Page 33 of Textbook Romance

‘Mr Damon, anything we can do for you?’ she says, as her students start to pack away their things. I can’t read that face. Is she angry with me? She seems a bit more serious than usual. She probably thinks I’ve come to hassle her. I’ve possibly pushed things too far. At the end of the day, she’s a woman who’s in relationship turmoil and I’ve maybe been too flirty, too full-on. Though, hand on heart, I really did think I was sending her a chicken.

‘Oh, I was just in homework club, and I noticed a light on. Hello, Mrs Swift,’ I say, putting a hand up to acknowledge the children in the room. I lean against the doorframe, satchel hanging by my side.

‘Were you looking to join STEM club, too, Sir?’ asks a boy at the front.

‘Is there space?’ I joke.

This seems to soften Zoe’s expression. ‘There is, but unfortunately you’ve joined us a little too late. We were just about to pack up. Guys, you were awesome – please remember to sign up to our STEM trip to Winchester in November. Letters went out today. There’s a Rubik’s Cube competition involved.’ I’m not sure why because I can’t do a Rubik’s cube, but I put my hands up in the air to show that I think that’s truly exciting. Zoe and all the children look at me curiously. ‘I will see you next week. Please can you put all the equipment away before you go, and have a really lovely evening.’

This wasn’t like my homework crowd. This is a lovely younger attentive group who do as they’re told. Not a phone or giggle in sight. They all gather their things.

‘Didn’t I have you for Tech today?’ asks one boy as he comes to the door. Possibly but they’ve put many kids in front of me this week and I couldn’t recognise half of them in a line-up. They all have the same haircuts, bags and they’re all either called variations of Jayden, Emily or Harry. ‘Yes, you did very well.’

‘Was he a good teacher?’ pipes in Zoe.

Please don’t tell her I couldn’t control the boys in the back who didn’t do any work and it took me five minutes to make the PowerPoint work.

‘He was alright,’ he says, fist bumping me before running off. I will take that as validation.

I see Zoe laughing to herself as the rest of the kids politely take their leave. I stand there, hovering by the door as she gathers worksheets and puts things away.

‘You’re still here, Mr Damon,’ she says as I dare to step into her classroom. I may as well make myself useful. I head over, handing her some pens and mini whiteboards. There’s something warm and lived in about her classroom. I like how she covers the pockmarked walls with pictures of isosceles triangles and maths words like OBTUSE. I paw over some handwritten thank you notes on her noticeboard from past students, ones who write long notes and draw lots of hearts and kisses.

‘I don’t mind helping you tidy up. So, this is STEM club?’

‘It is. Seriously, if you wanted to sign up, there is space. There is always space,’ she laughs. She blows her hair out of her face and reaches up to her forehead to find her glasses. ‘Those two boys sat at the back. One of them can’t speak a word of English. He has no clue what I’m saying and just claps a lot. The other I think just sits here waiting on a lift. Talented doodler, though.’

‘It’s a nice extracurricular club to have. You could have someone in here who ends up working for NASA as an engineer and it’ll all be because of your STEM club.’ She chuckles heartily at this, shaking her head. ‘They all seem to like you anyway. There was a boy in homework club who was very complimentary about you, by the way.’

‘Name?’ she asks.

‘Gabe?’

She smiles. ‘Well, that’s a pleasant surprise then. Nice lad.’ She watches as I continue to help tidy her classroom, lingering when maybe I shouldn’t. ‘You don’t have to do that, you know.’

‘I do. It’s helpful. You can get achievement points for that.’

‘You know teachers don’t get those.’

‘We don’t?’

She laughs and I watch as she shakes out her curls and puts her coat on. ‘Well, thank you, nevertheless. Don’t let me keep you from your evening.’

I don’t know whether that’s code for her telling me to get lost, but I stay, my hands in my pockets, unable to go or do anything but watch her packing up. ‘Let me at least walk you to your car safely?’

She stares at me hesitantly, but I get a smile. ‘Christ, the school isn’t that bad. But OK then.’ She walks towards me and turns off the lights to the room, hiding herself in her scarf. Do I bring up the cock/chicken thing again? Do I continue that conversation or pretend it never happened? For once, it suddenly feels awkward between us and even though I barely know her, it’s never been like this. We walk out of the maths block, and I hold a door open for her as we walk across the quiet empty courtyard.

‘So, how are you getting on… one week in? Have the children scared you off yet?’ she asks me.

‘Quite the contrary, actually. I’ve met some lively ones, don’t get me wrong, but it’s quite an eye opener. We never caught up with those boys, by the way.’

‘Oh, they’re too smart for that,’ she explains.

‘Would it be bad if I told you that I was one of those boys at school?’

She laughs. ‘No, I can imagine that. Did you smoke in the toilets then?’

‘No, I smoked in the park, behind a bush like everyone else. Were you STEM club material then?’

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