response. She wasn’t looking at Quincy in fear, she was looking at the large mound of cloth that the giant was holding. "You, sir, are going to singlehandedly run us out of fabric.”

          Quincy softly placed the stacked of squared cloths on the table. “I’m terribly sorry about that. There were just so many colors I didn’t know which ones to pick. Guess I got carried away.”

          “Ahahaha, No, it’s fine with me. My mother is just going to be busy setting up new orders.” She grinned. Reaching over to grab her scanner, she discovered that Leena had left her purse when she fled the store. “That clumsy woman left her purse here. She’d lose her head if�"well you know what I mean.”

          Quincy motioned the cashier for the purse. “I can return it to her while you ring up the fabric.”

          “You have my thanks, Mr. Giant,” She giggled and plopped the purse in Quincy’s hand. The cashier had met Quincy before. A couple of weeks ago she had a flat tire and was stuck roadside. Quincy helped her put on the spare and did so without any tools. She trusted him to return Leena’s purse.

          Leena was already in her car, her heart beating a million miles per hour. After a couple of deep breaths, she fumbled with the keys before putting the one she needed into the ignition. Looking back over to the entrance of the crafts store she saw the giant man step out and scan his surroundings.

          After looking around the parking lot for a moment, his gaze ended right at Leena’s car, no, right at Leena herself. Chills scurried down her spine when the giant made a mad dash right at her. An oversized marathon runner, every step thunderous.

          “Eeeep!” Leena’s fight-or-flight instincts went straight to flight. She started her car and hit the gas, narrowly escaping what she believed to be a very abrupt end to her life.

          She’s leaving in a hurry, Quincy thought. He raised his arm to the sky, gripped in his mitts was Leena’s purse, but his message did not get through.

          “The young lady is leaving her purse behind. What's the plan, Quincy? A lady can't leave her purse." The flower with the voice of a young girl spoke out to its partner.

          Quincy Daisy has always had better than average vision and was quick to see that the runaway woman’s back windows were down. With that knowledge, he had a plan.

          He first made sure that there was not anything fragile in the purse. He did this without opening it�"going through a woman’s personal belongings without their permission would be against the giant’s morals.

          Leena was several blocks away now, that distance was growing larger by the second. Quincy reeled back, purse clenched in his hand, targeting the open window. He chucked it into the sky as if it were a baseball and when it came back down to earth it fell perfectly into the open window. The purse landed safe and sound in the rear seats.

          Ms. Leena White drove off, none the wiser about the loss or regain of her purse.

          The red petunia rapidly smacked together a couple of its leaves. That was its best attempt at imitating applause. “Ooooooo, nice, nice. Quite the shot, Quincy. It was like watching a superhero do his thing.”

          Quincy rubbed the back of his head, honored by the flower's praise. “It was no big deal. Anyone could have done that.”

“No. Not really.”

 

***

 

          The blue-haired lady was sitting in a quiet café later that afternoon. She was sipping on some herbal tea and reading a newspaper. Her best friend, Raven, called her earlier and told Leena to meet her there.

          This little café was one of their favorite places to hang out, The Almond Tea. When Raven heard that her friend was back in town, she immediately wanted a reunion.

          It was Sunday; Leena would go back to work Tuesday. Raven was excited, far beyond excited for things to come.

          “Siiip, Siiiiiip, Siii�"Ahhhh!" The sky-blue-haired teacher felt spontaneous pressure on either side of her stomach. She choked up the pool of leaf water she had just consumed and sprayed it on the table.

          Raven had snuck up behind her unsuspecting victim and jabbed her pointer fingers slightly above Leena’s hips.

          “Hahaha, sorry I couldn’t resist.” Raven remedied her playful aggression with a firm hug from behind, wrapping her arms around Leena’s torso. “You left yourself wiiiiiide open.”

          “You scared me more than anything,” Leena said. She shifted her head so she could look at the face of her “attacker.” She scowled at the olive-complexioned Raven but could not hold her scowl for long and was swapped out with a welcoming grin.

          Raven pulled up a chair and sat across from Leena. “What, you scare more easily now? Didn’t think that was possible. Sheesh, it has only been a week, couldn’t change you that much.”

          “There was something pretty strange that happened this morning. Put me on edge a bit,” she replied openly, all the while she was cleaning up her mess with a few paper towels.  “Though, now that I think about it, it was kind of exciting. Like something you would see in a thriller movie.”

          “That! That sounds more like you, haha. Whatever happened I wouldn’t worry about it.” Raven rested her head in her hands. “How’s your dad holding up?”

          Leena told Raven of her stay in Grand City and how her father’s overwork and stubbornness got the best of him, as it always did. As a bonus, she told Raven about her mother and father's back and forth bickering�"mimicking their voices to the best of her ability.

          Raven slapped the table as she howled in laughter at Leena’s impersonation of her parents. “Hahaha uhahaha. Hoooo.” She wiped a tear away with her finger. “Your parents are hilarious. I’m glad to hear that they’re fine. Oooooo, look at the fine hunk of man that just walked in.”

