Ch 10. Community Meeting & A Sudden Request

Leo exited his car, stretching as he glanced around the parking lot of the Springfield Community Hall. It had been three days since the photoshoot with Marge, and much to his disappointment, he hadn't heard from her since—not a message, not a call.

Normally, he might have dwelled on it more, but work had unexpectedly taken over his life immediately after the shoot. The arrival of his main workforce the next day, followed by a surprise visit from a government inspector, had forced him to put all his attention into managing the chaos. There hadn't been time to think about Marge and why she wasn't reaching out, or anything else for that matter.

He sighed. He hadn't even had time to see Maude. A private Bible study would have been the perfect distraction, especially with the view of Maude's delicate shoulders and her very exposed cleavage as she played the piano, bouncing each time she played a note. 

But these were all troubles of the past now and that vision of him and Maude seemed like it could come true in the near future now.

His past three days of hard work at the nuclear plant had paid off well. The infrastructure upgrades were complete, management plans were in place, and the inspector was gone. He was now free from going back there for a good while. His company would be able to run completely without him and he could now focus his attention to where he wanted.

He glanced up at the Springfield Community Hall. This wasn't his idea of a celebration after a stressful work week, but he had promised Marge he'd attend the meeting. Plus, he was curious about the teachers' strike he'd overheard people talking about at the grocery store yesterday. It seemed to be a big deal around town.

'Maybe that's why Marge hasn't reached out,' Leo thought as he entered the hall. 'She's got two kids at that school so it makes sense.'

As Leo walked inside, he took a seat in the back row, preferring to remain unnoticed for now. The unexpected news of the strike made it less than ideal for him to turn this meeting into one where he got to know everybody, so he chose to save his introductions for another time.

He scanned the room, noticing the collective stress among the crowd—no doubt due to the strike and the issues that came from it.

Sitting next to Leo was an overweight man with long brown hair tied into a ponytail and a neckbeard, dressed in a green shirt that hinted he spent more time moderating a reddit server than going outside. 

The man glanced at Leo briefly before returning his gaze to the stage. Sensing the opportunity for a conversation, Leo leaned in and introduced himself.

"Hi, I'm Leo," Leo introduced himself.

The man gave him a brief, disinterested glance before returning his gaze to the stage.

"I am Jeffrey Albertson"

Leo raised an eyebrow but kept the conversation going.

"First time at one of these meetings. Any idea what this is going to be about?"

"Utter chaos, as usual," Comic Book Guy said flatly. "This place thrives on absurdity."

Leo glanced around. "I heard the teachers are on strike."

"They are," Jeffrey confirmed, crossing his arms. "Incompetence led to the strike. Now there's an outbreak of unsupervised kids running wild. One of them even dared to dirty the limited edition third generation yoda figure at the store."

Leo nodded, not hearing the end of the guy's sentence, feeling his earlier assumption about why Marge had not reached out was correct. This strike likely had a significant impact on her, especially with two kids.

Scanning the crowd, Leo spotted Maude sitting with her two sons, but Ned was noticeably absent from their row. There was no open seat near them so sitting besides them was impossible if he had wanted to.

He then noticed Marge and Homer sitting in the middle of the hall. Marge's curvy body that he had previously seen in just a bra and a thong made it easy to recognize her in the crowd. He noticed two kids—one with spiky hair, the other with a pearl necklace and studious expression—seated beside them. He assumed they were Bart and Lisa, their children.

Marge turned around, catching his eye. She smiled warmly and waved, a gesture that went unnoticed by her family, who were busy talking among themselves. Leo waved back but stayed in his seat, figuring it wasn't the right time to go over and chat.

His decision was quickly validated when Ned Flanders stepped onto the stage and took the podium, explaining why he wasn't sitting with Maude. Ned's usual chirpy tone was strained as he called the meeting to order.

"All right. I'd like to call this meeting of the PTA to or-diddly-order!" Ned's voice was upbeat, though clearly weighed down by the seriousness of the situation.

'PTA meeting? I thought this was a community meeting,' Leo thought, confused but willing to roll with it.

"Let's see if we can't put an end to this strike fuss. Mrs. Krabappel, why don't you begin," Ned gestured toward a woman sitting on stage, who Leo now recognized as Edna Krabappel, the school's teacher.

