Jim walked down the hallway Monday morning, earbuds in and head down. He looked up as he got closer to his classroom and his heart skipped a beat as he saw Pam leaning against the wall right outside his door. She stood up straight and held up the picture of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. He pulled his headphones out.
“I think you have something of mine, Halpert.”
He was relieved to see a sly smile on her face instead of annoyance or frustration. It was a risk one had to take as a compulsive prankster and he was grateful this one landed.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said, unable to keep his mouth from turning upward.
“I’m talking about you holding my poster of Raphael hostage,” she chided playfully, following him into his classroom. Jim stopped at his desk and grabbed the poster in question.
“Oh, you mean this guy?”
She snatched it from his hands and glared at him, but smiling through it. She turned quickly on her heels and walked back toward her own classroom holding the picture above her head.
“Thief, I say!” She called back to him over her shoulder.
He grinned and leaned back in his chair. Just then Michael poked his head into his classroom.
“Jimbo! Halper-tino. How goes it?”
Jim sat forward, a little deflated that his view of Pam had been blocked.
“Michael! How was your summer?”
Michael took the chair from the desk closest to him, flipped it around, and sat in it backwards facing Jim.
“Oh, dude, it was freakin’ awesome. A little beach ,a little broad,” he lowered his voice and spoke though the side of his mouth. “Know what I mean?”
Jim raised his eyebrows. “I don’t actually, but sounds...fun…”
“Oh,” Michael laughed. “It was.” He winked at Jim.
“O-kay. What else can I help you with, Michael? I have a English department meeting I have to be to in just a minute.”
“Just checking in on my favorite teachers!” he said, standing back up. “Hey, did you meet the new art teacher I hired? Hot, right? In an artsy-fartsy kind of way.”
It took everything in him to not visibly roll his eyes. He tried acting collected, even though the mention of Pam made him anything but. He ran a hand quickly through his hair.
“Yeah, I met her. Seems nice!” And funny, and smart, and beautiful, and…
“Alright, back to making my rounds,” Michael said, standing up. “I promised Dwight I’d come by his classroom today. You know me, such a hot comradery.”
Jim bit his tongue, knowing full well it was better not to correct him, as much as the English teacher part of him wanted to.
“See ya,” he waved.
With it being the week before students came back, his schedule was filled with meetings and last minute prep work, but last night he brainstormed a way to still spend some time with Pam. He dug into his bag and headed across the hall.
Pam saw him coming and put her hands on her hips. “What, you here for Starry Night, now?”
He put his hands above his head. “I come peacefully, I swear.”
“What are those?” she asked, pointing to the stack of CDs in his hands.
“These,” he said, “are confidential. Unless you’d like to be part of something great.”
“Go on…”
“How do I know I can trust you?” He squinted toward her.
“The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.”
His mouth fell open. “Did you just quote Hemingway?!”
She grinned and looked at him through the corner of her eyes playfully.
He just might be in love now. Her voice snapped him out of his trance.
“C’mon, Halpert. Spill the beans.”
Jim sat down at an art table and put the stack of CD’s on the desk, nudging them toward her. “Okay. Something you should know about me is that I love pranks.”
“Noo…” she said sarcastically. “I wouldn’t have guessed.”
“Another thing you should know is that Dwight Schrute is almost always my target. Can’t help it. He deserves it. This is a simple truth.”
She laughed. “Okay…”
“Every year, Dwight makes these CDs of himself speaking German to apparently help teach his class. They are really annoying and he plays them really loudly.” Jim pointed at the stack in front of him. “These are me, pretending to be Dwight, speaking what sounds like German but is definitely not German. This is where you come in.”
“Lay it on me,” she said seriously.
“After four years of teaching with me, he has begun to distrust me for whatever reason.”
“I wonder why,” she laughed.
“Anyway, he knows I usually prank him at the beginning of the year so I doubt I’ll be able to get into his classroom to swap them out.” He looked toward her expectantly.
“So you want me to help?”
“If you choose to accept.”
Pam thought for a minute. “Well,” she said. “The first time he met me he looked me up and down and told me I had excellent childbearing hips. So, I’m in,” she grinned.
“Excellent,” he beamed and gave her a high five. “I have to go to a meeting right now, but I’ll give you a rundown when I get back.”
“Aye, aye, captain,” she saluted.
He couldn’t recall a single word that was said at his meeting that morning.
******
The next day was when they agreed to execute their plan. Jim and Pam headed to Dwight’s classroom together, but using different hallways. Pam arrived first and stuck her head into Dwight’s classroom.
“Hey, Dwight?”
“Ah, yes, Ms. Beesly. How can I help you?”
“Can I talk to you a minute out here?”
“Of course. I hope you’re getting acquainted with our fine school.”
“I am, thank you.” Pam said as Dwight joined her in the hallway. “Lots of great people.”
“I suppose so,” Dwight conceded. “So, what can I help you with?”
“I, uh,” Pam started, obviously trying not to look at Jim as he snuck behind them into Dwight’s classroom. “I think I might have a bear problem? And...Phyllis...told me you might be able to help?”
A look of complete seriousness came over Dwight’s face. “You are correct. I have extensive knowledge of the species and types of bears most commonly found in the northeastern sector of Pennsylvania. Now,” he put his hands on his hips, widening his stance. “Describe to me the personality of this bear.”
“Oh,” Pam said surprised. “I...wasn’t aware they..” she shrugged. “It looked like a brown bear?”
Dwight rolled his eyes. “Brown is not a personality trait,Ms. Beesly. Though that does help.”
Pam saw Jim slip out of the classroom and shoot her a quiet thumbs up as he escaped into the hallway behind Dwight.
“You know what?” Pam interrupted. “Now that I think about it, maybe it was a raccoon. Thanks for your help, Dwight!” And she turned and swiftly walked back to her classroom, faintly hearing Dwight scoffing and muttering, “Typical…”
Jim and Pam met back outside his classroom and broke into laughter.
“Nicely done, Beesly!” Jim praised.
“That was...exhilarating!” Pam laughed. “I see why you do it,” she smiled.
“Get to know Dwight better and you’ll really see why I do it.” He looked at her and grinned. “I think we make a great team.”
“Like Batman and Robin.”
He shrugged. “I was going to say Spongebob and Patrick, but that works too.” He winked.
She looked at her watch. “Crap, I need to get to my meeting. Thanks for the rush, Patrick.”
He called out to her as she walked away from him.
“Hey! You’re supposed to be Patrick!”
She turned and started walking backwards, shrugging her shoulders and grinning at him. “Can’t win them all, Halpert!”
But he had already had the glowing feeling of victory.
********
The first day of school rolled around. Jim was at his desk while his class read their books. Pam sat at hers while her own class sketched.
Down the hall, they heard a loud, “HALPERT!!” from Dwight. Jim and Pam both looked up at each other, eyes and smiles wide.
“Okay, everyone, books down.” Jim stood up and walked to the front of the classroom. “Today, we’re going to learn about conflict.”
Author's Chapter Notes:
I wasn’t planning on posting anything today, but then I sat down to write and it basically wrote itself. So here you go!
Also, I realize we are three chapters in and they haven’t even started the school year yet. We’ll get there, I promise! Haha
Also, I realize we are three chapters in and they haven’t even started the school year yet. We’ll get there, I promise! Haha
Chapter End Notes:
Your reviews make my heart soar like the eagle’s nest. I’m so happy so many of you are enjoying this story!