          The two ladies looked towards the café entrance to witness a slim man wearing black, semi-formal clothing walk through the door. He had a sharp, calculated look in his crimson eyes�"and even sharper glasses. His hair was black as charcoal and slicked back.

          In his right hand was a dark brown book that had no wording or pictures on the cover. He held this book firmly in his right hand while using his left hand to push up his glasses as he surveyed the room.

          Edmund “Ed” Gene: mathematics teacher; also Raven Watson's live-in boyfriend. An aura of no-nonsense wafted off his being, the conversational chatter in the café was silenced, until...

          “Youhoo, Eddy, over here.” Raven flagged down the serious look man, waving her arm foolishly.

          “Hgned�"”

          Edmund’s stern aura that briefly took hold of the café’s environment was blasted away by the childish energy that Raven had. He froze before sauntering over to the two young ladies ' table.

           Edmund was parking the car while Raven went on ahead into the café. The streets were especially busy today as the weather was nice, family’s walked the sidewalks with adventure in mind.

          “Raven... I asked you to refrain from calling me... Eddy... in public.” Ed pulled up a chair and sat down with one leg folded over the other.

          “Sure, Eddy, sure,” Raven halfheartedly responded. She smacked him on the back a couple of times. Leena covered her mouth to stifle laughter, but the effect was null.

          Leena informed Edmund of what happened during her time off just as she had with Raven. He seemed pleased with the information�"it was hard to tell though with his composure, his unsmiling expression never changed much.

          “I’ve heard from Raven that your co-teacher is a substitute,” Edmund began. “He’s been there a week and the Three Terrors have not scared him off yet. Others find that impressive. I, for one, do not.”

          “I heard something of the sort this morning,” Leena replied. “I never realized how infamous Blue Diamond is when it comes to substitutes. Our school became the talk of the town it seems.”

          “Almond Bay is quiet when it’s not hurricane season. Folks are just chomping at the bit to talk about something other than how the fish are biting,” Raven added.

          A waitress came over to their table and dropped off some more tea for Leena since she spat most of hers everywhere. Leena apologized for the mess she caused even though it was not her fault and she had already cleaned it herself. “Is there anything else I can get you?” The waitress asked.

          The two ladies shook their heads. Edmund looked the woman in the eyes coldly. “I would like a coffee: black.”

          “Right away, sir.” The waitress bounced away, holding her tray to her chest.

          “What kind of person is this substitute?” Leena took a long sip of her tea while pressing for information.

          “I don’t know myself. He has me slightly intrigued though. Raven has been working alongside him during the kindergartener’s recess. Aside from that, he has been teaching alone.”

          The kindergarten teacher and the mathematics teacher simultaneously turn towards Raven. They looked at her expectantly; they looked like children waiting for an answer from their mother.

          “His name is Quincy Daisy...” Raven simply said. She twirled her ponytail and stared off into space.

          “...........”

          “That’s it?!” Leena asked abruptly. “You love gossiping and that’s all the information you’re going to give us? I’m going to be working alongside him. I would like to know more.”

          “He’s nice?” Raven shrugged. “Rather quiet about his personal life. The kids seem to love him. Even Kari, and you know how she feels about new people.”

          Leena slunk her arms on the table and rested her face between them. “That’s not helpful at all.” Her voice was muffled in the pit she had made with her arms. The cloth of her sleeves felt soft against her face.

          “Look he’s just one of those folks that you will just have to see to believe. Describing him in words would just be a disservice,” Raven stated. Also, it will be funny to see Leena’s reaction to a guy with a strongman physique just tower over her. I don’t want her to mentally prepare ahead of time. 

          Edmund was just as dissatisfied with her answer as Leena was. Raven could almost hear the clinks and clanks of gears turning in his skull.

          Then, Raven just had an idea, a very cunning idea.

          Wait... Quincy is single if I recall. Raven leered at Leena whose head was still buried in her arms. I wonder if I could play cupid and hook those two up. Leena has trouble finding a good guy. Every guy she has ever gone out with had just taken advantage of her good, trusting nature. But... Quincy seems like a kind man underneath his gorilla looks. My instincts tell me so. I’m sure Leena is sick of being the third wheel all the time and I feel bad about it. Raven looked over at Edmund who had opened his brown, untitled book. He read it closely as he sipped on black coffee the waitress had just dropped off. Then we could go on double dates! Ooooo, that would be a blast. It’s decided. I’m going to hook those two up!

          Leena sat back up to see the twisted smile of her friend. Raven’s coffee eyes leered. “W-Why are you giving me that look?” She asked. Leena could tell when Raven was up to something�"but she was not hiding it behind a facade this time, a stranger could tell that she was scheming.

          “What? What look? I don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re just imagining things.” Raven rested her chin in her hands and failed horribly at whistling a tune.

          “Suuuure...”

          “By the way...” Edmund withdrew from reading his book, snapping it shut with one hand. He had just remembered something important. "Leena, we're all going to meet early in the teachers’ lounge on Tuesday; the day you return.”

