Page 2 of Teaching the Kot'oll Coach

The principal sees me and waves for me to join him. “Here you are, I’ve been waiting for you!” He tells the other teacher to talk to him later and turns his attention to me, which...

I take another breath, trying to stand tall. This is what others have been telling me to do more. Humans are already shorter than most beings out there, so it will help to make ourselves look bigger, even if it just means we look more confident than otherwise.

He says, “Hope you’re enjoying your time in the school. Everyone’s more than happy to have you join us.” He heads to the lift, so I hurry to follow. The class teachers are bringing the kids to their respective classrooms. For now, I’m glad I don’t have to be them. The few words on the stage drained almost all my energy for the day.

I really don’t like talking to others when I don’t have to. Let alone the whole school.

The principal continues, “I’ll show you around the school, then bring you to the staff office so you’ll check out your seat and other staff.”

Wait... I thought I was going to the station in the library. Do I really have to be with other staff? That’s going to be a bit too much interaction for my own good.

The principal seems to see something in me. “Is everything alright? Are you feeling well?”

I shake my head. “All is well. Thanks for asking. I’m just admiring the building.”

“Oh, I see. Yeah, this teaching building was established only a few years ago. I like how everything is brand new here.” He sniffs as if he is enjoying the smell of new paint, which there isn’t any.

Where there should be walls, those are windows. Those are big ones that spread from the floor all the way to the ceiling. Either this floor is like this, or the whole building is like this. It makes it easy to admire the greenery outside.

Out of the window and downstairs, there is a playground for kids. Next to the playground, there’s plenty of room for all kinds of sports. I think I like this place. We are still indoors, which is going to be better for me than if I have to survive the heat outside. For me, looking at nature is better than being out in nature myself.

I follow him down the corridor and visit places. He seems to have so much energy. The longer I stay here with him, the more it feels like I’ve made a mistake working here. But he hired me, so I guess he thinks that I’m suitable for the job. but... He can be wrong, right?

Maybe this is what I have to do just so I can stay in this city. Moving from place to place has never been easy...

Chapter 2

Telke

I hum a song as I head down the corridor inside the staff room. I have the schedule for this year in one hand and wave to a few of my colleagues with my other. At least that still leaves me enough hands to hold my suit jacket and my water bottle as I make my way to my seat.

“Look at you, already ready for business, huh?” My next-door neighbor, Jackel, chuckles as he eyes me up and down. We sit side-by-side in the staff room, separated by the partition board between us. He is one of the beings who I don’t understand. He teaches kids art, which is a bit too delicate for me to understand.

I hate to feel like a muscular body with no brain, which beings tend to think when they see a kot’oll. I’m pretty smart too, but just not with art. It’s kids’ stuff, though, so I guess there’s not a ton of artistic value other than letting kids play with their imagination. I love working with kids and teaching them sports, but at the same time, they make me feel old now and then.

I smile back. “Looks like you’re also getting ready.”

“Yeah, I am. This term, I have fun projects for the kids.”

I wink. “I’m hoping I’d find a few that love floatball.”

Even though I don’t understand Jackel’s sense of fashion and art, he and I get along well. But that empty space to my other side...

My heart skips a beat when I think about that new librarian. I don’t even know her first name. The first day at school is always chaotic, even though we’ve done that a lot of times. All I know is her last name, which... Between teaching staff, we usually don’t go with last names unless kids are around.

I like her ponytail. She seemed to be nervous when the principal called her to the stage, which reminded me of my first day here. Sometimes, I envy beings with fewer arms. When they get nervous, they don’t have as many arms and fingers to keep under control and keep them steady.

Regardless, she makes my heart race. I want to get to know her, but if she’s the librarian, maybe she won’t be around the staff room much.

I fix my hair as I take a sip of water and check my schedule again. First thing, I have to get out of this suit; it doesn’t fit me at all. This suit has been with me for longer than I can remember. I only wear it two days a year, the first day of the school year and the graduation day for the kids. There aren’t a lot of incentives to get a new suit that will fit me better. It feels like the suit is secretly squeezing the air out of my lungs, which isn’t very fun.

That’s another problem with being a kot’oll. More arms mean that clothes are more expensive...

But that cute librarian...

Does she like beings with four arms?

I shake my head and silently shout at myself before I make everyone in the staff room uncomfortable. Why am I even thinking about that? Other than sitting side by side with each other, we haven’t even talked.

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