by Archer, Kiki
Jenna’s reply was almost immediate: Touching myself for you.
Susan pulled off her trousers and pants, and used the stool to climb onto the counter. She tilted the screen as far back as it would go and knelt down, straddling the laptop. She pressed the countdown button and held her breath. The picture took and she twisted herself back around, sitting down on the counter. She cringed slightly at the image on the screen, but decided to send it all the same. “Sorry, it looks like a slab of meat. Pork chop maybe.” She shivered and rubbed her legs, tingling for a different reason when her Skype pinged again. She read the message.
Fingers inside me.
Susan felt her stomach lunge at the image Jenna had attached.
“Sorry, I’ll be sexier,” she typed, realising her last pork chop picture could simply not compete. “Give me a minute.” She stood back up on the counter and straddled the screen, this time standing up tall, almost hitting her head on her Moroccan pendant lamp as she pressed the countdown button. She kept one hand on her hip and moved the other hand behind her and down past her bottom. She bent her fingers and pushed them between her legs from the back. The picture took but she shrieked out as a loud bang sounded behind her. Susan wobbled on the counter and grabbed her bare breasts, staring at the door handle, half expecting it to fly open and whoever was there to catch her in the strangest position. She glanced up. Maybe she could say she was changing the bulb.
“Can I come in?”
Susan squealed in a complete panic. “Give me a second.”
“It’s me.”
Susan watched in horror as the handle started to move. The door shook and the voice was back.
“It’s locked. Come on, Susan, this is important.”
Susan scrambled off the counter and grabbed her clothes, throwing them on as quickly as she could. “Coming,” she shouted, as she straightened her hair and fastened her final few buttons. She reached for the throw and slung it onto the counter, instantly hiding her laptop. Susan glanced around the room to check for any stray underwear, or other evidence of her actions, before unlocking the door. She deliberately stood with her foot outstretched so it would only open an inch. “How can I help?”
Marcus Ramsbottom pushed his way into her kitchen. “Why are your curtains closed?”
“This is my apartment. I can close my curtains whenever I like.”
Marcus sniffed and glanced around the room. “Where’s best to sit? I always feel like I’m in one of those incense shops when I come in here.”
“What can I help you with, Marcus?” Susan was still standing at the door.
Marcus bent down and opened her fridge. “You don’t mind if I have one of these do you?” he asked, already twisting the screw cap on the bottle of Bud.
Susan gave up and shut the door. She glanced at the sofa, then the bed, before pointing to the tall stools next to the counter. “Sit down. What can I help you with?”
Marcus let out a tut. “Bloody Battle-Axe Brown hauled me in for another meeting.”
“And?” said Susan, sitting down next to him.
“A parent’s complained about me, and now it seems like she’s trying to dredge up all sorts.” He took a quick sip of the beer. “She’s losing it I tell you. She’s like that old man from Shawshank Redemption who can’t stand the thought of leaving the prison because he’s so institutionalised.”
“Getting you fired won’t mean she stays. She’s retiring. She’ll be gone by the summer.”
Marcus scrunched up his face. “Who said anything about getting me fired? She’s just trying to have her last power trip before she goes. Trying to make up for that time I rejected her.”
“Oh, Marcus, don’t be so ridiculous.” Susan paused as she watched his moustache twitching. He was nervous. “Who’s complained?”
Marcus took another quick sip of beer. “Willamena Edgington’s parents.”
“Really? What was their complaint?”
“Her parents check her Facebook account. We’re friends on there. They didn’t think it was appropriate so they contacted the school.”
“You’re friends on Facebook? With Willamena Edgington? From Year Eleven?”
“She added me.”
“You didn’t have to accept her.”
“Oh, Susan, it’s not a big deal. Lots of teachers make friends with their students on social media. I like to be accessible to those I’m educating in a variety of different ways.”
Susan coughed and walked towards the counter. “Have you been, umm, have you been interacting?”
“No! Not like that!”
“So delete her. If you’ve done nothing wrong then you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
Marcus pulled on his ginger moustache. “Exactly, exactly. Twitter’s so much more popular with the young people nowadays anyway. But I think it’s best if I start to gather a few character statements from people who know me. From people who’ve worked with me. From people I trust to give an accurate account of my character.” Marcus pricked up his ears. “What’s that pinging noise?” He nodded. “There it is again.” He glanced under the counter, then back up, scanning the work surface. “Do you have a phone under here?” he said, moving the throw to the floor.
“No, it’s my …” Susan tried to reach out and grab the laptop, but it was too late, Marcus was pulling up the screen.
“What in heaven’s name is that?” he said, tilting his head at the image.
Susan tried to grab it again but he was holding it open. “Marcus, let go please.”
“Is it a pork chop?” He frowned. “No wait, what are those? Fingers? Oh goodness, is that …”
Susan managed to minimise the webcam, gasping loudly as her Skype filled the screen. Jenna had sent through a string of photos with the captions: Two fingers. Three Fingers. Coming for you.
“Marcus!” she shouted, grappling with him for control.
“My oh my, what sites have you been accessing?”
“It’s my personal Skype, now let go!”