          “Yeah,” Raven added, “Quincy has been wanting to meet with the other teachers since I first spoke with him. Agatha has said that he will remain with us for the rest of the school year unless a permanent replacement has been found, so he will be with us for a while. Since you’ve been gone, he hasn’t had any chance to meet with his fellow workers. Shame really.”

          “Okay, thank you for letting me know.” Leena smiled sweetly, clasping her hands together and touching her right cheek with them.

          Edmund pushed up his glasses. "It will allow me to see what this ‘Quincy Daisy’ is made of." A sinister sneer took over his lips, red eyes flashed as if he was staring into an inferno.

          “You’re going to test him aren’t you? Happens every time. Just go easy on him, Eddy.”

          Leena and Raven both giggled while a cold, humbling wind blew through Edmund’s soul. That burning fire chilled and extinguished.

 

***

 

          Leena’s return to Blue Diamond Elementary was an exhilarating one. She was happy to return to work, happy to return to her class she had missed oh so much. Those youthful, bright faces of a group of children are pictured in her head.

          She had come early just as she was asked to, delicately making her way through the white-bricked hallways she was greeted by the occasional faculty worker, making small talk with each and every one of them, before arriving at the room labeled “Teachers’ lounge.”

          She hummed a tune as she pushed open the door, but that lovely tune was abruptly ended by the sight of the man before her. Wide and tall, the size of his biceps greater than her head. A sentry stood between her and the inside of the room.

          It was the “angry giant” from the store. The man she had run away from just days prior.

          Leena expelled all the air from her lungs and fell on her butt. Quincy looked down at the young lady, his eyes unintentionally were menacing once again. He was carrying a lunch box shaped like a plastic turtle. Leena did not notice that detail though, she was thinking of the afterlife she would soon see.

          Dear mother and father, I know it has been only a short while since you have last seen me, but I’m afraid that my life has ended. It was a great life, there were ups and downs...

          Quincy softened his gaze, truly looking at the woman for the first time up, then quickly averting his eyes upon noticing that Leena’s skirt was a bit too high up in the position she was currently in. Numb, with glazed-over eyes, Quincy had unintentionally frightened the soft-hearted woman once again.

          “Hey, what are the odds?” The flower whispered to Quincy. “Tis a small world hehehe. Though, to me, your world has always been small. A little spec in space.” The flower was a baby blue nemophila today.

          It had all suddenly clicked in his head. The same woman he briefly saw shopping in the crafts store was his co-teacher.

          “You must be Leena then...” Quincy uttered. With gentleman-like energy, he held out his hand to the fallen kindergarten teacher. “My name is Quincy. I’ve been the substitute for your class while you have been away.” He gave her a jolly smile, trying to set her at ease.

          Leena snapped out of the goodbye letter she was writing in her head and came back to the reality in front of her. Extending her hand, she was helped up by the giant, with minimal effort on Quincy’s part. Before she could even think of a reply, she heard a voice from inside the teachers’ lounge.

          “Is that Leena? Get in here already. We’ve been waiting for you.” There was no mistaking that voice, it was Raven’s.

          Quincy lumbered aside and let the timid teacher pass. She saw Edmund sitting in a chair reading his book with Raven hovering over him. Getting coffee was a woman with bubblegum hair�"she was humming a pop song to herself as she stirred her coffee.

          “Jeez, you were taking so long that Quincy was leaving to run a few errands,” Raven commented. “Did you get lost again?”

          “Sorry. I just kept running into people and well... you know how it goes. Ha...ha...” Leena rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. Knowing when to back out of a conversation had not been one of her strong suits.

          Raven placed a palm on her forehead and sighed as if she was overcome by a sudden headache. “Let’s get this started then. Pull up a chair, both of you. Meet n’ greet, meet n’ greet.”

          They obeyed the P.E. teacher’s orders. Ms. Watson had a surprisingly commanding presence despite her normally carefree attitude. A bit of Edmund’s personality may have rubbed off on her over the years.

          "There is not many of us here, unfortunately�"" Raven shrugged. "...But I hope to give you some insight on a couple of us here, Quincy. I know you’ve been terrible busy all by yourself.”

          He nodded, resting his arms on his legs. Blue Diamond Elementary and its people piqued Quincy’s interest more than any other school has ever had. A unique place unlike any other school he has ever taught at.

          “You already know me well enough, so we’ll just skip right to the school’s kindergarten teacher, Leena.” Raven pointed at the blue-haired teacher with poor time management.

          "Oh, uh, yes," Leena faced toward Quincy, "I-I'm Leena White. I uh... I'm not very good at introductions, to be honest. I guess I could say that... hmmm... I enjoy teaching."

          “.....”

          “And that I’m looking forward to working with you... yeah.” Leena gave a triumphant nod. She grinned at Quincy, her bleached teeth sparkled between her soft lips. The twitches in her face were a dead giveaway he still made her nervous.

          Well, that went as well as I expected, Raven thought to herself, horribly. Not the sort of incident I was hoping for, unfortunately.

