by Anna Archer
“I’m joking! But he touched you?”
“He grabbed me as I was leaving. I was flustered and upset and I ran over to you.” Eve stared at her student. “I’m really glad you were there, Manny.”
Manny maintained the connection. “And I’m glad you invited me in. And I really am sorry for all of the stupidity in school.” She signalled to the space between them. “If this friendship is on the table then I’ll stop with all of the silly nonsense. I think it’s just a default in me. I always feel a bit out of place no matter where I am and I use humour to hide. People never question if the one cracking the jokes is okay. Of course she is. She’s cracking the jokes.”
“Are you not okay?”
Manny laughed. “I’m a national disgrace. A fallen hero. I’m back at school. Back at home. My classmates envy me. My teachers are scared of me. My parents are… well they’re just a whole other nightmare. I can’t go to the gym without having people take secret selfies of me. I can’t go online as I’m bombarded with hate. People think I’m a monster and I’m just trying to get my life back on track.”
“Oh Manny,” said Eve, placing her glass on the coffee table and shunting closer to her student. “Let me help you.”
Manny smiled. “This is helping me. This is nice, and normal, and if you weren’t my teacher then you wouldn’t keep raising the appropriate question and this would be perfect.”
“I’d like to be your friend, Manny.”
“I suggested that yesterday.”
“You said it precociously.” Eve laughed before nodding. “But now you’re saying it like a woman.”
“You’d like a woman? I knew it.”
Eve groaned. “Right. If I agree to play this banter game, you’re going down.”
“You want to go down?” replied Manny.
“I’ll beat you.”
“Is that what you’re into?”
Eve smiled. “Game on.”
Chapter Thirteen
Sitting in her car on her parent’s driveway, Manny was still smiling. The evening had taken such a wonderfully unexpected turn. She’d only drank half a glass of wine at Eve’s apartment but it had given her enough courage to open up and be honest instead of relying on her usual bluster to get her through a situation. In fact she suspected that her and Eve were really quite similar, neither liking other people to pry into what they were actually feeling. She smiled again. She was feeling happy. Genuinely happy for the first time since… Manny sighed. The memory of that day would never get easier, always pulling her back to the depths of despair. She shook her head. People would never forget. She’d never forget. Smiling slightly, she thought of Eve. Eve was the only person who genuinely didn’t seem bothered. Now either Eve was a self-obsessed narcissist who only cared about herself and what was going on in her own life, or she was playing a very clever game of indifference, or she didn’t actually have an interest or opinion on what had gone on in the Women’s World Cup final and by consequence didn’t have an interest or opinion on her, which was an incredibly refreshing thought. Manny paused. But there was another whole other element too. Eve hadn’t commented on the car. A top of the range Porsche 911 Carrera. Manny reached out and squeezed the soft leather steering wheel. Eve had just jumped in without saying a word. No questions about how much she’d been paid as a footballer, no questions about how much she’d earned from her sponsorship deals, all the usual things that people would ask her.
Manny laughed at herself. In one way it was frustrating that Eve didn’t seem wowed by any of it, but maybe Eve had money herself, hence the reason she could afford that apartment and yes it might only be one-bedroom, but the price was still sky high. Manny sighed again. She’d been looking to buy with her girlfriend, Nikki. Her girlfriend who’d dumped her two days after the final, now rumoured to be dating the captain of the USA team who’d just signed for one of the big UK clubs. Pushing herself out of the car, Manny looked up at her childhood home. She was fine. She was rebuilding. She didn’t need to waste time thinking about what could have been, she needed to focus on the here and now and the here and now was looking surprisingly bright.
****
Lying on the sofa and staring at the high ceiling, Eve couldn’t help but smile. She’d kicked off her shoes but was still wearing her little black dress and Manny’s half-finished glass of red wine was still resting on the coffee table. Tilting her head, she reached out and lifted the glass to the light. A faint outline of Manny’s lips was visible around the rim. How sensible to only have a couple of mouthfuls when driving, thought Eve, and how mature to head home before her parents started to worry at ten… or at least that’s the reason Manny had given for her departure. Eve sat up. Did it matter if Manny had made an excuse to escape? Eve looked at the wine glass again. What if the wine wasn’t up to Manny’s usual standard and that’s why she only drank half a glass? Shaking her head, Eve corrected herself. What would she rather have happened this evening? Her student get drunk and stay until the early hours of the morning? No. Tonight had gone perfectly, and if she were honest, she’d go through the run-in with David again if it meant making such great progress with Manny.
****
“Manny Jones?” said Bonnie in disbelief.
“Yes!” spluttered David, pacing around his aunt’s very homely kitchen full of trinkets and baking equipment. “That lesbian footballer! I saw her!”
“They hugged?”
“They more than hugged! Eve ran into her arms and they whizzed away together in her sports car.”
Bonnie signalled through to the lounge and the large sofa where they’d be able to sit side-by-side. “Sit down, David. I think you must be mistaken.”
“Don’t patronise me, Aunt Bonnie. You sent me on a blind date with a lesbian and I’d recognise Manny Jones anywhere even without the purple hair.”
