a life in the classroom, living under the desks.

Stella Harper wasn't exactly happy with her job filling in for a maternity leave. She wanted something more stable and more concrete. She wanted to be able to decorate the classroom with her pictures and posters. The students would just be getting to know her when she would be forced to leave anyway. Today was first day at the elementary school, and Stella didn't know anyone but the principal. She didn't know where anything was other then the classroom she was teaching in.

She was supposed to be making friends. Stella was usually good at making friends. Usually she was a boundless ball of energy, flitting from one group from the next. But as she entered the small teachers lounge, no one seemed to notice. No heads turned and there were no friendly smiles. Stella forced a pleased smile on her face, clutching her lunch tightly. There weren't any empty tables either, and if she was eating in her room... No, Stella wanted to make friends with the people here.

The friends she had outside of work were really just old people, mostly her parents friends. And her brother's friends too, but she wasn't really anything like them. They were kind of the dead beats of the world, and Stella wanted to be more then that. She wanted a life for herself. Hey, she had to start somewhere.

Wandering to the otherside of the room, near the windows, she saw another woman sitting by herself. She didn't exactly look happy. As Stella approached the table, she genuinely smiled. Making someone elses day better was one of her goals in life. It's why she was a teacher, to help children and to guide them in the right direction.

Smoothing her black pencil skirt, she looked down curiously at the other teacher. "Hi there." Stella cleared her throat. "Do you think it would be okay if I sat with you?" She glanced over her shoulder, nervously running a hand through her light hair. "Every where else seems full."

There was a few seconds of suspended silence where Stella gave a short laugh to break it. "Wow, I feel like I'm in high school then. I guess that song's right. High school never does end! Everyone always has the same cliques, no matter what job you have."

Diana chewed thoughtfully on each bitter slice of apple, wishing she had a little containor of caramel to dip them in. Although, that would be fattening and, of course, she had been trying to watch her wait ever since she realized her stomach had begun to puf out more than usual. She didn't want to look as old as she was and so, as each year passed, she tried desperate make-up measures to save her wary skin. Diets, excersize, foundation and wrinkle cream. Everything that had a possibility of working.

Another teacher, a woman she had never seen before, entered the room. No other faculty members looked up, but she managed to take a glance before returning to her perfectly set food. Why even look hopeful when the woman had probably already heard the "black list" about her? Or, maybe not...

Diana whipped her head up, her neat hair flying out of place. "O-oh, sure. You can sit, if you'd like." Her hand reached out to gesture towards the empty chairs across from her bfore pulling it back to her lap. Her apple slices were forgotten, the nerves forcing a loss of appetite. "Yes, that's true around here." A small smile and she stared down at her lap again. "I'm Diana Hart, a third grade teacher here. You are...?" Maybe she hadn't heard anything bad about her! Maybe this would be the first friend she had made at the school.

Yes, the school was like her home but for reasons other than the family aspect of a home life. It was safe, her students loved her and she was able to watch the stars during all hours of the day, albeit fake ones. Another teacher, one of the higher grade english majors, stepped over to their table. "Diana, I guess you didn't hear what they're doing right now." She looked genuinely sad, as though she was wary as to what might happen if the information was leaked. "They're going to paint over those stars you drew on the ceiling...the Super Intendent came by and, well, didn't appreciate the decorations. They didn't tell you?"

"N-no!" She stuttered, about to stand before falling back down into her chair. The table shook from the jolt of being banged on by her knees. "It's fine. I can...figure something else out." This new woman didn't need to know of her, well, flaws just yet. The other teacher stalked off with a shrug, leaving Diana feeling helpless and...hopeful.

Stella gave a happy shrug of her shoulders, glad to be allowed to inturrupt this woman's lunchtime. It wasn't like she was usually excluded, because her sunny disposition and rather positive outlook on life could be considered contagious. Most people didn't mind that. In Stella's book of dry wit and humor, you can't view the cup as half empty, because then what do you live for? Live life until your cup is overflowing.

She liked metaphors. They were an interesting way to describe something, and usually it was something simple that people could remember. Like the half empty/ful argument metaphor. The image was easily instilled into even the smallest of minds, and it was quite interesting to sway one way or another. A personal experience could drain the cup a little bit, or something happy in life could add a few drops of liquid.

One long metaphor later, Stella was edging herself into a seat across from Diana, as she introduced herself. "Thanks." Stella grinned, just as the other teacher came to their table. Closing her mouth and dropping the smile, a puzzled expression fixed itself on Stella's face instead, and she was a little confused over what was going on. Well, she was new, which explained things. But to be that rude? Stella scoffed.

"Painted stars? I'd love to have that on my classroom wall." She murmured, sighing wistfully. Jumping slightly as Diana bumped the table, Stella watched the other teacher stalk off, and her mouth slipped into a frown. "Well that's not right," She directed at Diana. "Why shouldn't you be able to decorate how you want? I'd love to do that with my classroom." Lips sliding into a pout, Stella tugged at her brown bag. A bottle of iced tea and a small package of cookies tumbled out, as well as a sandwhich of some sort made of wheat bread.

