Instigations

by Kiki Archer

  “This is it Jess, just one more push.” The midwife was proud of the effort, all too often the women were shouting and swearing and demanding epidurals, but this one, this one had just got on with it, in her wedding dress as well. She smiled, just needing that one last big effort. “That’s it Jess! That’s it. Keep pushing, keep pushing.”

  Kat and Freya were either side of the bed, involuntarily mimicking each other’s furrowed looks of pain, both panting in time with Jess and holding their breath when she was contracting. They were literally pushing with her.

  Gary took a gulp of air and stood unsteadily, staring in amazement, no idea it would look quite like this.

  The midwife was calm, yet confident, and very clear in her instructions. “Well done, the head’s out. Now take a couple of deep breaths. Your baby will be born in this next contraction.”

  Gary forgot his nerves, fought back the tears and took Freya’s place by his new wife’s side. “Come on Jess, you can do this. I love you.”

  She bit down on the plastic pipe and let out what Gary knew was termed as ‘the birthing scream.’

  There was a momentary holding of breath from everybody in the room before the midwife shouted, “You’ve done it!”

  The high pitched cry was instantaneous.

  The wailing baby was swiftly lifted up to Jess’s chest. “Congratulations, you have a beautiful little girl.”

  Jess was overcome with emotion and started to sob. She looked at the bundle of joy lying on top of her. “This is the best wedding present I could ever have wished for.”

  The midwife was busily organising the metal dishes, blankets and absorbent cloths. She looked at Gary. “Would you like to cut the cord?”

  He nodded and followed the quick instructions, cutting the surprisingly tough cord with a firm push on the large hospital scissors.

  Kat and Freya stepped to the side, giving the new family some space. They held each other’s hands tightly, letting their tears run free. “This will be us one day,” managed Freya through soft, warm sobs.

  Kat smiled and savoured the moment. “I hope so. I really do.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Kat, like all teachers, found the run up to Christmas hectic and exhausting. Students had been missing here there and everywhere, for play rehearsals, concert practices, end of term assembly run-throughs, charity fortnight fundraising events. The list went on. It seemed the only consistent thing at the moment was Chianne Granger’s pouty face at the front of her A-Level class. Chianne did not have a part in the school play, and she was not a performer in the Christmas Carole Concert. She had not been asked to do a reading in the end of term assembly, and she had not offered to take part in any fundraising events. So she sat at the front of the class in every lesson with a perfected look of pouty annoyance. Not annoyance that she was not entitled to legitimately skip lessons, but annoyance at snotty nosed Spicer for kicking her best mate Chantelle Mann off the course.

  Kat had not, in fact, kicked Chantelle off the course. She had actually been giving her extra lessons and was fairly pleased with her progress. Unfortunately, Chantelle had failed to perform in her and Chianne’s other chosen subjects and the Head of Sixth Form offered her a polite transfer onto the Child Care course instead. She snapped it up and was thrilled not to have to spend every day sat at home with her mum, step-dad, two older brothers and older sister. She was always known as the brains of the family and her current dabbling with further education was revered with amazement and scepticism. Amazement that someone from the Mann Clan had scored enough from their GCSE’s to progress further in school, and scepticism that her only motive was to qualify and keep for herself the Education Maintenance Allowance; which at thirty pounds a week, was a lot less than she could be getting for them, and the family kitty, on the dole.

  Spending time with Jess, Gary and baby Daisy - who was coming along nicely - the previous evening had put Kat in a good mood, so she tried once again, “Come on Chianne, talk to the class about your best Christmas memory.” It was the final A-Level lesson of term, exam papers had been handed back and discussed, numerous students had made their excuses for important places to be and Kat was left with a tiny group who were still, at seventeen and eighteen, excited about the upcoming Christmas break. Everyone it seemed, apart from Chianne.

  “I ain’t telling you that Miss you perve!”

