RH: Do It Like a Dude

Okay, not to brag or anything, but the weirdest and sexiest thing in the history of my life just happened.

In case I haven't made it clear by this point, I go to Reaper High. Yes, that school that keeps showing up in the papers for all the wrong reasons. Arson here, vandalism there. A bit of murder on the side. And boy, do I love it. The classes are great, and I'm actually starting to make a few friends. Well, acquaintances, but still. Social life is definitely improving. Unfortunately for me though, some of my teacher aren't as nice as Queen Celestia for M.O.F. (that's 'Magic of Friendship'). I've still got perverts like Mister Juice and total assholes like Dr Crane. And then… there's Joker.

Okay, for some reason I find myself enjoying his abuse. Somehow. It's just how he does it that makes it seem acceptable. He's fun about it. Like this one time Zim was drawing in class and making snappy comebacks to himself about Joker's lecture, the clown ended up straddling his desk and threatening him with a BANG! flag-gun. And all the while, he made it relate to his lecture on the use of props and bluffing. It was pretty hysterical when we realised that it had been a fake all alone. And seeing Zim turn that sickly shade of pale was just hysterical, what with him being a total prat most of the time.

Yeah, it's all fun and games… But it becomes another story entirely when he starts picking on you.

My first moment in class, as you should probably remember, was a pie to the face. And then an attempt to electrocute me. Well, that wasn't just the first day. That's every day. Yes. I'm practically his personal patsy now. Forever the butt of his jokes. Whoopee cushions. Buzzers. Fake dynamite in my desk. Exploding pens. "Kick Me" signs on my back. You name it, I've had it. Once he even superglued my hand to my essay, making it not only illegible but also making me late for Mechanics and the Home. Pretty hard to cook if you've got a pile of papers stuck to your hand.

And the whole time, I'm thinking… why? Why does he choose me all the time? I'm a polite student. I laugh off each prank. I have a pretty good sense of humour. In fact, I even got him back once! When we stayed after lockdown that one night, I caught up with him and smacked him with a faceful of cream pie just as he did to me on my first day. Sure, I was punished with essays after that, but it was worth it.

So on this particular day, it was right in the middle of Musical Week. Don't. Ask me. How. I personally think that it was Music Meister. He's such an egotistical jerk that he probably begged Grim to have control over the school for one week just so that he could show off his musical ability. Or maybe it was one of those girls who are like, the daughters of the music goddess or something. But all you have to know is that during this time, everybody was singing. Everybody. Not all at the same time or anything, but just at random musical intervals. Random, inconvenient yet completely perfected and choreographed musical numbers. Song, dance, the works. For some, it was pretty embarrassing. All these teenage girls were singing love-songs to crushes they had been lying to for years. For others, it was as simple as figuring out an algebra equation.

To be honest, I thought this was all pretty damn cool. I'm a huge, huge music lover and I have a very secret passion for singing. Not on a professional level, but I can rock the karaoke bar. And this whole week, the minute people realised what was happening and Meister bragged about it in The Sound of Evil, I had been wondering three things: Was I going to sing? When? And what?

I had been reading the textbook in my own spare time out of curiosity, so I could afford to doze off during one of Joker's rants for once. It left me time to dream and drift about what kind of genre I'd fit. I was a musical fan, for sure. But those were ballads of love and passion. I wasn't really 'passionate' about anything or anyone. Maybe a pop song? Something about 'partying for the girl who was so socially awkward that she just stayed in reading textbooks on Charlie Chaplin rather than go out and party?

Argh… This was killing me inside. Would I even get the chance to sing? And if I did, would anybody even care? If Nick sang a romantic ditty to Toad (after ages of BS and "just friends" excuses to us) then everybody would just drop their shit and flock to her. But if I, the new girl that nobody remembered the name of, then nobody would probably stick around to listen to me. And that really chewed me up inside. I loved musicals and I loved music. I'd hate to have one moment to shine and realise that not a single person was listening.

"Oh, Miss Jean…"

Aaand the bubble burst.

"I suggest that you come down to Earth as soon as possible before you find yourself in a painful situation."

Joker grinned at me sarcastically, his eyebrows raised as he studied my startled expression. Wide-eyed and blushing, I swallowed as I tried to collect my cool and hop down from my cloud. I found my peace quickly and smiled back at him. "Sorry, sir. It's been a rough day."

