New Beginnings (Charlie Bartlett Fanfic Starring Robert Downey Jr.)

Chapter 61 - School's Out

 The weeks went on and the end of the school year approached faster than anyone anticipated. While Nathan was happy with his parents' reaction to his relationship with Sydney, he didn't let them know she'd be moving in with him so soon. Whether they liked her or not, he knew his mother would think he was jumping into something too quickly after being on his own for so long; he'd tell them eventually. In the mean time, he was truly enjoying his life. He received news from several seniors informing him that they got into their first picks for college, some of them using reference letters he'd written for them. Susan and Charlie were spending more time at the house, and he and Sydney took part in a serious discussion about the structure itself. He had wanted to do renovations for years, but never had the spark to actually do anything. When he ran the ideas he had past Sydney, she encouraged him, but made him swear she wasn't the only reason he wanted to do them. It was his home, not hers...but he wanted to change that so very much.

Joe Hawkins had an inkling that Nathan and Sydney may have started to see one another, but no clue as to their actual relationship - nobody at school even thought to make any rumors up about them. They were simply faculty members assigned to one another that had become friends. Once the thrill of sneaking around had worn off, they were desperate to be able to go out locally, and romantically, close to home. With the school year ending, the weight they felt was slowly lifting and they began to get a bit giddy; this was fodder for Susan, but neither minded.

There was only a half-day of school on the last day of the year, one where nothing was accomplished, and the seniors hadn't been in class for the last three days as they prepared for their graduation. An hour after the bell sounded, and the rest of the student body exited the school in a round of excited yells and sighs of relief, Sydney was seated in her classroom, tears running down her face. Nathan circled the halls three times before finding her.

"I swear, I poked my head in here twice in the last twenty minutes and you weren't..." He saw her eyes and stopped. "Syd?"

She smiled at him, a fresh tear falling onto her skirt. "Fran isn't coming back...and they aren't interviewing for the position."

Nathan's face lit up. "Really?"

Sydney nodded, wiping at her eyes. "It...it's my room." She got up from the ledge under the windows and twirled around like a little girl, throwing her arms out as she did so. "I get to stay!"

Nathan picked her up and spun her around himself, his own eyes watering a little. He kissed her lips and put her down, his forehead against hers. "Sydney, I am so happy for you."

"I know part of it has to be because of Rick, but, you know what? I don't care. People get hired for being related to someone or kissing ass or..."

"You're a wonderful teacher, Syd. Look at the kids you have leaving this place tonight - ones you fought so hard for, ones you studied with...this school is better for having you." He kissed her again. "Who gave you the news?"

She blushed, so grateful for everything happening to her. "Joe...and three board members. Sedgwick really did try to have me blacklisted, that wasn't a threat..." She shook her head. "...but it was...he's sort of going to be coming under review himself." She looked into Nathan's eyes and caressed his cheek. "I can't thank you enough for any of this."

Nathan quickly retorted. "I had nothing to do with getting you..."

Sydney laughed. "No, but you did so much for me. I was ready to run out the door the first day and...the last seven months have been..." Her lips trembled and Nathan's hands gently rubbed her back. "I couldn't ask for anything more. This is the first time things have ever fallen into place for me...I love you."