Yaoi Can’t Make This Stuff Up

(We’re a really small school with small classes. We have a new teacher for our history class. We are instructed to do reports about certain important powerful people or celebrities, chosen through a random drawing. I draw Bob Hope. We go to the computer labs to do research and type up the reports. The teacher pulls me aside with my report in hand.)

Teacher: “You know you’re supposed to do this yourself, [My Name.]”

Me: “Uh, what?”

Teacher: “I can’t accept plagiarized work.”

Me: “What? No, I did that myself! Why would you think I plagiarized it?!”

(She gives me a look and points to the heading and how I started out the report. It is detailed and very corny but otherwise 100% my words. I blink and just shake my head.)

Me: “I thought a cheesy opening was catchy. So what?”

Teacher: “Wait, YOU came up with this?”

Me: “…Err, that was the point of writing up individual reports, wasn’t it? I know it’s not exactly the best thing ever. History reports aren’t my forte.”

Teacher: *laughs* “Oh, it’s just- it’s very good! I didn’t expect anyone to put this much effort into it!”

(To be honest, I really didn’t. It hit me that maybe because we’re a small school, newcomers expect the talent pool to be as equally small. Later at the end of that year we watch an Irish romance that circles around a war and for our last report she wants us to write our own ending to the movie about how the heroine feels about finally throwing herself into the hero’s arms. Finally, something I can be excited about! I submit the paper in the form she wants it: a diary entry from the woman’s point of view. She pulls me aside yet again in the middle of class while everyone talks and visits, but instead she praises me.)

Teacher: “This was really good! You really put yourself out there. I enjoyed reading this!”

Me: *can’t help the grin and know I’m blushing* “Thanks. Sorry I went overboard. I always do with romances.”

Teacher: “No, no, this is perfectly fine. I gave you an ‘A plus plus.’ *she giggles despite herself* “So, how did you learn to write like that?”

Me: “I write yaoi fanfiction.”

Teacher: “What?”

Me: *I catch myself from answering my programmed automated response and shake my head grinning sheepishly* “Um, I like to write?”

Teacher: “Well, keep it up! I want to see more next year!”

(Don’t worry, teach. I’m 25 now and I still ‘write’.)