a little maturity * [open]

[neelam]

The door to the teacher's lounge swung open as an incredibly agitated Neelam stomped through it, the school bell signaling the end of the day was still ringing. "Stupid kids. Why can't they just follow instructions!?" She could just feel the annoyance that threatened to turn into anger sitting in the pit of her stomach. But she wasn't going to let a bunch of high school students get the best of her. Well, more than they already had at least. Thursdays were lab experiment days in her class and that always meant some bright clown was going to try and make something explode instead of just following their lab books. Today's experiment dealt with pH levels, and somehow she had to deal with three lab groups in one school day that wouldn't even try, or somehow managed to let their pipet spill the reactor all over the table and floor. Honestly. When she was moved from ninth and tenth grade to eleventh and twelveth Neil expected a little bit more maturity. That sure wasn't the case.

Neelam had labs to grade today and a test to make, so she knew that she would be staying late. But there was no reason to jump right into that tedious work just yet. Firt she would calm herself with the worlds worst cup of coffe; or at least that's what she figured it was. She didn't particularly notice any teacher when she walked/stormed into the lounge, too busy trying to keep her cool. Neelam walked up to the dinky little coffee pot and poured the brown liquid into her "I Heart Me" cup, took a sip, and immediately poured it out. "I must be insane, I always expect the coffee to be good and it never is." She said to no person in particular, but Neelam was nothing if not a woman with a plan. Standing on her tip-toes she used her fingers to knock the cabinet door just barely open. And there she glimpsed the corner of her box of lemon tea, all the way to the far right. For what seemed like the first time all day she smiled sincerely and then looked around for a footstool to grab the only thing good and hot to drink in this lounge.

What she noticed was that the last two teachers that were in here had just closed the door behind them, leaving her alone and stranded with no way to reach the small box. No footstool in sight Neelam crossed one arm across her chest and placed the other on her forehead, letting out a truly exhasperated sigh in the process. Normally Neelam was a much more controlled woman with few things that rattled her, but this particular week was pushing her to breaking point. There was so much to be done, students were acting up more than usual, big tests coming up, and working on her masters in the little spare time she had. All this left her with little time to do anything but breath, and even then that was only on good days. All that was to be expected with the life as a teacher, but right now all she wanted was a cup of tea to unwind before she had to go back to drudge work, and by george she would get it.

Wearing her usual teacher-y get-up of a pencil skirt, blouse, and heels Neelam made a silent decision that since it was only her in the room she could risk looking like an absolute idiot trying to fumble her way up the counter and to the top cabinet. Neelam grabbed one of the chairs and pushed it against the counter underneath the row cabinets, a slightly determined look on her face. As she wobbled up onto the chair, her brown heels suddenly seeming terribly unstable she quickly oppened the cabinet and grabbed her box of tea. "Ah-ha! I win!" She said happily, wobbling on the chair.