What if I ain't no violinist?

5. Twoset Teachers II

A/N: In the "Twoset Teachers" stories, Brett and Eddy are high school teachers.  The subject they teach may change from episode to episode. This way it gives me more options to explore and make things iNtErEsTiNg.  So while they were both maths teachers in the first episode, in this chapter they are both history teachers.

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"Brett, am I getting older or have the kids changed? I'm struggling to understand this new generation. "

Brett looked up from his exam papers and saw Eddy sit across the large table.  He had brought over two mugs of coffee and he handed one to Brett.

"Oh wow, thanks Eddy, this is just what I need."

Brett was delighted with the timing.  He was tired and loved the idea of taking a coffee break with his favourite colleague, Eddy, a fellow history teacher. 

"So, Eddy, you were saying ?"

"Ya, I was asking whether it's just me getting older or whether the kids have changed? I just don't get this new generation. "

"Hmm, I guess the answer would be, a little bit from column A and a little bit from column B?"

Like what would I know, right?  If you call yourself "old", what's that gonna make me?  Ancient ??

Eddy is normally pretty calm and collected but he is comfortable to show Brett a more emotional side of himself when other colleagues are not around.  Brett really likes this side of Eddy, as it would've been the part of Eddy that drew him into teaching and made him such an empathetic, enthusiastic and passionate teacher that the students like.

Well, not just the students...

Eddy started frailing his hands and arms around expressively as he proceeded to say in a sing-song tone.  

"Ooooh, but sir, of course it's easy for you, you're a teacher."

Brett cooed back with his falsetto, his lame attempt to mimicking a girls voice. 

"Ooooooh but sir, of course, it's sooo easy for you, you're so smaaaaart." 

Eddy paused for a second then burst out laughing.

"Man, you need to work on your falsetto.  Like this, oooooh but sir, of course, it's soooo easy for you, you're so smaaaaart." 

Brett followed with his laughter.

"Oh cut that cr*p, Edwina, I'm trying to drink my coffee!"

"Bretty, that wasn't the worst part I heard, get this.  I had this kid, an Asian kid, a senior, say to me today.."

Eddy lowered his voice and moved in closer.

What, sh*t, must do deadpan face, NOW.

Eddy leaned in towards Brett in preparation to whisper into his ear.   

Aaaaagh, errrrrr, uuuuum, deadpan!  Yes, deadpan, must be so deadpan..

Brett braced himself as he felt Eddy's closeness.  Eddy whispered.

"Oooooh, but sir, of course, it's easy for you, you have no idea what it's like to be brought up by strict Asian parents...!!!!"

Brett was in so much shock he forgot that he was blushing about Eddy whispering into his ear.  He was in so much shock that he almost dropped his mug. Thank god Brett hadn't taken a sip yet. He faced Eddy with his jaw dropped in horror. They then proceeded to exclaim in unison;

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

Thank goodness it was actually after school and there was no one left in the teachers' lounge.

A moment passed for Brett to process the information. He has known his colleague long enough to know that Eddy has a Taiwanese background just like him.   While he can only imagine the severity of expectations placed on Eddy while he was brought up by his parents, it must have been pretty similar to or possibly worse than what he went through himself.

"Oh, the trauma..."

"Mate, the scars, man..."

"So...what did you say to the kid?"

"Well..."

Eddy picked his words carefully, just like he usually does when asked of an opinion. He speaks softly with care. Brett loved it when Eddy spoke like this. He could listen to him all day. 

"I'm thinking, like, this poor kid is so stressed. The other students around him are pissing themselves laughing, right? And he doesn't even know why. One of his mates even told the kid to "calm down and have a good look at what Mr Chen looks like". I must have been pulling some weird expression on my face because the girls were squealing. "

That's prolly for another reason, you dope. 

"Huh, whaddya mean by that?"

Whoops, did I just say that when it was just meant to be a thought?

"Yes, Brett"

F*ck, Imma doing it again!?!? Focus, man.

"...anyway Brett, so I tell this kid that I was told by my parents that I was "wasting my marks" because I could have gotten into medicine but decided to study education instead. And you know what, Brett? I find out today that a lot of our bright kids are told the same thing."

"Wasting my marks, wow. I've heard of that one before but I never copped it myself because I wasn't a straight A student.  Y'know, I feel so sorry for these kids.  They probably live by that stupid meme.  Y'know the one ?  It goes A is for average, B is for below average..." 

Eddy perks up.

"Oh my god, I know this!!!"

They start chanting together.

"C is for can't have dinner!!!!  D is for don't come home!!!  F is for find new family!!!"