          “It will be fun working with you, your students are great kids. They sure are funny.” Quincy returned her grin, his mustache wiggled. He was used to people being scared of him due to his massive size and booming voice, so it never really bothered him. He never took it personally.

          “Next we have the lovely, Hailey Breeze.” Raven swayed the attention of the room towards the bubblegum-colored-haired woman stirring her coffee, pointing towards her as if she was announcing a pro wrestler.

          “Well, howdy there, Quincy. Sure is nice to finally meet you.” Hailey took a sip of her coffee, her wind chime voice had a heavy, southern drawl.

          Hailey Breeze: librarian at Blue Diamond Elementary. She had curly pink hair down to her shoulders, wore a dandelion-yellow mini dress with a floral pattern, and sported brown leather boots that held tightly against her ankles.

          “Likewise.”

          “I’m the librarian here in this elementary school. Have been for�"oops that’s a secret, hehehe." She placed a finger on her cheek, a coy smile curled her lips. She sat her coffee on a table and closed the distance between her and the giant.

          “Now, what a fine specimen of a man you are, one in a billion hun. I heard the rumors, but you're much bigger in person.” Hailey ran her finger up one of Quincy’s arms, which he recoiled from her touch.

          “Uhhh, hmm, well yes...” The giant had no clue how to react to such an aggressive flirt. It was kind of refreshing to have a person who was not repulsed by his ogre-like size, but this was going too far in the opposite direction.

          Quincy glanced over to the full-time kindergarten teacher to see her reaction�"but there was no reaction as if this were a normal occurrence whenever this librarian was around. His gaze swayed over towards the other two in the room confirmed that this was indeed typical behavior from Ms. Breeze.

          Without even looking up from his book, Edmund scolded the southern bell, “Let’s keep the sexual harassment down to a minimum today, Ms. Breeze.” He fixed his glasses, afterward placing two fingers on his temple. “Last time this happened we all had to watch a video on boundaries. Even worse, it was a cartoon rabbit telling us about them. I despise that rabbit.”

          Hailey gave Ed the stink-eye, flicking her tongue out at him. “Boo, you’re no fun. I’m just teasing the new guy. Can’t a gal have a little fun?” She pulled herself away from the now beet-red-faced Mr. Daisy and went back to her coffee. “Well, one thing I can tell you is that, yes, my parents were hippies. I’m sure you could figure that out by my name,” She giggled. “If you want to know more, you’re just gonna have to work for it. And if you need help finding a book, be sure to look me up first.” Hailey clicked her tongue and winked at Quincy.

          “......”

          “Wow, she sure is interesting, and she looks great for her age don’t you think Quincy?” The flower said in Quincy’s mind.

          Quincy looked Hailey up and down but made his examination of her lightning-fast. “She doesn’t look a day over twenty,” Quincy responded telepathically to his flowery friend.

          “Try early forties.”

          “No way! I don’t believe that.”

          “I would never be wrong about this one. Watch your butt, Quincy, she just might grab it. Hahhahah.” The flower’s laughter was like that of a giggling child�"matching its voice quite well.

          “And finally, Edmund Gene.” Raven presented her serious-looking boyfriend. “He’s a math tea�"”

          “Enough of this!” Ed interrupted. He seemed to be irritated, slamming his book shut, clenching his teeth.

          Here we go. Raven had already expected this to happen. Ed hated social gatherings, and small talk, and people in general. The only way he would acknowledge a person was a battle wit. She had that in common with Ed, they were both the competitive type.

          “The best way to learn about one another,” Ed started, “is through the mind. Talk is meaningless.”

          Quincy raised an eyebrow at Edmund, who had dragged out a rather large blackboard that was stored in the corner of the room. Even though it was on wheels he seemed to struggle when he pulled it.

          Raven grabbed a chair and spun it around, sitting on it the wrong way like a delinquent. There was no stopping Ed when he got like this, so she was just getting comfortable for the show.

          "I challenge you, Quincy," shouted Edmund. He flipped the blackboard over to reveal on the other side a complex mathematical equation written out in chalk. "I have personally picked out this problem for you to solve. Let's see if you're worthy to be at Blue Diamond Elementary, no, in the same room as I.”

          “Oooooo,” Hailey commented. “Edmund is pulling no punches.”

          Quincy rubbed his chin, observing the battle of the mind displayed before him.

          “If you can’t solve such a child-like problem I won’t accept you. I can already tell that your primitive brain is already rattled.”

          The mathematical problem that Edmund had written on the board was far beyond elementary math, it was at the level of college calculus.

          He’s nothing more than a meathead, I can see that now. Just a big dumb jock who happened to become a teacher, probably from sheer luck. Edmund had a heinous look in his crimson-colored eyes, and his teeth gnashed viciously as he spoke, droplets of spit followed his words, "Can you solve my problem, Quincy? Or do you admit defeat right here?”

          “You don’t have to play his childlike games, Quincy,” Leena remarked. “He’s always been like this to new teachers�"”

          “There.” Quincy plinked a nub of chalk on the bottom of the blackboard�"which he was at before anyone even noticed he had moved�"and smacked his hands together to remove some chalk dust. “47.620, -122.349. It’s the coordinates for the Seattle Space Needle.”

