But She Is My Student Read online

  But She Is My Student

  Kiki Archer

  Lulu.com (2012)

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  Miss Katherine Spicer started her first day at Coldfield Comprehensive, confident, enthusiastic and very well qualified; that was until she met the eyes of the student sat hidden in the corner of her classroom. Kat's final weekend of freedom was about to turn her life upside down and threaten everything she had been working for; how was she to know those mesmerising green eyes would reappear here? Great lesbian chick lit. A cross between Notes on a Scandal by Zoe Heller and Sugar Rush by Julie Birchill. The novel deals with the many issues of sexuality in a gripping, yet funny manner, pulling the reader back into a world of teenage nostalgia and school day memories.

  But She Is My Student

  by Kiki Archer

  Copyright 2012 Kiki Archer

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Amazon.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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  Chapter 1

  Mon 6th September 8.35am

  The day started with the obligatory ‘stand up and introduce yourself,’ and after three school placements Kat realised that this was simply for the other members of staff to appraise you silently and decide upon your fate; most of the time they got it right. The Head Teacher signalled the chubby lady with thin brown hair, green felt suit and yellow sandals. The lady stood up awkwardly from her woven fabric chair and uttered in the tinniest, wobbliest voice, ‘Hello, my name is Hannah Fag, spelt P.H.A.G and I am the new IT teacher,’ and everyone immediately knew that Faggy wouldn’t last a term. It did not help Faggy’s confidence when the two girls from the English Department failed to stifle their giggles. Kat managed to catch the new teacher’s eye and give a reassuring smile, something that meant the absolute world to a very nervous Miss Phag. When it was Kat’s turn to be introduced she breathed in, smiled, announced her own name with authority and warmth and noted a number of kind returning smiles from the other seated staff members. What she also noted were the whispers of the same English teachers. The one with the bright red lipstick, bleach blonde hair, and highly inappropriate red halter neck, raised her eyebrows and slowly looked Kat up and down. The other one, who looked like an airhostess from a low budget airline, frowned with her large nostrils flaring, and looked falsely perplexed as if not understanding who Kat was or what she might possibly be doing here. Every workplace was the same realised Kat, always a couple of women who thrived on being complete bitches.

  3 Days Earlier: Friday 3rd September 9.30pm

  ‘Cheers! Here’s to you Kat,’ shouted a slightly tipsy Jess as her auburn curls danced around her shoulders. She was toasting her best friend for the third time so far this evening as Build Me Up Buttercup rang loudly in their ears. ‘You have been bloody boring this past year, so make sure you have a good time tonight. You deserve it. Let’s get twiddled, do our dance and then you must have some fun!’ Jess chinked her glass ferociously against Kat’s, causing her dainty sparkling bracelet to quiver on her slightly plump wrist. She winked and nodded her head far too obviously, throwing her auburn curls to the right, ‘Look at her Kat, she’s gorgeous, go on, let your hair down!’

  Jess was right, she had been boring but it had paid off with a much coveted First Class teaching degree, and tonight she was celebrating her last ever weekend as a student with relief, anticipation and hope. Miss Katherine Spicer was starting at Coldfield Comprehensive on Monday, she felt ecstatic. The school was great - categorised as Performing, ten minutes walk from the modern spacious apartment she shared with best friends Jess and Lucy; she was happy. Teaching was her lifetime vocation. Kat had a real passion for bringing out the best in her students, always managing to do it in such an endearing manner; never condescending or righteous, just patient and thoughtful. She enthused about everything to do with History and somehow managed to spark an interest and desire to learn in the most unmotivated and lacklustre of students. She was a natural teacher and her inner confidence had grown from school placement to school placement. She sipped her sparkling drink with a sense of pride and achievement. Miss Katherine Spicer was ready for the real thing and could not wait for the start of term on Monday. Saddo she thought.

  Lucy stood at the busy bar looking across the glowing dance floor at her best friends, both were gorgeous but in completely different ways. Jess was short and curvy with masses of red curly hair jumping around as she laughed and toasted Kat, probably for the tenth time now. Jess embraced her voluptuous figure with confidence, confidence that was sometimes misplaced with a love of Lycra once again on display, but she was confident and happy and smiling and laughing. The type of friend everyone needed, always cheerful, always positive, probably why she was the only one of them to have a partner assessed Lucy, still waiting for the drinks. Gary and Jess, Jess and Gary, they came as a package and were destined to spend forever together. Always in the apartment but never a bother, a perfect guy that Lucy only wished she had unearthed first. The club was lively tonight as she hovered rather impatiently for her three white wine spritzers. They had decided to ditch the cheeky vimtos of yester year, declaring their new drink of choice as sophisticated and appropriate for their new found status - adults. Worrying she thought.

