Re: Carriage House: Atticus & Billy
Atticus barely ducked from the the greasy paper that flew at him. Barely moved away. Definitely didn't dodge in any way that made the paper actually avoid hitting him. It was a token attempt, and it came with a chuckle as the paper fell to the floor. "Calling the police. This man accosted me." Deadpan. He pointed at Billy with a emptied lobster claw.
"Why isn't law realistic?" Atticus meant the question. Knew Billy could get offended, say Atticus didn't understand his money situation. Atticus knew what it was to have nothing. Growing up in foster care hadn't put any money in the bank for him. He'd earned his way through school. Billy was a smart kid. Billy was a likable kid. Might be hard, but Atticus didn't see why Billy couldn't be anything Billy wanted to be. "But, assuming you don't want law, then what?"
Atticus like Thompson's small-things view of life. Made sense for a man who enjoyed tangible things. Wasn't a big dreamer. Wasn't ambitious. Had gotten far in school because he liked the subject, and not out of any desire to succeed or go far. He waited to see if Billy commented on the quote, but he didn't mind the quiet thoughtfulness that crossed the boy's face. Atticus finished his food in the meanwhile, and he stacked his plate and bowl, and then finished his glass of wine unhurriedly once Billy topped it off.
"Think so?" Atticus asked about being a better teacher. "Think to be a good teacher you have to care about the kids. Didn't much. Cared about the writers and the words, but not about the kids." That was, possibly, oversimplifying, but it was still true. Atticus was in his early twenties when he taught. Young himself, and he didn't care about much those days. Finding a job that paid his way through grad school, so that he could keep having a reason to go to the special collections area of the library, that was the only real goal. "My students that are here, they'd disagree with you."
He stood with a groan, and he pointed at Billy's glass. "Stay there. Finish that. No hurry. I'll clean up and bring dessert." Which he did, after collecting his plates. He placed the bowl of Reese's in the middle of the coffeetable with a grin.