Edna stood up with a mix of confidence and sharpness, her classic green sweater snug over a tan blouse that hinted at her figure underneath. The pencil skirt she wore clung to her hips, highlighting her every curve as she moved to the podium. Her chest, with her giant boobs, rose subtly with each breath, the motion drawing attention without her even trying. Her lips, painted with a deep red lipstick, added a touch of boldness, while her long, dark lashes framed her eyes. Her legs, long and toned, led down to her modest heels, adding just a bit of height. 

Leo watched as Principal Skinner, the man introduced earlier and sitting across from her, muttered a halfhearted "Boo" as she walked up.

"Oh, 'boo' yourself!" Edna snapped at him, clearly fed up with the situation.

She addressed the crowd, "Our demands are simple: a small cost-of-living increase and better equipment and supplies for your children."

Cheers erupted from the crowd

"Yeah, all right! Give it to them!" someone shouted enthusiastically.

Principal Skinner, dressed in a blue suit with a purple shirt and orange tie, stepped up to the microphone.

"We have a very tight budget. To do what she's asking, we'd have to raise taxes."

The mood shifted instantly, as the cheers turned into complaints.

"Raise taxes? They're too high as they are now!" someone shouted from the back.

The room descended into chaos as people voiced their frustrations, the mention of taxes setting them off like a bomb. Leo watched, amused by the absurdity of it all.

Edna tried to reason with the crowd. "It's your children's future!"

For a brief moment, the room quieted, and a few people began muttering among themselves.

"Children's future... Yes, they're important," one man said, sounding conflicted.

But Skinner wasn't done.

"It'll cost you!" he added, waving his hands in the familiar money gesture.

Edna rolled her eyes and tried again. "Oh, come on!"

To Leo's surprise, the crowd seemed to flip-flop in their opinions after hearing 'Oh come on'.

"That's a great point!" "Yeah it makes sense" the crowd started agreeing again.

'In what world does that make sense,' scoffed Leo.

But Skinner only had to repeat the money motion, and the crowd was back to grumbling.

"Oh, the taxes…" "The finger thing means the taxes! They're gonna raise taxes," the crowd murmured, once again growing restless. 

Ned tried to step in, his voice strained. "Well, I guess this is a case where we'll have to agree to disagree…"

"I don't agree to that," Skinner interrupted.

"Neither do I!" Edna chimed in quickly.

Ned looked between the two of them. "This is a dilly of a pickle…"

Suddenly, a man in a gray suit jumped to his feet, clutching his head dramatically. "Oh my God! The PTA has disbanded!" he screamed, running full-speed toward a window and throwing himself through it, shattering the glass.

'Wow, that was something,' watched Leo, questioning his existence.

Ned quickly waved his hands. "No, no! The PTA has not disbanded!"

To Leo's disbelief once again, the man casually climbed back in through the broken window and took his seat as if nothing had happened. The room carried on as though this were perfectly normal.

Leo felt like he had mistakenly walked into the set of a comedy tv series or movie because how did everyone not even see the complete absurdity of the situation and not have a single reaction to everything that was happening.

The meeting continued despite any thoughts Leo was having.

Ned, undeterred, pulled out a piece of paper. "We do have an emergency plan in case of a prolonged strike. Right here!" He adjusted his glasses and read aloud. "'Replace teachers with... superintelligent cyborgs. Or, if cyborgs aren't invented yet, use people from the neighborhood.'"

The cyborgs part of the plan didn't seem to faze the crowd.

"Oh, yeah, that makes sense," someone muttered, nodding in agreement. Several others followed suit, turning to each other discussing how great the solution was.

Meanwhile, Edna looked defeated. Her shoulders slumped, realizing her strike was being completely undermined by the crowd's absurd willingness to accept any solution. No one seemed to care about her demands anymore. She slipped out of the room, unnoticed by everyone except Leo.

Ned pressed on. "Is there anyone here who would like to volunteer as a substitute teacher? Our kids' futures are important!"

As expected, only a tiny amount of hands went up. Most people didn't want to deal with the strike and the chaos surrounding it. Teaching kids did not seem that exciting or profitable for most.

"I may not have given you enough time," Ned said, looking flustered. "How about we take a short break, and I'll ask again later."

The crowd broke into murmurs. Leo's neighbor, Jeffrey, leaned over.

"I could teach them the importance of Star Wars," he said pompously. "I have a master's degree in folklore and mythology."