"I'm Stella Harper." She stuck a small hand across the table, the pout replaced with a big smile again. "Filling in for a fifth grade teacher's maternity leave. Nice to meet you, Diana."

Stella listened with amazement, a spark of jealously towards this woman considering she had her own room. And it was a bit ironic, considering Stella's name meant.. well 'star' basically, and Diana liked stars. Stella liked the stars too, and the constellations had a bit of a special hold to her considering the name sake. Her mother was a metetorologist, and an always aspiring astrologist. Not in the recent years, though.

Still, Stella would have to see this hand painted sky before they told Diana to take them down. Or before they decided to repaint themselves. Hm, that really wasn't right. Stella figured that once you had your own room, you could do whatever the hell you wanted to it. Why wouldn't they let her? Stella would stick up for Diana. There was no reason why the woman shouldn't be allowed to have a bit of fun once in a while.

"Nice to meet you too." Stella continued politely. "Aw." She tilted her head to the side. "I dunno why, you seem like a perfectly likeable person. Some people just can't appreciate good art." Stella's gaze glared after the teacher who just left their table. Although she had only been in the room a few minutes, Stella could see that people seemed to purposely avoid this woman. Why, she couldn't fathom. There was nothing wrong with a bit of rule breaking every once in a while. It kept everyone on their toes.

"I haven't been able to find a permanent job in months." Stella hung her head a bit. Almost instantly though, the corners of her mouth rearranged themselves upward again. "I took this job because it was longer then just a few days. Which is good."

Stella followed Diana's gaze to the red-haired woman, and she raised her eyebrows expectantly. "Wow," She murmured. "I don't really have big secrets like that. Everyone who knows me can figure me out in about two seconds." Stella laughed. "I guess I never cared much for personal privacy. Life is to short to live in a closet." Oh, this was one of her favorite metaphors. "So I came out of it." Stella fingered the wrapping of her sandwich, pulling out a half while placing her elbows on the table.

"I dont think I'll get around to telling many secrets." Stella shrugged, biting into the bread. "I'm pretty open about everything. Really, just ask and I'll spill my life story. Might take me a few hours, but it would be interesting!" She was just joking, really, but she did like to hear herself talk- which, again, wasn't a secret.

Stella shrugged, wondering why they bothered hiring temps when the staff seemed to dislike change so much. "Hm, well I hope so. Even though the people here aren't anything like my old school, maybe I can change that." She glanced around, wondering if it would be possible. "That could be my goal for my time here." Stella straightened her shoulders proudly.

The remark about her name had Stella turning to Diana once more. "I thought it was pretty ironic that you painted stars on your walls and here I am, a woman with the name meaning 'star' sitting right across from you!" Stella gave a short laugh, finding the irony amusing. "No, I don't think I was named after much. My mother just likes astrology. She's a meterologist for one of the more local stations. I think it annoyed my father sometimes, because he wouldn't let her name him Orion."

The metaphor about coming out of the closet had Diana furrowing her eyebrows in clear confusion. Was she saying something about actually coming out, as in admitting she was a lesbian? Or was this a metaphor about privacy that Di just wasn't understanding? Swallowing loudly, the woman stared down at her hands before glancing back up to Stella. Should she bring up her concerns? People in that school were, well, a bit homophobic. When they found out she had left Randy and was openly confused, that only aided to their hatred towards her.

"I highly doubt you can change these people." Diana muttered, well aware of teachers glancing over to check out Stella. She could practically feel them talking to each other over and over about what was wrong with the 'new girl'. Why would she be talking to Diana? The nutcase woman with issues to Guam. "And maybe, if we get to know each other more, I'll let you tell me all about your history." She laughed, gaining a few looks from faculty members. "I mean, you don't have to tell me anything and...I don't need to...I mean..." As though she knew what she was saying now. "Sorry. See, this is why people don't like me. I seem normal and then I stutter and get nervous and ramble and..." She paused, sighing.

"I do love Astrology, though. I mean, I just love the outdoors. It feels almost safe to me." She smiled brightly. "You should come see my room, before they repaint or force me to do it. Would you like to? When you've finished lunch? I think there's a good ten minutes of recess left."

The sandwich was ate hurridly, and Stella fit sips of iced tea inbetween bites. She shrugged a bit, already devising a plan. Stella would try and unite these people, she could do it! In a few months, she knew she could do it. All she needed was a good plan. Something that involved all of the staff here. A party? Well no that would end up just like lunchtime. Maybe a party that involved games? Or maybe their students could help. Stella would think of something.