  Monday 6th September 9.00am

  Kat was not going to let anything taint her excitement and enthusiasm for the day ahead, especially not the judgements of two cheap looking English teachers. So she approached the morning with gusto, spending the majority of time in her cosy form room greeting with sincerity her first ever Year Seven tutor group as they each filed past her and found their desks. Kat could indeed remember her first day of Secondary School as if it were yesterday, having earlier ignored the jibe from a letchy looking male teacher whose name she did not yet know; but now in the calm of her own warm classroom she reminisced at the excitement of having a blazer with inside pockets for your pens, the silly buzz when buying new shoes, especially if you were allowed the shiny patent ones. The new tie that you proudly learnt to tie in a long kipper until you realised that kipper’s meant geek and skinny’s meant cool. The thrill of anticipation when you got your new pencil case out and displayed, for the first time, all of your new pens and luminous highlighters. The utter joy of getting a locker then realising you didn’t actually have anything to put in it. Kat spent a wonderful morning getting to know her new charges, issuing them with rough books, homework diaries, school maps – that made no sense whatsoever - and lesson timetables. She tried her absolute hardest to impart a sense of reassurance and confidence for their days ahead and wished them all good luck for the afternoon lessons. As the bell rang noisily for lunch she watched them get swallowed up by a swarm of Year Nine’s charging down the inexcusably narrow corridor; she realised that it was sink or swim for her and her tiny pupils today.

  Friday 3rd September 10.00pm

  The three women spent most of their time in the heaving ‘Cheese Room’ where Chesney Hawkes’s ‘I am the one and only’ yowled out at least three times a night. The dance floor was large and sparkling, encased by two never-ending bars that were overflowing with glowing liquids. There were two wall to wall luxurious deep seat lime green sofas and someone short like Jess could almost lie flat on a single cushion. The decor was bright and modern; the atmosphere always fantastic. All of these gorgeous well groomed guys thought Lucy, but none of them in the slightest
bit interested in me or my fantastic boobs. At least someone was getting some attention tonight she mused. Lucy watched as another woman gazed at Kat; she could be mesmerising. Her warm, deep blue eyes that always held your own, natural shoulder length blonde hair and fantastic elegant figure commanded attention. Her height also made her hard to miss. At 5ft10 Kat was a stunner, real natural beauty, she had it all; the looks, the brain, the personality, the type of woman most girls look at and say bitch! Lucy watched as Kat threw her head back and laughed; her smile was glowing and enchanting all who observed. Naturally charismatic was the term. Lucy had never seen a hint of arrogance in Kat, an absolute delight to be around and a lovely person to live with, never picking faults, never judging, always doing the right thing - perfect bitch she laughed to herself, drinks finally in hand. Kat was always teaching her something that she did not know, but to be fair that was not hard as she was not the brightest button in the book, or was it box pondered Lucy striding towards her laughing friends? Anyway Kat knew an awful lot more than she knew or ever really wanted to know, and as an aerobics instructor Lucy always said, ‘once you know your grapevines and shimmies then you know your grapevines and shimmies,’ and she certainly knew her grapevines and shimmies, hoping that one day Mr Right would step into her class and whisk her off her feet. Her ex boyfriend had claimed, much to the abhorrence and reassurance of her housemates, that she was the perfect woman - nicely toned with muscles in all of the right places, as long as she kept the brown paper bag firmly over her head. She wasn’t bad looking, with her black bobbed hair, sharp fringe and strong nose, but she wasn’t a patch on Kat, which was why she failed to understand why Kat never met the right person. Too nice assessed Lucy, always making sure everyone else was ok before thinking about herself; one of those selfless people who end up hurt by some idiot who does not deserve them in the first place. Kat had excused her singledom and lack of love life on studying in her final year, or something like that - Lucy had not really been paying full attention. We will soon see, she thought, finally crossing the busy dance floor with their posh drinks in oversized wine glasses; it’s time to get it started again Miss Spicer!

  Mon 6th September 1.20pm

  Kat spent most of lunchtime preparing her room for the first proper lesson of the day; A2 History with Year Thirteen. Janet Louza, her nice but slightly monotonous Head of Department, had been thoroughly sycophantic throughout her interview praising her abilities and almost begging her - in a droning manner - to accept the job. The school wanted Miss Katherine Spicer. She had an outstanding CV, fantastic references and was incredibly likeable. She was perfectly qualified to teach A Level and that was needed now Miss Pendleton had finally given up the ghost. Kat loved the school and jumped at the inevitable job offer and as the final bell rang announcing the end of lunch she made her way, after several wrong turns, into the noisy dining hall. She had been given her duty position and knew she had to shepherd stray children out of the littered hall and into their afternoon lessons. She inhaled and the smell of sponge and white custard brought back more nostalgia. She was so happy to have finally made it, to be here, a teacher in her own right. She had been assured by Janet Louza that Year Thirteen classes were fully aware of duty teachers being five minutes late to afternoon lessons so she checked her watch and walked a lost tearful Year Seven pupil to the Sports Hall, trying to reassure him that a detention for the wrong colour PE socks on the first day of school was highly unlikely. She then headed back towards her classroom full of nervous anticipation.

  Friday 3rd September 10.15pm

  ‘Cheers girls,’ hollered Lucy as freshly filled glasses chinked together, only one bat wing in sight.