"N'aw, kitten…!" he drawled. "The amount I care is staggering!" The class broke out into laughter, both at me and with him. He turned on his heel, walking towards the chalkboard at the front of the class and hopping down the short stairs. I chuckled half-heartedly, watching him with a smirk as he tapped on the board to get everybody's attention. "Now, now, everybody. Pick out your books from your desk and turn to page three-hundred and ninety--"

"Ninety-four?" interrupted Nick with a cocky smile.

"Ninety-six, Mister Potter…" corrected Joker with an amused voice. "Three-hundred and ninety-six."

I laughed to myself beneath my breath. Having Nick in Joker's class was the best thing ever. She had trained with him earlier, so they knew each other as old friends and fed off of one another's antics and jokes. To be honest, I hoped for a relationship like theirs and wished for one as I opened up my--

THWACK!

I screamed, nearly falling out of my chair at the impact of the glove. Clutching my hands protectively over the eye it hit, I winced in furious pain as my ears rung as loud as Heaven's bells. My whole head throbbed in pain and shock and I could feel tears spring to my eyes. My mind slurred and somewhere in the not-too distant background I could hear the sound of everybody laughing at my misery.

And guess who was laughing the loudest of all. Go on. Guess.

Joker was nearly pissing himself, clutching to his desk to stable himself. "Oh, Jessie! You are such a delight to teach sometimes!!" he giggled mischievously. Clapping his hands together and cackling hysterically, I secretly hoped that he couldn't see the painful sting in my eyes or the red of my face.

I could feel Mocha's eyes scan over me as I tried to comfort the swelling bruise around my eye. Shit that hurt…!  She raised her hand to grab his attention before he could walk off. "Joker, I'm pretty sure she's hurt… Want me to take her to the nurse?"

Joker shrugged his shoulders, picking up his textbook and beginning to flick through to the right page. "Oh, she'll be fine in a couple of minutes…" he said, licking his thumb as he turned the page in the classic kind of manner. His eyes flicked up to meet mine and his grin touched both of his ears. "Won't you, kitten?"

Hand still pressed to my eye, I sat up in my chair and glared at him with the good one that remained. "Dude, what the Hell?!"

I don't know why I was suddenly yelling at him like this. Maybe it was the fact that I could feel the blood in my eye. The skin that began to bruise in ugly blue and black. Maybe it was the fact that this was the first joke he had played on me that was physically painful. Not just humiliating, but physically killing me. Maybe it was the fact that despite all my good behaviour, all my efforts to get on his good side, and all the respect I gave him as a teacher and a friend he still picked on me like this. Out of everybody else. Or maybe it was the fact that the damn glove had finally knocked some sense into me.

"Why are you always picking me to toy with, huh?!" I asked at him. I can barely remember the words I screamed at him. I was so lost in the moment that I was just preaching at that point from within my chest. "Every time I walk in here, I have to constantly put my guard up because I just know that you're gonna put something in my books or in my hair!"

Joker laughed at me and the desperation in my voice. "Why, Jessie, I have no idea what you're on about!" Settling the book down, he leaned against his desk and folded his arms across his chest. I certainly had his attention. "I'm sure that there's been at least one lesson where you were--"

"Yeah!" I snapped at him. "And you know what happened? I was terrified for the rest of the day because I was worried you'd come around the corner and prank me!" Leaning across my desk, I'm pretty sure it was getting to that point where I was using hand movements. I was that overly pissed.

He raised his eyebrows, the smile fading slightly yet that musical note of fun still in his voice. "Have you got a point to make here, Miss Jean, or did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed and then jumped into a vat of PMS?"

A laughter rippled along the class at Joker's comment. And I had to admit, I smiled with them. It was a good point and a sign that I had to calm down before I became an even bigger twat. So, lowering my voice, I smiled back. "I just wanna know why me, that's all. Out of the three-dozen kids in here, you pick on me every day. And, I'll hand it to you, most are pretty good! But I just wanna know why… What's the punch line? What's the build-up behind it?"

Joker grinned at me. "You've been reading your textbooks, haven't you?" Jumping up the stairs, taking two at a time, he approached my desk once more and skipped past the row of onlooking students. His hands clasped either side of my desk, shutting the lid at last and trapping the glove back inside with a SNAP. I flinched only slightly, focused on the slight glare in his eyes and the growl in his throat. "You really wanna know why?"

