by A. E. Murphy
“You finish at nine; come afterwards.” She clasps her hands under her chin and I can’t help but snigger and shake my head at her feeble attempt of a puppy dog look.
“I’ll think about it.”
“Ladies.” Mr Price snaps, his eyes on us.
We both murmur our apologies and bury our heads in our text books.
Isaac
Pregnant? Holy fuck. Something like that to think about and worry about would explain her flakiness and absence of focus. Jesus Christ. What are kids doing these days? Why aren’t lads keeping a cover on it?
I don’t remember a time I ever had sex without a condom as a teen. I was always too worried about messing my life up.
Poor girl. She’ll probably be another single mother only just making it by, unless she chooses option two. I’m pretty sure termination is completely confidential and free nowadays.
I should talk to my mum about this.
No.
Eloise hasn’t told me directly. It’s none of my business.
I just can’t help but wonder if she’s alone in this, with only her friend to guide her. Her equally naïve friend, who seems less level headed than Miss Blackburn.
What a fucked up situation.
How do I deal with this?
There’s only one way to deal with it; sit back and wait until she goes to somebody. A small nudge here and there won’t hurt, though. Maybe if I just let her know that I might be male, but I am here if she needs… fuck. I don’t know what the fuck she needs. Who am I kidding?
The class listens well, save for a certain few who take it upon themselves to attempt to disrupt. Luckily for them I send them away and allow them to disrupt wherever the hell it is they end up. This isn’t secondary school. There’s no law that says I have to teach them if they’re unwilling to learn. This is a sixth form college class and that means I make the rules.
I’m certain most of my students hate me, not including the majority of the female students. The other faculty members don’t seem to appreciate me either, not that I care. Mostly I keep to myself and them to their selves. I like it this way. Even with the lovely Katherine as company on occasion, this town is starting to bite at me with the same loneliness that forced me to flee in the first place.
I have to get on with it, for my mum’s sake. She deserves to have a loving family around her, especially now.
When the bell rings, I stand by the door and wait for each student to pile out, one by one. In my hand I hold a sheet of paper containing the questions Eloise failed to answer during our last lesson. I tap her on the shoulder with the paper as she passes and, with a dazed look in her eyes, she stops, moving slightly to the side to allow her peers to pass. Hayley also waits, but seems immersed in a game on her mobile phone.
“The work you asked for,” I tell Eloise, waving the sheet slightly to draw her attention to it.
She smiles weakly and takes it with only a moment’s hesitation. “Thank you. I completely forgot.”
Of course she did, the poor girl. I stare at her for a moment, wanting to offer… something as a way to improve her mood. I wish my mind suddenly held even the slightest nugget of wisdom that could guide her in the right direction. Whatever that may be.
“Hand it in when you can; there’s no rush,” I say quietly, suddenly feeling awkward as her green gaze pierces my own.
“I’ll do it while I’m working tonight and drop it in next lesson.” She assures me and I notice a twinkle of determination in the shadow of her irises. “Thanks again, Mr Price.”
I nod and wave her along like I would any other student. “Take care, Miss Blackburn.”
She seems to catch her breath and I watch her cheeks pink slightly before she ducks her head and exits the room. Hayley, seemingly oblivious to our entire exchange, follows quickly, her eyes still on her phone. I’m left alone with a few stragglers, wondering what Eloise’s reaction was about.
******
I sit perched by the window on the arm of the couch. My mum is currently in her favourite chair by the small, open and unlit fireplace, a circle of cloth in one hand and a needle in the other.
I decide to ask the question that has been plaguing my mind since this morning’s lesson and hope that my choice of wording will get me the right answer without revealing too much. “If you discovered that a student in your class was pregnant, what would you do?”
My mum stops her sewing and blinks in surprise as her silvery eyes come to mine. “What year?”
“Sixth form, she’s… seventeen I think.”
Her brow furrows as she absently places the needle and cloth onto the mantelpiece, turning to look at me with more than a little concern. “It would be none of my business. She’s not underage and unfortunately there are no laws stating that we have to speak to her or her parents, not unless she comes to you directly for advice.”
I blow out a long breath and rub my temples for a moment. “I just don’t like how she seems to have drifted. I saw her just last night and…”
“What?”
And I’ve gone and said more than I was supposed to.
“Her car broke down. I helped her.” I explain briefly and clasp my hands between my knees. “She’s been slightly unfocused, but not to the point where I thought something this big might be affecting her. I’ve never been in this situation before, so I’m unsure on how to deal with it.”
My mother lets out a bark of laughter. “You’ve never faced teen pregnancy before?”
“No, I mean yes, I have. I’ve just never been the first to find out.”
She inhales deeply and exhales before relaxing back into her chair. “The only thing you can do is mind your own business at this point. Keep an eye on her mental state and general health. Reach out to her if you can. Let her know she’s not alone.”
I nod, accepting this to be the best course of action at this point in time. “I just feel so bad for the poor girl.”
“Don’t we all, but it’s not your place to educate her in that area.”
Don’t I know it?
Being a male teacher has so many ridiculous limitations.