"Really?" Stella looked up at Diana with a surprised, yet happy, expression. "That's surprising. People usually don't care too much. I personally love other peoples history. It really lets you get to know someone, huh?" She actually considered be a psychologist at one point in her life. Though, once in college, Stella decided that she wasn't that smart. She could listen to people talk any day, and she didn't have to be licensed to do it. Sometimes all people needed was a listener. Someone to talk to. It helped her, anyway.

As Diana stuttered, Stella tilted her head to the left. A concerned expression came across her face as she realized that it wasn't just the staff that were avoiding her, but it seemed like this woman was just alone in general. "I like watching the stars too." She added softly, holding her hands back on her lap so she wasn't tempted to offer any unwanted physical contact. Even just a brush of the hand could be considered unwelcome by some people.

The offer of seeing her room brightened Stella's eyes. "I'd love to!" She exclaimed, almost jumping up. She stood calmly, however, fidgeting ever so slightly. The papers in her hand were crumbled in a tight ball and the iced tea container was tossed into the trashcan after it. "Did you put any constellations in there? Or just stars? Either way, I'm sure you can make them up. Putting stories with them is always the best part."

Diana was well aware of faculty members assuming Stella was standing to get far, far away from her. It was only a natural observation, considering how disliked she was in the school. Well, that wasn't only in the school and with the faculty. The boy at the supermarket who always seemed to be working at the cashier she went to. the mailman she happened to talk to once. That weird guy who lived at the corner of her road, whose cat she saved from a tree. Ah, that was an odd experience. Setting the cover onto her tuperware container, Diana crumpled up her bag, leaned over and tossed it into the nearby trash.

She rose up to her feet, picking up the remaining apple slices sitting in the rubber container and began to step around the table. "Yes, true, histories do help you get to know people but some just...don't enjoy sharing." The woman shrugged, gesturing for Stella to follow her out of the break room. Once in the hallway, she was noticeably calmer. No more unwanted eyes were upon her back, scrutinizing her every move. "There are no constellations specifically. I lie on my floor at night, after everyone has gone and make up things about each star...the names, as I would have it...what grouping they should be in. Gosh, I sound so lonely." She laughed a bit.

"Hi, Ms. Hart." A young girl with dark hair said, waving her tiny hand. This little girl was in her class and was, by far, her favorite. Jenny Diver smiled brightly as Diana said hi back, before bounding outside and to recess, clutching a bright red ball.

"That was Jenny. She's highly intelligent and creative. One time I had the students write about the stars and their stories and...she came up with these detailed visions of herself living on the stars with her favorite people. I was included." Diana was proud of her student, proud of herself for being such an influence on her life.

"And this..." She explained, opening the door to a room decorated with educational posters and painted stars. On one side were little counters and spaces to hold extra paper and reading books. Across the way was a desk for her, scattered with papers and grading folders. Tables lined the floor each with two plastic chairs behind them. A chalk board, freshly erased, was screwed into the front wall, lined by the alphabet. "Is my classroom."

Stella wasn't paying a lick of attention to anyone but Diana. Not on purpose, but just because she didn't see a point in even showing them respect when they were just going to be catty about any ordeal. So it seemed. The silent vow was still in the back of her head; Stella was going to make everyone in the room happy. It would be hard, she knew that, but it was a challenge she was willingly taking.

The difference in Diana's demeanor was noticable, and Stella walked cautiously next to her, wondering if there was a reason for this, like perhaps it was subconscious. Stella's eyes curiously took in her different body language, especially as she greeted the child from her class. Lips breaking into a smile, Stella couldn't help but find the assignment fitting. Stella hadn't even known this woman for more then an hour and already she could see what a good teacher she was. To have kids think differently like that was almost brilliant in itself. She certainly wouldn't have thought of that. Was astrology a subject taught in elementary schools? If it wasn't, why not?

Although the classroom looked much like the others, the fact that Stella knew Diana taught here made it different. Stella let her smile spread to her eyes, reaching a hand up to try and trace the stars. "This is clever. I almost wish I had thought of it." Stella gave a quiet laugh. "It fits you." She remarked, turning to face Diana. "I mean, I haven't known you long, but this just seems like somewhere that connects with you. For most people, that's their bedroom or their living room or something. But this classroom just feels like it belongs to you."

Rambling over, Stella shook her head, walking around the desks and running her fingers along them. Pausing around the middle of the room, she tilted her head upward to look at the stars. "Don't let them paint over it. They're just stars. What harm could they possibly do?"

"There's not too much that I can do about them wanting to repaint. I'm just a third grade teacher who broke the rules. I'm actually surprised it took them this long to get somebody to decide what to do. I mean, they're painted stars...they aren't life." But even as she said this, she knew that when they repainted them or tortured her with the task, her classroom would feel empty. There would be a weird, painful hole deep within her heart. "It connects to me because I practically live here." She muttered, a tad bitterly. "Oh, sorry. It's just that, thinking about them forcing me to paint over something so insignificant yet meaningful...it kills me. They're going to laugh over it, I know it."

