Red : A Melissa Schemmenti story (Melissa Schemmenti x non-binary OC)

Chapter 1: 'We are in desperate need of new eye candy'

Season 1, Episode 1: Pilot (1/3)

I swear I'll never get used to this heat. The blistering heat of Philadelphia is a big change from the constantly windy and grey British Summer that's for sure. Pulling up to the car park of the school I'll be working at for the next couple years all I can feel is a mixture of anxiety, excitement, and dread. Anxiety and excitement for my new job but dread at the idea of having to unload these boxes of art supplies out of my car in this sweltering heat.

I finally pull into the parking lot and get out, beginning to stack boxes to carry. "Need a hand with that?" I hear from a car that also just got here.

"Yes please. Thank you so much ..." I paused waiting for a name. "Oh. Gregory. I'm Gregory Eddie the new sub, I'm starting today".

"Me too!" I replied "I'm the new art teacher, Alexander Smith. But Al, Alex, Xander all work too"

"Well, it's nice to meet you Alex" extending out his hand to shake. "Nice to meet you too Gregory, nice to know I won't be the only newbie" extending mine out too. I think we will be fast friends.

We walk in comfortable silence through the main doors of the school, both our arms stacked with a couple boxes of supplies. We dump them on the front desk before Gregory asks a ginger woman where to find Ava. She's the principle and the one who reached out to me to teach here, she seemed very ... how would you say it... very friendly. She immediately messaged me like we have been friends for years and convinced me to move over to the states to work at Abbott Elementary. The ginger woman was about to reply but was interrupted by being barged out of the way by Ava. "Alex you're finally here!! Why didn't you text me, I would've been here to meet you "reaching over the desk to hug me. "Now what would be the fun of that A, I wanted to surprise you" I laughed as we separated. Her attention then went to Gregory while mine went to the ginger teacher that Ava rudely barged. She's beautiful. I would be an idiot if I didn't acknowledge that. Her eyeliner perfectly pointed and her piercing green eyes. I snap out of it as I hear Ava calling Gregory a stripper and my eyes widen, quickly learning that Ava may not be the most professional person in the world. "Well thank god the two of you are here, we are in desperate need of new eye candy" she continues, winking at me. Dramatically I put my hand to my heart flattered by the compliment. I hear a snicker from the ginger next to me, we have the same sense of humour... good to know. After some awkward silence another teacher speaks up, a lot more professionally than Ava "Nice to meet you both", "Nice to meet you too" "you too" we both reply. "Yeah, nice to meet ya' Ryan" the ginger directs to Gregory. A strong raspy accent too. Oh god this Woman is going to be the end of me. "It's Gregory" "ehhhh, we'll see how long you'll be here. Then I'll remember your name, okay Tim?" This earns a glare from Barb and a snicker from me that I try to hide. Unsuccessfully apparently as she looks over at me with a small smile. "Alex" she nods then leaves.

A curly haired dude then comes up and tries to bro hug Gregory, which is met with a hand stuck out for him to shake instead. He introduces himself as Jacob, another teacher here. His awful attempts to bond with Gregory just make me and the other, polite, teacher cringe. After that horrible introduction he shakes me hand and looks me up and down. "you look familiar, have we met?", now this confuses me "I don't think so" He defiantly doesn't seem like someone I would hang out with. He shakes my hand slower, squints his eyes at me "okayyyyy" then drops my hand and leaves. What an odd start to the day.

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Confessional 1

The camera turns on to alexander in the school hallway.

"Um ... Hi. I don't Really know what to say"

"Just your name and something about you. Explain your new role at Abbott" the director tells them in a friendly voice

"Oh okay. I'm Alexander. Xander. And uhh... I'm Abbott's new art teacher."

It cuts to them unloading the art supplies Gregory helped bring in into their new classroom. There are shelves under the windows on the far wall, all labelled with large block letters and filled with supplies. There are tables of 4 chairs, all with a pot of pencils and erasers in the middle of them. Xander is sat on the floor organising their supplies and putting them into the right shelves. Over the clip you hear their voiceover

"Creativity and art have helped me through some tough times. I also just love it. I hope it can help the kids as much as it's helped me"

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After sorting out all my supplies, labelling draws and sorting out tables the final bell rings but I decided to get a head start on my lesson planning. I'm sat on a desk with feet on a chair with headphones blasting my music as to not disturb the other teachers. I know I'm going to have each class for one lesson a week but that's it. How am I supposed to come up for classes for kindergarteners all the way to 8th grade. This is going to be a lot harder than I thought. I'm okay with planning classes for the older grades as I just take inspiration from my old high school art lessons. Lessons on texture or on mark making, proportions of the face and the gridding method. But I'm struggling to think of ideas for the younger years that will both keep them engaged and teach them something. I decided to go and find Mrs Howard tomorrow, Barbra I think her name is. I think she can give me some insight.

I pack up my stuff and start heading out when I bump into the ginger, who is also leaving. "How're you finding Abbott newbie" she begins small talking. "I think I'm going to like it here" respond looking her in the eyes with a small smile "You know," I continue "I never actually got your name" a smirk dancing on my lips. "Melissa, Melissa Schemmenti". As we exit the school we separate to our cars

"Well, it was lovely meeting you Schemmenti"

"You too Alex"

Chapter 1 end WC: 1117