#I'VE STUDIED FIVE LANGUAGES WITHOUT COUNTING MY NATIVE ONE

[nysus-temple]

YA'LL I'M AT MY LIMIT— Someone came today and said "why do you want to defend Latin and Greek so much? They aren't of any use" AND SIR I'M SORRY TO BREAK IT TO YOU. BUT YOU'RE SPANISH. YOUR LANGUAGE COMES FROM LATIN. USE LATIN INSTEAD OF COPYING ENGLISH WORDS. And then he went and made it worse saying "ok fine, Latin is useful, whatever you say. But Greek? What do you need Greek for?" LIKE DUNNO. IT'S A FUCKING ACTUAL LANGUAGE SPOKEN IN AN ENTIRE COUNTRY WITH YEARS OF HISTORY. PERHAPS THE FACT THAT MANY SPANISH WORDS COME FROM IT. DUNNO BUDDY. IS THAT USEFUL ENOUGH TO YOU, YOU PIECE OF SHIT???

[lancetuckershairgel]

Summary: Chris Haven is a high school resource officer who comes across a troubled teen in need of more help than anyone could imagine.

Word count: 1,380

Warnings: language (warnings will be added as the story progresses)

Tag List: @southernbell91 @marvelgirl7 @book-dragon-13 @jobean12-blog @anxiousamandapanda @loricameback @randomfandompenguin @louisianaspell @spacemansam (if you wish to be added or removed in the tag list for this, let me know)

Chris sat in his patrol car parked outside the school building, looking at the front doors with discontent.  Another day of dealing with the fresh hell that awaited him within those walls. Chris liked kids, hell, he even liked his job most of the time but it was those few problem kids that made his job less than pleasant. 

"Just a few more weeks" he sighed, climbing out and walking inside 

Chris was greeted by the office staff and he made some small talk with a few of the teachers before he headed into his office and opened his computer to a slew of emails. Angry parents cussing him for daring to intervene with their child's behavior, concerned mothers going on about bullying, the usual. Not even five minutes into his work day the phone on his desk rang and he couldn't help but groan at the name that appeared on the screen.  

"Yeah?" Chris asked "What's she doing now?"

"Just get down here." 

Chris sighed and made his way down the locker lined hallway, heading in the direction he was needed. He asked already hear the screaming and saw that the principal and a few other teachers were  trying to defuse the situation but the crowd backed away when he neared, a look of relief on the principal's face when she saw him. He entered the classroom and assessed the situation, shaking his head. 

"You wanna get down from there and tell me what's going on?" Chris asked looking up at the teenage girl standing on her desk

"What's going on is a breech of the third amendment!" 

Chris resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he reached for her wrist, helping her down.

"You're housing a soldier?" he asked casually, leading her out of the classroom without incident 

"What? No. I meant the one about freedom of speech." 

"That's the First Amendment, Lucy"

"Whatever." 

 

"Sit."

Lucy sat down with a huff against the lockers, knees pulled to her chest, while Chris got the necessary details from her teacher. After a few minutes of speaking with Miss Alexander, the principal, he motioned for Lucy to join him. Reluctantly she got up and followed him back to his office. Chris sat down in the leather desk chair and leaned back, placing his hands behind his head. Instead of sitting, Lucy wandered around his office, picking up the rubix cube he had sat on a shelf. 

"What happened?" 

"Didn't Mr Furrow already tell you?" She asked, turning the sides of the colored cube 

"I want to hear your side."

Lucy sighed and turned to look at the officer. 

"Let's just cut to the chase and get to the punishment. I know you don't care about my side." 

"Lucy, you know that isn't true. I've always been fair with you. Sit down and tell me what happened." 

Lucy sat in her preferred chair. Not either of the ones across from his desk,  not the beanbag sat next to a bookshelf, but the white saucer chair covered with faux fur. 

"Do you know why I like sitting here, Chris?" 

"No, wh-"

"You never cared to ask." Lucy shrugged "I've always wanted one."

Chris leaned forward, resting his clasped hands on the desk. 