Slumping just a bit, Diana moved to her desk and pulled a fresh peice of chalk out. "So, you like it? The kids do. They get a bit distracted by the posters and such but, other than that, this room is heaven." She began to write on the board, one perfectl straight letter at a time. They would be reading for a half hour after recess and then writing a summary of what they read. It would get the kids thinking! Despite the fact that is was habit and routine for the children, Diana wrote the entire plan on the board, including a small smilie face at the end to brighten their day.

"I'm not sure what to talk about. I don't really have long conversations with people here and, well, showing you my classroom was the highlight. I'm like some little kid showing you my rock collection." She had a pin collection from when she used to travel with Randy but no rocks. "Did you have anything?" The woman peeked at her watch with a frown. "Recess will be over in a bit...but we still have more time..." Hastily adding the last part, Diana wiped off her chalky hands and walked over to the counter where paper and pencils were held. Grabbing a stack of lined paper, she began to busy herself with placing one peiceat each spot, skipping the students that weren't there. She memorized each one, each face, and each absence.

"The more you talk about the staff here, the more I dislike them." Stella murmured in a teasing tone, giving a smirk to show she was only joking. When Diana mentioned them laughing over it, a hurt look appeared on Stella's face. "I don't know why they wouldn't understand." She crossed her arms over her chest for a moment. "Sometimes I don't understand why people do things to purposely make the other person upset." Why couldn't they be happy? Why did they have to get enjoyment out of rules, regulations, and pain?

"I do like it." Stella smiled, happy to change the subject. She watched Diana write on the board, walking over to lean against a piece of the clean chalkboard. "Wow," Stella half-laughed. "Your handwriting is gorgeous. A lot nicer then mine." She shrugged. "I know I rush and all, but even when I try and slow down, it's no where that neat." And Stella hardly ever had much planned out more then a few minutes at a time. She rolled with the punches and went with the flow instead of planning things out by detail.

Staying against the chalkboard, Stella watched Diana carefully. From the way that she talked to the placement of each piece of paper, there were the little quirks about her that Stella found intriguing. She wanted to know what made her avoidable to some. And why did Stella just suddenly have the urge to know more about her?

Refocusing as Diana asked the question, Stella nodded enthusiastically, unintentionally grinning foolishly. "I collect stickers." She said proudly. "Since I was sixteen. I'd keep them from all my high school tests. And then whenever I found one in college, I'd add it. And then people started to notice, so they'd put them on things they sent me. My brother gives me five new ones every year on my birthday." Blissfully examining a nail, Stella let herself continue. "The more glitter and sparkles, the better. I'm a sucker for those kind of things." Still smiling, she looked up. "Do you?"

"You shouldn't dislike them on account of me!" Diana protested, looking nervous and scared at the same time. She could only imagine what would happen if they found out she turned a newbie against them, even if it wasn't on purpose. "Maybe I'm just not enjoyable to hang around with, in their eyes anyways. You're still here. Anyways, they'll probably love you, once you get to know them. Truly, they're all lovely people." They were, honestly. In her eyes, most faculty just didn't like her because of the awkward atmosphere that was present when she spoke, or was even silent.

"My handwritng is only like that because I've spent years writing with a ruler to get it straight and tidy. Just one of my odd quirks, I guess." She finished handing out the paper and moved on to placing their books on the proper desks. Each one was hand-picked by a student but she held on to them so no child could say they forgot o lost it. The day they chose them, she read each and every one in order to understand the summaries and help the children if they were stuck.

The woman finished and stared across the room at Stella, interested in the collection of stickers she had obtained. "Really? That's fascinating...oh! Here, hold on." Swiftly she rounded the tables, safely making her way to her desk to rummage through drawers until she pulled out the binder she was searching for. Being a third grade teacher, she had to have certain things on file. Ripping a small square out, Diana walked back to Stella and offered the item. It was small and glitter-filled, just as Stella seemed to like. It was a star, brilliant and dazzling, with bright cartoon eyes and dark girly eyelashes. Around the picture were bubble letters in blue saying 'you're a star!'. "Corny but I thought you'd like it. I mean, that's a perk of being a teacher for young aged children. The stickers."

Pausing, Diana thought of whether or not to speak of her forgotten collection. Finally, she decided. "I used to collect pins. I would travel from state to state and collect pins from shops. There's a coat in the back of my closet with them covering it...I should start a new collection but I sort of think I'm odd enough already."

Stella dropped the subject of the other staff members, figuring that they would have their own ways of thinking, no matter what happened. And all Stella had to worry about was her self, so as long as she was happy, it didn't quite matter, right? That contradicted her manner of thinking before, when she wanted everyone happy, which, in fact, bothered Stella a little bit. If avoiding and disliking someone made them happy, well... They were happy right? The least she could do was show some kindness.

