Ich werde dich nie vergessen - Part 2

"I really am sorry about the broken window," Richard said to Myra as he munched a sandwich at lunchtime in the staffroom.

Myra shrugged, taking a bite out of her own sandwich. "It's not my pay cheque it's coming out of," she said with a grin.

As Richard was about to reply, grinning, a slim blonde waltzed in. "Myra, Richard, the principal wants to see you both…" The two exchanged mystified glances then followed the secretary out, their lunch now forgotten.

"Richard, nice to see you're settling in well," Peters began, beaming at the gym teacher. "Though I'd thank you not to break any more of my school windows." He turned to Myra and his smile faded. "Myra, I'm afraid I have some bad news for the science department…"

"And that would be…?"

"Budget cuts. The science department is going to have its budget cut," he replied, looking grim.

"You can't be serious," Myra replied arching an eyebrow. "What do you want us to do, sell the Bunsen burners just so we have enough money?!"

Peters shook his bald head. "I'm sorry but our science department isn't getting us new students. No one comes to Engelmann High because they want to do science. Now it's all about the arts or sports."

Myra's mouth dropped open. "So you're cutting my budget and giving it to him?!" she asked incredulously with an angry toss of her head in Richard's direction.

Peters shrugged. "Survey says the sports department is the money maker. It's the department we need to develop if we want to keep this school running."

"Develop?!" she repeated acidly. "It's the best developed department in the school! Except for maybe all the arty subjects. And you want to give them even more money?!"

"In all fairness, if it gets students –" Richard began.

"Shut it, Gym Boy," Myra growled, cutting him off. Richard blinked in surprise seeing her emerald eyes turning dark. "No one asked for your opinion."

The principal sighed. "Look, Myra, this isn't up for debate. When it comes to such donations as science parents simply don't pay up. However when it comes to the sports donations and fees, they fork out outrageous amounts of money for their darlings to play wannabe-sports-stars." He sighed. "The maths department is in the same boat as you, and they weren't nearly as fussy as you're being."

"That's because Schneider's department only needs calculators and rulers!" she spat. "Add some protractors into the mix and you've just made their year!" She stood up. "How are the teachers supposed to produce smart students with our once-again-cut budget?!"

Peters shrugged. "You'll find a way, I'm sure."

She shook her head, glaring at him. "You're making a huge mistake." She stalked out of the room, almost smashing into Schneider further down the corridor.

He caught a hold of her and pulled her into a hug. "Hey now, what's wrong?"

"Peters cut our budget. Again," she growled, unsuccessfully trying to calm down. She knew she had to calm herself otherwise she'd transform, and she just couldn't afford that to happen. Not here and now where it'd cause a scene.

As if reading her mind, Schneider wrapped an arm around her waist and steered her in the direction of the deserted Maths department. Entering his office he watched Myra silently as wolf ears began to grow, poking out from underneath her brunette hair, then suddenly pulled her into a hug.

"Hey, it's ok," he murmured to her, stroking one of her furry ears.

It twitched underneath his hand. "No, it's not ok," she replied quietly, pulling out of the hug.

"Ok, agreed, it's not. But we'll find a way around it," he told her, leaning on his desk.

She gave a defeated sigh. "We'll have to. Otherwise the science teachers are going to go on a rampage."

Christoph grinned. "Perfect. I'll get my Maths department, Paul will get his Social Sciences teachers and we'll go on a full-blown riot. Because who doesn't love a good ol' riot?" he added with a chuckle.

Myra couldn't help but laugh. "Peters won't. The Geo and History teachers can get real mean when provoked."

Schneider laughed. "Don't I know it. I think I'm still part deaf from when Bolton got into that argument with that jerky new English teacher."
~
Myra smiled, watching him. Never had she thought that she'd be able to trust Christoph again. Not after the all the intolerable years he'd spent bullying her in their teens. If murder had been legal, she would have killed him and his posse of blonde cheerleader followers without a second thought. Instead she'd just run away one evening, disowning her twin brother as she did so.

Later she got offered a job as Head of Department here at Engelmann High School which she gladly took, never even dreaming that this would result in a total 'blast from the past' scenario. Till she'd been glad to see again, but the one person that she'd truly hated for so long not only happened to work there too. Not only as a regular teacher, but also as an H.O.D which meant she'd have to see him more often.

Many a night Myra had spent at the gym working her anger and frustration out on various gym equipment. Many a night she spent cuddling her Siberian Husky , Volchok, named so because of his resemblance to a wild wolf, and crying into his grey fur while he licked at her face trying to cheer his mistress up.

But Christoph begged for forgiveness; did everything he could to ensure that the two could start over. He was kind, sweet, caring like never before, and slowly the two became friends once again.

She thought back to when he'd first found out her secret. He'd witnessed an argument between her and Andrews, an English teacher. Later he found her hiding in her office, trying to  quell her anger so as not to complete the transformation. He watched in suppressed horror as slowly her pale skin grew dull fur and her face began to elongate into a muzzle.

He reached out to her, wondering if she'd snap at him. Instead after a moment's hesitation she nuzzled his hand and allowed him to pull her into a hug.

"I just invented the banana Daiquiri a couple of centuries early," he quoted into her ear. "Always take a banana to a party; bananas are good."
A growl that turned into a human giggle escaped her throat at this out-of-place and untimely quote.
He smiled. "What am I supposed to do to distract the hyenas? Dress in drag and do the hula?!" he said, then continued to quote movies and series they had seen together, trying to make her laugh and forget the argument.

Slowly her skin returned back to normal, her tail disappeared, her face went back to her regular self. Christoph kept hugging her and she clung onto him, then finally clearing her throat she let go.

"When I ran away, I met this guy, who I thought was seriously amazing. But it turned out he was a werewolf and one evening he attacked me. Instead of being scared, I was downright angry so when he bit me, that emotion I felt meant that I'd transform every time I felt it... How'd you know that making me laugh would work?"

"I didn't," he replied with a slight shrug. "All I know was that I don't like seeing you other than happy."
~
Back to present:
Schneider watched Myra for a moment, then pushing himself off his desk went over and hugged her again. He loved hugging her, loved holding her in his arms. Once upon a time he'd been afraid that he'd never be able to again because of how much he'd hurt her. "We'll be ok. We'll get through this all… Somehow…" he told her, kissing her forehead.

"Yo Schneider, I – " Till interrupted the moment, sauntering into the office. He stopped, seeing the two hugging and smirked. "No public displays of affection between teachers during school hours," he teased.

Myra swatted him, laughing. "Hypocrite. I've seen you with that gorgeous new Drama teacher. You're all over her like a rash."

Till grinned. "She digs me."

Schneider snorted. "Maybe in your fantasies she does. Real life, not so much."  

"Till was there even a reason for your rude interruption?" Myra asked.

"Yes," he said with a nod. "A trip to Jack's Bakery and then let's go watch the languages department get their butts kicked in the 'student vs teacher' soccer match."

Myra grinned. "Sounds like a perfect lunch-time." Briefly her thoughts went back to Richard but she pushed them away. "I'm craving a chocolate donut like you wouldn't believe."

Till wrapped an arm around her shoulder, Schneider doing the same so she was sandwiched in the middle and the trio went off chatting and laughing.

As they left, none of them noticed Richard in the distance, watching them. Richard knew he shouldn't be jealous of his friends for having the affections of the lovely female he'd just met but he couldn't help it.

He wanted Myra, and what Richard wanted, he always got in the end.