  That was it, enough was enough. Kat could handle a bit of attitude and knew it was never an easy ride with Chianne, but this was crossing the line. A couple of the class members tutted, but none dared face up to Chianne. She had a fierce reputation and no one wanted to get on the wrong side of her. The group had such admiration for the way Miss Spicer managed to channel Chianne’s arguments and cut short her outbursts, but this, they knew, was too much. Kat’s tone proved them right. “That is completely uncalled for. You will wait after the lesson and I will decide whether to file a language grievance.” She shook her head. “And just so you know, I have never, ever had to file a grievance about a member of my own A-Level class.”

  Chianne sucked her teeth and pretended not to be bothered. Shit, she thought, that didn’t work either. Miss Spicer was proving a tough nut to crack. She had dabbled at the start with light flirting and provocative clothes, neither of which seemed to have any effect on straight-laced Spicer, so then she tried the jokes - breaking down the barrier with humour - which failed miserably as well. In fact her gag of, ‘What do you call the space between the vagina and the arsehole?’ which she thought would be a sure fire winner, proved disastrous ... even though the lesbian website she got it from guaranteed any good lady lover would find the punch line of, ‘A chinrest,’ hilarious. Miss Spicer had not laughed, so here she was now, trying her final strategy: moody and hard to get. It did not seem to be turning her teacher on, but at least it got a private audience with her at the end of the lesson. Chianne narrowed her tiny eyes and glanced across at Miss Spicer who was now sitting, relaxed and laughing with a couple of girls on the table to her left. Chianne had no idea what the girls were called as both were far too geeky to be part of her gang. In fact, she was the outsider in this class full of boffins and weirdos. Her only real motive for being here was to finally crack Miss Spicer ... finally get smitten Spicer to admit she fancied her. Who wouldn’t? thought Chianne, sucking a deep breath through her small piggy nostrils and trying to cross her arms over her protruding stomach.

  The bell signalled the end of the lesson and Kat warmly rounded out the remainder of her A-Level students, wishing them a wonderful Christmas and New Year. She loved the class, very different to last year’s group of Harley, Big Tom and little Jason Sparrow. That class had been tiny compared to this fully subscribed group. But as she looked over at Chianne, lounging in her plastic chair, she realised that all of her classes would hold a special place in her heart, as would her students ... including this puffing, pouting one in front of her. The cuteness and cuddliness of baby Daisy had definitely lightened her load today. She smiled and approached the front of the classroom. “Chianne, Chianne, Chianne, what am I going to do with you?”

  Chianne perked up, she had no idea her moodiness would have worked this well. She sneered sexily, “What do you wanna do with me Miss?”

  “Right,” Kat was suddenly firm. “What is all that about? You cannot talk to me like that. I was thinking about letting you off,” she sighed, “but Chianne you infuriate me. You are so clever. I mean really, really clever. You could get a place at Oxbridge if you sorted out your attitude.”

  “Really?” She had not meant it to sound so earnest.

  Kat saw a feint glimmer of the person hiding under the big Chianne charade. “Yes really.” She lifted her hands in exasperation. “Just what is going on with you?” She was aware she was standing over the desk and wanted to get the balance of strict, yet approachable right so she reached for her padded desk chair and pulled it in front of Chianne’s table. If they were ever going to make headway then it would be now. “Tell me why yo
u behave like this?”

  “Just being me Miss.”

  Kat was unsure if the answer had been surly and indifferent or confused and apologetic. “And who are you?”

  “Dur, Chianne Granger.” The pout and attempted crossed arms were back.

  “Okay, who do you think people see you as?”

  Chianne had started to feel a bit uncomfortable. She had only wanted a laugh, only wanted to see how far Miss Spicer would take it. She did not need the grief of a counselling session; she had been to enough of those already. She smirked and started to rap, “They see Chianne, Chianne, you’re my biggest fan. I’m a smoking, gun toting-”

  Kat grabbed the hand that was making imaginary pistol shots. “This is what I’m talking about! What is all of that rapping nonsense? And about guns as well? You really should know better Chianne. You are so much better than this!”

  Chianne looked down at the elegant hand wrapped over her large fist and back up with raised eyebrows. “I knew you liked me,” she gave a full bucked tooth smile.

  Kat quickly removed her hand and folded her arms.

  “It’s too late now Miss. I’ve seen it in those pretty blue eyes of yours. You’ll test me with a bit of hand holding before you make your real play for me.”

