by Anna Archer
“You should have known it was all nonsense. You’re my friend, Bonnie.”
“I’m also your mentor and I have a duty to keep you on the right path. Manny Jones is trouble.”
“She’s not, she’s—”
“She’s trouble.”
Eve nodded. “Right.”
“Are you coming? This smell’s going to linger on my suit if I stay here a second longer.”
“No, I need to set up for netball. Do you want to give me a hand with the posts?”
“Oh goodness no, but I’ll have a coffee ready for you in the staffroom. Don’t be too long.”
Eve waited until she heard the changing room door slam shut. She listened next to the double doors at the entrance banging back into place, but groaned when she heard the door behind her re-open. She didn’t turn to look. “Yes, I’ve got it, Manny Jones is trouble. You don’t need to come back and throw out one final warning.”
The voice was smiling. “You lied. I love it. You actually have got some naughtiness in you after all.”
Eve spun around on the bench. “Manny?”
“It’s fine, I heard it all and honestly, Mrs Bruster’s a right bitch. I’ve no clue why you’re friends with her. Not once did she ask if you were okay.”
Eve stood up to face her student. “Manny, you shouldn’t be in here.”
“Yes I should. I’ve come to help you set up the netball posts. Strange how you’ve got me for biology first thing though.”
“Did she see you?”
“Of course not, I went into the toilets when I heard her leaving. Seriously, what’s the problem with me coming into your apartment for a drink last night?”
“We were alone, Manny. It was a huge lapse in my judgement.”
“You regret it?”
Eve stared at the beautiful blue eyes. “I can understand how it could be misconstrued.”
“Do you regret it?”
Eve couldn’t draw herself away from the connection. “You can’t tell her.”
“As if I’m going to share my secrets with Mrs Bruster.”
Eve took a deep breath. “I don’t regret it,” she smiled, “and I feel okay that I lied.”
Manny whooped. “You devil!”
“We can’t repeat it though.”
“Oh yes we can. We’re going to be firm friends.”
Eve laughed. “I love your confidence.”
“I feel a connection with you and I know you feel it too.”
Eve deliberately peered over the top of her glasses. “Does that usually work with your women?”
“I don’t know, I’ve never said it before.”
Eve laughed. “Oh give over, Manny!”
Manny shrugged. “Believe it or don’t believe it. But just so you know, women usually come on to me. I’ve not had to do the chasing in a long time.”
“I’ll save you the exertion. I’m not up for the catching.”
Manny smiled. “We’ll see.”
****
Returning to the staffroom, Bonnie grabbed her handbag and reached for her phone, quickly dialling her nephew’s number. She glanced up at Betty Butchart and Bill Turnpike who were still the only members of staff on the other side of the staffroom. Even so, she spoke quietly. “David, she’s apologised profusely for her behaviour…. Yes, yes, that’s right. She’s clearly not used to having someone be so forward with her and if you ask me that’s a compliment on your part that you liked her so much… Yes, yes, you’re right. Anyway, there’s nothing going on with her and you-know-who… No, I assure you… David, no, she just happened to be there… Of course I believe her… You’re barking up the wrong tree… No David, you have no evidence… And where do you think you’re going to get evidence from?… Right. Stop this now… No, you’re taking it too far… David? David? Can you hear me?”
Chapter Fifteen
Standing in front of her A-Level biology class, Eve asked again. “Come on, girls, you covered this in GCSE Science. Give me some examples of energy transfer in and between organisms.”
“Careful how you say that, Miss,” laughed Manny.
“Careful not to cross that line,” replied Eve.
“There,” said Jasmine. “That’s a transfer of energy. That quick response thing you two have got going on. That tête-à-tête of batting back and forth. That’s a transfer of energy.”
Kitty turned to her classmate. “I didn’t know you took French.”
Jasmine flicked her mass of brown wavy hair. “I don’t. I just like to use sophisticated language.”