Stella ammired the handwriting for a few more moments, glancing between Diana and the chalkboard once more. She didn't quite have that motivation. If it was readable, especially by the students, then it didn't matter much to Stella how neat it was. She prefered to type things anyway. More modern, maybe, and definitely the neatest and quickest way to get things done.

Curiously watching Diana, Stella straightened, standing a few feet away from the board now. The sticker offered to her was different from the other ones she had, and Stella's face lit up with glee. "Aw, thank you!" She ran her finger along the edge of the paper, curling up her palm slightly. Without thinking, she pulled Diana into a short hug, grinning all the while. "I have plenty of star ones," Stella explained, backing off a little. "On account of my name, I guess, but none like this. And I remember each one I get! Especially if they mean a lot to me."

Glancing at the sticker again, she knew she wouldn't forget this one. "Pins, huh? I'll have to remember that and see what I have in my desk or at home." Stella really didn't have many personal belongings, but maybe she could get something for Diana. It would be a nice gesture.

"Ah! Oh, okay. Yeah." Diana whimpered, stepping backwards and as far away as possible with one step. Maybe it was a habit, getting away from the people who tried to touch her, or succeeded at it, but something made her nervous every time. Nobody really tried anymore, another reason Randy and herself hadn't worked out. However, something about the short hug, after getting past the shock, made Diana feel warmed and welcome. "I'm sorry. I'm just not used to being, you know, touched." She smiled apologetically, stepping behind her desk so there would be distance between them. Ignoring her rude reaction for the time being, Diana raised her hands up, palms out, to try and stop Stella. "Forget it. Don't get me anything...I just, thank you for talking to me. That's my special way of saying that I appreciate it." A moment passed and Di glanced at the clock.

"Recess is over-" Her students flowed into the room just as the warning bell rang. They each looked curiously from Stella to Diana's flushed expression but were too young to assume anything. Gosh, she was happy over that. If she taught high school students, the rumors would be flying. Stepping back around her desk and over to Stella, Di began to whisper hurriedly. "Look, I'm here a lot. If you feel the need to continue talking to me, you know where to find me. I'm sure your class is coming in too." She pointed towards the door, awkward and nervous and, well, herself.

Why did she have to be a bitch merely because she had been hugged? Did she really want to push away the closest person to her? No, but what else could she do considering her students were back? They each read the board and opened their books, puling out the handmade bookmarks with a bored sigh. No one wanted to be there...she wished she could take them outside.

She knew she came on a little strong, but Stella hadn't expected to be pushed away that much. There was a bit of a hurt look across her face, but she should have understood. Or she should have asked. Stupid things like stickers just got her over excited. Just as he heart was calming down, Stella gave Diana a smile anyway. Then she kicked at the floor, one arm linking around her back.

"Yeah I guess I should get back." Stella started, glancing up at the clock. Giving a short wave, she hurried back to her own temporary classroom, announcing her presence to the kids with a loud voice, exclaiming that they should all take out their math notebooks and they'd be working on multiplication tables today. Despite the rest of the day moving along rather quickly, Stella found Diana crossing her thoughts every time she sat down to do something else. The sticker had been placed carefully in her purse, so she could put it with the others when she got home.

The final bell sounded before Stella realized it. The day just went quickly, as it usually did. She wasn't one for standing still for a while anyway. Packing her stuff together, she saw the last kid off to their parent or bus, and then took one last look around the classroom. Maybe tomorrow she'd bring in some of her old posters from when she had a room.

On her way out the door, Stella passed by Diana's room. As a last minute impluse, she took a step backward and into the other woman's classroom. "Hey, Diana?" Stella began nervously, shifting her bag from one arm to the other. "Do you think that maybe, one day, you'd like to get a cup of coffee with me or something?" This wasn't a typical 'asking out' type thing, Stella told herself. "Just to talk or hang out?"

The rest of the day went by fairly quickly, as it should have considering half the day had already passed. Stella came and went in her mind, mostly because her students were unusually cruel through the afternoon hours. One decided to start a fight, throwing his book at the head of another. Two girls began to argue over whose home life was better and her favorite student, Ms. Jenny Diver, was reduced to tears within seconds when a boy made fun of her summary, which she volunteered to read aloud. Something had gotten into those kids that day but Diana figurd it was the upcoming full moon.

She had a good fifteen minute conversation with Jenny after the final bell, cheering her up with stories and suggestions on good books for her age. The little girl liked being aroun her teacher and Diana connected with her because not a lot of students enjoyed Jenny's company either. As the student left, Diana was left with thoughts of Stella. She was a warm woman, beautiful too...No! That was such a bad thing to think. Having a mental freak-out only forced her to start throwing around papers, until she realized what she was doing. So, when Stella came in, Diana was crouching down to gather the strewn sheets from her breakdown.

