Instigations

by Kiki Archer

  “Right, shall we carry on?” said Gloria, annoyed to have risen to the bait.

  “I think we should,” said Sue, secretly pleased to have eroded Gloria’s saintly veneer.

  ****

  “So, are you going to have your wicked way with me in your classroom?” puffed Freya, pleased to be nearing the brow of the hill. The walk had been exhilarating in more ways than one.

  “Of course, and in the staffroom, and the store cupboard, and the teacher’s toilets, and while we are making plans, I am doing a Year Ten assembly on Tuesday, why don’t you pop down and we can put on a show!”

  Freya grinned. “I’m only teasing. I know you are Miss Professional, and I know you will be my mentor, and I know I will have to obey you, yada yada yada!”

  Kat took the final step to the summit, the view of the village would be magnificent from up here. “Well, I might give you a quick kiss while my classroom door is locked.”

  Freya took her hand. “I look forward to it, Miss!” She paused, the view was breathtaking. “Wow, what a lovely part of the world.” The limestone village looked honey-coloured and the odd scattering of Christmas lights had started to twinkle in the dying afternoon sun. “You are very lucky-”

  Bleep Bleep

  “You are lucky-”

  Bleep Bleep

  Freya frowned as the message tone beeped again. “Have you got your phone?”

  Bleep Bleep

  Kat shook her head. “No, it sounds like yours.”

  Bleep Bleep

  Bleep Bleep

  Freya thought for a second and padded her pockets; she had not used her phone at all over the past few days because of the low signal in the village.

  Bleep Bleep

  “It’s in here!” said Kat, reaching into the internal zip pocket of the jacket she was wearing. “I looked after it at the carol service.”

  Bleep Bleep

  Kat pulled out the phone and looked at the screen. “How many messages have you got?!”

  Bleep Bleep

  Bleep Bleep

  “It must have just got a signal,” said Freya anxiously.

  Bleep Bleep

  “Eleven and counting...”

  Bleep Bleep

  Bleep Bleep

  Bleep Bleep

  “Pass it here then.”

  “Hang on a minute, that’s...”

  Bleep Bleep

  Bleep Bleep

  “...Sixteen.”

  “What can I say? I’m popular.” Freya’s laugh was nervous. She kept her hand outstretched.

  Bleep Bleep

  “Can I see who they’re from?” asked Kat, genuinely intrigued.

  Bleep Bleep

  “Are you being serious?” The response was defensive.

  Kat looked back down at the screen at the flashing envelope with eighteen messages, “If you’re going to look guilty like that, then yes!”

  Bleep Beep

  Bleep Bleep

  Freya snatched the phone.

  “Hey!” Kat rubbed her hand. “What are you doing?” She had been joking and was about to tease Freya for receiving so many of those awful Christmas round robin poems.

  Freya switched the phone to silent and shoved it into her back pocket. “I never ask to look at your phone.”

  “You don’t have to! It’s always just lying around, and anyway you use it all the time to search the internet.”

  “But I don’t go nosing through your messages.”

  Kat crossed her arms. “You can look at my messages whenever you want.”

  “But I don’t want to look at your messages.”

  “That’s fine, but why aren’t you looking at yours?”

  “Because you have made this into such a big deal. Come on, it’s getting dark.”

  “Me?!” Kat had absolutely no idea what was going on.

  “Yes, you.” The wind had started to bite and Freya turned away. “Let’s just go back.”

  Kat stood still. “I don’t care what they say, just show me who they’re from.”

  Freya turned back around and raised her eyebrows. “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because they are my messages.”

  “I don’t want to read your messages, just show me your inbox so I can see who they are from.”

  “Listen to yourself Kat! I know you said you were insecure, but I did not realise it was this bad.” It was a low blow and she knew it.

  “Ouch, that hurt.” Kat paused and spoke slowly, hugging herself with her jacket, “Show me then. Show me I am being ridiculous.” She could feel her eyes misting up. “Show me I have no reason to feel insecure.”

