The Secret Life of a Toilet Dweller

Life Starts When Church Ends - Part 2

Today was a weird day.

This week had been weird, but today in particular, was a weird day.

There was something in the water. It was Wednesday, a week and a couple of days since the art lesson where Lydia nearly bit Ellie’s head off.

There was a clear power vacuum within our year. Natasha wasn't in. She had somehow caught chicken pox and was out of college for a week and a while, but knowing her she wouldn't be seen until all the spots had cleared up. This was the third day that she wasn't in. The college was noticeably quieter, it was as if her cronies were in mourning of their leader. They usually came into college looking similar, if one of them who a tracksuit they all wore a tracksuit. They claimed it was accidental but I knew they planned it just so they could take pictures around college.

These past three days they had all looked like they had rolled around in the sales rack of a market stall in the grungy parts of London. It was atrocious and tacky, even for them. It had been quiet chilly these last couple of days but girls got away with wearing short skirts if they wore tights.

The cronies didn't.

Natasha was the one usually letting them know what was too far, even for them. Natasha injected some sort of class into classless girls. Even though they still looked whores, at least they looked like elite whores.

The cronies usually looked like synchronized swimmers, and although I hated them, they did look beautiful. There was almost an unspoken uniform amongst them. To a normal person like me it was stupid to dress similar, but I saw the effect it had on other girls. The cronies and Natasha were like a gang in the college, they had their colours and the area they hung out. Girls wanted to be with them, they knew if they dressed like the cronies or were seen associating with them they would look ‘cool’ I guess. Like every gang, there was the leader. This was Natasha, but like I said, she hadn’t been in for the past 3 days and her role as the leader clearly wasn’t as secure as she thought.

Whilst nature, books and movies said that me and Natasha should be mortal enemies, we were quite the opposite. I think it was because I had accept Natasha as who she was early on in our relationship. And she had accepted me. I didn’t expect much from her so I was never disappointed when she never did much. She hadn't changed much since I met her, she evolved. She was always self-centred and looking for the next best thing, as she grew up, her views on all of these things stayed with her. It’s one of the few things that I respect her for.

I heard Lydia laugh. Today was a very weird day indeed. I was in the toilet cubicle on the second floor but I still heard her whiny laugh loud and clear. That was what Natasha usually did. Natasha was the big laugher, it wasn’t purposeful, she had just always laughed like that because she was so easily amused. But Lydia’s was forced, I could feel her voice box begging her to stop straining it.

Lydia couldn't run the cronies as well as Natasha did I concluded as I watched them from the small toilet window that peeked into my cubicle. Lydia didn't assert the same control that Natasha effortlessly did, even as Lydia spoke they would giggle at their own conversations or just speak over her. They didn't do that with Natasha.

The college play ground was broken down in 4 simple parts. There were the playing fields, that was basically just open grass with a few trees and benches. After college football clubs and such were held there but for now it provided the backdrop for the year 13's.

There was the cafe area, this was immediate area that you went into after you left the café to go onto the playground. This was full of year 13 boys and a few year 12's. The boys stood near the entrance for two reasons. One, to catch anyone that didn't want their food or to ask someone for food. The second, this exit onto the playground was the most popular as people usually brought food, it gave them a chance to screen everyone on a daily basis, especially girls.