          “Just as I thought, that’s absolutely... Huuuuu�"” Edmund was flabbergasted and inhaled too quickly causing him to cough. He recoiled back, lifting his arms as if he were about to be struck. “Wait, no, this is impossible.”

          “That was quick,” Raven stated, wide-eyed at the giant’s impressive speed. "Well? Did he get the answer right, Ed?"

          “It’s absolutely... correct.” His voice sounded strained. So fast, but, but...

          Leena stood and clapped, Hailey and Raven joined in. “The great tyrant, Edmund, was struck down.” The women announced in unison and laughed.

          I spent hours last night thinking up an equation he would never get, and he solved it in mere seconds. Edmund slumped to the floor and curled up into a fetal position. “Welcome... to our school... Quincy,” He mumbled in defeat. “But if you think this is over you are mistaken. I’ll have anoth�"”

          Knock, knock, knock. Agatha Reed was standing outside the doorway to the teachers’ lounge, peering into the room, her knocks interrupted Ed’s monologuing. “Sounds like you’re having fun in here and all, but classes will begin in about five minutes. How are students expected to come in on time if their teachers do not, hmmm? Chop, chop.”

          All four of the teachers scrambled out of the lounge, swiftly making their way to their respected classrooms. All the teachers, even Edmund, feared the legendary wraith of the principal, Agatha Reed. Hailey had another laugh before finishing off her coffee. Afterward, she went to the library, accompanied by Mrs. Reed. They chatted about their youth along the way.

         

***

 

          Ms. Leena White was swarmed by a horde of ecstatic, sticky-fingered children. All were happy for her return to the classroom, she felt the same in return.

          Ms. White expected the classroom to be in its usual disarray with toys scattered everywhere, handprints of a variety of paint colors on the walls, and the small, plastic chairs tipped over. But it wasn’t. The room was clean, all toys were put away in their designated spots and the chairs were flipped over placed neatly on the child-sized desks.

          Even the kindergartener’s chaotic chatter was much more polite when speaking to her, and each other. They all took turns asking her questions and waited patiently for the answers before asking another.

          Leena could never have predicted that Quincy, within just a week of teaching here, had brought a semblance of order to a group of five- and six-year-olds. Kari, Diya, and Troy�"the group known as The Three Terrors�"were even behaving themselves more than they ever had.

          I never would have thought that the terrifying man I saw in a store would be so great with children. Leena pondered this as she watched two groups of three students hang of either of Quincy’s arms as if they were bars on a jungle gym. No, Leena, that’s rude of you to think. I should never judge a book by its cover, no matter how large the book. She shook her head, disappointed in herself and her prior judgment.

          Leena called over Quincy. He placed the giggling feral children back on the ground and approached. “Mr. Daisy, have you ever done apple prints before?”

          A brown, wooden crate of apples was presented to the kindergarteners, provided by their teacher, Ms. White. It sat in front of the main desk where Leena and Quincy were stationed, the branded kitchen knives.

          Apple prints were simple. All that was needed was an apple, a sheet of paper, and some paint. The apples would be sliced down the middle, the insides would be used as a stamp, a tool created out of mother nature.

          The children were ordered to pick out an apple of their choice and bring it to either Mr. Daisy or Ms. White for cutting. They were not allowed to cut their own apples, far too young to be using sharp knives under Blue Diamond’s watch.

          A rainbow of paint tubes had been set to the side on another table, next to a stack of white construction paper. Trays were laid out on the large, U-shaped crafts table the children used regularly. The army of trays was spaced evenly, fully prepared to cradle globs of paint.

          Out of the bushel of green and red apples, Troy picked the most appealing one he could find. Ana-Lee chose the smallest, cutest one while Desmond claimed on showing signs of rot. Kari searched for the ugliest apple she could find, taking her time with her choice. Emily, Diya, and all the other children just went with the first one they touched in the wooden crate, indifferent in their choice.

          With their apples cut and paints chosen, the kids made their apple stamp art. All were scattered about the U-shaped table. They hummed, sang, and chattered.

          Ana-Lee ran over to Mr. Daisy, her paper whipped and flapped about as she ran as if it was trying to escape her tiny grasp. Her long, blonde hair was splattered with a rainbow of colors and nearly dragged on the ground as she scampered. She tugged at Mr. Daisy’s pantleg to grab his attention and showed him her art.

          “M-Mr. Daisy. I made a picture of you,” she said, sheepishly blushing.

          Quincy examined the print closer. The apple stamps on the paper vaguely resembled a humanoid. Colors of blue, green, and red, the resemblance to himself was vague.

          “Thank you, Ana-Lee,” He praised, patting the young girl on the head. The wet paint in her hair leaped onto his palm.

          Troy overheard this and joined the duo. “I made an art piece of you too. A masterpiece." Troy's print was a detailed close-up of Mr. Daisy's face, impressively accurate.