  Freya could sense the sorrow in her tone and felt her own heart shrink in shame. “I don’t want to.”

  “Why not?”

  Freya reached into her pocket for the phone. There was no other option. She walked back to Kat, stood shoulder to shoulder and unlocked the screen. She clicked on the inbox.

  Renee

  Renee

  Renee

  Renee

  Renee

  Renee

  Renee

  Renee

  Renee

  Renee

  Renee

  Renee

  Renee

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Good morning and welcome back!” Kirsty Spaulding was stood at the front of the staffroom commanding her troops. “New year, new slog. Get your teaching hats back on and show me the goods!” She tapped the scrap of paper she had been clutching. “On one final point,” there had been three final points already and could possibly be two more, but this was an important final point so Kirsty raised her pitch even higher, “I would like to welcome the four trainee teachers that we have with us from Birmingham University. They are all on a four week placement here at Coldfield and I would like you all to treat them like full members of staff. If you could please wave or stand or do a little curtsey for us when I call your name so we all know who you are.” It was more for her own benefit as she had no idea who the four new faces in the staffroom actually were. She could recognise the good and bad teachers, but there were a whole bunch of mediocre ones that she had hardly ever spoken to - she had James Dapper, her Deputy, for all of that. “Right,” she lifted the scrap of paper up to eyes and squinted, “Tracy Tubbs in Maths.”

  A very podgy girl tried to stand, but struggled to make it out of her low staffroom chair.

  “Yes, yes, I see you,” Kirsty waved her back down. “Kelly Craptree in Science.”

  A modern looking girl with a short spiky haircut raised her hand. “It’s Crabtree.”

  Kirsty lowered her moon shaped glasses. “I know.”

  “You said Crap.”

  “I did not. Let me continue.” Kirsty made a second mental note, hoping this third trainee might be in with a chance of lasting more than a week. “Freya Elton in History. Ah yes, Freya, welcome back.” She nodded to herself, good - one potential teacher in the making.

  Freya waved, unsure whether the rush of blood to her cheeks was due to nerves or embarrassment.

  “Finally we have, Fiona Butts in Business Studies.”

  A tall, confident girl stood up and nodded. “Thank you Mrs Spaulding. May I just say it’s a pleasure to be here at Coldfield and share this staffroom with such-”

  “Yes thank you,” Kirsty cut her off. This was no place for show offs.

  Ben whispered into Kat’s ear, “So we have Tubby in Maths, Crapper in Science and Butt-licker in Business. Looks like you got lucky!”

  Kat glanced across the small round table at Freya, who was sitting confidently as if this was a run of the mill morning. She questioned once again if she had indeed got lucky.

  Freya felt the eyes from the other side of the table and turned just in time to see Kat drop her gaze.

  Kat stared at the tiled blue carpet and wondered if she was, in fact, a fool. The noise of shuffling staff members snapped her out of it. She focused and smiled at Ben. “See you in here at
four?”

  “Shit, no. We have Benny again tonight, I’m not saying shit that we have Benny, I’m saying shit that we can’t do our usual start of term debrief at the pub!”

  Kat frowned. “You have him again?”

  “I know! We had him four times last week. I just don’t get it. She asks us to have him and I’m assuming it’s because Gerald is working somewhere abroad again and she wants some peace, but each time it has been Gerald who has dropped him off!” Ben grinned, “I’m not complaining though. He has even promoted me from Seed Daddy to Daddy Number Two.”

  Diane had been hovering and decided to hiss, “An instant family. Just what you’ve always wanted ... not!”

  Ben ignored the remark, gathered his register and books and winked at Kat. “Don’t be too tough on the newbie!” He smiled at Freya. “You’re learning from the best there kiddo!”

  Freya nodded in acknowledgement and stayed seated, deliberately trying to ignore Miss Pity’s dirty stare.