"Right." Lucy continued to turn the cube "Columbus Day is a load of horseshit and I told Mr Furrow that."

"Why is it...that?"

"Its so dumb how teachers aren't allowed to cuss. I bet every one of you swear like sailors when you're not at work."

"It's not appropriate"

"Its stupid. Anyway, Mr Furrow was preaching-"

"Teaching." Chris corrected her 

"Sure, let's go with that. Mr. Furrow was teaching about that asshole Christopher Columbus and how he discovered America. Then he explained why we celebrate Columbus Day, making this guy out to be a hero or something. So I told him he was wrong."

"Is he wrong?"

"Yeah. Columbus didn't discover America, he discovered some place in the Caribbean"

"What place?" 

Lucy narrowed her eyes. She knew Chris' game. He was testing her, making her talk. She hated him for it because she knew he was reading her. He looked at her as if he was trying to deduce everything that was going on in her head and figuring her out and the scary thing was, he usually could figure her out. She twisted the cube in her hand, looking away from him. 

"The West Indies. He thought he was in India, that's why we call Native Americans Indians. He was a racist prick who raped and murdered hundreds of people then took claim over a land that wasn't his"

"You're right."

"I know I am."

"But you can't tell your teachers that they're wrong."

"Why not? Because I'm a kid and they're the adult?"

"Exactly."

"How is that fair?"

"It isn't, but that's the rules."

"Fuck rules."

"Lucy." Chris warned, reaching for a notebook and handing it to her 

"What's this for?"

"I want you to write an apology letter to Mr Furrow."

"Oh for the love of-"

"Just do it and we can both go back to our day."

"Oh I'm sooo sorry to inconvenience you, Officer." 

She rolled her eyes and began writing. Chris answered the emails he had and rescheduled his mentoring sessions he was currently missing. Thirty minutes later Lucy placed the notebook on Chris' desk, along with the rubix cube. Without another word, she left Chris' office and he raised his eyebrows, picking up the brain teaser and pursing his lips.  

"Smart kid." He mused, turning the cube in his hand to see that she had figured the puzzle out, all six sides one solid color. He placed it back on his shelf without messing it up and went on about his day. 

Before working at the high school Chris worked at a juvenile detention center. As a former troubled teen, he felt drawn to these kids that just needed a guiding hand. He'd met  a lot of these kids over his years as a cop, but never anyone quite like Lucy. Lucy was opinionated, strong willed, and didn't take crap from anyone. When Chris had first shown up at the school, Lucy was aggressive and angry. He had worked with her, even though she fought him every step of the way, to see what worked for her. Eventually he found that bringing her to his office, a room he kept quiet and comfortable, lit only by a couple of dim lamps, would calm her down. He'd talk to her and ask her questions that made her open up and think. Shed never talk about her personal life outside of school, something he quickly learned not to ask her about if he wanted to keep her talking. He had once asked her why she seemed to wear the same thing every day ,a pair of torn and faded jeans and an oversized hoodie. It was t out of the ordinary for teens to be seen in the same hoodies, but even in the warmer months she'd wear the same thing. 

Lucy thought that everyone hated her. She had a chip on her shoulder, an attitude and scowl that made everyone distance themselves from her. She was never seen talking to anyone, always walking to class alone while other girls had friends by their sides. She never attended any after school functions, went on field trips, or did extra curricular activities. When Chris asked her why she just shrugged and told him that they were stupid. Lucy was smart, though. She studied hard, never missed an assignment, or a day of school. When Chris talked to her about her future and what she wanted to do she had told him that she wanted to go to college and get a good job, leaving her response at that. 

At the end of the day Chris called Lucy back to his office. After she had begrudgingly slumped down in one of the chairs in front of his desk he asked her about the rest of her day. 

"Sucked."

"Why?"

"Just did. Why do you care?" 

Chris sighed and scratched at the beard on his face. 

"What happened?"

"Nothing happened. I just don't want to be here."

"Would you rather be at home?"

"Fuck no." 

"Why not?"