ETHAN SANTOS

PART-TIME FILMMAKER, FULL-TIME PRE-SCHOOL TEACHER ♡ˎˊ˗

[ethansants-blog]

tcmmylee‌:

His sister had called in with some long winded explanation as to why she needed to stay at work late, but Tommy had never much minded helping out with his nieces and nephews. They were all relatively easy, although, admittedly, Keaton could be a nightmare at times. They sure knew how to spoil their kids. 

Arriving at the preschool with a dessert to surprise him with behind his back, Tommy approached the entrance of the classroom to find a teacher who looked a little distressed under the circumstance and a few kids at the back of the classroom — including a familiar head of curly brown hair that Tommy Lee knew to be Keaton’s. 

“Hiya,” he smiled, not having realizing the teacher had noticed him approach, “Yeah, that little rascal’s mine,” he said, pointing toward Keaton. “Well, my nephew, but I’m picking him up today. How do ya do?”

“Could be better.” He lets out a small ghost of a chuckle, taking a few steps back to allow the male to enter the classroom, although. He’d almost forgotten that Keaton’s mother had called in to tell them she wasn’t going to make it on time and might have someone come pick him up – really he’s just relieved the kid (and well, Ethan himself) get to go home early. 

“I’m Ethan, their homeroom teacher.” He smiles politely, moving to quickly grab something off his desk and bring it right over to Tommy Lee: a small jar filled with colored sand, paper-mâché’d and painted with ... some odd color combinations. 

“They made this in Art today.” He offers it to the man before turning to the small flock of kids, most of whom are still too busy playing to have noticed a newcomer. “Keaton! Look who’s here.”

[ethansants-blog]

maixnguyen‌:

“No no, I completely get it! It’s okay. Every time I’m over here the nice ladies in the front office think I’m from the Middle School, so it’s okay!” Mai smiled as she politely beamed upward in his direction. 

She took all of two steps away from his classroom door when the noise that sounded like a murder scene EXPLODED from behind where he was standing. In no time at all, Mai was QUICK to turn around and look at him in horror. Clearly, judging by the words that left his mouth shortly after he was just as shocked as she was. 

“Yeah, I would love too! How can I help?” She leaned around him to try and get a glimpse of the CHAOS  that had seemed to develop behind him. 

He wastes no time in further opening the door to allow her inside, eyes trained on the disarray unfolding right in front of him as he chewed on his bottom lip in thought. “Maybe we’d best resolve the issue between Marie and Anna over there. Then we can see where to go from there.”

He’s turning back to the girl, looking for reassurance when another cry follows from the other end of the room. It’s enough to make him jolt in his spot (he’s hoping the girl didn’t notice) before gesturing for her to follow as his legs start to make their way over to where the girls are seated.

“What’s going on here?” He crouches down beside them, crossing his arms over his chest.

[ethansants-blog]

nhwoods‌:

“Nah,” Nico says, putting the box down as indicated, “I’m good on the water.” He moves to stretch with his hands on the backs of his hips, spine arching and cracking in the most quietly pleasing way. “But the front desk? Yeah, the lady there was talking to a parent. She told me to hand the box over to someone, but I don’t really know any names here…”

One shoulder lifts in a shrug. “Honestly, your classroom was the nearest one I saw with a human older than age five in the window, so I figured you’d be better than nobody.” He puts one hand on the opposite shoulder, arm rotating in its socket, and it’s only when he takes a proper look at the room and all the little kids there that his expression changes from nonchalant to mildly perplexed.

“…which I realise might be an oversight if your hands’re tied.” The hand on his shoulder lifts in a small wave, fingers wiggling as a smile bigger than Nico’s used to makes its way onto his lips. “Hey, kiddos.” And then he crouches on the floor. “I’m Nico.”

Making a funny face gets some laughs from the ones looking at him, and then Nico tilts his head back and up to look where Ethan’s standing. He’s only noticed now that he looks considerably frazzled. “You want me to get outta your hair? Or do you need any help here?”

"Oh!” His lips part only briefly before they’re clamped back shut again. It makes him just a teeny bit happier that the kids are being warm with a visitor; it always takes some time for kids to separate from home and start being more open in class. He smiles to himself and starts to shake his head at Nico, ready to tell him he’ll be fine. Then, Ethan notices one of the bigger kids trying to grab a bottle of white glue off the shelf (when’d he get so tall?) and he rushes over to the other side of the room, nearly tripping in the process.