I nodded. "Yep."

"Absolutely sure?"

"Yes! Tell me!"

With a smug grin, he gave a sigh of exhaustion as he gave in at last. "Ah, alright. I… 'pick on you'… because you… are the most innocent-minded, vulnerable, and adorable little girl in this entire class."

My eyes widened. A laugh rippled across the students. I think I might've blushed a little at the use of 'adorable'. "Wait. Excuse me?!"

Joker found my doe-like expression of 'What fuckery is this?' pretty amusing. His grin stretched further and that musical tone came back to his voice. "You heard me, toots! You're the nicest goody two-shoes that I know! And, quite frankly, I can never see you in the future as a possible criminal!"

My jaw dropped. "But I--!"

"Sure, you may get some of the best marks in the class, but," he chuckled before he could even continue his sentence, "let's be honest here… You don't have the guts to actually commit a crime! You can talk all the talk, Miss Jean, but the walk? Heh… you're limping." Beginning to walk off, he still preached over his shoulder. "So, if you can't grow the pair and keep acting like the little Bambi-eyed girl that you are… you can be the perfect patsy!"

I was almost at a loss for words. "So what you're saying is… I'm too much of a girl?"

A quiet, simmering "Oooh" fell across the room, like the wind over the ocean. Nearly all the boys in the class were chuckling to themselves, smirking at little Miss Jean and her crazy feminist values. But some of the girls were starting to lean forward in their seats, waiting for this answer. I could see Carly's blue fingertips dance along the edge of her desk in impatience. I glared at Joker through my black eye. He wasn't intimidated in the slightest, for the exact reasons he had just finished explaining. Yet at the same time, it was so friggin' frustrating to know that he was smiling the whole time.

"… Yes!"

My jaw dropped. I was the least feminine person I know! The last time I wore a skirt I was ten years old. I swore like a sailor, considered 'unladylike' by my own family. I wore the subtlest of makeup, and only then was it for crucial occasions like a wedding or a dance. When it came to the stereotype, I was as far from being considered a 'girl'. So what made him think like that? Because I was responsible? I obeyed order? I followed the basic legal system? Because I didn't like the risk of hurting people? That made me too much of a girl to make up one of his stupid jokes?

I had to laugh at the sheer stupidity and sexism of his argument. "What makes you think that you're any better than me, hey? Look at you! You're friggin' ridiculous!" He didn't turn around to acknowledge me in any detail, and in my rage the words just kept coming out. "I mean, have you taught us anything in this class so far or have you just been showing us moves as outdated as Jerry Lewis?!"

I could hear Nick wolf-whistle as Joker paused in his tracks. Another hush fell over the class and I could feel the smile in everybody's awaiting breath. In the language of the streets, I'm pretty sure this meant that shit was about to go down.

"Oh yeah, buddy. I went there…"

Though it might seem like I'm the total PMS-ing bitch, you have no idea how much of a jerk this guy was to the kids in his class. Not just me or Zim or a few other specky kids, but at least everybody in this room has been victimised by Joker at one point or another. That's why when I started calling him out, everybody was behind me with it. And even kids like Nick and Toffee, who somehow managed to get on his good side, were with me for the sake of wanting a showdown.

Joker turned around, his smile faded into nothing more than a thin and forced line. I didn't care that at this point he was pissed beyond words. In fact, I secretly like to think that he was enjoying this. Somewhere beneath his sudden hatred for the fact that I was calling him out, I think there was a glint in his eyes or the slightest of curves in his lips that let me know that he was somewhat enjoying this change of attitude.

But there was definitely something else in the air as well. This rhythmic, raw kind of beat that flowed through everybody's veins as they began to drum their hands on their desks and chant with the people around them. I could feel this constant whispering in the back of my mind and across the lips of everybody in the room. Especially my own. Like this adrenaline rush that spread to each and every person in the class. And I could feel this smile coming to my face and the words forming inside of my head. Lost in this moment and smug nature.

"Are you saying you have a problem with me, Miss Jean?" asked Joker, folding his arms defensively and raising a curious dark green eyebrow.

I grinned. "Well, you are a bit of an asshole." I had never spoken to a teacher like this before. I loved it. Before I knew it, I was out of my chair and standing beside my desk in a 'come at me bro' fashion.

