Sydney walked out of the school, his step was not that of someone who was enjoying their day, his blond head was down, his step was a slow trudge. Unlocking the drivers side door of his silver Mercury Lynx, he tossed his lunch bag and the tote bag he had brought with him into the passengers side, and slid his 6' 1" muscular body behind the wheel. As he started the car, his hands moved quickly, off went the radio, up went the air, and on went his seatbelt. As he drove out of the parking lot, he lifted a hand in a half wave to Shelly Dunham, the lead teacher. 

The drive home was silent, and uneventful. Sydney used that time to let the events of the day wash away. Or at least he tried. Today, the day was just not washing away, it had been the day from hell. 

He was almost late this morning due to a long line at McDonalds, the girl at the drive though kept acting as if no one had to work but her. It took almost 15 minutes to get his breakfast and juice. Then on the way in to work trying to make up some lost time, Sydney was pulled over for speeding. The officer was nice but firm, slow down. 

When Sydney pulled up at the school, his left tire blew, he coasted in on the flat, and made a mental not to call the auto club. 

Sydney gathered his half eaten breakfast, tote bag and the lunch bag, and stepped into the school. 

As he walked down the hallway, he got several strange looks from the parents of the preschoolers. He chuckled to himself, and just smiled and nodded to them. 

"Excuse me, are you the Principal?" one lady had asked, her little boy in tow.

"Mrs. Kellogge is the Principal here Ma'am." Sydney stated nicely.

"Vice principal?" the woman asked persisting.

Sydney smiled again, "No Ma'am, I teach kindergarten." Then walked off with a nod, the woman left behind him her mouth hanging open. Sydney heard her say incredulously  to another parent, "HE is a kindergarten teacher???"

Sydney chuckled as he walked up the hallway to the office, parents often acted that way to the tall Norse god looking man. At 6' 1" he wasn't that tall, but he did work out a good deal with weights, and of course kept in good shape. He wasn't Arnold Swartsenagger but he would do in a pinch. 

"Good morning Mr. Brookings." Miss Landers, the school secretary, greeted him, a very warm smile. 

"Good morning Miss Landers" Sydney nodded and smiled, but tried to stay professional and distant. Ever since he came to the school she had been hitting on him. Sydney was polite but firm, he wanted nothing to do with her.

Sydney finished signing in, and tossed the pink card into the basket, he checked his mail box and took out the stack that was in it. Then after a thought he went to the supply cupboard and got out four more bottles of glue and half a dozen pair of scissors before walking out. 

Two more new students just this week, Sydney cringed when he said yet another add slip. He walked down to his room, number three, and opened the door. 

The heat in the room hit him like a blast furnace. "Damn!" he thought, "I thought they were going to have that fixed." He set his things on his desk and walked across the room to open the window and let some cool air in.

That done he went about his normal morning tasks, and hoped the day would get better. But not a chance, the copy machine not only ran out of toner and paper while he was trying to use it, it ate one original then died. The ditto machine was little better, it jammed three times, and ripped his ditto. Then the bell rang. Sydney rushed to get to class before the students, and dropped all the copies he had been able to make. Before he could pick them all up, three students came tearing up the hallway, and right cross the copies, dirty footprints over everything. "Slow down!" Sydney snapped, "No running in the hallway. Walk boys." The words came out all at once without even thinking. The trio slowed down and walked. 

It was windy and a bit cold outside, so the kids were wild. Sydney wondered after the third time someone got hit if it was a full moon. 

"Teacher, teacher." Sydney looked down at the little girl who was patting him on the forearm, and not to gently at that. Her nose was running green, and she had two fingers in her mouth. "Yes Kayleena?" he said gently. The little girl kept patting talking though the fingers. "Teacher" she was not even looking at him. Sydney did a quick count to ten, and took hold of her hand, stopping the patting. "KAYleena! What is my name?" 

"Mr. Brookings." Kayleena stated with a smile. 

"Then use it." Sydney told her gently, for the 11 millionth time.