  Diane felt content that she had given Freya a thorough enough up and down so turned her attention and affection towards Kat. She slid into Ben’s recently vacated seat and oozed passion with a flick of bleach blonde hair and wiggle of thinly plucked eyebrows. She leaned into Kat’s personal space and took a breathy gasp as she plunged her breasts forwards. “Can we do it one last time, for old time’s sake?”

  Freya straightened in the uncomfortable fabric seat, but Kat stayed still, unaffected by the onslaught.

  Kat stared her straight in the eye. “I assume you’re talking about a lesson plan?”

  Diane leaned back and huffed, what was she doing wrong? Why had Kat not once even given her tits a quick glance? They were cracking tits and everyone knew it. Everyone apart from Keep ‘Em Closed Kat! She tried again, “If that’s what you like to call it.”

  Freya tried to joke. “Should I be worried?”

  Kat pinned Freya with her piercing blue eyes. “No, should I?” The regret was instant and she cursed herself immediately.

  “Ooo, lovers tiff! This is the reason that you should not be here!” She spat the words at Freya as if she were a lifelong enemy.

  “Yes she should, and no it’s not, and yes I will see you period two.” Kat was just not in the mood for any of this.

  Diane smiled. Every lesson plan that Kat had helped her with had secured a good, if not excellent, observation and if today’s went well then she would be back off probation. “Thank you,” she could not help it, “and don’t worry Kat, I’m here if you need to talk about any personal issues.”

  “Thank you Diane, but I’m just fine.”

  The silence was deafening as the final few teachers trailed out of the staffroom. Freya lifted her eyes to Kat’s. “Should we go up to your form?”

  “I don’t know if I can do this.” Kat leaned forwards and rubbed her hands together between her knees. “I have never brought my personal life into school and now I am suddenly doing it in front of Diane Pity of all people!” Kat was fuming with herself more than anything.

  “What have I done now?” Freya’s tone was one of exhaustion. They had been through everything a million times. They had sorted it out. Kat had said she understood.

  “You got a message.”

  Freya folded her arms. “Did I? When?”

  “This morning, when you were in the shower.”

  “So you have actually started checking my phone then. Cheers!”

  Kat gathered her register and room keys and started to stand. “Yes ... and I’m glad that I did.”

  The march down the pale blue corridor was quick and uncomfortable and neither wanted to break first.

  “Giddy up Spicer!” shouted Ben from his doorway as he ushered his last pupil in. “The responsibility of a trainee teacher and your timing has all gone to pot!”

  Kat knew he was teasing, but ignored the remark. She was always so in control, so calm, so confident and suddenly she felt unsure of herself. Unsure of herself in her one safe domain.

  They were hurrying up the second set of stairs when Freya finally spoke. “What did it say?”

  “I didn’t delete it. It was obviously for you.” Kat could feel herself getting drawn in, making smart remarks that just weren’t her style. They were almost at her door, she needed to focus.

  Freya reached into her bag and drew out her mobile. She clicked on the inbox and saw the new message. “Wish I was with you. Don’t get sucked in. R xxx.” Freya caught up with Kat. “I can explain.”

  “Don’t bother.”

  “Happy New Year!” came the giggling chant from the impeccably straight line outside Kat’s classroom. The Year Eight’s had been planning the surprise and looked chuffed to bits that their favourite all time form teacher looked like she was close to tears.

  “You lot are adorable,” whispered Kat as she unlocked her door and tried to stop her bottom lip from quivering. She took a deep breath and turned to welcome each child with a personal smile and word of greeting. Nothing had ever got in the way of her professionalism and nothing ever would. She told Freya to sit at the back.

