Every time you make a move

Feebs

St Barnabas Primary, Kensignton

"Mrs Bulsara-"

"Miss Brannigan, actually" Monica interrupted.

"Terribly sorry, I saw the ring and assumed you were married" Mr Holloway, Johnny and Roshni's teacher, straightened up their two exercise books in his hand whilst the twins sat outside in the corridor.

"So does everyone" she wanted to say.

Garden Lodge had been telephoned by the school, asking a parent or guardian to stay behind after school pick up time and talk to their teacher. Monica only just got the message when Phoebe telephoned her at Theo's production studio when she was about to leave and collect them.

They didn't misbehave at school, although Johnny could be a little bit of a handful at times, so it worried her greatly when the receptionist said that their teacher wanted a word.

"When I asked the class to write about and draw members of their family on Monday morning," Mr Holloway began, "your two children drew an extra family member on their pages..."

She watched as he opened their books to the last few filled pages, pointing at their scribbly drawings. Indeed, they'd drawn what appeared to be an extra adult.

"When our classroom assistant Shirley asked them who it was, they said they had three parents," he continued, "I believe they called the third parent a Feebs?" the teacher looked back at her quizzical.

"Feebs... Phoebe!"

Although both were vaguely drawn, the one scribbled by Roshni was closer to life than Johnny's style. She'd somewhat inherited her mother's observance and her father's skill, and she really captured Phoebe's likeness with a round body and a head on two sticks for her dad. Mr Holloway had awarded her a gold star, despite the amount of red pen on the page.

It took a lot for Monica to stop herself from giggling.

"I see what it is now," she picked them both up off his desk and looked closer. "They've drawn their father's personal assistant Phoebe"

"Phoebe? Have they known her their whole lives?"

"Phoebe is a man actually-"

"A man?" The teacher pressed.

She could hear Johnny and Roshni starting a commotion in the corridor, but decided to; nobody was there to discipline them after school.

"His real name is Peter but their father nicknamed him Phoebe and it stuck," she explained. "You might know him. He drops them off and picks them up at school often times"

"Hold on, does he have a moustache?"

"Yes" she nodded.

"Is he heavy set?"

She nodded again as the twins' ruckus in the corridor only got louder.

"Ahh, Yes, I know the man. I assumed he was their step father or something," he sat up in his chair, "I can see your face in little Johnny and Roshni alright, but Phoebe doesn't look like either of them."

"Yes, well, Johnny got his daddy's eyes, and my nose and hair"

"May I ask, how long has their father employed Phoebe for?" He laced his hands together.

"Since they were several weeks old" she answered.

"Ahhh, well, that explains it then" he took their exercise books out of her hand and shut them.

"Explains what?"

"Why they both think it's normal to have a third parent called a Feebs"