By lunch time, Sydney was about at his wits end. His class was the over flow class for the district. Students from all over were sent here when their class was too full. And of course, teachers are not stupid, if given a chance to reduce your class size by one or two, who do you send? The best child in the class, or the one with the worst behavior? Sydney's class was filled with 5 year olds who were one step away from suspension. 

Most people don't believe kindergartners can be that naughty. These are the same people don't have kids or their own or who have never been around the little ankle bitters. The kind of people who see one well behaved child and think all children are like that. 

Sydney knew better. Not only was he painfully aware of how much damage the little crumb crunches could be, he also knew first hand about how vicious they were. Having seen the way the little demon spawn could beat the bejesus out of each other or a toy, with little to no provocation.

Sydney really did like children, he loved them a lot, and loved teaching, but this class was wearing on his nerves. He stepped into the teachers lounge, and tossed his lunch bag on the table. Then dug in his pocket for some change and bought a Pepsi and a snickers from the machine. 

"Rough morning?" Sally Hanson asked, she was one of the preschool teachers. 

Sydney nodded, "I don't know what they are thinking half the time." Sydney opened his lunch and made a face at the contents, but put the rice dish in the microwave and set the timer, then sat down and opened the salad. "Sean kicked Alyssa in the back for no reason. He was wearing cowboy boots. Alexis poured out all the soap all over the bathroom when she was in there, then peed on the floor. Michael and Bobby got into a fight just as we were lining up for lunch. And just as we walked into the lunchroom Isaac shoved Brianna and knocked over half the lunch line." 

"There is a full moon tonight" came comment from one of the aides.

"At least." Sydney said eating a few bites of his salad. The microwave dinged, just them, Sydney took out his lunch and opened it, burning his fingers on the steam. 

"Take them outside later today" Sally suggested. "let them run a while." 

"Good idea." Sydney admitted as he pushed the rice dish aside, he had only picked at it. It caught a small piece of the candy wrapper on the bottom unseen by Sydney who took another bite of the candy bar. 

"I thought you weren't supposed to eat candy?" A voice at the door spoke. 

Sydney looked up and saw Jason Conrad, the sign language interpreter, and a personal friend, entering with his lunch. 

Sydney waved a hand, "Nah, I can have it, just not a lot." 

"A soda too?" questioned Jason, "What would Tony say?" 

Sydney colored slightly, and lowered his voice as Jason sat beside him. "You know what Tony would say, but Tony is not going to find out, IS he?" 

"Who is Tony?" Sally asked. 

Sydney hesitated for a second, people didn't always react well to his lifestyle choice, but then he shrugged, what the heck. "Tony is my SO." Sydney said after one more moment of thought. 

Sally nodded, "I knew it," she said with a half grin.

"Knew what?" Sydney asked confused.

"All the good ones are either married or gay." She said with a laugh.

Sydney tossed back his head and roared with laughter.

The afternoon was little better than the morning, the students would not be quiet for rest time, a parent came to the door to complain about the lack of swings on the playground, and the minute Sydney turned his back, the class went crazy. Talking first, then class got up, heading for the drinking fountain and bathroom. Then the running, and a crash. The whole thing only had taken a few seconds. Sydney turned back and growled, "Boys and girls, back to your table names now. Heads down." 

Most of the students moved back to their seats. Sydney was able to finish his conversation before the next disaster struck. It involved a wooden block and the window, they met a great speed. The resulting crash brought the next door teacher over. Reemeshah was set to time out for the rest of her school career, and the custodian came in with her broom. 

After school Sydney was just ready to head out when the principal stopped in his room. "Mr. Brookings, I am glad I caught you before you left. They found a regular teacher for the class room. She will start on Monday. Tomorrow is your last day." 

"Of course." Sydney nodded, "I will see everything is ready for her."

Mrs. Kellogge left with out even so much as a well done or thank you. 

Sydney felt like he had been sucker punched, he had known that he was only there till a regular teacher was hired. But damn it, this was his class, rotten little brats that they were, they were his. Sydney sighed a made a mental note to call sub service the next day, and walked out of his room.

to be continued in part 2