Leo raised an eyebrow. "Then why don't you volunteer?"

"My time is better spent elsewhere," Comic Book Guy replied

Le's eyes twitched. 'Then why even mention it!' But before he could voice his thoughts out loud, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning, he saw Marge standing beside him, looking nervous but hopeful.

"Hi, Leo," she greeted softly, her tone apologetic. "I'm so sorry I didn't get back to you about the next shoot. This whole school issue has been... well, a lot."

"Don't worry about it," Leo reassured her. "Now that there's a plan in place, I'm sure you'll let me know when things settle down. I'm just glad you're okay."

Marge offered a grateful smile. "I will, I promise." She hesitated for a moment, biting her lip before speaking again. "Leo, can I ask you a favor?"

Leo raised an eyebrow, already guessing where this was headed. "What kind of favor?"

Marge glanced around, clearly uncomfortable. "We really need people to volunteer as substitute teachers. But I'm worried about the quality of some of the volunteers. I'd feel better knowing someone capable was there. I've already gotten to know you. You'd be great, Leo. Could you help?"

Leo leaned back, stifling an urge to immediately decline. Teaching kids was the last thing on his list of priorities. He could be spending his time with Marge herself, Maude, or even Cookie—doing something far more enjoyable.

"Marge, I'm flattered, but I'm not exactly teacher material. I'm new to town and—"

"I know," she interrupted, her voice pleading. "But the kids need someone who can handle it. And I think you'd be perfect. You're educated, calm, and I know you could make a difference."

Leo hesitated. He had no interest in getting involved in this mess, but the way Marge looked at him made it hard to refuse. It didn't help that her chest was squeezed together when she made a begging gesture. The line between her boobs became more prominent and exposed. Leo's mind couldn't help but replay the scene of her in a bra in his head. God, he better at least get something out of this if he was gonna let himself get swayed like this.

He sighed. "Alright, I'll do it. But just for a little while. And you're going to owe me."

Marge's face lit up. "Thank you, Leo! It's only temporary, I promise. And yes, I'll owe you—whatever you need."

'It's a good thing my work has been settled. Let's see if you still think it's worth it after you hear what I'll ask,' Leo thought as he watched her walk back to her family. She seemed so stressed that she didn't even introduce him to her kids as she'd mentioned before.

Ned's voice cut through his thoughts. "Alright, those who volunteered, please stay so we can discuss the details. Everyone else is free to go."

There were still not that many people who raised their hand. Leo raised his hand slightly, and Ned acknowledged it with a nod. As the meeting adjourned, Leo knew this would be an interesting—and a mainly frustrating—experience.

…

…

…

Lisa Simpson missed school. Not just the building itself, but the structure, the lessons, and the feeling of accomplishment that came with her grades. The teachers' strike had thrown everything into disarray, and she hated it. Without school, she felt like a boat lost at sea, as if the daily rhythm of her life had been disrupted beyond repair.

So when Lisa heard that classes were starting again, she felt a glimmer of hope, as though she were being saved from the darkness of uncertainty. That initial spark of joy, however, quickly dimmed when she learned that residents from the community were stepping in as temporary teachers. The people of Springfield were not exactly known for their intellectual prowess, and Lisa's expectations plummeted. She dreaded the idea of enduring lessons from people who likely couldn't spell "curriculum," let alone teach one.

'I might as well continue to teach myself,' Lisa thought with a sigh, preparing herself for the worst.

But now, as she sat in the classroom, an hour into her first lesson with the new substitute teacher, Lisa found herself... pleasantly surprised.

The man, who had introduced himself as Leo, was unlike any of the substitutes she had imagined. Handsome, with an air of confidence that seemed out of place for someone thrust into a teaching role so suddenly, Leo was calm, collected, and far too competent for Springfield. He didn't stumble through the material or make awkward attempts at jokes instead of teaching. He approached the lesson with clarity, as though he had been doing this for years.

"And does anyone have the answer to this?" Leo asked, pointing to a math problem on the board.

Lisa's hand shot up, her heart racing with excitement. "Me! I do!"

Leo smiled and nodded, acknowledging her enthusiasm. "Go ahead, Lisa."

"The answer is 54," Lisa said confidently.

"Correct! Great job," Leo praised, his voice warm and encouraging.