“Uh, yeah, I could use a hand. If you aren’t busy, that is.” He responds, sighing in relief when he gets there in time to place the bottle on a higher shelf. The boy stomps his feet grumpily and walks back over to where the rest of them are seated. 

After quickly scanning the room to make sure no other potentially dangerous items are within reach, he slides down to the floor, sitting crosslegged as he watches them make a mess he will undoubtedly have to pick up later. “Most of their parents are supposed to be on their way, so I don’t think it’ll be too long.”

[ethansants-blog]

maixnguyen‌:

Mai adored working in schools. As she got older, they became what she wanted to base her entire life around and what her focus was going to become. While she T.A. for an English class at the High School, every now and again she’d be asked to come help at the Pre-School as a little extra helping hand since the end of the school year could result in some VERY squirmy little ones. 

Today, as the day came near a close and all that remained were the last two little ones, Mai was given permission to go home since the day was done. With her Pikachu backpack over her shoulder, she BOUNCILY made her way down the hall until an unfamiliar voice made her stop in her tracks. 

“Me? Oh, no . . I’m just headed to the front office! I was helping Miss Smith with her class, down the hall. By the way, I know this might sound silly… But I appreciate that you think I’m old enough to pick someone up. Normally, I get asked if I’m a student.”

It’s safe to say Ethan’s pleasantly surprised, eyebrows shooting upward at her response. “Oh. I just thought the backpack was for..” He points at the bright yellow back hanging over her shoulder and trails off when he realizes he’s gotten it wrong. “..Nevermind.”

He’s just about to apologize for the misunderstanding and bid her goodbye when he hears a loud shriek behind him. He spins around, heart dropping to his stomach because really he can only expect the worst, only to find two of the girls playing tug-of-war over a toy puppy. “Marie!” He calls out, frowning at the one who nearly gave him a heart attack.

“Uh actually, if it’s no bother, could you help me out a little bit?”

[ethansants-blog]

nhwoods‌:

“Uh…” Nico doesn’t even bother looking up over Ethan’s shoulder at all the rowdy kids in there. “No. I just came to drop some stuff off… er, donations?”

And indeed, in his arms is a massive box as wide as his chest (and Nico’s a broad guy, considering) and two-thirds’ as tall as his torso (and Nico’s a tall guy, considering). He bends his knees slightly to match Ethan’s height, showing the top of the box where the flaps have been folded closed. “These’re children’s books– new editions of some stuff I’ve written.” The titles range from The Rambunctious Rat in Rome, The Girl Who Would be Knight, The Cowardly Dragon, and so on and so forth. “They always give me too many copies, so I thought they’d probably find more use here.

“You can open the box and check, if you want. I guarantee there aren’t any defects, though.”

“Oh, geez.” He moves aside, making room for the (much) larger man to enter the classroom. It hadn’t crossed his mind for a second that the man might be giving that huge box to the school. He’d received small batches of toys and coloring books from local shops occasionally, but never anything of this size. “Thank you sir, that’s very kind. You can, uh.. Put that down here.”

The stranger has definitely caught the attention of a few of the kids when Ethan turns to check on them, but otherwise, they’re still fairly distracted by the different puzzles and building blocks he’s set out in front of them. 

“Why didn’t you drop these off at the front desk?” He asks, a hint of concern in his voice. It was far less of a walk than Ethan’s classroom, and by the looks of it, holding that box up was physically straining as is. “Do you want me to grab you a glass of water?”

[ethansants-blog]

Two in the afternoon is when Ethan’s days at work get the most hectic, and considering how chaotic lunchtime for his class gets that’s saying something. Admittedly, some days are better than others, but when the little hand of the clock hits two the kids often tend to get restless. 

He needs to both keep an eye on the ones waiting for their parents to pick them up and drop off the ones whose parents’ve arrived and Ethan has never wanted to be in two places at the same time more so than at that hour every day. Which is why he’s a little bit displeased when he notices a stranger outside the door of his small classroom – most of the kids had gone home already but a couple of the ones still playing at the back didn’t get along too well and he really didn’t want to turn around and find them pulling at each others’ hair (again).

“Hi.” He greets, opening the door with a quirk of his eyebrow. “Are you here to pick someone up?”

[thegoodplacefans]

Manny Jacinto photographed by Sela Shiloni (2018)