“Mon amie, hang on un momento,” Marcus was leaning in closer to the images and flaring his nostrils. “So, your Skype name’s Susan dot Quinn. I’ll make sure I add you.”
“Marcus!” she shouted, somehow managing to minimise the Skype screen as well.
“Susan?” Marcus frowned. “Susan, what’s this?” He leaned backwards and took in the three main headings on the Word document. “A report into my behaviour?” He glanced sideways. “You’re writing a report into my professional conduct on the ski trip?” He continued to read, gasping in shock at the text. “Susan!” he shouted. “How dare you!”
Chapter Fifteen
Marcus let go of the laptop screen and shook his head. “Susan, you traitor.”
Susan slammed the lid closed and pointed at the door. “Please leave.”
“Why? So you can add to your document and twist that knife even deeper.”
“No, because you’ve come in here and invaded my privacy.” Susan was shaking. “Please leave.”
“What possessed you to write those terrible things?”
“Marcus, they’re facts. Trust me I could have written an awful lot more.”
“Why?” Marcus was frantically running his fingers through his hair. “Why would you do this to me? We’re colleagues. We’re friends.”
“Dorothy Brown gave me the headings. I’m sure she’s asked the same of your head of department and your head of house. It’s just form filling, Marcus.”
“You could have said no.”
“She knows about the Daisy Button incident. She wants me to confirm the facts. She needs—”
“You told her!” Marcus was now pulling on his moustache. “I thought it was you at the door!”
“That’s what I’ve written, and no, I didn’t tell her.”
Marcus jumped down from the stool and started to pace. “This is unbelievable, Susan. I thought I could count on you. Crikey, what a fool. I came round here tonight to ask for a character statement. I tho
ught you’d back me up, just like I’ve backed you up in the past.” He paused and pointed his finger. “The services. You left Daisy Button behind. I’ll tell them.”
Susan twisted around. “What?”
“I’ll tell them. I’ll report you. You’ll be disciplined, possibly fired.” He was shaking his head and pacing quickly. “Now that’s a real cause for investigation. Teacher leaves eleven year old student stranded at a foreign service station.” He stood still and pointed his finger again. “Refuse to hand in the report, or I’ll tell them.”
Susan stepped towards the door. “Marcus, I’d like you to leave.”
“I’ll tell them, you know I will. You’ll never work again!”
“YOU were the second in command. YOU were the one who cleared them out of the services. YOU were the one who said they were all present.” Susan shook, angry at her own outburst.
“Ooo, look at you losing your cool. Sore point is it?” He bared his stubby yellow teeth in a sneering grin. “That’s right, you were flustered by Jenna. The moment your lesbian affair started your professional responsibilities flew out the window.”
“Marcus, you were just as much to blame. But it was Jenna and I who sorted it out. Daisy was fine. No one knew. No one knows. No one has to know.”
“They won’t know if you change that report.”
Susan gasped. “I can’t change it. They’re the facts.”
“Fine, well add some positives in there too. That’s the least you can do for me.”
“Like what? Like the way you barge into my room? The way you use physical force to view my private messages?”
“Good point, my mon amie. What if I tell them you’re accessing pornographic sites via the school’s Wi-Fi?”
“Marcus! I haven’t been accessing pornographic sites! I’m talking on a private Skype message to my girlfriend, and it’s none of your business.”
“You’re sending filthy pictures.”
Susan was shaking. “I’m sending in the report and it’ll be fact based. No more, no less.”
“Add some positives or I’ll tell them everything I know.”
“No.”
“What?”
“I said no.” Susan turned to the counter, startled as her phone burst to life. She lifted it with shaking hands and answered the call, silencing its singing. “H-h-hey.”
Jenna’s voice sounded in her ear. “Hey, gorgeous, are you okay? You stopped messaging. Did I go too far?”
Susan watched as Marcus folded his arms. “I-I-I’m fine. Marcus is here.”
“Marcus? Are you okay? I hope you put your clothes on before you answered the door.”
“I-I-I’m fine.”
“Susan?”
Marcus spoke loudly. “She’ll be fine if she does the right thing.”
“Susan? Did he just say something? What’s going on?”
“I’m fine. Really.”
Marcus spoke again. “Good choice, my mon amie.”
Susan moved the phone away from her ear and covered the receiver. “I’m sending in the report.”
“No, you’re not,” said Marcus.
Susan lifted the phone back to her mouth. “Sorry, Jenna, I’m going to have to call you later.”
“Susan? Gorgeous? What’s going on? Is that Marcus shouting? Tell me what’s happening. Put me on loud speaker.”
“N-n-no. I’m fine.”
“Susan.” Jenna was firm. “Put me on loud speaker.”
Susan looked up at Marcus. “I’m putting Jenna on loudspeaker.” She clicked the button and placed the phone back down on the counter.
“What’s going on?” asked the echoing voice.
Marcus stepped in closer, angling his mouth towards the receiver. “Why do you always have to get involved? Everything was fine before you got involved. Susan was a wonderful woman. An upstanding member of society.” He sneered. “Now look what you’ve turned her into.”