A rush of pride surged through Lisa. This was the validation she had been craving during the strike—the kind of recognition that fueled her love of learning. For the first time in days, she felt herself relax into the lesson, her earlier doubts slipping away.

Leo turned to the rest of the class. "Any questions about this problem?"

As the other students murmured amongst themselves, Lisa couldn't help but watch Leo with a sense of awe. He wasn't like the others in Springfield. His teaching was methodical and precise, and he made sure everyone understood the material before moving on. Even when a few of the rowdier students tried to cause disruptions, Leo handled them swiftly and without fuss, restoring order with nothing more than a firm look or a calm word.

'He's... really good at this,' Lisa thought, her admiration growing by the minute.

What surprised her even more was when she began piecing together who Leo really was. She had heard her mother mention a new neighbor—someone who had hired her for a part-time job. And now, it all clicked. Her new teacher, Leo, was that neighbor. The man who had hired her mother.

The realization made Lisa sit up straighter, her brain buzzing with excitement. If Leo was their neighbor, then maybe he could help her with more than just math. Maybe, just maybe, he could offer extra lessons—science, literature, anything! The possibilities were endless, and Lisa's mind was already forming a dozen ideas of how she could take advantage of having someone so capable living right next door.

'I have to talk to Mom,' she thought, her mind racing. 'I'll ask her to invite him over. Maybe he can help me study.'

Lisa smiled to herself, her imagination running wild with the possibilities. It wasn't just the return of school that excited her anymore—it was the potential of learning even more, with Leo as an unexpected resource. The strike had thrown everything into chaos, but perhaps, for Lisa, things were finally starting to look up.

….

…

…

During his classes' recess, Leo took the opportunity to walk through the hallways, observing the chaos that was unfolding in the other classrooms. The substitute teachers were struggling, and it was clear they had no idea what they were doing.

In one room, a man in a white lab coat was attempting to teach physics to a group of kindergartners.

"All right, so the compression and expansion of longitudinal waves cause the erratic oscillation..." he droned on, while pushing a strange-looking device.

A kid raised their hand, interrupting him. "Can I play with it?"

The man's eyes widened, and he giggled. "No, you won't enjoy it on as many levels as I do. The colors, children, the colors!"

Leo rubbed his forehead, shaking his head as he walked past the classroom. In another room, an old man with a long white beard held a wooden paddle.

"Talking out of turn, that's a paddling," the old man warned.

"Staring at my sandals, that's a paddling. Paddling the school canoe—you better believe that's a paddling."

Leo couldn't tell if the man was reciting poetry or actually threatening the kids with a beating. Either way, he decided to shake his head again and move on.

Eventually, as Leo passed by the gym, he caught sight of a familiar face—the boy who was sitting next to the Simpson family during the community meeting. It was their son, Bart.

Noticing that there was no teacher present in the gym, Leo was about to walk through the door when something peculiar caught his eye.

…

…

…

Bart had been having the time of his life messing with the temporary teachers. His pranks were landing perfectly, sending the clueless substitutes running for the hills. This was the second teacher he'd driven away, and he wasn't stopping anytime soon. His latest setup was a masterpiece: a tripwire just inside the door, a bucket of water balanced precariously above, and the grand finale—a pile of marbles carefully placed just beyond the wire. When the poor teacher tripped, the marbles would send them skidding across the gym floor.

Bart stood off to the side, grinning devilishly as he watched the door. He couldn't wait to see who'd fall victim to his latest masterpiece. 'No way they're getting out of this one,' he thought smugly.

The door creaked open, and Bart's eyes lit up. A man he didn't recognize stepped inside—calm, collected, like he had all the time in the world. Bart's grin widened. 'Let's see how this guy handles it.'

But then something unexpected happened. The man stopped as soon as he entered the gym, his eyes scanning the floor. To Bart's disbelief, the man gracefully stepped over the tripwire as though he had seen it coming a mile away.

'No way!' Bart thought, his grin faltering.

Before Bart could fully process what had just happened, the man's gaze shifted upward. He spotted the bucket of water perched above the door. For a second, Bart held his breath, expecting the bucket to tip over. But instead, the man casually stepped aside, leaving the bucket untouched as he walked further into the gym.

'Who is this guy?' Bart thought, his eyes wide.

And then, to Bart's utter shock, the man avoided the final trap—the pile of marbles hidden just beyond the wire. Without even glancing down, the man's foot moved expertly around the marbles, as though he knew exactly where they were.

