It was now October, the leaves were all changing colors and the wind held a chilly bite to it. Peter and I were in my classroom after school while Loki finished up his security duties for the day. I was working on typing up the next exam while Peter finished his math homework. It was a content quiet until it was interrupted by a loud smack. We both looked up to the classroom door to see Ned, Peter's best friend. Ned was panting in the open doorway while trying to speak.

"F-fight." Ned finally got out between breaths. I immediately stood up.

"Students?" I asked.

Ned shook his head and pointed a finger behind him. "Cafeteria." He told me.

"Both of you stay here." I ordered them and left the room to find the cafeteria.

As expected, there was a fight. What wasn't expected was the two adults that were fighting. I expected kids, not two full grown men. The janitor and lunch man were wrestling in the kitchen. At least they had a barrier between them and the students left in the building. But everyone could see them since it was a half wall.

"What in the hell is going on?" I asked them when I entered the kitchen. They didn't answer me, or even acknowledge me. I rolled my eyes before walking up to them and pulling them off each other. I had them both in a wrist lock and the pain made them immediately stop. "There are kids here!" I hissed at them. "Leave, both of you. I hope whatever it was was worth your jobs."

"He slept with my wife." The one to my left spat. My eyes widened a bit, but I shook it off.

"I don't care what he did. There is no excuse for starting a fight where kids can see you." I told them in a angry, hushed whisper and let them go, pushing them in opposite directions. "You, homewrecker, you're leaving out the back door. You," I said and pointed to the other one. "Come with me."

I turned and walked out of the kitchen, janitor in tow. We made our way to the main offices and I had him sit in one of the chairs while I talked to Principal Davis, letting him know what was going on. He thanked me and said he would handle it before sending me back to my classroom.

I sighed and rubbed my tired eyes as I walked into my room. When I saw Peter at the whiteboard, drawing up an equation, I stopped and watched for a moment. Ned was sat at one of the desks watching as well.

"Mrs. Smith!" Ned jumped when he saw me standing there. "Sorry, we were just working something out, we'll erase it!" He said quickly while Peter turned to see me. Peter's eyes widened and he reached for the eraser, but I stopped him.

"It's perfectly alright. That's what the whiteboard is made for. You can use it all you want." I told them and went back to my desk to sit down. "That formula isn't a for freshmen level math." I commented seeing the complicated equation.

"Oh, we finished our homework over lunch." Ned told me. "It was way too easy."

"Then, what have you been working on all this time, Peter?" I asked. His face went red and he looked down sheepishly at his feet.

"Oh, uhm... I'm determining how much force it would take an x-winged fighter ship to explode the Death Star with a collision. Once I have that, I can generate how much force it would build up and how fast it would have to go." He told me. I blinked at him for a second before laughing.

"That's awesome." I laughed. "Why don't you guys join a club instead of being bored here?" I suggested.

"Oh, I don't know..." Peter mumbled and rubbed the back of his neck.

"What about the Academic Decathlon team?" I asked them. "You're both academically equipped for it. Your GPA's are high enough."

"We would need a recommendation." Ned told me. "A teachers recommendation."

"Say no more." I said and walked over to my desk. "Who's the team's administrator?" I asked them and took out a pen and notepaper.

"Mr. Harrington." Peter told me. "He's the chemistry teacher."

I nodded and wrote a letter for Mr. Harrington before signing it at the bottom of the page. I ripped out the note and folded it before pulling out an envelope and sealing the letter inside.

"Here." I said and held out the letter to them. They both blinked in shock at how quick I was.

"R-really?" Ned asked excitedly. I laughed and waved the envelope toward him.

"Yes, really." I told him. He quickly stood up from the desk he was sitting at and grabbed the envelope, looking at it joyfully.

"But, if you're done working early, you'd have to wait for me before you could go home." Peter said hesitantly.

"Peter, I'm fine with waiting. I'll probably sit through your practice if I ever get done early, which is a big 'if'." I smiled sweetly at the nervous boy. "Plus, Liz just joined the team, too. She asked me for her recommendation on Tuesday."

"Wh-what?" Peter asked in a higher pitched voice. His eyes went wide and his cheeks became redder. "Why would Liz joining the Decathlon team matter to me?" His words were rushed and I tried to fight a large amused smile.

"Peter, you sit right behind her in class. I've seen the way you look at her. Don't be embarrassed to have a crush. Be proud of it. Plus, having someone you know already on the team is a good thing." I shrugged. Peter just stood their frozen. I didn't even think he was breathing. "Peter? Honey, are you ok?" I asked, this time not being able to hide my amusement.

"Ya- ya, absolutely." He nodded frantically and quickly turned back to the board.

"Peter, listen to me. Being scared to tell your crush you like them does nothing for either of you. She might surprise you if she knew. If she doesn't like you back, so what? Sometimes the chemistry just isn't there for people, and that's ok. Never be embarrassed for genuinely liking someone. Only you can make a situation feel awkward. Don't think of it as awkward and it won't be."

"Is that how you got your husband, Mrs. Smith?" Ned asked me curiously.

"That is most certainly how she got her husband." Loki said as he walked into the classroom. Neds eyes widened and his head whipped to the door.

"Oh- Mr.Smith! Hello, Sir." Ned stammered. Loki nodded in acknowledgement.

"Hello, Mr. Leeds." He smiled at the kid. "And, to answer your question, yes. That is how she 'got me', I suppose."

"Really? She just... told you?" Peter asked and turned around to look at Loki. He was now invested in the conversation.

"100%, I think I told him within, like, point O' two seconds." I said.

"It's true." Loki agreed. "She really isn't one for subtlety."

"Truly hate it, honestly." I added.

"But, that won't work for me." Peter sighed defeatedly. "I'm awkward in general. If I told her, she'd think I was some weird stalker or something."

"Everyone is awkward at your age." Loki told him. "Some are just better at hiding it."

"The way she acts to that piece of information is not something you can control." I started and stood from behind my desk. "How she reacts is on her, not you. You just can't be afraid or mad if she says no. You control how you react to her answer, that is all. And, I know you're not like this, but I'm going to say it anyway. Don't be one of those guys that gets mad when someone doesn't reciprocate feelings."

"I understand, Mrs. Smith." Peter nodded and looked down sadly. "I just don't think I can be that confident. It's not who I am as a person."

"And, that's ok. You'll grow into it, Peter." Loki said and rested a comforting hand on his head.

"You also won't stay this small and awkward. You'll get a growth-spurt soon, just like everyone else. You're not done growing, you just have to be open to it. Mr. Smith was also a small child, especially compared to his brother."

"Yes, thank you for that." Loki sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Really?" Peter asked and looked at Loki for confirmation. Loki sighed again and nodded, looking back down at the child.

"I was always the smallest and thinnest child growing up. But, what I lacked in strength, I made up for in intelligence. Much like you."

I could see the moment Peter grew attached to Loki. His eyes sparkled as he smiled a grateful smile at Loki. It made my heart grow warm.

"Thank you, Mr. Smith, Sir. I'll keep that in mind."