          “I made Mr. Daisy too,” Kari added.

          “Me four,” Emily joined in.

          It seemed nearly every child made their artworks in Mr. Daisy's likeness. They all simultaneously held up their art towards Mr. Daisy so he could get a good look at each and every one of them.

          “T-That’s great kids,” Leena interrupted. “But did any of you do one that is not Mr. Daisy?"

          “I did not do Mr. Daisy.” Diya was the only one to respond to Ms. White.

          Leena leaned over Diya, fixing a section of her hair behind her ear. “Well, that’s wonderful Diya, what is your apple print of?

          Diya showed off her artwork. “I made Mr. Daisy’s head flower.” The print resembled just that. Baby blue, just like the nemophila.

          Leena sighed, slightly neglected. Perhaps she hoped that at least one child would make a print of her. Lightly, she patted her cheeks, knocking away those feelings of jealousy that nearly took hold of her.

          After a quick clean-up of all the paints and apples and a scrub of the table and floor, Ms. White brought out the origami kits and handed them out.

          “Okay children,” she began, “I want you to make your very favorite animal out of paper. These boxes are filled with easy instructions on how to make hundreds of different animals.”

          The class opened their kits and flipped through the booklet of animals to find the ones they wanted. Quincy and Leena sat with the children, making their origami animals alongside them.

          Leena read the booklet front to back but could not decide on an animal to make. Grabbing a white sheet of paper she crinkled and folded hoping she may find some inspiration on what her creation might be, even glancing around the room for an object or picture to grab at her and spark her creativity. After several minutes with nothing to show for she surrendered.

          I’m not very creative, am I? I guess it doesn’t matter if I make something. It’s more important for the children to have fun.

          Leena rose from her chair, making a few laps around the room. She hovered above each child to see what they had come up with. Reaching Troy, she paused to appreciate his origami robot.

          “That’s a very cool robot, Troy. I like his giant right arm.”

          “It’s a blaster, Ms. White,” Troy responded, not even peering over his shoulder to the voice behind him. He was fixated on the legs at the moment, trying to get them just right. “For blasting away the superheroes trying to stop his destruction of the city.”

          “Very nice. Wouldn’t want those heroes to get the better of the robot. Diya. I see you made a human being.”

          “Zombie,” Diya corrected.

          “Silly me, of course, it's a zombie. I can see it now. He’s carrying an arm to gnaw on.” Leena stuck out her tongue, palming her forehead, acting as if she knew all along. That was partially true as it was no secret in this classroom that Diya was fixated on zombies.

          Quincy listened in on every isolated interaction Leena had with the children. Such a natural playfulness with her words. Not even a hint of judgment or negativity. A teacher that truly connected with her students, seeing them as individuals rather than a collective. That is what the giant romanticized.

          In more a basic term: she was good with kids.

          Leena’s eyes widen at the sight of Kari’s origami artwork. A mishmash of animals shared the same body. Head of a lion, legs of a giraffe, wings of a bat, and the tail of a great white.

          “What sort of creature are you making Kari?”

          Kari looked up at Ms. White, her emerald eyes twinkled. “It’s a creature in one of the picture books my brother read to me last night. It’s called a chi... chi...” She crossed her arms, flustered that she could not remember the name.

          “A chimera?”

          “Yea. A chimera. A super scary, dangerous monster.”

          Leena held out an open palm. “May I see it for a moment?”

          Kari nodded, placing the origami creature into Leena’s hand. The teacher examined it for a brief moment, from every angle, then while pointing at different parts of the paper creature she said “If you add some spikes to this section it will have a greater defense. And right here you could add another head.”

          “That’s a great idea,” Kari responded in excitement while taking back her origami chimera, “I could add a wolf’s head to this part.”

          “Whoa! Look at what Mr. Daisy made.” The voice that carried through the room belonged to Emily.

          Leena looked over to see dozens of kids gathered in a circle in front of Quincy. When she approached and glanced above the group, she saw that on the floor was Quincy’s origami animal.

          The head of it was a domed shell, the abdomen spiked outward on either side and at the rear was a long, needle-like tail. There was no mistaking it, a horseshoe crab. An origami brown horseshoe crab and it was skittering on the ground as if it were alive; skittering in a circular pattern.

          As she watched its movements, Leena felt nausea creep up her throat. It reminded her of a cockroach that had once infested her house. Much too afraid to deal with it on her own, she had to call over Raven to squash the bug for her.

          “It’s moving on its own.”

          “How is it doing that?”

          “I want mine to move too!”

          The children chattered amongst each other, pointing in awe at the paper craftwork made by the hands of the giant. The giant then cleared his throat, held his arms behind his back.

          “The horseshoe crab is a living fossil. This little creature has been around for hundreds of millions of years with minimal evolutionary changes.”

          “Ooooooo!” The onlookers harmonious let out noises of intrigue.

          Quincy grabbed the creature�"halting the carefree circular motion�"and flipped it revealing its underbelly. “You can see that the underside is where its legs are at.” Sure enough, Quincy had five pairs of legs protruding from the underbelly, all made simply out of folded brown paper.

