for the love of fruit -- open

[MARCO ANDRE DE LUCA]

Grading papers was no fun. No fun at all. In fact, he’d rather... learn French. Learn French or die. Probably die. That would have been worse then grading papers. Especially Math papers. Were they still called papers? Okay, Math tests then. Grading maths tests was hell and Marco just did not want to do it anymore. What choice did he have though? They were apart of the job. Cursed. He was the one who had set the blasted test. Who’d he think he was, marching into class and announcing happily that they’d have a pop quiz? Plum forgetting that he was the one who’d actually have to mark the silly thing. And there he was thinking he was so clever for even adding bonus questions. Ha. What a fool he was. Next lesson his freshman students were doing nothing, and he was going to bring his guitar and sing them a song about Pythagorean theorem. There. Lesson plan done and dusted.

Groaning, he looked down at the next paper in his pile. Ohh. He knew who that student was. Considering how early in the term was (again, why the pop-quizz De Luca? Huh? Why? You just made your students and yourself miserable..), that was an achievement. She was an animated little blondie who sat next to another blonde girl. Was it just him, or did blonde’s tend to gravitate towards each other? Anyway, his point was, he knew her name because in the first class she and her little friend had walked into the room, giggling like sunshine twins on uppers, and spent most of the lesson discussion about who’d they’d rather ‘do’; a glittery vampire who, from what he could gather, stalked girls, or some wolf boy. To start with, he was shocked girls that age spoke like that, and secondly, it was disrupting his lesson.

When Marco had pulled them up on talking, the first blonde blinked her innocent eyes at him, and said ‘but Mr. De Luca, I was only trying to explain to her fractions and percentages. Like, if she was in a room with fifty other girls, she’d have a one in five chance of doing Edward, because she’s ten percent hotter than most other girls..’ Marco hadn’t been able to keep a straight face. In fact, even now, remembering it, he was chuckling away to himself. She was indeed a fire-cracker. He liked that in a student. Besides, by not blowing his top at her comment, De Luca had earned some respect, and now blondie paid attention in class. Or well, at least, she didn’t talk through his lessons, which was nice.

Marco always seemed to be walking a fine-line between teacher and buddy with his students. It worked for him, but the dean of the school often had some issues with it. Still, they hadn’t fired him yet so he must have been doing something right. Still, even if he liked the girl, it didn’t mean he wanted to grade her paper. Casting his eyes around, The man looked for something that would serve as a good distraction. It was then that he remembered. Kumquat! His darling wife had packed him a kumquat for lunch, which he hadn’t eaten yet. And boy did he love kumquats. It was like ‘OOH YEAH, KAMQUAT, YEAHH’ when he bit into one. Heavenly. Springing excitedly back from his desk, Marco opened the draw that housed his lunch. Humming to himself.

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[DANE VIVIAN DARLING]

Bumbling through the hallways with her matrices textbook tightly pressed against her chest, crossed carefully beneath her arms that were folded over it's back cover in an “X” shape, Dane rubbed her chapped lips together as she felt her cheeks flush a pink shade from walking against the winds outside in order to cross campus. She wouldn't have rushed over for just anything, though. It would have had to be for something that she seemed very important, like her grades.

Her first year of University had barely begun and already the tiny little Southern belle was fretting over her classes. Failing wasn't an option, but neither was a mental breakdown and that was why she was enlisting the help of her old high school math teacher: Mr. De Luca. Surely, he would be able to work out the misunderstanding she and University matrices professor we're having.

Turning the corner sharply, Dane faced his closed classroom door and stood up on the very tips of her toes to make sure he wasn't in the middle of a lecture and was glad to see that he didn't appear busy at all, just sitting at his desk with a pile of papers. It never so much as entered her mind that he might not have any interest in ever seeing her again. Maybe, he was thrilled that she graduated into University and now he could wash his hands of her. However, she couldn't remember ever speaking up when she took his class, and she earned nothing but straight A's, how could she have bothered him?

Clearing her throat and untucking one toothpick sized arm from the other, she fixed the hem of her dress over her knees, and rapped her white knuckles against the door, pushing it open by the knob slightly and poking only her head in to smile vapidly towards him.