The chants grew louder and louder, making Joker raise his voice in order to keep up this argument. "And what makes you say that?"

I laughed. "Dude, have you heard yourself lately?!"

Some people had burst into song because of love. Others sang for their happiness. Some people sang because they were in the middle of a depression. Either way, all these numbers came out from intense emotions.

And my emotion?

Anger.

" 'Stomp-stomp, I've arri-ived!' " I sang in a clear, confident voice. Impersonating him to a T, I kicked over my desk the exact same way that he kicked open the door to class. My books went flying, scattering across the floor and I grinned cockily at the mess I had just made. Jinx, a purple-haired girl who sat near me, was laughing at the chaos I had begun to create. Still lost in his attitude and living in his mask, I jumped towards her in two quick steps and shoved her backward in her seat. Joker's bi-polar attitude. " 'Drop the beat, nasty face, why y'lookin' at me?!' " Her expression faltered for a minute as I glared at her, but as I smirked and began to walk off her own grin grew. This parody was more fun than I had imagined it to be…! And everybody in the class was slowly getting into it.

I hopped onto Zim's desk, watching his pupils shrink inside his head as I crossed my legs and tapped where his nose should be the same way that Mister J always did. " 'Drivin', drivin', drivin', drivin' everyone insa-aane! Y'can't have the pleasure withou' a lil' bit o' pain!' " I ruffled his wig up fiercely, still with the grin on my face just as I uncrossed my legs and swung round so that I face the front of the class.

So that I faced him.

My smile faded. My eyebrows narrowed. I glared at him through the swollen bruise around my eye, focused behind the swollen black and blue flesh. But the whole time, I couldn't help but grin at the sheer weirdness of this whole situation. I was straddling a desk, legs parted, and singing about how much I loathed my teacher: a homicidal maniac. "Dirty, dirty, dirty, dirty, dirty suckah!" I sang, popping each consonant proudly. Pointing to my eye fiercely, almost proud of the bruise that stuck there. "Y'think I can't get hurt like you, you mutha'fuckah'?!

I can do it like a brothah!
Do it like a dude!
Grab my crotch, wear my hat
Low like you…"

Grinding and imitating an imaginary fedora on my head, I winked at the pale-faced loon much to the approval of the boys and girls of our class. Zim was mildly terrified that I was dancing on his desk, but the sensation of being lost in this moment and nothing but sound controlling my actions was like heaven. Grinning from ear to ear, I hopped off from Zim's desk and strut my way over to Toffee.

She was already seated on the edge of her desk, as were most of the girls in Joker class. Jinx, Harley, Katnappe and the rest of the motley crew were all climbing out of their chairs and getting comfy to watch this showdown. Hell, even Carly was dancing on her desk and shimmying her shoulders with everyone else. The guys were going positively crazy over the sight, laughing and cheering it on with wolf-like smiles.

"We can do it like the man dem, man dem!"
"HEY!"
"We can do it like the man dem--!"
"Sugah, sugah, sugah!"

Sliding along the desk by the fabric of my skirt, I bumped into the pink-haired Toffee and leaned into her, grinning mischeviously alongside her. Popping my lip and flicking my wrist with each beat in each word, I winked at her as I sang. " 'Boom, boom, boom!' "

"Hey!" chirped the queen of dark magic and acrylic hair.

I smirked at her sudden attitude, resting on her shoulder for a moment as I mimed a pint. " 'Pour me a be-eer! No pre'y drinks, I'm a guy, y'all hear?' "

With a roll of the hip and a kick of my legs, I spun off her table and walked over to the awaiting Nick. She and I connected at the hip, beaming with our ridiculously curly hair as we grinned. " 'Rollin', rollin', rollin', rollin' money like a pi-imp!' " Leaning to the side in unison, only to jerk back up into place in one smooth motion.  " 'My B-I-T-C-H's on my dick like this~!' "  With a pluck of my shirt and a hip-thrust as I came to a stand, I winked at her and turned back to her old mentor with a grin. This time, with the full force of the class behind me.

But it had reached that point where we were no longer pissed off at Joker and how he thought we couldn't do squat. Where the girls were no longer pissed off about being thought as weak. Where I was no longer attacking Joker. We had reached that moment where we were just having fun with this song, poking harmless fun at a teacher who had done the very same.

