Attendance is for Losers

[Madelena Engel]

Maddie sat in the office of her English teacher, crossing and uncrossing her legs impatiently. Why exactly she had to be there, she had no idea. Her grades were fine; great, even. Better than some of the 'native' English speakers that were in her class. There really hadn't been any reason for her to be called in there.

But, she showed up despite her doubt that there was anything wrong. The door had been left open, so she took the liberty to come in and sit down, despite the fact that the office was empty. She had taken a seat in the chair across from the one designated for the teacher. She had considered taking the larger one, but ultimately decided against it. She liked crossing lines, but she also wasn't suicidal. She did, on some level, care about her grades.

She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest, glancing at the door. Maybe she had been early or something? Or maybe the teacher was just a horrible human who set up meetings with students only to not show up. Either way, Maddie was not happy. Her arms were crossed, her eyes were narrowed, and her lips were pursed. It was not a welcoming scene to walk in on. 

[Bell Connelly]

There were no bad students, that’s what Bell believed sure there were those that had more difficulties than others, but never should a teacher give up on a student simply because they were a little spirited. Maybe that was a vastly naïve and inexperienced way to view such manners and seemed more than a little idealistic after all, this was the real world and things were rarely that black and white in the real world. But Bell personally saw no reason why it shouldn’t be that way.

Different students had different strength and weaknesses and some that don’t apply themselves well to an academic settling. Take students like Jack Mccarthy and Friday Morning, not two people you could consider average students by any means of the imagination but clearly, they were both far more creative then Bell could ever hope to be. If they ever wrote a book, Bell would take great pleasure in reading it from cover to back.

Sometimes when a child acted out it was usually just a cry for help.

Or at least that how it seemed in the case with Madelena Engel.

She was aware of the child for some time now, or rather more apt she was aware of the rare times she showed up in class, and while her grades didn't suffer as a result her attendance had become quite a concern.

Bell knew how being summoned to a teacher’s classroom could be just a little intimidating. She knew in her school girl days whenever she was summoned to some kind of office, she automatically assumed that she was in terrible trouble so the walls of the home would seem to close in on her every single time as her heart beat rapidly in her chest trying to figure out what exactly was it that she had done. She didn’t exactly what anyone to feel that way coming to her office so she did all she could to expel any kind of intimidating aura and more welcoming. Hence why she insisted her room was brightly coloured, filled to the brim with every candy bar inexistent –Well Bell’s sweet tooth was legendary- hoping that she made it all the more comfortable for the students- That was the scene Maddie now found herself as Bell guided so very delicately into the room in typical colourful clothing contracting with her wild red hair and glasses "Sorry about that, Book club. We were just discussing the modern day merits of Charles Darwin and well time got away from me. Please, why don't you make yourself more-" Bell looked up and blinked momentarily "Oh, I see you're ahead of me. Splendid!" She grinned as she made her way to her desk sitting down behind it "Can I get you anything? Tea? Chocolate?"

[Madelena Engel]

Maddie raised her eyebrows as the teacher waltzed into the room. She looked like something out of a cartoon. It was almost laughable, really. She had forgotten how that she was one of the reasons she had decided to stop showing up to the course. Having to 'learn' under someone that... Well, that, had driven her to stop attending.

"Tea," Maddie sighed. Chocolate had too many calories, and she didn't particularly want tea, but Goddammit if she wasn't going to take something from this woman for her troubles. "Would you please tell me why you have called me to your office today?" She asked sweetly, putting up her walls of sweet façade reserved for teachers and adults in power. Her English was good, almost too good. She had learned it that way. No conjunctions, and a thick German accent. "I believe that my grades are not very bad."

Her legs uncrossed and she cleared her throat. She was going to have the damned thing go smoothly and get out of there as quickly as possible. 

[Bell Connelly]

Yes, it was fair to say that Bell had her own particular branch of s of style and she thought that she looked quite cute actually she enjoyed bright colors and she found the habit of knitting her own clothes to be quite a rewarding pursuit and she thought the things she came up were actually quite cute indeed.

But she can see why her clothes might not appeal to the teenage sensibilities….

“Wonderful. I do enjoy a good cup of tea myself” Bell nodded in approval turning the kettle on spelling before leaning forward and interlacing her fingers together looking at the girl calmly pulling out her file of the various classes (All colour coded of course) And opened it to the page regarding attendance “Well first off I should say first off you’re not in trouble, I promise you, so you don’t need to worry...However...I HAVE noticed that you haven’t shown up for class the last few weeks and while your grades are good, I believe that attendance is just as important….Is there a reason why you’ve missed the last few classes?!

[Madelena Engel]

Maddie watched at Ms. Connelly pulled out a file that was impressively organized. The girl blinked away her surprise and tried to act like she wasn't that impressed by it. She had always had a knack for organization.

"Well I should think that I am not in trouble," Maddie huffed, "I received a very high grade on the last assignment, if you remember, and I did not even need to attend this class more than once a week to do that." She had gone to class once that week, twice the week before that. When the semester began, she had come regularly, but once she had figured out that the class was a joke, she had stopped caring enough to attend.

"Is there a reason why you’ve missed the last few classes?!"

Maddie paused, then pasted a large smile on her face and tilted her head. Slowly, she started to increase Ms. Connelly's pheromones that controlled her happiness. She hoped that if she suddenly became happy, she would be blissfully unaware that she wanted to talk to Maddie about something.

