abbot elementary: a new beginning part two | gregory eddie
by friday, your temporary assignment at abbott elementary is wrapping up, and you’re feeling a mix of relief and reluctance. the kids have been a whirlwind of energy, but they’ve also been a source of joy you didn’t expect. you’ve found a rhythm, even among the occasional chaos, and the thought of leaving makes your chest tighten just a bit.
after the last bell rings, you’re tidying up your classroom when ava waltzes in, her usual swagger on full display.
“well, well, well,” she says, leaning casually against the doorframe. “looks like you survived your first week at abbott. congrats. not everyone makes it.”
you laugh, setting down a stack of papers. “it wasn’t that bad.”
“oh, come on. give yourself some credit,” ava says, her tone suddenly more serious. “the kids love you, the staff thinks you’re a gem, and even i, the queen of this fine establishment, am impressed. so… how would you feel about sticking around?”
you blink, caught off guard. “sticking around?”
ava steps further into the room, folding her arms. “look, word on the street is we might have a more permanent teaching position opening up soon. i can’t make any promises yet, but if you’re interested, i’d like to throw your name in the ring.”
your heart skips a beat. the thought of staying at abbott hadn’t even crossed your mind, but now that it’s on the table, it feels… right.
“i’d definitely be interested,” you say, a small smile spreading across your face. “thank you, ava.”
“you know,” she began, crossing her arms and leaning against the doorframe, “you’ve got everyone around here charmed, even mr. ‘serious and stoic’ across the hall.”
you raised an eyebrow. “gregory?”
ava smirked. “mmhmm. i see the way he looks at you—like a lovesick puppy pretending he’s too cool to care.” she pointed at the mug on your desk, a red & black cup with greek letters on the side. “where’d you get that?”
“this?” you asked, holding it up. “it’s my sorority mug from college. delta sigma theta.”
ava’s eyes lit up. “oh, my god. you’re a delta?”
you nodded, smiling. “how did i not know you were a soror?”
ava grinned, placing a hand over her chest in mock offense. “because you didn’t ask, obviously. i crossed in undergrad! spring ‘15, baby. what about you?”
“spring ‘21,” you replied.
“a baby,” she teased, shaking her head. “but i’ll let it slide since you’re already doing our sisterhood proud around here. and now i really have to make sure you stick around. can’t let one of my sorors get snatched up by some other school.”
you laughed. “well, i appreciate that.”
“i’ve got your back, sis.” she says with a wink before turning on her heel. “i’ll keep you posted. don’t go running off to some fancy private school in the meantime.”
after she leaves, you sit down at your desk, trying to process the news. a week ago, you were just hoping to survive. now, you might actually belong here.
that evening, as you’re gathering your things, you hear a knock on the doorframe. looking up, you see gregory standing there, his usual reserved expression softened by something you can’t quite place.
“heading out?” he asks.
“yeah, just about,” you reply, slinging your bag over your shoulder. “what about you?”
“same,” he says, stepping into the room. “i heard ava stopped by. she mentioned something about a permanent position.”
you nod, a little surprised. “she did. i didn’t think i’d make that much of an impression in just a week.”
gregory leans against the desk, his gaze steady. “you did. the kids talk about you nonstop. and… it’s not just them. the staff sees it too. you’re a natural.”
his words catch you off guard, and for a moment, you’re not sure what to say. “thank you. that means a lot coming from you.”
he offers a small smile, then clears his throat. “so, if you do end up staying, maybe we can… collaborate. our classes are right across from each other, after all.”
“i’d like that,” you say, your smile growing.
there’s a beat of silence between you, a quiet understanding that seems to pass without words. then gregory straightens, his usual reserved demeanor slipping back into place.
“well, have a good weekend,” he says, heading toward the door.
“you too,” you reply, watching as he disappears into the hallway.
the following week at abbott was a whirlwind, but there was an undeniable shift between you and gregory. you’d catch his gaze across the hall, share small conversations in the teachers’ lounge, and exchange knowing smiles when the kids did something particularly ridiculous.
one afternoon, as you were packing up your things, gregory appeared in your doorway, his usual calm exterior tinged with a hint of nervousness.
“hey,” he said, his hands tucked into his pockets.
“hey,” you replied, smiling. “what’s up?”
he hesitated for a moment, then cleared his throat. “i was wondering if you’d want to grab dinner sometime. maybe this weekend?”
you blinked, caught off guard but pleasantly surprised. “dinner?”
“yeah,” he said quickly, as if trying to backtrack. “i mean, if you’re busy, that’s fine. but if you’re not—”
“i’d love to,” you interrupted, your smile widening.
his shoulders relaxed, and a small smile crept onto his face. “great. how about saturday? i know a spot.”
“saturday works,” you said.
---
on saturday evening, gregory picked you up, and the two of you headed to a cozy italian restaurant tucked away in a quiet part of the city. it was small, intimate, and the kind of place you could tell he’d thought carefully about.
“this is nice,” you said as the waiter brought over a basket of warm bread.
“it’s one of my favorites,” gregory admitted, glancing around. “i figured it’d be a good spot to talk without, you know, kids running around or ava interrupting with one of her ‘announcements.’”
“does she really have cameras in all of the classrooms?”
“she definitely does,” he said shivering at the memory of her listening in on his private conversations.
you laughed, and the sound seemed to ease his nerves. as the evening went on, you learned more about him—his passion for teaching, his dreams of becoming a principal one day, and even a few funny stories about his early days at abbott.
“i’ll admit, when i first started here, i didn’t think i’d last,” gregory said, leaning back in his chair. “but the staff, the kids… they have a way of growing on you.”
“i get that,” you said, nodding. “i’ve only been here a week, and it already feels like home.”
his gaze softened, and for a moment, the conversation paused. there was something unspoken in the air, something that made your heart skip.
“i’m glad you’re here,” he said finally, his voice quiet but sincere.
“me too,” you replied, feeling a warmth spread through you.
---
as he walked you back to your door later that night, the two of you lingered on the front step.
“thank you for tonight,” you said, looking up at him.
“anytime,” gregory replied, his hands in his pockets again.
there was a brief pause, and then, before you could overthink it, you leaned up and kissed him softly on the cheek.
“goodnight, gregory.”
he looked a little stunned but managed a small smile. “goodnight.”
as you stepped inside, your heart still fluttering, you couldn’t help but feel that this was the start of something special.
they never specify what sorority ava is in but i feel like she gives big delta energy lol idk. thinking about making this a little series, part one here!
for me a little detail that always make me kick my feet and giggle about Abbott elementary is that, in season 1, there is a WHOLE episode about Greg not liking pizza, just for in the end to Janine ask him out to eat pizza and he just says he loves pizza. JANINExGREG FOR PRESIDENT!
One of my favorite sitcom tropes is the "person who's the hot/cool/mysterious stranger in the beginning turns out to be one of the most unhinged people in the group" trope
