Writing C. Ashling in "DreamWalking"

[Manic Webb]

[b][center]C. Ashling
in
[size=3]DreamWalking[/size][/center]


Part 1 of 3
"Ash"[/b]

[size=1]Professor Ashling walked into his class to see most his students already seated. Some of them standing, most of them talking; they took their respective seats and settled into attentive quietness as soon as Ashling began to unload his briefcase. He knew this would soon create an awkward silence, so decided to break the ice with his new class.

"Good morning, class, and welcome to Psychology in Theory. I'm Professor Ashling, but you can just call me 'Prof. Ash' or 'Ash' for short. I don't want you to be afraid of me or anything. I'm not here to intimidate you-- this is 'psych,' not 'psych-out.' " A few of the students chuckled lightly. He knew they would warm up to him in time, and he would do likewise. His class was full-- probably because of rumors that he ran a 'cake' class. He didn't mind the rumors, however. His students usually pass his classes, despite making his final exams deceivingly difficult. In fact, he and Professor Ezra once had their respective students compare exams they had each created, and Ashling's were far more detailed. It was a friendly competition he and Ezra held. They would wonder who could make the more difficult final exam, while still having a higher pass to fail ratio in students.

"So, Professor Ash . . . " one of the students raised her hand as if to ask a question.

"Yes . . . ?"

"Feris," she answered, "Feris Lewis."

"You had a question, Feris?"

"No, I was just seeing if I really could call you 'Ash.' " An embarrassing smile came across her face as most of the class laughed both at and with her. Ashling laughed as well.

"Ms. Lewis," Ashling said jokingly, "I'm afraid that if you're hitting on me to pass my class, it isn't going to work. I do, however, accept large sums of chocolate." This officially had the whole class laughing. After a moment, they all began to settle down so Ashling could speak again. "This is the first day of the semester, and I'm sure you're all getting an obscene amount of work this week from your other classes." The students murmured and nodded in agreement. "Also, I'm sure you all heard that I'm an easy teacher, and that this is going to be a 'cake' course. So before you all pull out your PDAs and start rescheduling your Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday mornings from 'class' to 'sleep' and 'beach,' I want you to know that you will have to be in my class every day. Well, obviously not every day, but you all catch my implied meaning."

He then walked to the front of his desk and sat on the corner, facing the class. It was the first time the students had gotten a clear view of him. He was a bit shorter than they had originally thought. He wore slacks and a T-shirt, which reflected his casual attitude toward his job. He adjusted his glasses to get a better look at his students. Something about Graychild University seemed to attract a diverse body of students and staff of teachers. Perhaps it was the nearby beach, or simply the curriculum. This was Conrad Ashling's fourth year teaching psychology, and he wouldn't trade his job at G.U. for anything. Well, maybe for a PhD.

[center]~~~[/center]

Ashling walked into his apartment. It was late, he was tired, and all he wanted was to be very lazy for the evening. He placed his briefcase on the floor, resting it against the wall by the door. He threw himself onto the sofa, which creaked and rattled from its poor assembly. The lights were already on, so Kelly must have already come home and fallen asleep in the bedroom. Ashling laid across the sofa and turned on the television. The volume was too loud, however, and Kelly soon woke up.

"Ash? You get home late?"

"Yeah," he responded. "Load of work to get through, if I wanted to be ready for class tomorrow. Excuse my language, but these first few weeks of a semester are a b*tch. A heinous one, at that." Ashling looked over the back of the sofa to see Kelly searching through the refrigerator. He was making himself a sandwich.

"You know, Ash, I don't see why you don't just open up a shrink's office."

"You know, Kel," Ashling said mockingly, "I don't see why you don't just get a job at a hospital. Could it all be because neither of us are doctors?"

"Dude," Kelly took a bite of his sandwich and started to speak as he was chewing, "you've got to lighten up. Your PhD will come through."

"Actually, I'm aware my thesis is in review. I'm even thinking positively about it all. My point in that previous statement was that I haven't opened an office because I don't have a PhD yet. Anyway, shouldn't you be asleep?"

"There's no talking to you, is there?" Kelly asked as he finished off his sandwich.

"Nope," Ashling responded.

"A little ironic for a guy whose degree means the exact opposite."

"I'm only an a**hole to you because you're my roommate."

"Dude, seriously." Kelly turned off the light over the kitchen sink. "Move in with Dana. She, like, needs you. Wants you. She's callin' your name, dude! Ash! Oh, Ash! Oh--!" Before he could finish, a pillow was thrown over the sofa and into his face.

"You have a dirty mind, Kel."

"So do you!"

"Not if I ignore my first few years of college, I don't."

"Isn't ignoring your past mentally unhealthy or something?"

"Go to bed, Kel." Ashling rested his head on one of the sofa pillows, and put his glasses on the coffee table between himself and the television. Kelly, seeing that the pillow Ashling had just thrown came from the sofa, Kelly picked it up and dropped it on him.

"At least turn off the TV before you fall asleep," he concluded while letting out a long yawn.

"No dice."[/size]

[Hevn]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][SIZE=1][B]Hmmm... interesting. Can't say much yet but I'll be waiting a bit more ayt?[/B][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Annie]

[color=navy][size=1]Well now, this will be interesting to keep reading up on. I like it, Manic. [/color][/size]