On a train heading for the Nerima, Shiro sat by a window looking 
at the overcast sky. For the first time in weeks, he was not a very 
happy person. Because fate decided to pay it's game with him, he was 
stuck in such a plight that he would have to hurt someone that he did 
not want to. As Shiro looked outside, the weather fitted his mood. The 
past two days went by in a blur and he really did not notice.


     "What am I going to tell Tonomi," he said under his breath. 
"'Sorry that I will have to break a promise to you.' Or 'sorry I have 
to hurt your feelings'?" 

     Shiro was still slouching in his seat as the rail came to his 
stop. As he was exiting the railcar, thunder roared across the sky. It 
looked like it was going to be a nasty storm approaching. 

     "Wow, it looks like it's going to start raining at any minute," 
Shiro as he was about to exit the station. "And me without an umbrella. 
I wonder if my day can even get any worst."

     Shiro started to jog. If he could keep a good pace, he might be 
able to beat the storm. After he had jogged for a few blocks, he heard 
a voice that he had heard before.

     "Smith sensei," said a young female. "May I have a minute to talk 
'business' with you?"

     Shiro stopped in his tracks and slowly turned around. When he did, 
he wished he did not stopped running. 
 
    "...It's going to be one of those days..." whispered Shiro to 
himself as he seen who was calling him.


Ranma 1/2: Lack of Common Sensei #12 - Rainy Day Blues
Created by Winston Smith
Chapter written by Montae Mckinney


     At Furinkan High, both teachers and students were walking through 
the main gate. Inside the school, Yamada was sitting at his desk. It 
was 45 minutes before homeroom would start and he was grading some 
papers. These past few weeks had been, for lack of a better word, hell. 
First, he found out that he would have to baby-sit a student teacher on 
his first school assignment. If it was just Shiro, Yamada would at 
least been able to take a breather every now and then. However, fate 
had a trick up her sleeve...

The trick was called 'Mariko Kawai'

     If Yamada ever figured out what he did in a past life to deserve 
being around that 'disaster area' area of a woman, he would try to 
correct that in a heartbeat. He shivered at the past memories of being 
at ground zero of one of her accidents. When she graduated from here, 
he celebrated by getting drunk like a skunk. Now she was back, and he 
is her mentor.

     "Why me," Yamada said to himself. "Why her... why now?" He then 
started to organize his papers, trying to take his mind off of his 
problems. That worked until someone came to the classroom door.

     "Yamada-san, I'm here!" squeal Mariko as she came through the 
door. She was looking a little too happy on this gloomy day.

     Yamada almost exploded with rage. He really did hate overly happy 
people. "Why, may I ask, are you here so early in the morning?"

      Mariko then started to bounce up and down "I was so happy that we 
are working together again that I wanted to make sure I was here bright 
and early to help you." She then looked at the desk "Do you need help 
grading those papers?" she asked.

     Yamada was about to say no, but he stopped at the last minute. "As 
a matter of fact," he said with a devilish grin at Mariko. "Knock 
yourself out. While you're doing that, you can also organize the lesson 
plans for today."

     "Wai!" cheered Mariko. "I will do my best!'

     Yamada grinned when Mariko started to grade the papers. "Maybe 
this will not be so bad at all. I will just have to keep her busy 
enough so that she cannot cause any trouble.

     After a few minutes, the room started to feel hotter because of 
the humidity. Mariko was starting to sweat. It was starting to feel 
like a sauna. So she got up and started to walk towards the window.
Yamada looked at her for a few seconds.

     "What are you doing?" Yamada asked Mariko.

     Mariko turned around; "I was going to open the window. It is 
starting to feel hot a stuffy in here."

     Yamada ponder that for a few seconds. "Why not...  Maybe with that 
storm coming, we can get some cool air.

     As Mariko was just about to open the window, Yamada just, remember 
something. 'The weather report said that we were do for a nasty storm 
with high winds and...' Yamada gasped.  "Mariko! Don't open the..."

     Before Yamada could finish, Mariko opened the window. As soon as 
she did that a very strong gust of wind blew through the window and 
started to throw papers everywhere. Yamada and Mariko could stare 
dumbfounded as all of the paperwork was scattered everywhere.

     "I'm sorry Yamada-san!" Mariko started to cry. She then started to 
chase after the floating papers. "Don't worry, I can get all of the 
papers!"

     Yamada just stared at the chaos that Mariko has caused and decided 
to step outside. This was turning into a nightmare for him and he did 
not know if he could handle it for much longer.

     "If there is someone worst to work with than Mariko, I would 
really like to know." Yamada said to himself.

     Somewhere in Tokyo, a galaxy police officer sneezed.

     

     Shiro found himself face-to-face with the student that scares him 
the most... Nabiki Tendo. Out of all the things he seen and heard while 
teaching a Furinkan High, nothing sends a shiver down his spine then 
either talking or coming within eyesight of her. No wonder the people 
at Furinkan call her the 'Ice Queen'.

     "May I help you, Tendo-san?" said Shiro in a worried way.

     "No," said Nabiki with a wide smirk. "The question you should be 
asking yourself is 'What can Nabiki do for me?' 

      Shiro blinked a couple of times. "What do you mean by that?" he 
then started to think for a minute. "Sorry Nabiki," he finally said. " 
I have no idea what you are talking about."

      "What if I was to tell you," she said while looking innocent. 
"That, for a small fee, I can get you a full algebra lesson plan?"

      Shiro stood there for a minute "How the heck did you get a lesson 
plan?"

     "Simple," Nabiki said with a smirk. "Principal Kunou has changed 
teachers' schedules before. Sometimes, teachers are stuck with classes 
that they have no idea how to teach. Therefore, I offer my services to 
supply full lessons plans... for a price."

     "You mean to tell me," said Shiro in shock over what Nabiki has 
told him. "That teachers would pay for lesson plans?!"

     "Yes they do," said Nabiki smiling like a cat that has a mouse 
cornered. "They really don't have a choice. Either they can buy a 
perfectly good lesson plan or they could try to do it themselves and 
might find themselves in deep trouble with an substandard lesson plan."

     After she said this, it started to rain. Shiro, for the first time 
in his teaching career, was debating on if he should buy the lesson 
plan. If he did buy it, it would just prove to others and to himself 
that he was not cut out for the job. If he didn't buy it, he would 
still have to tell Tonomi that he would have to cancel watching her 
dance. He also might lose his job if it was not sufficient. Boy, he was 
in-between a rock and a hard place. After thinking it over for a few 
minutes, he finally made a decision.

     "Nabiki," said Shiro with a determine look in his eyes. "I don't 
know who would buy these lesson plans, but I will not. This is just 
wrong and degrading to the standards of the honorable art of teaching!"

     As soon as Shiro said that, lighting bolt shot across the sky. The 
lighting bolt hit a tree and the tree started to catch on fire. Both 
Shiro and Nabiki watched while the tree was burning.

     Finally, Shiro broke the silence. "Maybe we should get out of here 
before the storm starts to get worst."

     Nabiki turned to Shiro. "I agree to that." Nabiki then took out 
her umbrella and started to head for school. 

     "Nabiki," Shiro screamed after her. "Would you mind if I walk with 
you. I really don't want to get wet."

     Nabiki ponder that question for a second. Then she held out her 
hand. "That will be 2,000 yen."

     Shiro sighed and paid the fee. This has been a very bad day and he 
has not even got to the school. Someway, he is going to have to tell 
Tonomi that he will not be able to make it to her dance competition. He 
was not looking forward to this day at all.