  “Right Chianne, that is enough.” She signalled towards the door. “Out. I will let you off with a warning. Just please, leave now and have a good Christmas.”

  The seductive smile continued. “Oh I ain’t going anyway now Miss ... not now I know how you feel.”

  Kat stood from her seat and pointed once again to the door. “Out.”

  “But you were just holding my hand. You said you wanted me.”

  Kat was opened mouthed. “No, I did not!”

  Chianne stood up and at almost double the width of Kat was quite overpowering. She stepped forwards. “So did you or did you not just hold my hand?”

  Kat started to panic. “No, I moved your hand.”

  Chianne took a step closer and tried to touch the top of Kat’s open necked white shirt.

  Kat instinctively batted the hand away. “What are you doing?”

  Chianne looked like she was about to attack. “Nobody turns me down. I ain’t even no lesbo like you! I just thought I’d give you a slice of the good stuff! You know you want it.”

  Kat stepped back and tripped over her workbag, falling clumsily to the floor.

  There was a rush of feet. “Miss Spicer let me help you.” Janet Louza had dashed to her side. She looked at Chianne. “What on earth is going on?”

  Chianne started to shout, “She touched me! She touched me Miss! She started it! I didn’t want her to touch me! She was touching me and I pushed her and she fell!”

  Kat rubbed her trousers and stood slowly back up. “Mrs Louza, I can assure you that is not what-”

  “She did! Miss, she touched me! She started it!” The shouts had turned to overdramatic sobs.

  Janet had no other choice. “Right, Chianne you come with me. Kat, if I could meet you in the staffroom in a bit?”

  “Follow me Chianne.” Janet entered the corridor first and was in no position to see the small eyed wink that Chianne directed back at her teacher as she left the room.

  ****

  Freya felt the buzz in her pocket and reached for her phone.

  ‘Chianne bleeping Granger! Need a huge hug when I get home. K xx’

  Freya smiled.

  “Kat, I suppose?” Renee leaned over the cluttered work desk in their private study room and reached for the mobile.

  Freya quickly returned it to her jacket pocket and slammed her reference book closed. “Yes, but why do you always call her Kat?”

  Renee wobbled her head, shaking her latest funky cornrow design which had the effect of clinking the long beaded plaits together around her shoulders. “Because that’s her name.”

  “It’s not Kaaaat!”

  “What has she got anyway?”

  The girls were in the university library supposedly gathering information for a PowerPoint presentation on streaming and whether setting students based on ability was beneficial or detrimental to overall learning progress. Freya knew it was beneficial, but had to back up her argument with quotes and research from the various journals scattered around their study table. She looked up, speaking with definitive meaning. “What has she got? Well let me see. She is the most beautiful woman I have ever met.”

  Renee huffed with indifference.

  “She is the cleverest woman I have ever met.”

  Renee crossed her arms.

  “She is the kindest, most thoughtful woman I have ever met.”

  Renee rolled her eyes and leaned back in her plastic chair, lifting it onto its two rear legs.

  “She cares. I mean, she really cares. Nothing is too much trouble for her.”

  Renee lifted her arms behind her head and pretended to yawn.

  Freya grinned; this was the winner. “And she is mind blowing in bed!”

  Renee laughed and tipped her chair forwards, leaning over the table and pinning Freya with a provocative gaze. “Better than me?”

  Freya shook her head. “Don’t start that again!” It had taken a couple of weeks for Renee to mention the kiss in the toilets and subsequent night in bed, but once the subject had been broached, there had been no stopping her. Freya had played it cool and laughed about the drunkenness of the evening, but failed to rise to Renee’s odd comments of - ‘Can you remember the whole night then?’ or - ‘It all got a bit hazy towards the end didn’t it?’ Simply saying - ‘Yes, great laugh, very drunk, lots of memories.’ She could tell Renee was dying to bring it up, but the more she ignored the probes, the less importance she felt it had. That was until Renee gave up on the tiptoeing and finally came out with - ‘You wanna get jiggy again right?’