"Dirty, dirty, dirty, dirty, dirty, dirty, suckah!
You think I can't get hurt like you, y'muthafukah?"

And even then, he stood there with his arms folded over his chest. Leaning against the blackboard casually, a small smile on his face at the sight of the tipped-over desks. The dancing, the laughter, the girls teasing their boys. The sight of Nick pulling on Toad's tie so roughly, the image of Harley crumping on the top of her desk and me - the most innocent-minded of girls - strutting down the stairs towards the front of the room where he stood and grinding my hips in time with the chorus behind me.

"I can do it like a brothah!
Do it like a dude!
Grab my crotch, wear my hat
Low like you…"

"I can do it like a brothah!
Do it like a dude!
Grab my crotch, wear my hat
Low like you!"

Jumping down the steps two at a time, I grinned at the clown while everybody broke out into their chant once more. "Still think I'm weak?"

With a slight pout, his answer was something along the lines of a whining grunt. "Eh… A musical number isn't going to sway me, Miss Jean."

I raised my eyebrows in modest surprise. "You're kidding, right?"

"Sugah, sugah, sugah!"

With a few steps backwards, I was on his desk. The beat slowed down. The girls slowly circled the tables, fingertips lingering and voices hushed as their hips still wound in time to this intangible control. The song turned slightly sinister, slightly flirtatious and a whole new level of fun. Nick was pulling Toad along by his uniform, grinning as he followed. Harley was making her way over to Clopin with a new coat of lipstick. "Boys…"

A smirk coming across my lips, I gripped to the edge of the table and slowly ran my ankle up the curve of my calf. "I-I'm sayin' what you wanna…"

"Boys…"

"Can't y'hear this baby holla?"

Joker's eyes shrunk inside of his head. His jaw dropped slightly as I unfolded and re-folded my legs slowly. Lingering skin and a hint of a smile.

Yes. Don't underestimate how hot I can be with a good backing track.

"Boys…"

I grinned at Joker as his pale Adam's apple trembled, getting up from my seat and walking over to him. "Gettin' hot under the collar…?"

"'olla…" echoed Carly.

"'olla…" mimicked Mocha. Leaning into each other, they smiled and followed it up with a sultry moan of lyrics. "Woah-oh-oh-oh…"

Approaching Joker and the clearly amused smirk still on his features, I brushed my fingertips against his arm and circled him slowly like a fin in the water. The touch slowed down, creating a journey up his shoulder and along the back of his neck. "Coz I'm sayin' what you wanna…"

"Boys…"
"Can't y'hear this baby holla?"
"Boys…"
"Gettin' hot under the collar…"

Winding my fingers around his tie, I pulled him along for one step before skipping off to the coat rack by the door. I could feel him watch me. Waiting. And in some sense, proud. Proud of the fact that he was the jerk that made me act like this. The complete opposite of the cute little girl in class he used to tease. Smug over the fact that he had finally made me snap.

"'olla…"
"'olla…"
"Wooah-oh-oh-oah…"

I stopped by the front door, the purple jacket and tie the only things hung up on the brass hooks beside it. "I can do it like a brotha!" Picking up the outfit from its place, I threaded my arms through Joker's clothing and forced the fedora onto my head. "Do it like a dude!" With a smug smile, I took the centre stage as the girls at their desks stopped in their movements. "Grab my crotch, wear my hat low like you…"

Nick, Carly and all the other partnered girls in the crowd grinned at their male companions.

"Do it like a brotha!"

Joker's eyes widened as something slipped from within my sleeve and into my palm.

"Do it like a dude!"

The girls of the class reached into the nearest open desk, smirking at the entranced boys.

"Grab my crotch, wear my hat low like yo-ou~!"

There was cream splattered across all their faces the minute I pushed the button of the trigger. Confetti burst from the ceiling, flooding the room in green, purple and silver. My girlfriends grinned, taking a smooth side-step from the cream-faced guys and joining in with the singular girls who continued to dance on their desks.

"We can do it like a brothah!
Do it like a dude!
Grab my crotch, wear my hat
Low like you…"

I threw the trigger aside, letting it skid across the floor as I stomped my way over to Joker's desk. Leaping up, I joined in their choir of girl pride and swung the rim of the hat down low. Coat-tails flying, I snickered along with Joker as I pointed an accusing finger at him.

