Max Verstappen ▪️ Teacher's pet

Early in the morning, the classroom was already louder than it had any right to be. Everyone seemed to be doing something except actually preparing for class. A group of girls gathered near the windows were going over their cheerleading choreography, quietly arguing about the timing of the next routine. Two boys in the back were trying to keep their laughter under control after one of them made a joke about their history teacher. Someone was tossing a crumpled piece of paper across the room. Another student was standing on a chair, attempting to reach something from the top shelf. It was the usual morning chaos. Until the classroom door opened. The noise didn't stop immediately. It faded. One conversation ended, then another. A laugh died somewhere in the back. The student standing on the chair slowly climbed down. Within a few seconds, the entire classroom had gone almost completely silent. Every head turned toward the door. A tall, blonde man stood there. He was dressed in a crisp white shirt underneath a black leather jacket, paired with dark jeans and polished shoes. His blonde hair was combed neatly backward, leaving his face completely visible. Sharp jawline. Pale skin, slightly flushed from the cold weather outside. A noticeable nose. And striking blue eyes that seemed almost unnervingly calm as they moved across the classroom. He didn't look particularly old. That seemed to be the first thing everyone noticed. The second was that he was ridiculously good-looking. A few students exchanged glances. One of the girls near the window whispered something to her friend.

"Is that actually our teacher?"

"There's no way."

The man walked toward the desk at the front of the classroom, carrying a few books and a folder. He placed them neatly on the table and turned to face the class. He waited. Not for long. Just long enough for everyone to realize that he was waiting for their attention. "Good morning, everyone." His voice was calm and firm, carrying easily across the room. "My name is Max Verstappen, and I'll be taking over your physics classes for the remainder of the school year."

A few students straightened in their seats. "As most of you have probably already been informed, Mrs. Johnson will unfortunately not be able to continue teaching this year. I understand that the change may have come rather suddenly, but I expect that you've all received the necessary information regarding her absence."

He paused, briefly looking around the room. His subtle Dutch accent made his otherwise controlled voice sound even more distinctive. "I'd like to take a few minutes this morning to introduce myself and explain how we're going to work together." Someone in the back whispered something. Max's eyes immediately shifted toward the sound. The student went silent. Max raised an eyebrow slightly.

"I'll give you plenty of opportunities to talk during the lesson. Just not while I'm speaking, please." A few students smiled. He turned back toward the board. "I know that physics isn't everyone's favorite subject, and I don't expect you to walk into this classroom already enjoying it."

He picked up a marker. "What I do expect is that you come to class prepared, that you participate when you're asked to, and that you treat both me and your classmates with respect."

He wrote his name on the board in neat handwriting.

MAX VERSTAPPEN - PHYSICS

"Now, before we begin, I'd like to get an idea of where everyone is academically."

A collective groan came from somewhere in the room. Max stopped writing. "That reaction tells me quite a lot already."

The class laughed. For the first time, the corner of his mouth lifted slightly. "But don't worry. I'm not giving you a test this morning."

The students relaxed.

"Instead, we're going to spend the first few minutes going over what you've covered so far this year. I want to know what you understand, what you don't, and where Mrs. Johnson left off." He placed the marker down.

"That way, I can make sure we don't waste time repeating things you already know, but more importantly, I don't want to move forward if there are gaps in your understanding."

A girl in the front raised her hand hesitantly. Max looked at her. "Yes?"

"Are you, like... actually Dutch?"

There was a brief silence. Several students looked at her as if she had just asked the most obvious question imaginable. Max blinked once. "Yes."

"Oh." She lowered her hand.

A few people laughed. Max shook his head slightly, amused. "Right. Since we've established that, let's move on."

He picked up the folder from his desk. "Before we start, I'll also be taking attendance. I don't know everyone's names yet, so you'll have to forgive me if I pronounce something incorrectly."

He opened the folder. "I'll do my best." He continued down the list, occasionally looking up to match names with faces.

The room gradually became quieter. Whatever expectations they had of their new physics teacher, Max Verstappen clearly wasn't going to be the kind of teacher who had to shout to get control of a classroom.

He simply looked at you. And somehow, that was enough. When attendance was finally finished, he closed the folder. "Alright. That's everyone."

He leaned against the edge of his desk, folding his arms. "Now, one last thing before we begin."

The class looked at him.

"I don't expect perfection from any of you." His expression softened slightly. "Physics can be difficult. You're going to get things wrong. You're going to make mistakes, and there will probably be moments when something doesn't make sense no matter how many times we go over it." He looked around the room.

"That's completely fine." A pause. "But I do expect you to ask questions." He picked up the marker again. "If you don't understand something, tell me. If you disagree with an answer, explain why. If you think I've made a mistake, you're welcome to point it out. Provided you can prove it."

A boy in the back raised his hand. Max nodded toward him. "Yes?"

"So... if we prove you're wrong, do we get extra credit?"

The classroom burst into laughter.

Max stared at him for a moment. "No." The laughter grew louder. "But," he added calmly, "you will earn my respect."

The boy grinned. "Fair enough." Max turned toward the board. "Good. Now, let's see what you remember."

He wrote a single question beneath his name. What is acceleration? He stepped aside. "Who wants to start?"