“Eve’s not a lesbian, she’s a…. what’s the word…” Bonnie drummed her fingers on a cushion. “A hermaphrodite.”
“She’s a what?!”
“I think she likes a bit of everyone, or maybe she doesn’t like anyone. I’m not sure how it all works nowadays, but she agreed to a date with you, didn’t she?”
“Only so she’d have a cover story for an evening rendezvous with her student. Honestly Aunt Bonnie, we need to go to the papers. They’d pay a fortune for this. Manny Jones back in trouble.”
“They’re not having an affair, and will you please sit down.”
“I can’t, I’m too angry, and you didn’t see them! It was heated!”
“So she just left you?”
“Yes! For her! I should have seen the signs really. Very frosty. Didn’t want to engage. Gave it ten minutes before running into the arms of her lover.”
“Oh David, you really are being silly.”
“I’m going to the papers, Aunt Bonnie. This isn’t right.”
“Manny’s almost nineteen, Eve’s only twenty-three. If they were together it wouldn’t be a crime.”
“She’s a student at your school!”
“She’s been here for two days, and anyway, she’s on more of a graduate type programme.”
“She’s doing her A-Levels! You told me all about it earlier. Why are you suddenly defending her? You hate her. You said she—”
“I don’t hate her, David.”
“You do! And so do half the country! And they’d love to hear how she’s messed up again!”
“David. You’re not to tell anyone about this.”
“Why not?”
“Because Eve’s my friend.”
David crossed his arms and looked down at his aunt. “Aunt Bonnie I’m sorry, but I think the public have a right to know.”
“At least let me talk to Eve first. Find out what’s going on.”
David nodded. “I’ll give you twenty-four hours.”
Chapter Fourteen
Walking into the staffroom of Ridgecrest Academy, Eve was shocked to see Bonnie. She usually had the school to herself at this time in the mo
rning with the other members of staff still tackling their morning commute. “You’re in early,” she said with a smile, before remembering the conversation she had to have with her mentor. “I’m glad you’re here actually. I need to talk to you about last night.”
Bonnie nodded. “Great minds.”
“Oh, so he told you?” Eve sat down on the sunken chair next to her friend. “Well, I just want you to know that I don’t blame you, Bonnie. You’re not responsible for him or his behaviour and I’m sure like most nephews he only shows his aunt the nice side of his personality,” Eve paused, “but come on, he didn’t even look like the man in the photo.”
Bonnie frowned. “You’ve lost me.”
“David, last night. He was inappropriate.”
“Really Eve, that’s where you’re going with this?”
“Where do you want me to go?”
“How about back to your apartment in a snazzy sportscar with your student?”
Eve gasped. “You know?”
Bonnie threw her hands to her mouth. “He was right? Damn! I hoped he was wrong! And I only guessed the bit about your apartment! Manny? Really?”
“Shush,” said Eve, as Pete the caretaker came pottering into the staffroom with his toolbox.
“He’s deaf as a post.” Bonnie signalled to the man before shouting. “Morning, Pete.”
Pete didn’t reply, making his way instead to the leaded window at the other side of the staffroom. He put down his toolbox and started to fiddle with the lock.
Bonnie turned back to Eve. “So what the bloody hell has gone on? I thought David must be mistaken. You’re too sensible to have an affair with a student.”
“I’m not having an affair with a student.”
“A graduate type person then.”
“She’s not a graduate, she’s…” Eve composed herself. “I’m not having an affair with Manny.”
“You’re in love with her?”
“I only met her two days ago!”
“She’s bewitching. She had the whole nation under her spell.”
“I’m not under her spell. I’m—” Eve stopped as Bill Turnpike and Betty Butchart entered the staffroom. She lowered her voice. “Will you come to the sports hall, please?”
“No.”
“You don’t have to set anything up. We can talk in private.”
“Those two are deaf as doorknobs as well.”
“Please Bonnie. We’ve got an hour until form time.”
Bonnie pushed herself up from her chair. “Fine, but I don’t come to the sports hall for just anyone, you know.” She puffed with exertion. “And I haven’t been in school at this time in the morning for over twenty-five years. I wonder what Bill and Betty are getting up to here all alone?”
Eve led them down the empty corridor. “Why are you in early?”
“To warn you about David.”
“You’re a day too late, Bonnie.”
“He knew about you and Manny yesterday? Before the date?”
“What are you talking about? You’ve lost me.”
“You’ve lost me too. What’s David done wrong apart from find out about your affair?”
Eve upped their pace. “This isn’t a chat for the corridor.”
Bonnie nodded. “It certainly is not.”
****
Turning the corner from the school’s main entrance, Manny smiled as she saw Eve and Mrs Bruster walking out of the double doors at the end. They were quite a distance away but she could tell that Eve had reverted back to one of her tight t-shirts. What Mrs Bruster was doing in her luminous orange pant-suit exiting through those doors though, she didn’t know, because those doors only led to the sports hall and there was no way Mrs Bruster had done a day’s exercise in her life. Manny followed in their direction. Her plan to come in early and avoid the press had worked and the TV vans that were just starting to assemble hadn’t noticed her sneak out of her mum’s Ford Fiesta and head through the front gates an hour before school was due to start. Her dad had suggested a back entrance, but Ridgecrest was like a fancy stately home set right by the side of the road, its small grounds only accessible through the gates at the front. There wasn’t even a proper staff carpark with teachers having allocated spaces on the street, not really a risk though in a nice leafy area like this.
