Just Saying a Little Prayer
Chapter 2

Monday morning

"I hope you prepared for today's graded recitation." began Eriol as he ran his eyes across the room.He saw fear and tension in their eyes as if the call of their names would signify their doom.

"Let's see..Stephen Johnson?" He saw a blond boy stand up from the back of the room. "Tell me what country was the explorer Ferdinand Magellan born?"

The boy sweated nervously as he darted his eyes across the room. "S-Spain?"

"No." Eriol yelled. "Didn't you review your lessons,you fool!" He brought his fist down the table in irritation.

"That's enough!" A timid female voice said from the door.

Eriol turned to the source of the voice and saw a beautiful woman dressed in a plain gray nun habit.Her delicate features were no less lovely despite the disapproving frown on her face.Her hushed voice immediately calmed him down-certainly much faster than an ice-cold juice!

"Sir?" His students snapped him out of trance.

"Look,who gave you the right to interfere with my teaching?" he demanded.

"I am the new Music teacher.I am Sister Tomoyo Daidouji."

"So we meet again.I never thought the day would come that I have to address you that way,Sister Tomoyo." He said,leaning on the blackboard.

She paused. "Excuse me,but do I know you?"

"You are very amnesiac,Sis.Tomoyo.Let me refresh your memory.I used to be your classmate in fifth grade.. atransfer student,in fact." he said,sitting on his table but not taking his eyes off her yet.

She suddenly laughed.She walked towardshim,eyes twinkling with amusement.

"W-What?" he asked,annoyed.

She dusted his dark coat. "You got chalk on your back!"

Nervous giggles erupted in the room.

He inched away from her. "I could handle this." He took his coat off and dusted it off.

"Please,Sir.Don't call your pupils 'fools' next time." pleaded Tomoyo.

"And why not?Why don't they know about Magellan?"

"Because it's your job to let them know.You're the teacher,remember?If they always know everything else you have to teach,you will be out of job in no time." replied Tomoyo.She looked at the different figures written on the blackboard. "Dates,huh?I can't blame your students for messing up with the recitation.There's way too much to memorize here." She turned to the class. "Can anyone here tell me what would happen if Magellan had not been brave enough to explore the uncharted seas?"

Several hesitant hands went up.Eriol watched in awe as Tomoyo talked to the class.Why,even his shyest pupil,Cara,recited!

Tomoyo turned to him,smiling. "See sir,your pupils are not fools."
~*~*~*~*~*~
"Sis. Tomoyo?"

Tomoyo looked up from her lecture and saw Paul Stevenson,her student raising his hand up.

"Yes,Paul?"

"They said you were a very good singer.Can you sing for us?" he asked.

She smiled. "I would love to,but I want you to sing along with me.Would you like that?"

"Yes!" everyone chorused.

"We'll do it some other time.But for now,let's concentrate on the lecture,shall we?"

"Yes!"

"Sis.Tomoyo?" Paul asked again.

"Yes?"

"Thank you for saving us from the wrath of Mr.Hiragizawa awhile ago." he said.

"M-Mr.Hiragizawa,you say?" Tomoyo stopped writing.

The pupil nodded. "Mr.Eriol Hiragizawa is our History teacher and he's a real terror!"

"A meanie!" Ryane put in.

Tomoyo looked down on her desk,recalling what Eriol told her awhile ago. "I should have known." The voice..the eyes..the face..it was Eriol.He had grown more domineeringly handsome now.She pushed the thought out of his mind.A nun-in-trainig like her must not dwell on those kind of thoughts.

"Sis.Tomoyo,do you and Sir knew each other before?" Stephen asked curiously.

She nodded. "He was an old friend back in Japan."

The students nodded conspiratorially. "Oh yeah,we know what you mean."

She laughed. "Naughty.naughty."
~*~*~*~*~*~

Eriol put down his untouched ham sandwich.His mind was too occupied with the beauteous novice nun he met awhile ago. "I should have asked her why she became a nun,but my mind went blank." He smiled.It's not everyday that someone could reduce him to that pathetic state,let alone by a few dismissive words of a woman.

"Smiling alone?" Mr. Burns slid to a seat next to him. "I should have brought a camera to capture that rare moment!"

Eriol rolled his eyes. "Haha very funny!"

"So I heard you've met Sis. Tomoyo already." began the principal.

The teacher looked annoyed. "Since when had my life been a juicy source for useless gossips?"

"Informal exchange of the day's happenings where intellectual views are derived,mind you." said Burns.

"Whatever."

"They said she rendered you silent for almost two minutes!You were just staring at her as if she was the only person in the world!"

Eriol reddened. "Give me a break!I was just surprised how she appeared on my room suddenly,meddling with my teaching,when I thought she was in Japan."

The old man held up his hands. "Hey,no need to get so defensive!"

"Shut up and eat!" barked the blue-eyed teacher

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