#bergen_county

Sylvi's angry, but she isn't going to leave in a huff. She packs up her stuff neatly and stands tall. "In the real world, I expect to be able to defend my position, not just to bully people into listening to my side because I give the grades. Have a lovely afternoon." She turns and goes.

He raises a brow

And she goes out

When she's out the door, she hurries to catch up with Riley.

Riley turns and looks nervous, tall girl rushing her!

"Riley, wait up." She catches up. "Look, sorry, I didn't mean to do that to you but...well, it's no excuse, but he really pissed me off."

"I could tell uhm... why arre you picking a fight with him if you know he can scrrew your grades up?"

A scowl. "Because I'm right, and he's being pig-headed. Also..." she hesitates, then shows Riley the score she got on her paper and the note from Mr. Grant. "I know I deserved more than a C-. Maybe not an A, but...I figured a B+. But he's got some kind of bias against me."

"You sure?" She says "I mean, we're teenage girls. Drama is kind of our thing, at least to anyone over 22"

She blinks. "That doesn't mean drama is all we can do. We've got brains, too. I mean...what did you get?"

"Oh... a B" She offers hers over "If you want to see?"

That stings. She nods and takes the paper, looking it over.

It's a skim, not a study, but... what the heck? Riley's got a paragraph about new media, and internet influence; not as detailed as Sylvi, but there's no red marks here

Now Sylvi can be vain, she knows this, but as she reads, she is SURE her paper is at least at this level

She hands the paper back to Riley. "Nice job," she says lamely.

"thanks. I'm still nervous about this class"

"Well, looks like you're doing something right."

"Well, I guess" She looks over "not used to losing to Dirk"

Dirk looks over "Huh? "

Sylvi looks over to him, too. "Looks like you rocked that paper." She tries not to sound too grudging about it.

"Look" He says eyes nnarrowing "if someonne calls me a nerd I may get violent. Okay, so don't spread word I got an A."

Riley hides behind Sylvi

"I won't, no worries. Hey, Riley...I need to talk to Dirk a moment, can you excuse us?"

She's still tense, so she might come off a little abrupt.

"Oh surre sure.." Riley retreats

Dirk watches her go "I like Riley. She smells of fear and survival." then he looks back at Sylvi "What's up? Cool how you told that blow hard off by tthe way"

A deep breath. "Thanks. I needed to hear that. Riley's all like 'why would you do that if he gives the grades' and I just can't even with her. Listen...can I see your paper? And...can you look at mine?" She cringes a little...showing it to Riley was one thing, but showing it to Dirk? That's an act of bravery.

"Okay, just don't tease me. I didn't expect an A okay? not sure how it happenned" He hands his over

"I won't," she promises. She hands hers over to him. "Go easy on mine, too, okay?" She reads his.

His is...Great! Oh, it's Real politik as hell, butt he's got it down pat. Sometimes Dirk talks of power and the naturre of it with the Chief, brief bursts of insight that are down right wise. this appears to be such a burst, but borne with a low cunning of knowing how to work the audience. Makes you wonder how much he 'accomidates' Seelies

She started by scanning it, but then slows down and really reads it because...darn it, it's interesting.

And it's also depressing, when she thinks of hers in comparison.

But yes, he wrote about the new media too, and again, no real slam. Mind you, Dirk's appraisal is more cynical, that unverified rumor mills on the internet are a ggrrea way to destrooy unpleasant truths

"What the hell?" she says when she gets to that part.

"Why'd he slam me for this, and not you?" she says, pointing to the paragraph in question.

"Huh? Sec. I read slower than you" He is going over hers "Huh... your take on the aspects of political system looks solid to me. I ain't no teacher but I'd have given you a B, maybe B plus"

"That's what I thought. I mean, yours is definitely better, but mine's not a C-."

"No way, heck, your part on the new media shows YOU to be the expert, though I think you're more 'glass half full' about it than I am, but... why should you be punished for like, a positive outlook?"

"THANK you!" A frustrated sigh. "It's not a gender thing -- he gave Riley a B, and mine was at least as good as hers."

"So you think it's personal?" He says "Want me to enchant him and toss him around?"

"Tempting. So tempting." She bites her lip and hands him back his paper, reclaiming hers.

"Yours really is good, though...." A bit of envy.

"It's about power, and how to abuse it with the means allowed. Any system of power has the hunters and the hunted. I grok it. Folks are just lucky folks like your mom believe in Catch annd Release"

She blinks. "Wow. You're...you're totally going to run for some kind of office someday, aren't you?"

"Me?" Pfft

She shrugs. "Sounds like maybe you could. Then again, apparently I don't know shit." She gestures with her paper for emphasis. "I gotta figure out what to do about this. And I've gotta pass that test coming up, or he's going to tank my grades."

"Huh... you know plenty. Look, keep your eyes open. You challenged him. He's gonnna make you pay for that"

"I know," she groans. "Stupid. But...I had to." A pause. "Okay, so...can you help me study for that test? Just to check that I'm really getting it? I don't want to leave anything to chance."

A gentleman's C.