Log:Rough Start of the Semester

2020/01/06 Radical|Connor Grimm 1

Science Building, CBSU

When walking into this building the familiar scents of chemical compounds can be smelled immediately as they waif through the hallway. The hallway has a number of doors leading off into various labs and lecture rooms as well as faculty offices. The floors here are made of synthetic rubber tiles for easy maintenance, while the walls are painted with a glossy white coating. Florescent lighting illuminates the hallway and most of the rooms. The doors leading into each room are metal with a small mesh reinforced window set within most of them.

Professor Duran had been called into the Head of the Mathematics Department's office a few days before the semester starts. "Sorry to ask this, but Paul has had an unfortunate illness come up. We need someone to cover his section for Trigonometry. Only for this semester, and it's on the same days as your other classes." Paul McMahan is an older, tenured professor whose health has been failing him lately.

Connor nods, "It's okay. I understand. I'm happy to help, especially if it's temporary."

The Department Head smiles reassuringly. "It's just for this semester. If he's still out by the next one, we'll hire another temporary replacement. Thank you, Connor." He pulls out an old fashioned 3-inch thick three ring binder from a desk drawer and hands it to Connor. "I'm sure you have your own syllabus, but if you need it, this is Paul's lesson plan and roll sheets." At the very least, Connor will need the student enrollment list for his class, and some other administrative paperwork for the class.

Connor takes the binder, "I haven't taught Trig for a bit, so this will still be of use. Thank you."

"Good, glad it'll be useful. Thanks again, and Happy New Years," the Department Head wishes with a smile.

Fast forward three days, it's Connor's first day of McMahan's trigonometry class. The lecture hall is slowly filling up with students.

Connor looks out at the students, "I know you were all expecting Dr. McMahan for your class, but I'm afraid he's had a family emergency. I'll be filling in for this semester. My name is Dr. Connor Duran." He writes his contact information on the board, but then also goes to hand out the syllabus.

Some of the students shift in their seats and pay attention. McMahan is known as an easier teacher because he's more laid back. No one complains as they accept their syllabus.

Connor has conflicting emotions. He's nervous about having to jump into teaching something with short notice, but at the same time, he's more relaxed...more confident than he has been in a long time while doing so. And the latter emotion comes through after only about five minutes. He goes over the syllabus in detail, taking questions as necessary.

It's only after all the question taking is done and Connor's about to to move on that a tardy student arrives from the door in the top rear of the large lecture hall. Gabrielle Grimm tries to sneak in mostly unnoticed, attempting to be as quiet as possible as she slips into one of the rearmost available seats. She's wearing a black t-shirt with the band logo for "Decay and Wait" in white, black jeans, and a gray flannel with off-white thin stripes.

Just as she's slipping her messenger bag off her shoulder, she freezes as her eyes lock on Dr. Duran. She definitely looks surprised.

Connor gives her a wave, but doesn't call her out for being late in front of the entire class. He's smart enough to know that's not going to help their student/teacher relationship much. Instead, he just passes an extra copy of hte syllabus to a student in front and indicates to hand it further back.

Grimm looks at a sheet of paper in her hand, checking her schedule. She looks at the door she came in for verification. She looks back to Dr. Duran as he waves. Gabrielle looks tired still, and she rubs her eyes to check if she's having a nightmare.

The extra syllabus gets handed to Grimm eventually and she stares at it. With a lean, she whispers something to the student next to her and gets confirmation on what happened with McMahan. Even from that distance, Connor could swear Grimm is getting paler.

Connor continues on with the class, giving a brief overview of what will be covered. He then goes into the basics of Trig...and finishes with assigning some homework. The homework will be graded, but it's only a small percentage of the overall score for the class. It's clearly meant as practice for the tests.

Near the end of the lecture, but before homework is assigned. Grimm's head is down. She's fallen asleep with pencil half-held in hand still and over her homework from notetaking.

Connor smiles slightly. There was a time when he might have called her out openly about it, but...well, he considers her a friend. Or at least a potential friend. It remains to be seen what happens. He wraps class up and says, "If any of you wish to drop the class or change sections due to the abrupt change of your teacher, I'm not going to feel offended."

Grimm misses the offer to drop the course while she's asleep. It's the only section of trig that fits her schedule anyway. Some students may take him up on that for an easier class.

The students file out after class is over. Grimm is still napping, though after the last student passes her on the way to the door, she gasps sharply and startles awake with a jerk, panicked for a moment as she wakes from a realistic nightmare. She soon realizes she's back in the classroom and shrinks down in her seat in embarrassment. She tries to quickly sweep her stuff back in her bag.

Connor is the only person left in the room, and he gathers up his things. He walks up to where Grimm is before she manages to get out of the room, "Are you feeling okay?"

Grimm's face is a bit red from getting caught. "Yeah. Fine...um. Sorry for falling asleep in your class, Dr. Duran," she murmurs apologetically, just like any other student would. It would seem she still woke up to her nightmare; another class with Dr. Duran.

Connor leans against the seat in front of Grimm, "You know...if you need help, you're welcome to stop by my office during office hours. I'm happy to help. I saw the look on your face when you saw me. I'm not an enemy here. I want to help you."

"Sorry. You just...weren't who I was expecting," Grimm rubs the back of her neck, still shrunk in her chair. She might try and act tough when it comes to heroics, but the power dynamic's changed now that she's in the lecture hall. "And I did really bad in the last class I had with you," she winces at remembering.

Connor smiles, "You're older and wiser now. Ask for help when you need it. And get more sleep."

"Yeah, people keep saying that. I'm trying," Gabrielle murmurs. She did just nap, after all. "I'll, um. Get some help with a study group or something if I struggle." And maybe to find out what the first homework assignment was.

Connor chuckles. "First assignment is online, as well as the reading." He pauses and takes a deep breath. "Are you afraid of asking me for help?"

Grimm blushes a bit as he tells her where to find the assignment. "Uhh. No," she says too quickly as a cover up. Then she sighs, deflating. "Maybe a little."

Connor pinches the bridge of his nose. He then smiles slightly, looking friendly...but perhaps a little melancholy. "I see. Well...my door's open. You're a brave woman. I'm sure you're up to the challenge."

Grimm is caught by surprise by the melancholy hint. It wasn't something she expected. She thinks back on what Carpenter told her. . o O (Maybe it's me.) "Sorry, Dr. Duran. Thanks. I'll keep that in mind," she says sincerely, actually letting some of her guard down.

Connor smiles again, "Alright, I'll let you go. Have a good day. Or try to, at least."

Grimm smiles back at last and nods. "Alright. You, too, Dr. Duran." She grabs her pencil and her phone and gets up to leave. No magic or spookiness on her part.

Connor gives her plenty of room to head out, and he intends to be the last one out to turn the light off.

Grimm is the last one out aside from Connor. She gets the feeling this will be a tough quarter, assignment-wise at least.