Math Teacher to Student

Sitting at the airport terminal Gabriel watched and waited as the first class passengers loaded onto his plane. He wished he could afford to fly first class, and he hoped that would change soon after this trip. He had returned home after getting his Masters degree and teaching certificate with high hopes of a prestigious position at another college, or leveraging the friendships he made along the way for a different high paying career. None of that happened, and he was to move back home, living under the same roof as his mother and older sister.

She had always acted like the boss of him growing up, just because she was eight years older and they were left alone while their mother was off working, cleaning rich people's homes. His mom was the hardest working person he knew. She came to America from Mexico with a few dollars in her pocket and a dream in her heart. It took her a long time to go from illegal to a citizen, and she would always tell stories about having to hide or flee when the government came looking.

Even now she still did the same old job, of course his sister hadn’t changed much either. Always acting like she was the boss, like she didn't even notice or care that he was twenty four. As hardworking as his mom was, she was not about to let her son, her baby or not get away with free loading as she put it. So he ended up taking a teaching job back at the same high-school he graduated from. The same school where his sister taught drama of all things. He told her time and time again how her art degree from the community College was worthless, but with a teaching certificate she found something… something crappy, but something.

He didn't understand her, if she had just worked hard like he had in school he was sure their Mom would have paid for college like she did for him, but instead she went for her passion instead of her brain. So now he was a first year teacher at Nevada's finest institute, public school, go Thunderbirds! It was horrible, the school was missing a Principal at the start of the year and the Vice Principal thought he was a student as he sat outside his office. The balding overweight man looked at him and glared as if he had done something wrong. "School hasn't even started yet and you are already in trouble?"

Harry Bisc right away became a man he hated. Just because he was short didn't mean he was some snot nosed kid. He had a mustache like Clark Gable for God's sake! Then there were the students, not all of them were bad, but enough were. He couldn't believe what the school let the girls get away with, their skirts were just so short. They were more invested in makeup or boys to pay much attention to his lessons and it had pissed him right off. He was slumming it here at this school, and they wouldn't even show him the respect he deserved! Just thinking about it boiled his blood, but he had ways of making them pay. Plenty of detentions, sending home emails saying "Your child spends more time looking at her compact mirror than her math book. If she would pay attention in class she might have a chance at an education." He caught a little shit for it from the VP, that ass, but it wasn't like he had any real power.

His phone vibrated in his pocket, distracting him from his petty thoughts. It was one of his old mates from college, the man that was going to pull him out of that hell hole. Sliding the green icon across the screen he answered it. "Clint! You old so in so, everything still good for my visit?" He certainly hoped so, he had taken a week off of work for this trip and it meant missing the arrival of the new boss man, a Mr Samuel Banks.

"Yeah, I was just calling to make sure your flight was on time so I can pick you up from the airport. Man it will be nice to go out drinking with Keg Gabe again." The nickname given was a joke. That at his five foot five height that if they wanted they could make him fit into a keg, but with great application of drinking and almost getting poisoning the rumors were more that he could drink a keg on his own.

"Everything is on time man, and thanks again for setting me up with the interview at Sidwell. A teaching job at that private school is exactly what I'm looking for to jump start my career." He laughed at the situation and just how fortunate it was. He agreed to babysit, or chaperone as the school called it for a trip to D.C. for the FBLA club, future business leaders of America. The titled seemed like a joke considering the brain power of some of the students in it. Watching over them was not out of the kindness of his heart, he thought it would be good to earn some points with the new Principal. Considering the man also going on the trip, and it got him away from his home state and out of the house.

The trip got worse when he found out Maria, his sister, agreed to be the third adult for the trip. Knowing he was going to need a drink or five he called up his friend who lived in the area, and not only did he want to get a drink, but he told him about an opening at the school his wife worked at. So here he was now, flying out a week early to get the much better job. "No problem, happy to do it for you Keg and just wait till you see what I have in store for us while you are here. I think I needed this more than you. So you get your ass on that plane and out of Valley so you can come to civilization."

The five hour flight wasn't so bad. He popped a few benadryl and slept through more than half the flight. Then he watched the Man of Steel movie that came out the year before. It seemed a little dark for the symbol of hope that he was used to, but damn were the action scenes amazing. Not one baby on the flight and with his stature leg room wasn't really a problem. If it wasn't for some turbulence it would have been a perfect flight. The real issue was when his bag didn't show up. "I'm sorry sir, but we have checked over all the bags and we can't seem to locate yours. I'm sure it will turn up in the system and we will be able to have it delivered to wherever you are staying."

Gabe slammed his open palm down on the counter. "That's great in all, but that only leaves me with what I'm wearing and my suit I had for a carry on. You don't even know where my suitcase is on a flight that had no layovers. Some slacker probably didn't load it. Why don't you just call back and check the departure bags. Or do I need to do that for you?" Typical lazy girl, thought she could just say she was sorry and he would move on from the problem like it was no big deal and he wasn't going to have it.

"Sir, as I said nothing is in the system for your bag…" Gabe cut her off, he didn't want to hear her excuses.

"How about I just speak to your boss, where is he?" The woman behind the counter was visibly older than him and looked annoyed to be spoken to the way she was. She might have told him off. If her boss wasn't in ear shot and came over without her having to say a word.

"Jessica, why don't you take a break. I will help this customer. He said with a fake smile, before whispering something to her that looked to placate her mood. "I apologize for any trouble this experience is causing you. Unfortunately right now we do not have your bag, we do have your phone number and the address where you are staying, so that we can get it to you when it arrives."

Gabe was not looking happy with the man's answer, but he held up his hands in a please wait kind of way. "What we will also do is give you some vouchers that will work in the local mall. You said you were bringing enough clothes for two weeks, the system is offering you a hundred and fifty dollars, but I'm willing to double it if you are willing to sign a form saying this resolves the issue, if the worst happens and the bag does not turn up while you are visiting our nation's capital." Gabe turned to his friend Clint who had come inside after waiting for over a half hour. "See, that is how you get things done."