"Oh, uhm..." Diana trailed off, standing and placing the papers on her desk. She owed it to the woman, Di told herself, to at least go out for coffee. Deam herself worthy of friendship. "Are you busy now? I mean, I have things to grade but...I can, well, it's third grade, they're not that difficult to grade." Her bag was already packed and Diana had been planning to leave, take a shower and get some sleep before returning early in the morning, anyways. "If you are then, yes, I would love to whenever you aren't busy." She grabbed her coat and bag, stepping over to the door. "Up to you. Either way, I need to leave this school." It had been such a bad day...no wonder it didn't feel like a sanctuary at that moment.

Curious, and about to ask if she needed help, Stella stood out of the way. She probably had just knocked a pile off the desk, or something. Stella thought, brushing it off. It happend. Accidents happened all the time. At the bit of rambling on Diana's part, Stella smiled. "No, I'm not busy now. I don't have anyone to really go home to... I could stay out and party all night if I wanted!" She laughed at her own joke, knowing that she was beyong partying age.

"There's a coffee shop not to far from here. I can drive, if you'd like." Stella tilted her head slightly, stepping toward the door. "Or we can walk, neither bother me." She wasn't sure of Diana's transportation status, if she had a car or took a bus or what. Some people prefered to walk everywhere, especially in a city. Stella just tried to keep her car considering she used to travel a lot more. She still did, but in fewer miles. Home, work, and her parents house were all within a few miles radius.

"If you don't like coffee, we can go somewhere else." Stella shrugged. "I just thought it would be nice to talk some more. You seem like an interesting person." Stella wanted to get to know Diana better. She didn't think of the other woman as 'weird' or anything, maybe a bit zany, but what was there to dislike about differences? Stella wasn't that fond of cookie cutter molds.

"I guess I could say the same." Diana agreed. At one point she had thought of buying a cat or rescuing a dog or something of the like, just to have something to come home to, but a person would actually be forced to take care of a pet. Diana was at the school more times than not and being obligated to go to her little one floor home didn't sound appealing to her.

Now, the driving situation would be a tough decision. See, if she went in Stella's car, it would be a very trusting thing to do, on her part. Not to mention, if the day ended even worse, she would have no escape method. On the other hand, Diana knew that once she was set apart from the other woman, her breakdown would become worse, threatening to take over and either crash her and her slightly beat down car, or cause her to cry in the parking lot and crawl into the back seat for a few good hours. No, no more of that. It was weak and embarassing...especially that one time a mother of one of her students found her weeping in her car, forgetting the window was cracked and the outside world could hear her sobs. She shuttered.

"I'd love for you to drive. I'm not even sure how much gas I have left in my tank and, well, walking is a bad idea. After a long day of running around, I don't want to walk more than I need to." She nodded, stepping out with Stella, leading the way to the faculty parking lot. Other teachers were leaving, eyeing the pair curiously. Were they friends? Di could practically hear them wondering. Ha!

"Would it be okay if we sat outside, though? After we got coffee...I mean, places always seem to have an outdoors section and it's quite warm for this time of year." It calmed her, being in the warm air, under the sun and clouds. "You can probably already see that I enjoy the outdoors way more than I should..."

Stella didn't even notice the looks of anyone else. She had a new friend and she was glad. Happy. Diana should be happy too! Leading the way to her little black car, she dug in her bag for the keys, pausing at the drivers side. They were some where in her bag, oh damn it.

"Sure thing." Stella nodded, smiling some. "The outdoors is good for you. It's not a bad thing." Aha, there they were. She unlocked the car door, and set her bag in the back before climbing in the driver's side. "S'cuse the slight mess... Haven't had a chance to really clean it out..." There were a few papers strewn about, and a metal heart keychain hanging from the rearview mirror. Quickly crumbling up a few reciepts, Stella tossed them to the back before clicking on her seatbelt and putting the car into drive.

"I like being outside too. I don't like cold weather though." Stella made a face as she pulled out onto a main road. "Being cold doesn't cut it for me. Gimme the sun and a beach any day!"

The coffee shop was only a few blocks, so the conversation didn't have much time to get quiet and awkward if it was going to reach that point. Stella expertly parallel parked the car, muttering to herself. "Can't pull into a regular parking spot, but I'll parallel park the most awkward of cars in the tiniest of spots." She rolled her eyes, grabbing her purse before getting out of the car.

Diana slowly sat in the passengers side, not seeing too much of a mess. She had expected worse, which is what normally happened when a person warned of such a thing. She set her bag, a mock briefcase, in between her feet on the floor before putting her seat belt on. The car was nice, gorgeous in comparison to her own. turning her head a bit to the right, she could see her chipping car, the one she had since she graduated college. It was white, freshly cleaned, but still looked terrible. Maybe someday she would look into getting a new one.