          “But how did you get it to move?” Emily asked.

          Mr. Daisy held an index finger over his lips, his mustache tickled his skin. “That’s top secret. Can’t tell you. Ohhohoho.”

          “It was me,” The baby-blue nemophila echoed in Quincy’s head. “But they will never know that.”

          Leena leered at her own failed artwork, sickened at its presence. The sad sheet of paper with a fold and a few crinkles, laying there abandoned on a table. She felt like the inferior teacher as if Quincy had been at Blue Diamond for numerous years and today was her first day on the job.

 

 

          Noon: It was time for lunch. The kindergarten class went to the cafeteria. They brought with them their lunchboxes and sat down to eat. Lots of small finger food was being consumed at a large, round table. The seats of the table were directly connected to it by metal bars underneath, resembling thick, bumpy record disks.

          Leena and Quincy were not too far away, close enough to keep an eye out, but far enough to have a moment of respite. Quincy had his turtle-shaped lunchbox with him while Leena had a regular red and white cooler.

          Before they ate, they chatted.

          “So, Quincy, how long have you been a substitute teacher?” Leena asked the giant while combing her fingers through her hair.

          Quincy’s eyes shot up to the ceiling, trying to determine how long he had been in the academic field. “I would say... at least a decade now. Give or take.”

          “Amazing!” She responded, “I’ve been a teacher less than half of that time. Ten years of being a substitute, you’ve must have traveled all over the country.”

          “Well yes. But I've been to more places than just the U.S. I’ve been to Australia, China, Europe, South America...” He trailed off. The list of places he had been was too long, so he just rattled off continents.

          Leena ran her fingers through her hair again. “Incredible. And you remained a substitute all this time? The constant traveling must be exhausting.”

          “I never like to stay in one place too long,” Quincy replied with a far-off gaze. “Plus, I enjoy seeing new places. Your school has been one of the more interesting ones that I have come across.”

          “Well thank you, I think.” Leena was uncertain if it had been a positive remark.

          “Don’t worry. It’s a compliment.”

          Leena was relieved, her complexion radiated.

          “Well, I can certainly tell that you are experienced. In a week my classroom did a complete one-eighty. The Terrors even took a liking to you, a nearly impossible feat for any newcomer. You’ve put me to shame.” Leena hung her head, her eyes closed partially. “I’ve always been at Blue Diamond so maybe that’s why I’m not as versatile as you.”

          “I wouldn’t say that, not at all. Those kids love you and I can tell you care for every one of them.”

          “But...” Her face became flushed.

          “But?”

          She could not bite her tongue. “It seems like my students are ignoring me!” She cried out. “I know I will seem selfish for saying this, and I am not blaming you, but ever since I came back the students have been ignoring me and have been obsessed with you... I’m sorry.” Leena whimpered, bowing to Quincy.

          “Ohhohoho!” Quincy boomed. “Is that all? There is no shame in feeling that way, we are all human�"”

          “�"You’re more bulldozer than human, Quincy,” the flower snickered, “and I’m not even a flower, I’m a�"mmmphmmpph.”

          Quincy smothered the flower with his right hand to stifle its mockery, at the same time gently perched his left hand on Leena’s shoulder. He gazed into her yellow eyes with his emerald peepers.

          “Leena, your students are not thinking any less of you. They’re children. You know how children are. Short attention spans, they fixate on the most recent, exciting thing. I’m new and interesting, and it’s not like I’m oblivious that my size and look draw a lot of attention. I’m a seven-foot-three monster,” he chuckled, “but they will grow bored of me too.”

          Leena laughed, she felt a lot better. Her tight back loosened, her palm felt warm, felt hairy. Why did her hand feel warm and hairy? Her cheeks went as red as a fresh cherry upon discovering that, without thinking, she had placed her hand over Quincy’s gorilla paw. She looked at her shoulder then back at Mr. Daisy to observe that his face was flush as well, and his forehead released a bead of sweat.

          The pair simultaneously withdrew from each other, clumsily clearing their throats, dusting off their clothing.

           Back at the children’s table, Troy finished his food and leaned back. He expelled the air in his lungs�"he was very full�"leaning back further and further until his body was horizontal. Until he saw the world upside down. While looking in a new perspective, he saw a man sleeping, glued to a table connected to the ceiling. Troy returned to the right-side-up world and turned around to catch another glimpse of the man, swinging his legs around to sit the opposite way.        

          The vice-principal was a greasy-looking man. He wore jeans that were worn and faded, an army-green overcoat, and a dark button-up shirt. His hair was long, black, and obscured his face more often than not.

          Deckles Kraw: vice-principal of Blue Diamond and Emily’s uncle.

          The V.P. was thought to be a lazy man, as anyone who has ever encountered him around the school usually found him sleeping. This was a common misconception, he was, on the contrary, very hardworking. The V.P. just happened to be a narcoleptic. An unfortunate condition that made him a repeated victim to mischievous elementary students.

          This, of course, included The Three Terrors.