Eloise
When work finishes and I finally enter my home, I immediately hear sobbing coming from the kitchen. It halts when I slam the door to notify the house of my arrival.
I daren’t go and see my mum right now. I never know what to say when she and my dad go through their rough patches. They always make up, but this time… I don’t know… it just seems so dreary and hopeless. I’ve never seen them so separated and I’m sick of most of their arguments being about me and my wellbeing and whether or not I’m getting enough attention.
I’m fine! I’d be better if they’d stop ignoring each other and then screaming at each other when they are in the same room.
Part of me feels like this is my fault. Ever since my dark days, they’ve been off kilter. Dad blames Mum for how I was behaving and Mum blames Dad, yet neither of them blame me. It’s my fault. I’ve said it numerous times, but they never listen. I could have said no and stayed home, but I didn’t. They didn’t push me away.
There wasn’t really a reason for my behaviour, other than that my dad can be really controlling. By age fifteen I felt like I wasn’t really experiencing life as a normal teenager. He likes to know where I am, where I go and who I’m with. I’m seventeen and my curfew is ten, unless I’ve prearranged something with his permission. I know it doesn’t sound unreasonable, but I felt like it was at the time and I suppose that caused me to lash out at life. I drank a lot; I hung around with boys… I lost my virginity in the back of a car behind an old warehouse.
My memories go back to Justin, who left not long after that night. I smile fondly at the thought of him. My first crush, my first real kiss and my first awkward sexual encounter. It’s a shame he left. I should probably call him sometime, see how he’s doing. We both made promises to keep in touch, but never did. I was too busy partying and drinking and he moved what seemed to be miles away.
I honestly think I’m just the excuse for my parents. It’s like they both need something to push them apart and I’m now officially that something.
As if I don’t have enough on my plate without suddenly being the blame of my parents’ downfall.
Once in my room, I load my laptop and open a few chat boxes, though my normal happy and chirpy self decides to hide under the bed in a different home and in a different country. I find zero joy in listening to my friends talking about getting drunk at the weekend. What’s the point in it anymore?
Is this depression? Am I depressed? Or am I finally growing up?
If it’s the latter, then I doubt I’m the first to say that growing up sucks arse. I totally get why Peter Pan flew away to Neverland. I think I’ve missed my opening to join him. One I’m not blonde, two, my name isn’t Wendy and three, I’m almost classed as an adult.
Sigh.
Chapter Seven
Isaac
She’s isolating herself. I’ve been paying a little more attention than I normally would these past two weeks and I’m not happy with my discoveries. She’s no longer sitting with her normal group of friends. She smiles less and less each day and, from the conversations she has with her female friend in my lessons, she’s not drinking at all. This last one brings me a small amount of relief. At least she isn’t harming her body and the foetus.
“Miss Blackburn, could you stay behind for a minute? I need to speak with you.” I tell Eloise as she stands. My eyes scan her body, particularly the area around her midriff. She’s not showing, so she isn’t far along. That’s assuming she’s decided to keep the invader.
She looks nervous as she makes her way to my desk and waits patiently for me to close the door behind the final member of class. Of course a few of them are curious, but they don’t linger, far too eager to get to their lunches.
I don’t waste time. I immediately display her past work and quirk a brow in question.
She seems oblivious to what it is I’m referring to. “Problem, Sir?”
“Your work is incomplete.”
“Which…?”
I quickly interject as I perch myself on the corner of my desk and fold my arms over my chest. “All of it. You still haven’t handed the first questions in and you had two chances to complete them and two weeks in total.” She winces and opens her mouth to make excuses, but I hold up my hand to silence her. “You’re an intelligent girl, this I know. I’ve looked at your work from last year before it started to slip.” She opens her mouth again, but immediately clamps it shut when I continue. “I feel as if you aren’t making an effort in this class. Would you like to drop out?”
Her eyes widen with fright. “No… No! That’s not even an option. I need this A level.”
“Sit,” I tell her, pointing to the table opposite my desk. She does so, placing her bag in front of her and wrapping her arms around it. I’m making her uncomfortable, which isn’t my intention. Bollocks. “Then what’s the problem? Is the work too hard? We go through the material in class; you have the notes…”
She gulps and pulls her plump, perfectly shaped lips into her mouth. I watch them pop back into place, glistening with moisture, and my mouth goes dry. I shake that off immediately and grasp at my thoughts from prior to her seemingly seductive motion. “It’s honestly not that it’s hard. It’s just…” I watch her forehead hit her bag and her red hair spills over her shoulders and neck with the force of the movement. “I’m so scared of failing that I keep forgetting to try.”
What? “What?”
“It’s complicated. Can I just promise to do better and…” she points to the door. “Go peacefully.”
“No.” Her head snaps up and her mouth falls open at my refusal. “You can finish your work now, under my supervision, and then you can go.”
She narrows her eyes with anger, her shock gone and irritation in its place. “It’s lunch time.”
“I didn’t notice,” I remark sarcastically and move around my desk. “You have two choices: you make a start on the work you haven’t done right now and during lunch for the rest of the week, or you leave my class permanently.”