"Yes, the beach...I haven't been in quite some time. See, mostly because beaches require bathing suits and, well, I prefer my sweaters and pants." Diana stared down at herself, wrapped in a floral print shirt and knit sweater. She looked like an old woman! But, hey, it was her style and that wasn't going to change anything. It seemed Stella liked her for her personality, not for her clothing. "I don't know. I haven't been in over a year." Since she went with Randy and his sister, who was just the sweetest of women. "But maybe I'll go this summer." Probably not, though she never knew what mood would come over her.

"Ahh, at least you know how to parallel park! If I even tried, I'm sure I'd crash my little thing of a car." She joked, the first time she tried to be funny in a long time. Well, so what! Diana was just trying to impress Stella subconsciously. She really liked her. Getting from the car with her bag in one hand, Diana followed Stella indoors, staring around the coffee shop for the first time. "Can you believe I didn't even know this existed?"

"Really?" Stella glanced at her, eyebrows raised. "I guess I grew up basically on the beach so it's always a bit of a soft spot. New Castle, Delaware. Less then an hour in any direction to a beach. My grandparents lived there, so whenever we visited it was like going to the beach. Though, in the winter the winds can be pretty nasty."

Stella gave a laugh at the joke, switching her purse to her other shoulder. "Aw, if you ever want, I can teach you how to parallel park. It's easy once you get the hang of it. Just one fluid motion." She used her hands to demonstrate pulling backwards and swooping into a spot. "I guess its the one thing I learned how to do, with a bunch of cars on the street all the time. And in college when there was no where else to park."

Stella liked to be aware of her surroundings, which was how she found this coffee shop. "Nah, I'm more of a physical person, so I have to see things to know where they are. And I like knowing where I am. Being lost is one of the worst feelings." She made a face, trying not to thinkof the pounding heart beat and gut wrenching feeling of an unfamiliar place. "The coffee is pretty decent." Stella smiled, already knowing what she wanted.

"Medium black coffee please, no cream, and two sugars."

Diana could only imagine the amount of issues that may have come along with learning how to parallel park. For a few months after being diagnosed with Bi Polar Disorder, her doctor had warned her of the effects of the pills and dangers of operating her vehicle. Her car had sat in her driveway, being layered in thick dirt for two and a half months as she took the bus to work. She lived quite a distance from the school, walking would have been murder. So, to learn how to parallel park scared her greatly. Still, she smiled at the offer and ignored it, deciding to change the subject.

"So, how did you feel coming to the school, considering it's foreign place." After Stella ordered, Diana stepped forwards and bit her lip. The menu looked like it was written in a different language although she knew the meaning of each word. It was just...overwhelming. After a moment she chose to stick easy and ordered Vanilla Bean Tea, something she hadn't had for years. "It's hard to find this anywhere. I'm not sure why but the local market doesn't stock Vanilla Bean anything." The guy behind the counter looked at her oddly as she paid, grunting his disapproval. It was clear he hated his job.

Taking her cup in one hand and balancing the bag in the other, Diana led the way to the door which led to a special seating area outside. Each table was small and metal with black prints stamped on. She sat in a chair which got some direct sunlight and happened to be away from couples sitting together at the other end. "Whn I first got to the school..." She began, placing her bag beside her before pulling her phone from her pocket. Nobody would call but she needed it out as a safety blanket. It had all of her scheduled plans in it. Doctors appointments, tests and student schedules. She set the little silver touch screen on the table before continuing her sentence.
"I was hopeless. It was so large and scary compared to the places I had subbed in. There was this one woman, Lisa, who showed me around but transferred a few months later. Now, well, I'm surprised I'm so in love with the place."

Paying for her drink, Stella gave the young man a soft smile, though she knew it wouldn't be returned. Some people just didn't like their job. Everyone had been there, in a position they didn't like. But you had to think of it as something you had to do, and there would always be better things on the horizon. What was the metaphor? Ah, the grass is always greener.

Vanilla Bean tea didn't sound too bad, but Stella liked her plain coffee just fine. It was one of those rare things she tolerated plain. Anything else she wanted every dressing you could thinko of on it. Coffee though, had enough of a strong flavor that the fixings and such could just dull it down. She liked strong things that would give her a taste to last forever.

Following Diana outside, Stella placed her purse on the chair next to her, sloshing the liquid around in the cup a few times. Hopefully the sugar would be disolved by now. A little sweetness never hurt anything. The topic Diana brought up surprised Stella a bit, thinking that Diana wouldn't want to talk about the school or anything.

"I'm used to places I don't know. I've only had my own class room once in the few years I've been teaching. And it was mine for four years before I had to move back home, away from the city." Stella shrugged, like it was no big deal. "This is my first job away from there. I miss it, of course, but I know I'll find another job like it someday." Stella paused for a sip of coffee, relishing the warmth it brought her throat. "As for this school, I'm sure I'll be okay with it after a few days. Just have to get some sort of pattern down. I am glad I met you though." She looked up with a smile, genuinely meaning it.