Dulcie tutted. “Tête-à-tête is about as sophisticated as your stinking eau de toilette that you’re gassing us with this morning, Jasmine.”
“Girls,” snapped Eve.
“Honestly, Miss,” continued Dulcie, “it’s overpowering the whole classroom.”
“Is it Coco Mademoiselle?” asked Kitty. “That’s Manny’s favourite. Are you wearing it for Manny?”
“That’s not my favourite,” said Manny.
“And I’m not wearing it,” snapped Jasmine.
Kitty nodded. “It is your favourite, it said so in your autobiography.”
“I haven’t written an autobiography.”
“Your unofficial one. You actually have three unofficial biographies and they all say your favourite perfume’s Coco Mademoiselle.”
“Girls, Please!”
Manny shook her head. “It’s not my favourite. What are you wearing, Jasmine?”
Jasmine wafted the air around her neck. “Versace. Yellow Diamond.”
“That’s my favourite,” said Manny.
“It’s not!” wailed Kitty.
“It is now,” continued Manny, smiling at Jasmine.
“Photosynthesis,” said Ava, finally speaking up from her position at the front of the classroom.
“Well thank goodness for that!” said Eve with a gasp. “Yes, well done, photosynthesis. Another.”
“What was the question?” asked Jasmine.
Eve pointed to the blackboard behind her. “Give me some examples of energy transfer in and between organisms.”
“Careful how you say that, Miss,” said Manny.
“That’s it.” Eve reached for the pile of text books on her desk, passing one out to each girl. “You have ten minutes in silence to find me some examples.”
“Thanks, Manny,” snapped Dulcie.
“It wasn’t just Manny,” retorted Eve, “it was all of you. There’s a terrible class dynamic in here and it has to stop.”
Ava put up her hand. “I just want to learn.”
“I know you do, Ava, and I apologise for my inability to get a grip on this.” She nodded. “It starts now. Total silence, all of you.”
Manny pulled a face at her teacher. Eve stared at her. “What?” mouthed Manny innocently.
“There’s that energy transfer again,” said Jasmine spotting the interaction.
“I said silence!” shouted Eve.
The girls gasped, they’d never heard Miss Eden shout so loudly before.
“And don’t you dare stop writing until you’ve found at least five examples!” She controlled her voice. “Manny, could you step outside please?”
The class watched in stunned silence as Eve followed Manny out of the room, before jumping in their seats as their teacher slammed the door shut.
Eve stared back through the glass-topped door until all heads had turned back around and all pens had started to write. She spun around to Manny. “Really?”
Manny lifted her hands in apology. “It was just a bit of fun. You should see what the dynamic’s like in chemistry.” She paused. “Explosive.”
Eve’s face didn’t crack. “After everything you said.”
“Eve, honestly—”
“Don’t you dare call me Eve.”
“Sorry, that was a genuine slip.” Manny shook her head. “Seriously, I’m sorry. I didn’t realise how high your expectations were. In Chemistry the banter and sniping’s off the charts a
nd Mr Turnpike just lets us get on with it. I promise you I reigned it in this morning.”
“That was reigned in?”
Manny nodded in earnest. “Yes! I said I would stop with the silly nonsense.”
“So what was that?”
“Just my sparky personality. If I hadn’t chosen to reign in the silly nonsense I would have got up into your space like this,” Manny stepped closer to her teacher and lowered her voice, “and I’d have told you about an invisible energy that passes between two people when they’re close and connected.”
Eve stared at the piercing blue eyes.
Manny broke the connection and shrugged. “I’d have also alluded to the energy shared when shagging.”
“Manny!”
Manny smiled. “That was me trying in there. I made one funny comment. What do you want me to do, sit there like Ava?”
“Yes!”
“Okay.”
“And stop winding up the other girls.”
“Okay.”
Eve nodded. “Right.”