“That’s so unfair!”
“I’m giving you a chance. I’m also sacrificing my own lunch hour.”
Her eyes roll as she mutters, “Like you have anything better to do.”
“You’re seventeen, not twelve. Surely you know by now that teachers don’t merely exist when in your presence. Of course I have better things to do than to babysit a child who refuses to learn.”
Groaning with frustration, she pulls her notebook from her bag along with a pen and slams them on the desk petulantly. “May I eat whilst I work?”
“Feel free.” I pull out my own work and slide to a more comfortable position on my desk. The scent of fresh bread and lettuce makes my stomach churn uncomfortably and my mouth water uncontrollably.
Eloise smiles smugly as she scatters her work along the desk and pulls at the foil wrappings around the items in her lunch with her left hand. Whoever made her lunch should be the goddess or god of lunches. Fuck if I’m not hungry.
Is that humus? Who the hell brings carrot sticks and humus?
She slides the tub towards me and nods towards it. I refuse and keep my eyes on my work. I’m not about to take food from a pregnant teenager, although she seems to be doing little more than nibbling. Maybe she feels awkward eating alone. Females can sometimes be weird like that.
I take half of her baguette without further hesitation and her lips twitch with a secret smile. Seconds later she joins me and we both enjoy the blissful sandwich together in silence. So crunchy and tasty, not too much ham but just enough. I barely bite back a moan of contentment and utter bliss at the flavours that burst on my tongue.
Eloise
This work isn’t as hard as I initially thought. All of the answers are in the textbooks that were handed out first lesson. I presume the work will get harder as the year progresses, but I’m grateful for the easiness of it at this point.
Mr Price was correct in saying there’s actually no wrong answer. There’s only fact and opinion when it comes to history and with Google at our disposal, there’s little left to be discovered that hasn’t already been researched.
I finish the first work sheet that I failed to hand in, in just forty five minutes. Without wasting another second, I slide it onto his desk and nod to the clock above the door.
He nods. “Go. Enjoy the rest of your day.”
“You too.” I mutter without feeling, because I’m still annoyed that I missed my lunch hour because of him.
“Thank you for the sandwich.”
“Glad you didn’t choke,” I respond with a sickly sweet tone and saunter from the room as his sharp bark of startled laughter sounds around me. He has a nice laugh. A very nice laugh.
Hayley, my forever loyal friend, finds me after a quick text and I’m surprised to be smiling at her usual airhead attitude. She’s not dumb by any means, but she certainly is quite silly at times and I think God passed her along when giving out the brain button for logic.
“Dolphins aren’t reptiles?”
I laugh and shake my head. “I’m not even going to bother to answer something you won’t bother to remember.”
“It’s a legitimate question. I thought all animals in the ocean are reptiles?”
“So how do you explain snakes?”
She gasps. “Snakes are reptiles?”
I close my eyes and pray that somebody opens a locker or a door for me to walk into. It doesn’t happen, typical. “I’m praying that stupid isn’t contagious.”
Hayley pouts and nudges me with her elbow. “You said that I’m never stupid, only special.”
“Well then I’m praying that your kind of special isn’t contagious.”
She huffs, but is immediately distracted by her flavour of the month. I barely escape a three way when their colliding bodies fall in my direction. Awkward and gross. I’m all for cute pu
blic displays of affection that are heavy in the romance department, the kind that makes you feel all mushy and warm inside. I’m just not a fan of face munching.
I feel a tap on my shoulder and smile immediately at the sight of Garrett. He hugs me tight and I inhale the scent of his no doubt expensive aftershave. “It’s been a while.”
Nodding, I lean back and look up into his dark brown eyes. “Yeah, I’ve been busy. I’m sorry.”
“No problem. Allow me to escort you to our English class?” He pulls away and holds out his hand. I quickly glance at Hayley and decide to leave her and Riley where they are, which is still sucking face against the wall.
After taking Garrett’s hand, we walk to our next lesson, smiling and chatting like old friends rather than new ones.
“Sit with me?” He whispers, leading me past my normal table to his usual at the back. Hayley doesn’t seem to mind getting stuck with Riley when she finally makes it. This I’m grateful for. Garrett is smart; maybe he’ll let me copy his work.
Isaac
New neighbours are currently moving in. I should offer them a hand, but I have too much to do. The school wants to set up a Halloween party for the year elevens and lower and unfortunately Katherine volunteered my services without asking. I know it’s a ploy to get us both more time together, especially now that I’ve told her I’m busy for the next week at lunch time so that I can help students with their work. It’s kind of a lie, because I’m only aiding one student in particular.
Speaking of said student, I think I’ve figured out who the father is to this unborn invader that she’s carrying. I saw her and that male student walking hand in hand towards their next lesson. One can only hope that if he knows about her predicament, he’ll stand by her no matter what she decides. There are too many young mothers struggling with kids their partners abandoned.
If that was me, as much as I’d hate the situation of being tied to one woman for eternity, I wouldn’t be able to abandon my child. It’s wrong. If it’s a part of me, then it’s my responsibility.