Listening intently but staring down at the lid of her cup, Diana found this woman more and more interesting. She had lived in the city, something that Di was afraid of doing. Hell, she was nervous to even set foot in the city. Give her suburbia any day. "Well, I do hope you find a job that compared. Maybe you'll ind this school to be the job you fall in love with..." The woman trailed off, tilting her head back and squinting into the sun. From the corners of her eyes were slight wrinkles from staring and squinting up at the sun over the years of her life.

After a moment, Diana looked back down and began to sip at her tea, burning a bit at her tongue. "Ow, crap." The woman muttered, placing her cup bck down with the shake of her head. "I hate it when that happens. You think your drink is cool and it burns you, anyways..." Gosh, she had no clue what to say now. Maybe going out for coffee had been a bad idea.

She embarrassed herself further by blushing when Stella said she was happy to have met her. "Y-yes. Same here." The woman coughed a bit, trying to understand what to say next Maybe her disorder wasn't the only bad thing in her head. Maybe...maybe she was just stupid!

Stella couldn't help but hide a smile at Diana's cute stuttering. "Careful." She warned quietly. "Liquids are always like that. They like to be deciteful." She smirked, hiding behind her own cup. "Just when you think they're perfect, its just the top layer and everything under it is unknown." Studying her own cup, Stella ran her finger of the rib as it sat on the table, waiting to be picked up and sipped from again.

She did eventually, pick it up again, just when the silence was getting awkward. There was still a smile on her lips, which wasn't a surprise considering Stella kept a smile there more often then now. She wiggled expectantly, leaning forward on the table. After a sip of coffee and an inticing look towards Diana, Stella decided to start the conversation up, for better or for worse. There was always an issue with the touchy subject of significant others. One could never really judge how someone was going to react to a lesbian.

"I hope your boyfriend or girlfriend isn't checking up on you or anything. Wouldn't want them to think we're on a date." Stella gave a decent giggle, like it was something she would to- invite a taken woman out on a date. "Though that would be quite the scene. Can't say I've ever been part of anything like that though."

The silence was overwhelming and just as Diana was about to escape the situation and walk back to the school, Stella started a whole new conversation. Wow, well, she was shocked, confused and totally not expecting the subject change to turn in that direction. People weren't exactly falling over themselves for her and so Diana thought it was pretty obvious that nobody would be checking in on her. Maybe Stella just wanted to torture her with a response that would only make her loneliness more real. God, she hated people. Or, perhaps this woman meant no harm and actually wanted to know about her relationships.

Or maybe she was gay.

No matter the situation, Diana felt obligated to tell. "I was dating this man...and God, he was just wonderful. We travelled and he created this safety blanket for me so I wouldn't be afraid of everything any longer. There was this accident with jumper cables and...ugh." She shuddered. "Anyways, I broke up with him last year. I know he was perfect but...I'm just not into...his...gender." She swallowed harshly, tapping the sides of her cup. "Randy wouldn't check up on me. He never would have...it wasn't a trust thing, I just created a weird burden on him, I think."

God, she was making this conversation so difficult. "No, we wouldn't want that...I mean, two women on a date...I'm not saying it's wrong, it's just...I never...I mean, I..." She cut herself off, staring up at Stella with apologetic eyes. "Anybody checking up on you?"

Stella listened intently, waiting for the words put together in a phrase that was so commonly used. 'So I'm just not into guys anymore...' or 'I never liked them, not really.' or even 'I've never even wanted to date a guy.' But maybe Stella should have expected the stuttering and confused exasperating words from Diana by now.

She didn't even bother to pretend to act surprised. She never did anymore. There were a lot of people she talked to who just ended up being gay or liking both sexes or not liking any sexes at all. It was all a matter of personal opinion, which was what mattered the most. So, Stella being Stella, just grinned away. Head tilted to the side, she did falter for a moment, offering a slight look of sympathy. "I'm sorry to hear that things didn't work out between you two. He sounds like a nice man. But I've got my parents and brother to care about me like that."

Laughing lightly, Stella shook her head. "No, I don't have anyone like that. I was just joking really. The only person who would do that to me is my brother, Jeff. But he'd only be hoping to catch some lesbian action." She shrugged, staring down into her coffee, as if it was a monitor playing back the last time Jeff had caught her making out with a girl. He basically told them he'd pay if they just sat there while he took out his phone and started taking pictures. Quick vision of embarassment over, Stella was left with a bit of pink on her cheeks as she looked up at Diana again.

"Actually, I'm kind of glad that you're into girls too. Cause I'm tired of talking about women with my brother." She rolled her eyes. "Like, it's great and all that you have such a thing for a nice chest, but could you look at their eyes or something? Or maybe even their legs?" Stella gave a fakely exhausted sigh. "He's /such/ a guy."