Requested
There was a reason Arthur had never wanted to be a teacher. He just wasn’t very good at this sort of thing. Yes, he could explain complicated concepts in ways that made them fairly understandable, but that was something most anyone could do. What he lacked was the patience. It was always those that refused to learn that aggravated him, and those that refused to learn that were made the focus of his teachings by the board.
“Really, aren’t you both a bit old for pranks?”
They looked at him silently. It was a rhetorical question. You didn’t answer rhetorical question.
Arthur sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, closing his eyes. To be honest, this was always a bit awkward. He was barely older than both of them, after all. Could have even gone to school with them at some point. And he was the New Teacher; if there was anything he had learned from his own school days, it was that you didn’t respect the new teachers, fresh from college and not yet knowledgeable to all the tricks of the trade. Not that he’d ever gotten in much trouble, mind you. But William had always had his own sense of humor, and it was one that his teachers tended not to appreciate.
“Just one of those telescopes is worth more than what both of your parents are paying per semester here. The lenses alone-“ There was still no response, and that annoyed him. He couldn’t argue with them properly, even if they responded. They were students, college students at that. You weren’t supposed to debate with them; you scolded them, threatened a lowering of their grade if that didn’t work, but there was no proper debating to be had.
“Look, just-“ he suppressed a sigh, taking off his glasses and rubbing at his eyes. “I’ll have a word with the Vice-chancellor about this, alright?”
There he saw a flicker of worry on their faces, and Arthur couldn’t help but feel proud. Just a little bit, of course. He didn’t show it.
“After that, it’s out of my hands. But I hope you two don’t make a habit of this; I hear their always looking for someone to help keep the classrooms clean.”
“Yes, sir.”
They finally spoke up, and it had to be that phrase. Arthur disliked that phrase; it made him feel….old. Old and grumpy, and he wasn’t any of those yet.
“Dismissed, then.”
He watched them both walk away; footsteps fading down what would only be an empty hall for so long. With a sigh, he slumped forward in his chair, glancing at the clock on his table.
“William doesn’t have to deal with students, does he? I should see if he’d like to g stargazing today….”
Fandom: Einstein and Eddington
Word Count: 462
Prompt: Arthur vs Students.