  Freya had instantly dismissed the kiss as an attempted kiss and clarified there had not been any participation on her part for her to actually enjoy. She was not sure if her response had relieved Renee or disappointed her. All she knew was her light heartedness about the issue seemed to have given Renee a green light to flirt outrageously. Maybe she should have reacted with disgust or abhorrence and made it perfectly clear that she never wanted to go there again, but at the time that had seemed like an overreaction ... and anyway, she liked Renee, she was a laugh, they got on well and the banter was fun.

  “You know you want more.” Renee closed the lid of her laptop and raised one eyebrow.

  “No, actually I don’t thanks.” Freya looked at her watch. “I’m going to go home now for some smoking hot sex with my lover.”

  “We could have some more smoking hot sex in my dorm if you like?”

  Freya started to place the mess of journals into one neat pile. “Stop it!”

  Renee grinned. “I could give you an early Christmas present as well. I could do that thing that you like.” She wiggled the tip of her tongue.

  Freya dropped her pencil case into her brown leather satchel bag and closed her notebook. “No!”

  Renee leaned sexily over the table. “Can I whisper something?”

  “Stop it! I’m going home,” giggled Freya, “and anyway, what more could I want for Christmas? I have my mother and father gate crashing Kat’s parents’ Christmas dinner!”

  Renee plopped back down into her seat. “Oh shit, yeah you said. Is that what has happened then? They are coming with you?”

  Freya had explained to Renee the delicate issue of telling her parents that she would be spending her first Christmas away from home, and that with her being an only child it had gone down like a ton of bricks. Her mother had completely overreacted telling Freya her priorities were in the wrong place and asked how on earth she could contemplate doing something so selfish. Her father had looked wounded, but nodded his head in acceptance. It was then that Kat, ever the peace maker, suggested the Elton’s also join her family in the Cotswolds, claiming the Spicer saying was ‘the more the merrier!’ And actually when Kat had mentioned
it to her parents they had indeed said, ‘No problem, the more the merrier. That will put us at twenty two this year!”

  Freya placed the final journal back on the old library trolley and sat on the table next to Renee. “Yes, they’re coming too. Kat’s parents are so posh and I know my mum will show herself up. I am dreading it!”

  Renee slung her arm around her friends shoulder. “You always have to sit that little bit too close to me don’t you?”

  “Will you stop it!” laughed Freya, wriggling her shoulders free, “and anyway, why is someone who is straight, so intent on instigating an affair with me?!”

  Renee had to laugh. “Oh, so that’s what it has progressed to now ... an affair! I just thought we were friends with benefits.” Renee applied some clear lip gloss to her gorgeous full lips and smiled her dazzling smile. “Well it just goes to show that I am the dog’s bollocks and can get anyone I want!”

  For once Freya didn’t laugh. “That’s actually not funny. I have been with a girl like that before.”

  “Yeah, good one!”

  “Seriously I was.” She grinned at Renee. “She was slightly prettier than you though.”

  Renee slapped her knee. “You are like one of those children who pick on the person they secretly fancy aren’t you.”

  “Stop it now!” Freya jumped off the table, grabbed her bag and headed for the door whose sign read Private Study Session in Progress. There had not been much studying, but it had certainly been private. “Come on, I think the school placement list should be up now and I cannot wait to find out where I’m going. I really hope I get John Taylor’s.”

  Renee followed her to the door and exaggerated her head tilt whilst whistling a slow wolf whistle at Freya’s pert bottom.

  ****

  Kat sat in the empty staffroom going through the exact chain of events. Chianne was right, she had held her hand, only momentarily, but she had touched her. Her stomach lurched. Why had she touched her? She thought carefully - it was to stop her toting her finger pistol in the air whilst she was rapping that dreadful song. But Chianne had made it sound like she had touched her inappropriately. Was that inappropriate, she thought, questioning her every movement? She stood up and paced around the kitchenette. Most of the staff had made an early exit home, already on the end of term wind down. She flicked the kettle switch on and then quickly back off again, making her way to her pigeonhole instead. It was empty, as it had been ten minutes ago. She sat back down on her sunken brown chair and exhaled, jumping at the click of the staffroom door. A very flustered Janet Louza walked in. Kat stood up and pulled her blonde hair back behind her ears. “Janet, I can assure you that I-”