  ****

  The day had been a real eye opener for Freya. She knew Kat was good, but she had never fully understood how good until now. Last year she would experience one of Kat’s wonderful lessons and then move on to a boring biology class, worthless English session, or wasted free period. Kat seemed to go from exceptional lesson, to exceptional lesson, to break time chat with some eager Year Eight girls, back to another exceptional lesson, followed by a lunch time on duty and then two further exceptional lessons. Freya was exhausted and in awe of Kat’s kindness in devoting her one free period of the day to Miss Pity and her quest to try and teach a half decent lesson. Freya had watched from the back as Kat guided Diane through the complicated planning sheet, making the most confusing syllabus statements sound simple and clear. Diane had tried to flirt, but Kat had carried on unabashed, dissecting the syllabus criteria and transferring it into fun filled, thought provoking lesson tasks. Diane had nodded in all of the right places, but Freya knew the truth; her lessons were shit because she failed to give a shit. The only thing Miss Pity cared about was herself. Once Diane had left the room, following numerous innuendos about repaying the favour, Freya had asked Kat why she bothered. Her answer was simple - ‘I care about the kids.’ Freya had hoped for a momentary break in frostiness, but Kat had dropped her gaze and turned her attentions to the lost boy in the corridor who was looking for room 220.

  Freya had had the whole day to watch and admire ... and solidify her story. Here was her chance.

  Kat closed the classroom door and collapsed on her padded teacher’s seat. “So there you have it, a day in the life of a teacher.”

  Freya stood from her lonely plastic chair at the back and walked slowly to the front. “You are incredible.”

  Kat pulled her blonde hair back behind her ears. “No, I’m just doing my job.”

  “I hope you can show me how to be as good as you?” The request was deliberately timid.

  Kat stood up and raced around to the other side of the desk. She threw her arms around her girlfriend and held her tight. “I’m sorry.”

  Freya was taken aback, she had no idea it would be this easy. “You’re sorry?”

  Kat looked into Freya’s wide eyes. “Yes, me. I should not have read your message. I should not have kept it to myself until this morning and I should not have snapped at you in school. I love you.”

  Freya tightened the hug. “I love you too. I had my speech prepared. I knew I had to convince you.”

  “Of what?”

  “That nothing’s going on.”

  Kat ran her fingers down Freya’s arms and took her hands. “You told me at Christmas that nothing was going on. That Renee was just a flirt.” She looked away for a moment. “That she instigated it.” Her eyes were back. “I believed you then and I believe you now.”

  “Really?”

  Kat maintained the connection, “Yes, really,” but her gaze
suddenly dropped to the floor.

  “What?”

  “I don’t want you thinking I’m controlling, or demanding, or keeping tabs on your texts ... but ...” she trailed off.

  “But what? You want to know what she meant?”

  Kat nodded.

  Freya was prepared. She reached for her phone. “The text said, Wish I was with you. Well apparently John Taylor’s were having problems in their history department at the end of last term and Renee’s mentor has changed and she is worried they won’t be any good. She knows you will be fab and she was meaning wish I was with you in the sense of being here mentored by you.”

  Kat frowned, not entirely convinced. “Okay, and the thing about getting sucked in?” She paused, unsure whether her next admission would be a positive or negative move, she decided to continue. “Don’t laugh, but at 7:45am this morning, I assumed she was talking about getting sucked in by me and scuppering your plans to do a runner back into her arms.”

  Freya released the grip. “I have never been in her arms!”

  “I know, I know! See, now I’m sorry I said it.” She had never been any good in relationships and was desperately trying not to make the same mistakes. Concerns about previous partner’s indiscretions had actually been confirmed on two out of three occasions, but she was desperately trying to ignore this fact. No, she thought. Freya was different. Kat pushed the unwanted alarm bells to the back of her mind.

  Freya saw the conflict in Kat’s eyes. Her response was hasty. “She meant sucked in by the kids. We had a lecture last term on the ability to maintain a higher moral ground when it comes to provocation by the people in your class. Like you this morning with Chianne, when she told the whole class that you tried to hold hands with her until she set you straight and told you she-” Freya wobbled her head in imitation, “-ain’t in the butch brigade.”

  Kat had to laugh as the impression was really good.

  Freya smiled and reached once again for Kat’s soft hands. “She meant don’t get sucked in like that. How you manage to keep your cool with her though I will never know.” She grinned, “And please don’t make me take an A-Level class as I won’t stand a chance. Did I ever tell you about the time she sprayed a can of Impulse body spray in my face?”