"Do it like a brothah!
Do it like a dude!
Grab my crotch, wear my hat
Low like you…!"

Turning around to the class before me, confetti sticking to the drops of cream that were splattered about the place. The kids had gone completely feral. Cheering each other on as they broke down and ground to the beat that dropped, pumping their fists in the air.

And… I was leading them…

"We can do it like the man dem, man dem!"
"HEY!"
"We can do it like the man dem--!"
"Sugah, sugah, sugah!"
"We can do it like the man dem, man dem!"
"HEY!"
"We can do it like the man dem--!"
"SUGAH, SUGAH, SUGAH!"

The music dropped completely at that triumphant belt. As the confetti settled in a carpet of technicolour sparkles, a couple of kids started to applaud. Before I knew it, the whole class was cheering and clapping. So loudly, in fact, that I couldn't even hear the bell go. Mocha and Carly were wolf whistling, Carly blowing on her thin blue fingers, and my whole body just glowed with pride. Practically gasping for breath, the adrenaline in me collapsed entirely. I bowed towards the audience of faces, laughing slightly as my legs began to shake.

Even Joker was clapping by the end of it, looking smug as usual as he chuckled at the sight of the screaming boys and girls. Taking off the stylish purple hat, I grinned at them. "Thanks, guys!" I chirped at them before jumping down from the desktop. The minute I landed, though, the full realisation of my actions sank in.

The memory of me throwing myself at my teacher in the middle of a musical bridge flooded back along with the blush of awkward, lobster-red. Joker was beaming from ear to ear with a sultry, delicious Cheshire grin. Watching as I shrugged off his jacket and handed over his hat, I smiled sheepishly. "Uh… Here."

And just like that. Innocent little Jessica Jean. But, much to my surprise, he didn't seem to call me out on the sudden attitude change. Instead, he took back the jacket and hat with less than a chortle. If he was going to say anything, he didn't get the chance to. Joker was just about to open up his mouth to speak when--

"Hey, Jessie!!" chirped Harley. Punching me in the shoulder lightly as she passed, she didn't seem to have any trouble with the fact that I had outright flirted in front of 'her Mister Jay'. "Good show, cutie! You were a real firecracker up there!" She walked off after Clopin, wriggling her fingertips at me. "See ya in Brawl Hall, hon!"

I smiled at the disappearing blonde. "U-Uh… Yeah! Thanks!" Turning back to Joker, I laughed nervously and tried to explain my strange behaviour. "So… You--"

"Jess, that was a blast!" squealed Toffee when she walked over. Picking out a gob of cream from her gorgeous pink hair, she was joined by Nick and pie-covered Toad.

The mutant smirked at me, rubbing off a lump of white from his neck and brushing it off on his palm. "Yeah. Max is gonna be pissed when he founds out you bust a move instead of bursting into some broadway knock-off."

"Urgh…" groaned Nick. "Don't remind me of him when I'm having a good day!"

I laughed, watching them walk off as they lost themselves in conversation. "See you, guys!"

Joker smirked, watching the friends join together with a few other friendly faces. "So…" he drawled, turning back into our conversation that never seemed to start.

I gulped. "So…"

He didn't have to say a goddamn word and already I was blushing. Hard. I'm pretty sure even my black eye was scarlet. "Uh… I'm… I'm sorry. I mean, I'm not sorry for standing up to you, that was guaranteed, what with you being a jack-ass. But, for… that. Yeah… I'm sorry…" After an awkward paused between words, I tried to meet his gaze. I couldn't handle it. My shoes were a much more valid conversation partner. "Reeaaally sorry…"

With a menacing purr to his tone, Joker chuckled. "Well, you proved a point… You're much more than just the butt of a joke…!" Pulling on his coat, he grinned at my expression. "And, for the record…"

Pulling on my shirt, his grin stretched even further. Noses nearly touching, he gave me a wicked, lingering smile as he dragged me in close to hear the rasping whisper in his throat.

"… You do not have to apologise for that little number…"

So I might have been left there to clean up a classroom full of cream, tipped-over tables and confetti piled as high as my ankles. All the while gasping for air like a friggin' goldfish as I tried to straighten out my dress.

But hey. After a class as fun as that, I think I needed the time to cool off.