"Well, I do not know, I suppose I just did not think that it was very important for me to come to class. I am doing very well, after all, am I not?"

[Bell Connelly]

Yes well when one had no social life to speak of, one did one’s best to pass the time, Anyone who's known Bell for just a few seconds can tell she’s a very creative person indeed that coupled with the fact that ever since the aftermath of her sister’s death she found it prudent and fulfilling to keep her hands full at all times with several projects of her own, the knitting, the unique office structure and of course the almost obsessive need to take something tat is traditionally black and white and much like Bell’s personality make it unsightly colourful as possible. Bell was something a busy body, if she wasn’t teaching, she was volunteering at the homeless shelter or, the children’s hospital and if she wasn’t getting involved in that she’d be focused on her own particular form of arts and crafts.

Bell listened attentively to Madeline, she always made a point to do just that when she was talking with a student, she considered that the main component of her job. If not to listen then what was a teacher for? Then to listen, converse and info, if she just sat there and simply told a student it was her way or the highway then she’d be no better than a prison warden. “Yes you did, Madelena. And it was VERY impressive I have to say” she nodded.

At her words she couldn’t help but smile along, can’t helping but enjoying her confidence, call it strange but with the red hair and the bright smile on her face she sort of resembled Sarah, and just thinking about that brightened up Bell’s face,”You you are, I really do enjoy reading your book reports but….” Bell pursed her lips trying to think of the best way to phrase her feelings “There’s a difference between “studying” and “Learning”. There’s a difference between memorising and regurgitating facts onto a page and gaining valuable knowledge. Because the school isn’t just tests and grades, at least I believe so, that’s what I like to do in class. In this day and age, it’s so important for people your age to actually gain an appreciation for books and reading something that isn’t on a screen and I’m just worried you’re denying opening yourself up to that"

Bell paused to let that sink in, there was a reason why she was Bellefonte's foremost bookworm after all "So I take the lack of attendance very seriously"

[Madelena Engel]

Maddie nodded and stopped the smirk that wanted to spread itself across her face at the comment about her report being impressive. It had been impressive. It (and she) deserved the praise.

"So I take the lack of attendance very seriously"

The teen's hands clasped in her lap, and she dug her thumbnail into her flesh, using the pain to remind herself to maintain her image. She hated it when adults questioned her. It rarely happened back in Germany, but then, she also had much more time to build up her reputation, and she had the added help of being able to speak in her native language. Perhaps she just needed a bit more time to get her footing in the new country in order to stop it from happening again.

But in any case, she was in the moment. Her smile grew, and she replied in a voice that dripped with sweetness and insincerity, "of course. I will do my best to attend all classes from now on. Is there anything else you need?"

[Bell Connelly]

Was she being too harsh? Oh, she really hoped she wasn’t, she so hated thinking that she would ever be forceful with her students, her worst fear was always the idea that she would become an authority figure that her students would grow to fear or tried to avoid. In a perfect world, she’d like to believe that the students thought of her as someone she could relax around, be themselves and be open without fear or trepidation. Bell had a natural aversion to loud and aggressive behaviour. If you needed to get your point across yelling and screeching like a wild animal it doesn’t deserve to be heard. Calm and reasonable that was the only l way to speak to someone. Treat them with respect and they’ll do the same thing to you.


Looking over her notes, her concern for Madelena was not unfounded, she didn’t want to mention it, because she didn’t want to cause undue worry and stress on her seeing as she probably had a lot, but her attendance was so appalling that she was dangerously close to a demerit, so you could imagine how relieved Bell felt when the student was being more than accommodating “Oh that’s wonderful to hear Madelena! She smiled her signature bright gleaming smile that seemed to light up the entire room before leaning forward and speaking in a hushed whispered “Don’t tell any of your class mates...but I’m bringing cookies to the class tomorrow” Bell giggled a little as if imparting a naughty secret “Don’t tell any of your class mates”


“Why yes, actually there was” Bell said settling down just a little in her chair “On a more positive note; while I notice you have rather impressive english; the school has asked me to tutor you one on one, don’t worry it won’t be too time-consuming, just an hour out of your day every week, it’s something I do with a lot of students that come over seas

[Madelena Engel]

Maddie played along respectfully with the cookie comment. It was likely that she wouldn't eat any of them anyway, given the calorie count and all, but she would smile and thank her when the time came. She wasn't exactly going to spread the news, either. It wasn't like it was hot-button topic. No self-respecting teenager really cared that their ditzy English teacher was going to bring in cookies. It just wasn't the way things worked. If she had, say, told her some dirt about a staff or student, then it would be all over her twitter, but alas, the information was useless in the real world, and therefore irrelevant to her.

For a brief second, Madelena thought her ears weren't working properly. They wanted her to get English tutoring? From this joke of a teacher?

For a drawn-out minute, all Maddie could do was stare in disbelief. Had the school read any of her files? She was doing fine in class. Better than fine, actually. She had better grades than some of the kids who were native English speakers. She had a better grasp on grammar than most people her age. She did not need to be tutored. This was unacceptable. 

The teen mustered a thin-lipped smile and began to attempt to alter Ms. Connelly's susceptibility to other thoughts. She hadn't come in there with the intent to use it on her teacher (she mostly reserved it for other students), but desperate times called for desperate measures. There was no way in hell that she was going to sit through classes and an extra hour of tutoring with this bimbo.

"I am sorry, Frau Connelly, but you must be mistaken. I should not have any need for tutoring. My grades are good and so is my English."