“I'm sorry to bother you, Mr. De Luca, I don't know if you remember me, I'm Dane...” In a mouse-like squeak, that did little to hide her accent, she began nervously. “I used to take your classes when I was in high school?” She tried to explain. “I just had a question, if you had time.” Dane informed him, staying near to the door and cradling her textbook against her flat chest.
"talking looks like this. k ??"

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i stand at ten feet tall but its only 877 355. sometimes i feel like a goddess while wearing this pretty little outfit. of course i need to talk to marco de luca. this picture of perfection is totally incomplete. in the end i just say this hello!. don't forget we made this REAL SLIM SHADY !? @ caution 2.0

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[MARCO ANDRE DE LUCA]

Alas, the poor man’s search for the beloved kumquat was thwarted by a knock on the door. It was most upsetting. While at first the kumquat search was just a mere distraction from grading papers, in the few short moments since he had decided that he was going to eat the citrusy piece of deliciousness, he found that he was really craving it. Really, it was such a shame that he had to be interrupted. Looking up from his draw, the man watched as the door opened, and the young woman stepped inside. He was rather good with faces, so right away Marco recognised her. She had been a quiet, but very hard working and gifted student he had rather enjoyed teaching. Though, it would have been nice to see her come out of her shell a little. That was much of a muchness really though. Bottom line he recognised her and was glad she was here.

Grinning, he closed the draw. Sure, he was still mourning the loss of his snack, but a student was always a welcomed distraction from marking a quiz. “Come in, Come in!” He stood from his desk, grinning gleefully. “I remember you. Of course I do.” Moving over to the student, the young at heart teacher ushered her over to his desk. He then stole a chair from the front row of student desks and set it next to his own desk. “Take a seat. How’s university life treating you?” He cocked an eyebrow, however without giving her a chance to answer, another statement was made. “It’s so nice getting visits from old students.” He beamed at the girl. He was such an excitable teacher. His passion wasn’t really for the maths though. Sure he had a brain for numbers but he was no genius, his passion was in the students. In fact he would have taken any teaching job he could be offered.

Leaning against his desk, Mr De Luca continued to grin. In all honesty it was also the concept of having a genuine distraction from making that had him this excited. He was glad to see the student though. It meant a lot to him that he’d made enough of an impression on the girl that she’d come back to see him even after she had graduated the high school. “Now, what can I do for you?” This time he actually stopped his rapid fire. Giving her time to actually answer. Eyes on her expectantly. Hands resting on the desk at either side of him as he leant back casually. Marco liked keeping things casual. Even if those in charge at Emerson weren’t so fond of it. However as long as the students had good grades and the parents weren’t complaining, they didn’t bother him.. too much.

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[DANE VIVIAN DARLING]

His smile felt just like home-cooking to Dane as she watched it spread across his face without force. She remembered Mr. De Luca always having a knack for making his students feel welcomed, at least, she had always enjoyed coming to his class and not just because it was the subject she felt she was best at. Dane took his smile as a sign that he didn't mind her being there and wandered further into the room, closer to his desk, as he assured her with enthusiasm that he wanted her to come in. Dane's blue eyes to check the sincerity in his when he said that he remembered her, she couldn't believe it. To Dane, it felt like light years since she was in high school, but in reality not very much time had gone by at all.

At his request, she wandered further into the room, already feeling more at ease and comfortable about dropping by without any notice. Besides, she knew that what she wanted to ask him was a little ridiculous. Most students had no problem relaxing, University was the time have fun anyway, but Dane always managed to get so high strung over her grades. They had been the culprit behind many different panic attacks in high school.

“Thank you so much.” Dane smiled meekly and cocked her head to the side, letting all of her light brown hair peter down over her shoulder as she did. Her spine align to the back of the chair, she let go of her math text book and planted it firmly over her bare knees and smoothed both her hands over it's back until they could clutch the end of it. She scooted closer with the soles of her feet to his desk, trying her best not to make the most annoying noise with the chair as it squeaked across his classroom floor. “Oh, it's alright.” She gave a quick shrug of her shoulders as she answered his question, rather generically. “It's no high school, but I don't hate it. I guess, you know what University is like, right?” It was a silly question, Dane figured. Of course, Mr. De Luca knew what University was like, he had to go in order to become a teacher.