Bart stood there, stunned, as the man made his way across the gym, completely unscathed by all three traps. His shock was evident on his face..

The man then approached Bart directly. He had a smirk on his face.

"You must be the one who set those little pranks up," the man said, his tone light but knowing. "What's your name?"

Bart blinked, surprised the man had figured him out just by the reactions of him and of everyone around.

"Bart," he replied, still in awe of how his traps had been completely avoided.

The man chuckled, glancing back at the pranks. If Bart knew what he was really thinking, he'd realize the man had wanted to call him a little piece of shit and give him a detention, but held back. Leo knew that to win over a mother, you often had to first win over the child. While Leo didn't particularly care about kids, he figured it wouldn't hurt to spend a minute getting Bart on his side.

"Nice try, Bart. But if you want these to work, you'll need to make a few adjustments," Leo said instead, keeping his tone playful.

Bart's curiosity was piqued. "You... you know about pranks?"

Leo smiled, folding his arms. "Let's just say I've seen my fair share. The bucket? The angle's off. It wouldn't have tipped right. And the wire? Too obvious once you've seen it. Plus, the marbles? They were too far past the wire—should've placed them right after."

Bart's eyes widened as Leo broke down each trap like he was an expert. "You... really know your stuff."

Leo shrugged. "A good prank is all about precision. It's not just about surprising someone—it's about making sure they don't have time to escape."

Bart couldn't help but feel impressed. He rarely met adults who didn't just get mad at his antics.

"So... what would you have done differently?"

Leo crouched down to meet Bart at eye level. "For starters, I'd have set the bucket at a steeper angle so it'd tip easier. And instead of a visible tripwire, I'd use something like a clear fishing line. The marbles? Definitely need to be right after the wire for maximum effect."

Bart nodded, clearly fascinated by Leo's knowledge of pranking mechanics.

"You're not like most grown-ups. Are you our new temporary teacher?"

Leo chuckled. "Nope. I'm teaching another class, but I noticed this gym was a little too quiet, so I came to check things out."

Bart's interest was piqued further. "What's your name?"

"It's Leo," he replied, watching as Bart's expression shifted slightly, like the name was familiar.

"Leo..." Bart repeated, trying to place it but unable to remember where he'd heard it before.

Leo grinned. "And just because I gave you tips on pranks doesn't mean I support you pulling them. People can get hurt, and you're giving everyone a big headache."

Bart smirked, about to argue back, when Leo interrupted. "Tell me… would you still pull pranks if your mom were the teacher?"

Bart scoffed, rolling his eyes. "My mom? There's no way she'd ever teach here."

Leo's smirk deepened. "Oh really? You're in for a surprise."

Bart frowned in confusion, but before he could respond, Principal Skinner walked into the gym, clipboard in hand. "Bart, meet your new teacher—Mrs. Simpson."

Bart's face fell in disbelief as his mother walked into the gym, smiling nervously at him. "Mom?!" Bart yelped, his eyes wide with shock.

Leo stood up, chuckling to himself. "Good luck with your pranks now, Bart."

…

…

…

After school ended and all the students had left, Leo was heading out when he noticed a commotion in one of the classrooms. Curious, he peeked inside and saw two old men, one of whom had his long white beard stuck in a pencil sharpener. The same man who he had seen talking about "paddling" the students earlier that day.

The bearded man was struggling while another man tried to help.

"Oop! Oh! Uh, Here..." the helper stammered, twisting the pencil sharpener the wrong way, causing the beard to get pulled in even further.

"Oop! Uh, let's see... what if I do this?" the helper muttered, twisting it in the opposite direction, only for the beard to get stuck even more.

"Oop! Uh, you're on your own!" the man declared, throwing his hands up in surrender and running out of the room, past Leo.

Leo sighed in exasperation and rolled his eyes. He couldn't believe this would be the state of education in Springfield. He needed this strike to end—not only for the kids but also for his sanity. And, more importantly, he wanted to get out of here and collect on Marge's promise of owing him.

"I guess I'll have to personally pay Edna a visit." Leo muttered to himself as he walked into the classroom to save the old man from losing his entire beard.

[A/N]: God damn, I don't know how authors are putting out a quality chapter a day. Sorry for the two day break. Enjoy 4.25k words to make up for it.