Manny followed in the direction of the two teachers. The basic layout of the school was simple, a left turn at the end of the corridor would take her past the standard classrooms where her form room was located, another left would lead on to the more specialised areas including the science lab, the home economics room, the computer room and a small drama studio, and another left would take her full square to where Mrs Howard’s office was located just off the entrance near the TV room. The only time you’d exit the corridors was if you wanted to go to the sports hall and field: accessible through these doors at the end, or the canteen and main assembly hall, accessible through the doors at the end of the second corridor.
Manny knew her early arrival had been partly to avoid the reporters, but if she were honest, she was more interested in seeing if she could grab some alone time with Eve before school started. Last night had been lovely and she wanted to thank her for her hospitality and reassure her that all of the childish nonsense would stop. Pushing through the double doors and crossing the short path towards the sports hall she wondered what on earth Mrs Bruster was doing disappearing inside with Eve. Sometimes teachers were known to use the showers if they’d biked to school, or sometimes they’d have a friendly game of badminton before or after school, but the average age of the staff at Ridgecrest made both occurrences incredibly infrequent, plus Mrs Bruster didn’t look like she was dressed for sports, or showers.
Quietly pulling open the heavy door, Manny stepped into the sports hall’s entrance. The building was obviously an addition to the school, but was still incredibly old, consisting of a changing room with showers on the right, some toilets on the left and a tennis-court sized hall through the set of double doors straight ahead. Manny stayed where she was. From her position she could see through the glass-topped doors that the sports hall lights weren’t on, meaning Eve and Mrs Bruster were either sitting on the benches in the darkness or they’d gone into the changing room. Stepping quietly towards the door on her right, Manny listened. The voices were loud.
****
“I’m starting,” said Bonnie with authority. “Did you meet Manny Jones last night?”
Eve shifted her position on the wooden bench in the cold changing rooms but couldn’t get comfortable. “Yes, by accident.”
“Did you get in her car? And what is that ghastly smell?”
“Yes, but it was a necessity, and it always smells like this in here.”
“Nasty. Right. Did you take her back to your apartment?”
“No, she drove me back to my apartment.”
“She obviously didn’t come inside, did she?”
Eve shook her head. “Of course not.”
Bonnie ran her fingers through her flame-red hair. “Well thank goodness for that!” She nodded. “There. I think I’ve followed protocol. I’m aware that teachers sometimes get lifts with sixth form students and I’m aware that students sometimes get lifts with teachers, dropped off after fixtures and clubs and whatnot, but you have to be careful with that girl. David saw you and assumed.”
“And did he tell you why I was outside looking for any mode of transport that would get me out of the vicinity?”
Bonnie sighed. “You didn’t like him, his male ego got hurt, he felt it easier to label you a lesbian, and the appearance of Manny gave him the perfect proof.”
“Bonnie, I know he’s your nephew but he wanted to have sex with me in the toilets after two minutes of meeting me.”
Bonnie whooped. “Go you!”
“But I’m not like that.”
“He didn’t force you into anything did he?”
“No, I just felt uncomfortable. He was too forward and too rude.”
<
br /> “Oh bless you.”
“No. It wasn’t okay. He shouldn’t behave like that.”
“He’s a loveable rogue, I told you.”
Eve shook her head. “He’s a sex pest.”
“Right, well, if he made you feel that way then I apologise for him and his behaviour, but you have to admit you’re probably a little more sensitive than most.”
“Bonnie, I could go to the police about him.”
“That’s exactly what he said about you!”
“What?”
“Sorry, no, that was me, I was meant to go to the police if I discovered an affair, he wants to go to the press.”
Eve gasped. “She was coming out of the gym! She just happened to be there! I was flustered, Bonnie. Panicked in fact. Manny was a hero, driving me away without question.”
Bonnie cleared her throat. “We may still have an issue. She knows where you live. What if she just turns up one evening?”
“Then I send her on her way like I did last night.”
Bonnie reached out and rubbed Eve’s knee. “I’m sorry he was a bastard.”
“Are you?”
“Oh it’s hard in this day and age. Every woman crying Me Too. I actually feel honoured when a man wolf whistles at me or makes a flirty remark.”
“Maybe because you give out the flirty signals first.”
Bonnie removed her hand. “And you just act like an ice queen?”
“Is that what he said?”
“He just said it had been a waste of time and that you clearly weren’t interested.”
“I might have been interested if he’d arrived on time, looked like his profile picture and had some nice things to say instead of: Tell me your fantasies.”
“Oooo I love that as an ice breaker.”
“Bonnie, are we done here?”
Bonnie stood up. “I’m sorry that I had to question you, but David was threatening to go to the press and at least I can tell him it’s all nonsense.”