“One question though, before we go back in.” Manny moved in closer again and lifted her eyes to her teacher. “You feel our energy, right?”
Eve held her breath. None of this was appropriate but she seemed incapable of stepping away. The silence was palpable.
“That’s all I needed to know,” said Manny with a smile, before walking back into the classroom.
Eve stayed where she was, staring at the scene. Manny was the one in control, not her. Manny was the one leading this thing, not her. Manny was the one who knew there was a thing and no matter how much she ignored it she’d soon have to acknowledge that her student might be right: They did have an energy; an invisible pulsing energy that moved between them whenever they were close.
“Is everything okay out here?” asked Mrs Howard rounding the corner of the corridor and spotting Eve. She peered through the glass-topped door into the classroom. “Wow. Total silence with heads down. You really are a cracker, Miss Eden.”
Eve tried to smile.
“How’s Manny settling in?”
Eve went to reply but was beaten to it.
“She looks like she’s working hard.”
Eve turned to the door and stared at Manny who was flicking through the textbook, stopping at various sections to make notes.
“She’s often misunderstood,” continued the head teacher, “but I’m glad you’re seeing her for the well-behaved hard-working student that she is.”
Eve was about to speak when Mrs Howard spun on her heels.
“Have a good day, Miss Eden.”
Eve watched as the head of the school continued her march down the corridor. She sighed and returned to the biology classroom, noticing the odd apologetic glance up from her sorry students. Manny, however, kept her head down and continued to scribble away. “Two minutes left,” said Eve, sitting behind the old wooden desk at the front. She wasn’t usually a sit-down-and-teach type teacher, more a stand up and get interactive, hands-on, experimental type teacher, but this class would require a bit of old-schooling to re-set the standard she expected.
Jasmine put up her hand. Usually Eve would go and crouch next to her desk and listen to her question, but for now she was going to have to be firm. “I don’t want anything other than silent research for the next two minutes.”
Jasmine rolled her eyes and dropped her hand, but Eve smiled to herself in the silence. She knew she was a good teacher and she knew she could regain control when required. It was always a shame when you couldn’t trust your class to be that bit more vocal, but for now this was the right course of action. She stared again at Manny. The course of action for Manny would also have to be strict… in school anyway. Eve paused her thought. Was she planning on seeing Manny out of school again? This morning in the changing rooms had been pleasant enough, chatting away nicely until the bell went for form, Mrs Bruster’s waiting coffee going cold, or possibly given to someone else. Either way she didn’t feel bad for not returning to the staffroom. Manny had been right; Bonnie hadn’t shown true friendship.
Eve smiled remembering what Manny had said: Real friends will always have your back no matter how bad things may go. Manny had then followed it up with: Friendship is like peeing in your pants. Everyone can see it but only you can feel the warm feeling inside. She’d then asked if Bonnie made her feel warm, to which Eve had replied, ‘not pee warm,’ before privately questioning which of her friends did make her feel pee warm. Her hockey gang were okay, there every Friday evening for training and there every Saturday for matches, often all staying for a drink in the club house afterwards, but they didn’t really socialise at any other times, unless it was a fundraiser or presentation evening, due to their different careers and different sets of friends made through those careers, not to mention the families that most of the players had, husbands and wives, and children and nieces and nephews coming to watch, all rattling on about the busy plans they had for the rest of the weekend. Eve sighed. Her life was so much simpler than most of theirs. She glanced at Manny. Was this invisible energy, or whatever it was between them, just a distraction from her really rather boring life?
Manny looked up and caught Eve’s gaze.
Eve felt her cheeks flush with colour as she rose from her seat and clapped her hands together. “We’ll go around the classroom. I want one example from each of you. Energy transfer in and between organisms.” She stared at Manny, half expecting the same bantering comment. Instead Manny put up her hand and spoke maturely.
“Consumption,” said Manny.
“Good, can you explain it further for us please?” Eve watched on as her student gave a perfectly articulate and detailed explanation. She smiled and nodded. This course of action was going to be fine.
