Doreen & JP - Got Grades?

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Doreen, unable to deal with the suspense, asks Jean-Paul for her grades. Once that's off her chest, they end up discussing skiing.((Backdated to Friday Afternoon.))

Re-sodding a stretch of lawn was not quite the way Jean-Paul had envisioned spending the first hours after his final class of the semester. Yard work was something you paid other people to do. But Kyle had made it clear that the people who were supposed to know better were the ones who were supposed to fix the bits of the yard that they'd help trample. At least his powers were making short work of the chore.

The suspense was killing her. Well, not literally, but she had that not in her stomach that always came about this time of year. It was the time of year she asked herself just how badly she had tanked her classes. Of course, this was the first time she had lived in the same place as her teachers, too. And when she saw Mr. Beaubier from her perch it was too good of a chance to pass up. He looked like he was working, but she’d only bother him for a moment.
It only took her and Monkey Joe a second to scurry down the tree then bounce over to near where her teacher was working.

“Um…” now that she thought about it, she had no idea how to start this conversation.

Jean-Paul glanced up at the uncertain hail, grateful for the excuse to plant his shovel. "Doreen." He greeted his student with a smile. "I thought you would be off enjoying your new found freedom."

“Oh, I was,” Doreen said, “I just had a question that I wonder if you could answer right now. If that’s okay.”

"Fire away." Jean-Paul leaned on the shovel, curious. The questions to be asked now that class was over seemed limited.

“Um… how did I do on my final?” Doreen managed, the last coming out in a rush.

'Is that all?' He nearly said so out loud, but caught himself. It hadn't been that long ago that Doreen had been at a school where her relationship with her teachers was all but adversarial and her grades had been casualties. Of course she would be concerned.

"You did excellently, Doreen -- you pulled in a strong 'A'." He considered. "Do you want your overall grade now, or would you prefer to wait until the full reports are posted? Really, you did just fine either way. So far as my class is concerned, you do not need to worry."

Doreen had been preparing herself for the worst and she and Monkey Joe perked up instantly. “Really?” she asked, “Wow, I haven’t gotten an A in anything for years! Could I have my overall grade now too please?”

"B+, nearly an A. I think if you had been here from the start of term, you could have made that A easily. There is nothing wrong with your brain, I am certain of that much."

“Really? Wow, that’s good news. Oh my gosh, I was so worried,” Doreen admitted.

"Glad to put your mind at ease, mam'selle. Trust, I have enjoyed having you in the class." He took a seat at the edge of the ragged lawn. "So what do you have planned for the summer?"

“I dunno. I might learn how to swing dance, Mr. Sefton says he knows how and I thought it would be fun. Mom said if she has enough money for the bus ticket I might go home for a week or so,” Doreen said. She wouldn’t do anymore with that, not with how much she had to eat and how much it could cost. Not to mention other reasons. “I really like the winter better, because then we go skiing…well, we used to, we don’t so much anymore.”

Her teacher's smile widened just a touch. "I have always enjoyed the slopes myself. Where did you ski?"

“Mostly out in Colorado. Though we went to the Alps, just once,” Doreen said, “We really haven’t been able to go the last couple of years. We haven’t had the money.”

"It is not Colorado, but perhaps you could talk to one of the staff about reserving some time in the Danger Room. If I can put together a basic climbing program without getting anyone killed, skiing should not be so difficult."

“Really? That would be so cool. I haven’t been skiing forever,” Doreen said happily.

"Try talking to Mister Summers about it," Jean-Paul suggested. "I think he could use a project to keep him busy while he is off of his feet. And you can warn me if he decides a Danger Room skiing course needs a yeti. That man has an odd sense of humor."

“Okay! …Yeah, you shouldn’t have a yeti in a skiing program, that’s just wrong,” Doreen said. “But it would be awesome to be able to go skiing again without having to spend a lot of money on it. I really, really, really missed it. I couldn’t even do that much to make up for it,” she mused, pausing to think, “I mean, they wouldn’t let me on the track team or play sports or do much in gym class.”

"All the better that you are now," Jean-Paul observed, picking up his shovel again, "where our moments of asshattery are on an individual basis, not part of the institution on the whole."