troubled teachers

Chapter 2

August had just finished running Emma through the GCSE curriculum and now the two of them were trying to decide when would be the best time to allow the Year 7s to make volcanoes. The bicarbonate of soda and vinegar experiment was a highlight of the academic year. Just as they were debating between the end of spring term and the middle of summer term, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," August called.

"Henry, hey!" Emma said, surprised but pleased to see her son had come to her of his own accord during school hours.

"Hi Mum," Henry said, walking just inside the office and letting the door shut behind him.

"Oh this is Mr Booth," Emma introduced. "You'll be having him for geography. Mr Booth, this is my son Henry. And he is to receive absolutely no special treatment," she added with a wink at her son.

"Can I have some money for lunch?" Henry said, ignoring his mother's previous comment.

"What happened to the money I gave you this morning?"

"Spent it."

"On what?" Emma frowned. Students weren't allowed to leave campus during the day and there wasn't an onsite shop.

"One of the kids was selling DVDs at break time," Henry shrugged, his eyes glancing around the small office as he spoke. "I bought a couple."

"I see," Emma said slowly. She always knew when her son was lying but decided not to say anything in front of her new colleague. "Well I will lend you some money for lunch but as it was your choice to by the DVDs, I expect it repaid when we get home, ok?"

"Yeah, thanks Mum," Henry said, reaching out to grab the five pound note and disappeared from the room.

"You have a kid in Year 10?" August asked as soon as the door had closed.

"I do," Emma nodded, turning back to the schedule and tapping her pen against her leg.

August said nothing but Emma could feel his curiosity mounting. She decided it would be better to just tell him now and let the inevitable gossiping run its course.

"I got pregnant when I was eighteen," she said, turning to her superior as she spoke. "I had just finished my A levels and it was completely unplanned. Henry's father and I decided to keep him, despite all the challenges, so we got married and started our family. By the time Henry was two I realised I wanted to go back to university. At the time we were living near Oxford and I applied just on a whim. I never expected to be accepted. But I was and the university has a great nursery setup so I was able to study for my undergrad with Henry just a few buildings away. He was in school by the time I began my masters which made life even easier. Just as I graduated, my husband got reassigned to Northumberland so I completed my teaching qualification up there. Henry was already seven by the time I started in my first school and the teaching hours really helped me be present for my son. It wasn't the ideal order to do things but we worked it out."

Emma finished and smiled slightly at August, waiting for his reaction.

"Impressive," he said after a while. "Raising a kid is hard enough without studying at one of the toughest universities in the world at the same time."

"I had a lot of support," Emma shrugged. "And Henry was a very laid back child." Her green eyes misted over slightly as she thought back to how happy and carefree her son once was. Her heart clenched.