Chapter Sixteen
“This isn’t going to be fine,” gasped Eve to herself as she stared at her reflection in the changing room mirror. It was the last week of term before the start of the October holidays and the fact it had been a seven-week term meant their six weeks of A-Level practical hockey were over, replaced by six weeks of swimming, the first lesson starting today. Eve stared at herself again. Her swimming costume was far too tight. She tutted, of course it was tight, it was a swimming costume. It was her athletic body that was the problem. Large gluteal muscles protruding out like she was Kim Kardashian, and breasts, usually squashed down by her sports bra, now free and rivalling Dolly Parton’s, not to mention the muscular hockey legs and slim curving waist. She looked like one of those female body builders with fake boobs plonked in the middle of her chest, only hers weren’t fake, her nipples were testament to that, now erect and poking out as if to shout: Woo hoo look at me and my big boobs!
On hearing the whoops and splashes from her students she knew she’d have to exit her cubicle and go in. She’d hired the local pool for the lessons and even though there’d be a life guard present she still had to be pool-side at all points. The fact she’d chosen to get into the water and swim had been a natural decision. She’d get involved with all of the sports they’d be covering over the two years and swimming couldn’t be an exception, plus it was easier to teach in the pool instead of shouting over the splashing from the side. A-Level swimming was incredibly technical and there would be a lot of arm angles to sort out and breathing techniques to get right and the very best way for her to demonstrate would be in the water.
Taking one final look at herself in the mirror, Eve nodded, it would be fine. Manny had been incredibly well behaved recently, disappointingly so if she was honest. The chat she’d had outside the biology classroom six weeks ago about her behaviour in their energy transfer lesson seemed to have done the trick. Manny had returned to the class and behaved. She’d kept her head down and worked. She’d not stayed behind at the end of any lessons. She’d not turned up at her house unannounced. She’d not even made a single flirty banter-back comment, and even though this was the way it should be between a teacher and her student, Eve had secretly mourned
the potential fun she thought Manny might have brought to her life… not in an illicit relationship type way, just more of a fun friendship type way. Turning around she nodded. This would be the ultimate test.
Upon entering the pool-side, Eve shouted: “Down to the shallow end, please ladies,” before quickly climbing down the steps and into the water. The small group of girls swam, jumped and bobbed their way over without question. Eve smiled. No one was saying anything silly and no one was staring, apart from Dulcie who seemed to be looking down at her own chest before glancing around and comparing it to everyone else’s. “Welcome to the first of our six swimming lessons. I’m glad most of you have dressed appropriately,” she turned to Jasmine, “but a silver rhinestone halter-strap more flesh than material fashion costume won’t cut it when it comes to the butterfly.” She paused, waiting for a comment about the breaststroke, or a comment about showing flesh, but neither came. “Do you have a sports costume, Jasmine?”
Jasmine shook her head. “I got this from an Instagram influencer site.”
Manny spoke up. “I’ve got a spare one if you want it?”
“Thanks,” said Jasmine.
“I’ll bring it next week,” continued Manny.
Eve stared at the polite interaction. Kitty hadn’t jumped in with a fact about Manny’s swimming back-story, Dulcie hadn’t snarked at Jasmine’s ridiculous outfit choice and Ava hadn’t had cause to whine about getting on with things. In fact the crazy class dynamic from the start of term had completely disappeared the second that Manny started behaving, with everyone acting in a manner to which Eve had become accustomed over the past couple of years at Ridgecrest: Calm, collected and conducive to learning. She smiled and began. “Let’s have two length of the pool as a warm up then shall we?”
****
Sitting in the waiting room of the tabloid’s press office, David huffed and shouted back to the receptionist. “I’m a busy man! How much longer am I expected to wait?”
The receptionist stopped tapping into her computer and replied calmly. “Sir, you’re here unannounced.”