Dane felt far more comfortable now that he had assured her he was happy to see old students again. She wasn't planning on needing much help in the future with her academics, but if the scenario was to ever pop up, she felt like, maybe, she could come to him for some help. Of course, she had University professor she could talk to, but she felt more comfortable with Mr. De Luca. She felt like, though not very personally, she knew him.

“It's silly, really.” Smiling slightly brighter than before, Dane swiped some hair behind both ears before lifting her textbook off her lap and opening it up in front of him on his own desk. She plucked it open to a page right in the middle of the book that was heavy enough to use as a free weight and pulled out the stapled together papers she had locked between the pages. “It was a pop quiz. It's barely worth anything, but as you can see,” Dane scooted foreword on the seat of the plastic chair and pointed to her number grade on the top of the paper by her name, it was written in thick red ink that seemed to mocked her every time she saw it. “My professor gave me a 94, and though some would be perfectly happy with a 94, I don't think it's the right grade for me.” She spewed out as if she had practised the speech in her bathroom mirror before coming and then recited it over and over in her head on the way over (which she had). “I'm not saying I deserve a perfect grade, but this work is far closer to an 100 then it is a 94.” Dane showcased her matrices work with her hand and then checked up with her blue eyes as they went back to their usual shade and made sure Mr. De Luca followed what she was saying. “She never told us that she wanted a written definition under each set of matrix problems, I didn't know I should just assume she did.” Finally, Dane inhaled deeply and straightened up against the chair. “I was hoping, since you used to teach me and you can attest that I'm better than this grade, that you could talk to her and help me bump this grade up.” Batting her eyes slightly as if she was a four year-old instead of a grown adult, Dane flashed him an innocent smile that most people identified with her before returning to speak at light speed. “I'd really appreciate it. I'll do anything.” Mr. De Luca looked old enough to have kids, she was willing to babysit if that's what it took. She was willing to wash his car!By the time she finished her ramble, Dane looked as stressed out as receiving a 94 made her feel. It was as if a vein was going to pop right out of her forehead. She wasn't sure why she got herself so riled up over things like this, but she always had put immaculate pressure on herself.
"talking looks like this. k ??"

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i stand at ten feet tall but its only 877 355. sometimes i feel like a goddess while wearing this pretty little outfit. of course i need to talk to marco de luca. this picture of perfection is totally incomplete. in the end i just say this hello!. don't forget we made this REAL SLIM SHADY !? @ caution 2.0

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[MARCO ANDRE DE LUCA]

Marco listened patiently as Dane spoke. She sounded as though she had practiced what she was going to say, and who was he to interrupt that? The man more than understood how frustrating it could be when someone interrupted your story. Besides which, it was only fair he heard her out completely before he spoke. The young man had a fair idea what was going on and what he was going to say the moment she showed him her grades, but he owed her the respect and courtesy to let her finish. There may have been more to the story that he’d miss if he didn’t hear her out. Besides, Mr. De Luca found students had more respect for you as a teacher when you showed them some in return. She may not have been in his maths class anymore, but if she was going to listen to his advice at all, she’d need to feel like was being heard.

Taking the quiz from his desk, Macro flipped through it quickly. Just to be sure of her work himself. Only being a high-school maths teacher, he wasn’t exactly sure he could calculate all the answers off the top of his head, but he did know how to mark a test, and what answers should be worth what, and how many right answers it would roughly take to her a score like ninety-four percent. The man took the few moments of silent perusal of the paper to collect his thoughts, work out exactly what to say to the poor girl. He could see she was rather distressed by the situation. “Kiddo, that’s a really good grade..” he started softly. Mr. De Luca knew that some people may find being called ‘kiddo’ patronizing, however it wasn’t how he meant it. He saw it as a term of endearment. He called his own daughter kiddo, and any student he was fond of.

Handing back her exam, he lent down to take her hand, giving it a soft squeeze of support. “I’m not going to ask your teacher to change the grade, Dane. For one it would undermine them, and that isn’t fair. And two, it’s a fantastic grade.” He offered her a sympathetic smile. “I know it’s a bit of a shock, but University is just a different kettle of fish hon. I’ve seen A students struggle to get B’s their first few months of University. It’s a completely different style of learning, and a different environment.” Pausing, he gave her a wink. “Trust me though, you have nothing to worry about, a ninety-four is amazing. You just need to stop stressing so much. Relax. Enjoy college. It’s supposed to be the best time of your life.”

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