Lesson 3: How to Avoid Surprises

[Samantha Montgomery]

Sam didn't notice her brother's mounting intensity but was brought up short of laughing at whatever Dorian was saying when she caught her brother's eyes, something was bothering him, she didn't know what but immediately she wanted to soothe it. Worry shimmered in her own eyes.

[Adele Graham]

Adele's nuetral look faded, and she frowned deeply as her eyes turned back to Sam.

She was jealous.

"Damn it," she whispered.

[Caleb Renneau]

Caleb met Sam's eyes and they shimmered, he was angry, he didn't like the assumption Adele made, and he didn't like this charade he was now forced to play. Not be her brother? Was she ashamed of him? His eyes softened and showed hurt there. He shook his head out of it and looked at all three of his students, "Well the rest are late, let's begin" he said putting his angry mood into his work.

[Samantha Montgomery]

When Sam saw his anger change to sadness her heart, that thing which she thought she had long ago destroyed, lurched, why was he in pain? What had happened? She looked over to Adele and unconsciously narrowed her eyes, what had she said? She would destroy the girl for hurting her brother, positively beat her into the ground and bathe in her tears if she thought for one moment that she caused harm to her brother. She wasn't focused when her brother began the assignment, instead she wanted to know what happened, as if she had a right to know.

[Dorian Knight]

"I think it's you that hasn't noticed," he said to her, smiling. "I may have signed up for a lot of the classes you have, but I haven't been to many of them."

He continued to flirt with her until Caleb started class, an his eyes trailed briefly to Adele. There was an interesting look on her face, until she buried her nose in her text book, and then he looked at Sam and the teacher.

"Well I feel left out," he said, just loud enough.

[Samantha Montgomery]

"Oh adding truancy to your list of crimes?" she asked returning her attention to him so she didn't appear so caught up, her voice was lowered in a whisper, " And lying to, for how could you have been looking for me in your classes if you didn't go to any?" she returned the smile on her face, her mind a million miles away.

[Dorian Knight]

He wasn't buying it. She was still distracted by her distraction. "Well, I'm just going to come out and say it."

He leaned back, leveling a gaze on the professor. "The pink elephant in the room seems to be a less than subtle love triangle."

[Samantha Montgomery]

Sam sneered at Dorian's suggestion, and then was tempted to laugh, still she looked between Caleb and Adele then she looked at her desk, "Oh no.. I don't think so...I mean he's what...three...four years older than her? Besides he's a teacher, and a most upstanding one too." she nodded defending her brother, and then realizing that she was the other party in the love triangle she gasped at Dorian, "How dare you say such a thing!" but there was laughter in her eyes, she honestly would never think of Caleb that way...well no ...not any more, he was firmly in the brother box.

"Oh no, no no no, Cale and I...Professor Renneau and I are not, besides he's much older than I am." she said with her nose in the air.

[Adele Graham]

Adele looked up sharply at Dorian's suggestion, and then at the professor to see his own reaction. So she wasn't the only one who thought there was something between him and Sam.

"Jealous, Ryan?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

[Dorian Knight]

Dorian gave Adele a rude gesture before turning his attention solely on Sam.

"Cale, hm?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows. "You're on a nickname basis with him. No wonder you're so popular around here."

[Samantha Montgomery]

Sam flushed prettily, but it wasn't from embarassment, no she was planning murder...oh it might have been a bit extreme, and yes they had been flirting beforehand, but flirting is something she excelled at even unintentionally. The other thing she excelled at was retribution.

"You'll swallow your words, Knight" she said to herself, but for appearance sake she looked as if she were about to cry from his jab.

[Caleb Renneau]

"Mr. Knight!" he called darkly from the front of the class he was only thankful that there weren't any other students there, "In the hall if you would."

He heard the boy and wanted to hit him, but didn't react for a full second, it was when Adele spoke that his anger was slightly appeased, since she seemed to be teasing the boy, but when he looked at Sam and she looked ready to cry Caleb wanted blood.

[Adele Graham]

Adele couldn't take it anymore, and she gave the professor a burning look.

"Excuse my boldness," she said. "But can we please start class?" She wanted to get on with it and get out of there as soon as possible.

Then, she looked at Sam. "And ignore Ryan. He's an ass, half the time."

[Dorian Knight]

"So speaks the grave digger," Dorian said in reply to Adele, raising his eyebrows in a way that dared her to say anything back.

He closed his book and stood up, walking towards the door in silence, assuming the teacher would follow.

[Caleb Renneau]

Nobody said things like that about his baby sister, *nobody*. He heard the parting shot Dorian had for Adele and his gut tightened harder, he gave her a nod but didn't stop heading out the the door to take care of brotherly business. He closed the door behind him and motioned for Dorian to keep walking, he wasn't going to do this in the hall where others could see, or come accross them.

[Samantha Montgomery]

Sam's mouth still hung open and she glared daggers at the back of Dorian's head, " His behavior was unexcusable, what made him say such a vile thing?" she asked shaking her head. She was planning all sorts of tortures for the man, evil vile things to do to him. He would not insinuate that she was...well...easy, and get away with it, oh no, he would pay.

[Adele Graham]

Adele gave Sam a look, and it clicked. "Oh. Oh, Samantha, no." She sighed, not even believing that she was going to stick up for Dorian in any way.

"He didn't mean that... not what you think." French girls, they took everything too offensively. "I know Ryan, unfortunately, and he would not have tried to insinuate that you were easy. He's too busy trying to get in your pants to consider it."

[Dorian Knight]

Dorian crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he nodded, allowing the professor to take the lead.

[Samantha Montgomery]

"Not insinuate that I was easy?" she asked incredulously, " He just implied that I was sleeping with our Arithmancy teacher." and she was not french, and she wasn't really that perturbed, still she had an act to play. She was surprised though, that he would just insinuate that she was sleeping around, because she knew he was trying to get into her pants. " And Godric knows who else he's thought I've been with since I've been here since I'm so *popular* with the guys here." she sighed pressing a hand to the bridge of her nose she had damage control to do, " And if he's willing to just say things like that out of hand in front of a teacher no less then...Oh ...Merlin...what else would the guy say about me to others?"

[Adele Graham]

Adele waved all of this away. "You weren't listening to me. Nevermind. Ryan deserves it anyway, I'm sure."

She didn't have the energy to explain what she knew Ryan had meant. Besides... there did seem to be something between them.