[center][h2][b][u][color=plum]Nicolas[/color][/u][/b][/h2]


The average North American hummingbird can, on average, beat their wings a good fifty or so times per second. That was a fact that stuck with Nicolas Ishiguro ever since he first heard it in a nature documentary that he and the rest of his tenth grade class watched one day in lieu of a lesson. It had always fascinated him, that something so small could perform what to him seemed incredible. Humans seemed to measure speed in per hours or per minute. Miles per hour. Words per minute. It's only at the doctor when your heartbeat or pulse is irregular that seconds enter the picture. And yet...here was a bird most people wouldn't be able to pick out of a lineup of birds doing something that could only really be seen through the lens of a slow motion camera. 

Nicolas found that he was thinking back on that wild bit of animal kingdom trivia a lot more recently. Ever since he took the position as Blackthorn Academy's guidance counselor. The job was outside of his wheelhouse, to be sure, but having come from an educational background and shocked that a place such as Blackthorn would even hire someone with his resume...Nicolas wasn't about to turn the offer down. But he wasn't prepared for the problems that teenagers of the day faced and initially each student that entered his office left him wondering if the issues he and his friends faced in high school were any different. The signs of growing up, surely. 

And yet, the hummingbird fact continued to play into his thoughts for the simple reason that whoever measured the flapping of a bird's wings really should've followed up by measuring the flapping lips of the average teenager. 

Nicolas' coffee was cooling and he hadn't yet taken a sip. After giving his greetings to the other staff present en route to his office, Nicolas had barely any time to himself before his first student showed up. The school day had only just started and already he was having students drop by. Looking at the man, the words 'staff member' wouldn't come to mind, not just from his youthful facial features but from the way he carried himself. He wasn't dressed in his Sunday best and he'd be hard pressed to call it a Casual Friday outfit. His jeans were faded, his shirt, while long-sleeved, was wrinkled, and his hair looked like it hadn't seen a brush or comb in days. Perhaps that was what drew the students to him, the fact that he looked so radically different from teachers that demanded perfection in all things. 

As soon as he sat down, opening the door to the day's first student, he braced himself for something asinine. Nothing important could possibly happen so early in the day. And as the young brunette sat down and began speaking...Nicolas was right. The student, one he recognized as Caitlyn Humphrey - and that was Caitlyn pronounced with a 'Kite' - immediately launched into a rapidly delivered monologue about the same sort of problems he had gotten so used to hearing.

[color=goldenrod] "And I just know that he's gonna ask Jenna Pierce to the dance but he's so awful for her. I mean seriously they don't even look cute together I mean, who braids their hair? Ugh. And it's red. Whatever, we all know it's not natural at all. I just-"[/color]

[color=plum] "I'm going to stop you there, Ms. Humphrey."[/color] Nicolas interjected both for the sake of his mental state and because he had heard this same spiel literally hundreds of times. So many of these teens just wanted to know if it was okay for them to betray friends or siblings if it meant getting what they wanted. And nine times out of ten what they wanted was what they couldn't have, namely someone they were crushing on. And said crush just so happened to be dating or interested in someone else. Nicolas longed for the students that came to him with actual problems or advice on higher education. He could suggest colleges and programs for hours, but he was so much a relationship advice chatline to the rest of the student body. 

Which was wonderfully ironic given his own relationship statuses. 


[color=plum] "Who's Jenna Pierce?"[/color]

[color=goldenrod] "Some freshman nothing. She thinks she's-"[/color]

[color=plum] "Hey, hey, come on. Listen, if you're worried that Mr. Langston is interested in Jenna then you've already given up. You like this guy, right? Think he's hot, think he's cute, you write your name in your notebook instead of taking notes, right? You can't ban him from pursuing whomever he wants, Caitlyn. But if you believe that he wants [i]you[/i] then there's no reason to worry about little Jenna Pierce, now is there? You don't need my advice for this. What you need to do, and should've done, is get to him first. Ask him out. Or if you believe that HE should make the first move...then get used to waiting forever."[/color] Nicolas paused just long enough to finally get a sip of his no longer piping hot mug of coffee.

[color=plum] "If every student took the initiative then there'd be no problems with relationships because everyone would be asking out their crushes and experiencing that...feeling that only kids like you can truly experience. Don't wait for his eyes to wander, Caitlyn. Take a chance. Make the first move. And remember the school policy on public displays of affection. Alright?"[/color]

[color=goldenrod] "So just...just ask him out first...that's...I didn't think to do that. Okay. Yeah, okay! I'll do that. Thanks, Nico!"[/color] 

Caitlyn left the office, no doubt to experiencing either her first major rejection or her first moment of actual romantic bliss...and Nicolas was granted a moment's reprieve as he sighed into his mug before taking another tepid sip. One down. Too many to go. 

At least the teachers got a brief break inbetween the periods changing. It was during those moments that Nico envied them. And it was because of that that his lunch and breaks were a fair bit longer than they were supposed to be. But he had already broken several school rules...where was the harm in a few more?[/center]