troubled teachers

Chapter 2

"He seems great," August smiled.

"He's adjusting," Emma nodded. "Now, shall we do the volcanoes the week before the Easter holiday and then the field trip will be part way through the summer term?"

~

When the final bell rang on Friday afternoon Emma was just as grateful for the end of the school week as her Year 9s and packed up her desk as quickly as possible. It was only quarter to four by the time she reached her car, a folder wedged under her arm filled with lesson plans she wanted to go over and tinker with now she had met all her new classes. As she was struggling with her keys, Henry came up and slid the folder out from under her arm.

"Thanks," she said as she finally unlocked the car. "Where did you appear from?"

"I was just waiting by the bike sheds with some friends," Henry shrugged.

"Bike sheds, eh?" Emma teased. "And I presume they have the same connotations down here as they do up north?"

"Get lost," Henry scowled, dumping the folder on the roof of the bug and walking around to the other side.

Emma chuckled. Her son was yet to start dating but she knew it wouldn't be long now.

"So, do you want to get takeaway tonight and watch one of the new DVDs you bought?" Emma asked as they pulled out of the school carpark.

"I, um, left them in my locker," Henry said. "We can just watch one we already have."

"Ok," Emma replied, her inbuilt lie-detector whirring but she ignored it. "Who did you buy them off anyway?"

"Peter. He's in Year 11."

"Peter Panner?" Emma asked.

"Um, yeah, I think so."

"He's in my tutor group," Emma said. "I didn't know he had the entrepreneurial skills to set up a mini business in school."

"He's popular," Henry shrugged. "Lots of people were buying them."

"And how about your tutor group?" Emma asked. "Mr Jones said you're in a good group of kids."

She had met Henry's tutor on Tuesday lunchtime. Killian Jones had introduced himself to her in the canteen, mentioned that Henry was in his class and proceeded to bore her with an upcoming experiment he had planned. She had never been particularly interested in physics.

"They're fine," Henry shrugged. "This guy called Michael seems pretty cool. I think his sister Wendy is in your Year 11 geography class."

"Wendy Darling?" Emma asked as she came up to a set of traffic lights only to find their way home closed for road repair.

"Yeah," Henry nodded. "Turn left here and then you can cut through Fore Street."

"How do you know that?" Emma asked, following her son's instructions before he had a chance to answer.

"I explored a bit last weekend on my bike," Henry replied. "Turn right here."

Emma did so, driving down a small commercial street and noting the Chinese takeaway, pizzeria and tapas restaurant as they passed.