“Marcus, what are you doing in Susan’s room?”
Marcus ignored the question and looked at Susan. “I’m not talking to her. Switch her off.”
“Don’t you dare, Susan. Tell me what’s going on.”
Susan spoke loudly. “Marcus has seen the report. He doesn’t want me to send it in.”
Marcus looked back at the phone. “If she sends it in then I’ll report her for leaving a young helpless child at the services on the ski trip that she was supposedly in charge of. I’ll also report her for sending sexual images over the school’s Wi-Fi.”
The echoing voice was laughing. “You total tosser. You were also a teacher on that trip. They’ll blame you too.”
Marcus sniffed. “Fine, I’ll just tell them about the sex shots you’ve been sending each other then.”
“He saw my laptop,” said Susan.
Jenna was still laughing. “Oh you total tosser. Just tell him to do one, Susan.”
“She’s not that silly,” said Marcus. “Are you, my mon amie?”
“Marcus, I’d like you to leave.”
“Not until you tell me you’re adding some positives to that report.”
Susan gasped. “I’ve already taken out the negatives!”
“You’ve what?” shouted the voice from the phone. “I hope you haven’t taken out the negatives!”
“What negatives?” said Marcus.
“I’ve taken out all of the bits about you pursuing me.”
“Pursuing you?” Marcus scoffed.
“The way you’ll touch my leg as you’re talking to me. Or the way you tried to touch my breasts when we took that ski trip photo.”
“I did no such thing! And as for touching your leg, well that’s simply a tactile gesture between friends.” He lifted his nose and looked at Susan in disgust. “I’m a taken man, Susan. Angel and I are official.”
“Marcus!” Jenna was loud. “Listen very carefully. You leave that room right now. You leave that room knowing that Susan will be including those facts. You leave that room knowing that I will also be writing a report, and I’ll be sending it to Vice Principal Brown first thing in the morning. You called my colleague Amber a social misfit. You were rude to my instructor Lisa. I heard you questioning why any red-blooded male would fancy an albino. You were offensive about my sexuality. You—”
“Jenna, stop, it’s fine.” Susan’s voice was shaking. “I can handle this.”
“You can’t, Susan! You need support! I’ll support you. I’ll send in a report. I’ll cite all of his snivelling, sarcastic comments and his inappropriate—”
“Jenna, please. I’ve got this under control.”
Marcus glanced at his colleague. “Mon amie?”
“I’d like you to leave.”
“And you’ll make the right choice if I do?” He lowered his voice. “You’ll take control of this, umm,” he nodded at the phone, “this, umm, situation as well?”
“I’d like you to leave.”
Susan watched as Marcus slowly retreated out of the room, nodding at her and giving her an apprehensive thumbs up as he left, quietly closing the door behind him. She quickly dashed to the door and locked it, picking up her phone from the counter and turning off the loudspeaker. She rushed to her bed and sat down, keeping her voice quiet. “Jenna? Jenna, are you still there? He saw the photos. He saw all of them.”
Jenna’s voice was controlled. “What a total little fucker.”
“He saw the photos!”
“So?”
“So he saw them! He’ll tell.”
“Who will he tell? What will he tell? Calm down, Susan, you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
“Jenna, you told me this was safe!”
“I didn’t know he’d walk in. He might have seen the photos but he’s not got copies of them. What are you worrying about?”
“I knew this was a bad idea. I should have gone with my instinct.”
“Hey, I didn’t ask you to unbutton your blouse. I didn’t ask you to straddle your screen.”
“But you e
ncouraged me to do it. I get carried away with you.”
Jenna was silent for a moment. “I don’t think that’s totally fair.”
“But he’s right. I’m on the school site.”
“No, you’re in your own private apartment in the staff living quarters, and anyway, you use a dongle don’t you? You’re not even on the school’s Wi-Fi. You’re on your own 3G.”
Susan rubbed her temples. “You can’t try and justify my behaviour to me.”
“So you didn’t enjoy it then? You weren’t having fun?” Jenna lowered her voice. “I’d like to carry on that fun if you would? Didn’t you see my last few pictures? I got myself so close.”
“Jenna! How can you even suggest that! Don’t you care about what’s gone on?”
“What? He’s being a tosser. Ignore him.”
“How can I? He’s threatening me.”
“With what? He won’t tell them about Daisy, and he certainly won’t tell them about the pictures.”
“He might.”
“He won’t!”
“Why not?”
“He’s got no proof.”
****
Marcus scurried down the hall and pushed open the double doors, crossing the pebble path from Susan’s block to his own. He dashed back into the warmth of the corridor and fumbled in his pocket for his room key, reaching his door and getting inside as quickly as he could. He grabbed his laptop from his messy kitchen counter that was strewn with unwashed plates and half empty coffee cups, and sat down on the sofa, flipping the lid and tapping his feet as he cursed the slow start up.
****
“What if he tries to get proof, Jenna? What if he tries to pull me down with him?”
“How would he get proof? I think you should just calm—”
“From Skype! You might be fine sending naked images across the World Wide Web, but I’m not.”
“What?”