          The cobalt-haired Terror got the attention of his red and white partners. Jabbing his thumb towards his backside he said, “Mr. Kraw is sleeping again. Easy target, Kari. What’s the plan?”

          “I almost feel bad for him,” Diya said in her monotone voice. “We’ve already gotten him five times this week and it is only Tuesday.”

          The fiery girl sighed, wiping her mouth with her arm. “It is kinda like kicking low-hanging fruit."

          “I believe you mean picking,” Diya corrected. 

          Kari waved her hand dismissively, “Yeah, yeah, picking. But he just leaves himself wide open all the time. Isn’t he Emily’s uncle? Hey Emily, Mr. Kraw is your uncle, right?”

          “He is but... he’s really annoying. Always pinching my cheeks, picking me up, buying me girly things. Bleh.”

          “My brother pinches my cheeks too,” Kari screeched, “It’s. So. Annoying.”

          “So not cool. Anyways, why did you ask? Are you going to prank him again?”

          “That’s the plan,” Troy responded, cocking his head.

          “T-that’s fine with me. S-serves him right.” Emily lifted her hands as if to say "whatever,” but her face was plastered with an uneasy, jittering smile. She may have liked her uncle more than she let others on.

          Diya produced a black maker from her pocket, popping off the cap with her thumb. It blasted off like a rocket making a tink, tink, sound when it bounced off the cold, white, cafeteria floor.

          On the table in front of Mr. Daisy were only two things, a PB and J, and a bottle of purple liquid (turnip juice.) That was all Quincy carried with him for lunch in his turtle lunchbox.

          Leena, on the other hand, pulled out a five-course meal from her cooler. Delicately, she arranged her lunch in a proper display. Colorful artwork of meats, veggies, and fruits. There was no chance that Leena’s delicate body could consume all of that food.

          “You must have quite the appetite.” Quincy’s eyes jumped between the many containers on the table.

          “I made too much again, hehe,” Leena laughed nervously. “On the contrary, it appears that you don’t.”

          “Money is a bit tight this week. Plus I’m not much of a cook. I just mostly microwave cheap meals and make sandwiches.”

          “That’s horrible!” Leena placed her hands on the table, propping herself closer to Quincy. Her inner arms held fast against her chest. She looked relatively upset.

          “It is?”

          “Of course. That can’t be healthy. Here.” A sealed plastic container was forced upon Quincy. “It’s some tuna hotdish I made. I promise it will be better than your sandwich.”

          Those gleaming yellow eyes looked expectantly at Quincy, impossible to refuse such a look. As he ate a spoonful of the hotdish, her hands clasped together. “This is amazing,” He remarked. “You made this yourself?”

          “Absolutely, from scratch. I’ve loved to cook ever since I was a little girl. I saw our personal chef making meals in the kitchen when I was seven and asked him if he could teach me. It was grueling, he was very strict but well worth it in the end.”

          An emerald gaze pierced through her, one that Leena took as a sight of suspicion.

          Crap! Raven told me not to tell people my family owns White Corporation. She's lectured me about how men take advantage of me because of it, over and over again. I may have said too much already. She's gonna kill me.

          “Mmmm, yes, you’re from Grand City. Heir to the White family.”

          “How did you know that!?”

          Quincy gave a mysterious smile, “I know many things, Leena. Things you couldn’t even imagine.”

          Leena’s eyes glazed over, and her face grew pale.

          “...Raven told me.”

          That hypocrite!

          Then, almost as if she heard what Leena had thought, Raven joined the two’s table. Leena jumped when Raven jumped onto her seat.

          “Yo, yo. What up? Say I was thinking that the four of us could chill at the park this weekend. The one around the lake. You, me, Eddy, and Quincy.” She pointed at each person when she addressed them. “I know you’re not doing anything, Leena.”

          “That’s harsh... but true,” Leena sulked.

          “So how about it big guy? You in or do you have a date?”

          “Sure, I’ll come.”

          “Great. I’ll give you the deets later.” The olive-skinned woman leaped back to her feet and slapped the table. Before she left she added. “Oh, heeeey. Quincy, why don’t you let Leena try some of that juice you bring with you. I’m certain it will give her a kick of energy.”

          “Is it that good?”

          “Oooooh, it’s the beeeeest.”

          “Well, sure. You gave me some food, I’ll return the favor.” He pushed the bottle across the table into Leena’s hands. Raven leered at her while she took a gulp, a stream of purple ooze dribbled down to her chin.

          “It’s...”

          “It’s...?” Raven repeated.

          “It’s... pretty good. What is it?”

          “Turnip juice,” Quincy said proudly. “The one thing I do make myself.”

          Raven slapped her forehead and walked away, never expecting Leena to keep that purple poison down. Leena watched Raven walk away, confused by the P.E. teacher's reaction.

          The kindergarten class left the lunchroom, leaving silence behind. The V.P. awoke from his slumber, his face drawn on with permanent, black marker. The remainder of the day his face had whiskers, thick eyebrows, and a curly mustache. Luckily for him, very few had taken notice of his fate.