My rooms were decent enough. I mean, what else do you expect me to say? They weren't amazingly decorated with top of the range appliances but I knew that, just because the school was prestigious and expensive doesn't mean they spoil the staff. My suite takes up basically the entire top floor of the boarding house I am now officially matron of, Remsworth, with plenty of windows so it was well lit which was great change for me. Trust me when I say it is a change, but it is kind of sad that's the first thing I notice. The suite has a bedroom, a living room, a small kitchenette (there's a huge proper kitchen downstairs so the size doesn't really matter) and a private bathroom (thank goodness) as well as a few rooms to do with my role here like a sick bay, a supply cupboard and my own office. The only thing that concerns me about the flat is that the old matron just moved out, she's in her mid seventies and had to retire suddenly (hence me starting in the first week after halloween halfterm holidays) due to the birth of a greatgrandchild or something, and left all her old furniture here. I mean, the decore doesn't really bother me (even if it is very old lady-ish) but because the woman lived here soo long this is all her own furniture and when she comes to pick it up next week I will have no furniture! I don't have the money for buying furniture! Max, who showed me to my room and told me all this on the way up, works at the office and told me I only get a small furnishing budget which will in no possible way even cover the cost of furnishing the bedroom and office (the two most essential rooms)and to be honest I didn't know what to do. When I told him all this Max took pity on me and promised me I could raid some of the school's stock pile of furniture and I'm grateful but I have a bad feeling the offer was only extended to me because Max was flirting with me. It was really freaky actually because I'm not overly attractive so it's unusual and plus Max is like fifty but I didn't want to insult the guy and have him retract his offer. But it's done for now and I guess we'll just have to see how that pans out.
My main concern right now is definitely the timetable. I triple checked with Max he's 100% certain I will have to teach both my health classes but the idiot was oblivious and thought I was just on edge about it because I'd aparently never taught it before.
"Don't worry," He said, "They have all the notes already made you just have to teach them."
He just didn't get it! It's not the health class I'm worried about so much as the boys in it!
Either way I'll just have to live with it. I'm not risking this job because I'm worried about a bit of embarrassment. I'll survive and this is by far my best option. No joke, with less than £300 in my bank account there is no way I could afford different documents (even if I made the most of them myself my expertise can only stretch so far) and I'd never be lucky enough to get a job like this again so I would literally be out on the street knowing my luck. Yeah, this would be fine.
I'm woken from my reverie by a knock on my door. Am I supposed to be expecting someone? I open the door to find a plump middle aged women with a severe face currently directing a rather impressive scowl at me.
"Yes, Can I help you?" I ask tentatively.
"The house master, or I guess in your case mistress, is supposed to supervise and help with the cleaning of the house before the boys arrive tomorrow. My team cannot start without you as it affects our contracts if we have no one to take responsibility for us so you need to come with me so we can start now or we'll never finish tonight. " She says. Then starts walking off down the corridor without another word.
I quickly follow her locking the door behind me and need to jog to keep up, this woman is like my mother when she goes power shopping!
Cutting off the thought of my family right there I wonder what on Earth she means by never getting finished, it's only 3pm! How much cleaning can there be?
********
I take back anything I've ever said in my life that may have to do with underestimating the task of cleaning. It should be like an olympic sport or something! I'm exhausted! Turns out there was a lot of cleaning, I had been working straight since 3pm with the cleaning team of 14 or so people and we are only now getting finished at 10pm. That is 7 hours straight of cleaning, no breaks. As I collapse on top of my bed in a starfish shape I deicde I should probably check my new work email address in case there's by some miracle an email saying I had the wrong timetable and instead of teaching health I would be teaching something less embarassing, like Home economics. I scoff at myself as I pull my new work laptop, given to me courtesy of Max (thank goodness considering I had to give my latop up), out from below my pillow and boot up the email account.
A quick glance shows I already have 4 junk emails, 1 from the administrative team regarding some detail about my pay which I decide to ignore until tomorrow and what seems to be a welcome email from Mr Bradley so I open it (mainly out of curiosity).
It isn't welcome email. It's a checklist of my duties tomorrow for when my boys start to arrive back to school. Point them to their rooms, greet their parents, make an introductory speech, make sure- Wait, make a speech?! Pointing them to their rooms I could definitely do. Meet their parents, a little harder, I would have to do something different with my hair and makeup to try and change my appearance a little, though I doubt any of them would recognise me. Still, better safe than sorry. But make a speech? I hope none of them is expecting anything too spectacular. Do I need to like prepare it and write it in advance? Maybe I should start now.
The huge yawn that escapes my mouth makes the decision for me. There's no way I could prepare an anyway decent speech now when every muscle, bone and cell in my body aches from the cleaning. I'll worry about it tomorrow, I'm sure that will be soon enough. Snuggling under my covers without even undressing I let the exhaustion consume me as I fall asleep immediately.
*** Just in case you don't know, Home economics is mainly cookery class and learning about good diets and stuff, in some schools they teach life skills like sewing and money managment too. I promise the storyline will pick up next chapter, I just need to set the story first, if you know what I mean.***
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To Seek. To Learn. To Hide. *All Boys School Story*
Teen Fiction*Girl in an all boy's school story* Quaerere Discere Vincere: To Seek, To Learn, To Conquer. The motto of Ashwood College, the most influential and best regarded school in Europe if not the entire world, is designed to inspire pupils to advance them...