  Just as they were about to take large gulps the unmistakeable beat of Beyonce's All the Single Ladies washed across the dance floor. Kat, Lucy and Jess swished their glasses onto the closest table with enough effect to look dramatic, but not enough to cause precious spillage, and with shrieks of excitement arranged themselves into position. Many tipsy evenings in the apartment had been spent perfecting the dance and now it was time to show it off.

  Freya sat on the huge lime green sofa with her cousin watching the three laughing ladies try and body pop to the beat of Beyonce and turn on one leg. Jodi had been saying something but Freya had zoned out, fixated by the flawless tall woman with the striking face. Her unique body popping was as fascinating as her smile that seemed to glow on the dance floor and her dark blue skinny jeans and white ruffled top accentuated a body that most women only dreamt of. Kat took pride in her appearance and always managed to get ‘the look’ right; smart without being boring, sexy without being on show and tonight she was attractive without having to try.

  ‘Surely she isn’t?’ asked a perplexed Freya still staring at Kat.

  ‘You should find out,’ stated her cousin matter of factly, as if it was as easy as that; it probably was for her.

  Jodi was twenty, short cropped bleach blonde hair, boyishly pretty, out since she was eight, or so she said, and the only gay woman Freya knew. Freya was confused. It was all well and good that being a lesbian was the height of fashion, but in the real world, her world, she dared not breathe a word of her inner curiosity to anyone other than her loud, but very loyal cousin.

  Jodi had arrived at the Elton’s Annual August Bank Holiday Barbeque with another attractive woman on her arm. It had reminded Freya of when a pageboy posed for pictures with the bride; cute in the photo, but odd when exposed as a couple. After the obligatory plate of meat and jug of summer punch Freya, Jodi and ‘Little Minx’ - as Jodi liked to call her - started to gossip. Freya had always been popular with the boys, her long wavy chestnut hair, pretty face and sparkly green eyes drawing attention, but she had never been in love, she knew that for sure. If she really searched deep enough she ended up panicking and scrambling back to the surface as fast as she could. Freya hadn’t figured out who she truly was or what she truly wanted, but then at her age who had, she wondered? So when Jodi and Little Minx had posed the question, ‘What do you feel like when you see two women kissing?’ having exposed her and the rest of the barbequing Elton clan to an afternoon of opportunities to form their opinions, she had answered honestly - ‘Well when it’s you two I guess it feels like anyone else, I just think get a room,’ she was being nonchalant, but then for some reason unbeknown to her she paused and answered openly, ‘but then I guess when I think about it generally I am just intrigued ... it seems exciting.’

  Jodi had smiled and announced that it was Gail’s Gay Bar on Friday for the curious one. And here they were, sat quietly, on the biggest lime green sofas that Freya had ever seen, watching. Jodi had been great, giving her time to adjust to the scene, not pushing her to dance, just letting her relax and see if she felt comfortable. Freya didn’t know what she felt, only that she could see the tall blonde dazzling lady approaching. Maybe she was going to tell her off for staring. Oh wow look at those blue eyes she thought almost out loud.

  Monday 6th September 1.30pm

  Kat checked that her white fitted shirt was tucked neatly into her slim fit black trousers, pushed her fingers through her loose hair, jiggled her oversized red beaded necklace and entered the room. Look good, feel good she thought. There was shuffling, then staring, then silence. She scanned the classroom and smiled warmly. ‘Welcome to Year Thirteen History, my name is Miss Spicer and I will be your new teacher for this final year.’

  There were a few mumbled ‘Hi Miss’s’ and then the blue door slowly creaked opened and a very tall, great looking lad, with impeccably styled brown hair and the longest natural eyelashes Kat had ever seen, tiptoed to the desk at the front in a manner that can only be described as overly dramatic.

  ‘So sorry Miss,’ he whispered, then looking up stood straight as a dart, threw his hand to his hip and squealed. ‘Oh my! History has suddenly become enchanting,’ and without stopping for breath and talking as fast as was humanly possible he continued, ‘I’m Harley, you look divine, oh sorry Miss I didn’t mean th
at, well I did, but you know what I mean. I was just not expecting a fabulous History teacher what with old Miss Pendleton last year, she taught my mum you know and my Gran says she knows her from bingo and anyway what a nice surprise. You are qualified aren’t you Miss, only I need a B to get into Uni and there is so much stress going around and I only hope-’

  ‘Nice to meet you Harley, I’m Miss Spicer.’

  ‘Oh this gets better what a perfect name. We will be best friends by the end of the year Miss I am telling you now!’

  Kat read the slogan blazoned across his bright green T-Shirt - Yes I am. The class had started to mutter and she needed to take back control, ‘Well I am not sure about that Harley,’ she spoke in a firm but kind manner and addressed the rest of the class, ‘but what I can tell you all with certainty is that you will get out of these lessons what you put in and the grade you receive next summer will be exactly what you deserve.’ She tried to connect with everyone in the room. ‘I will work my absolute hardest to ensure you all fulfil your potential,’ a couple of the girls seemed to relax and nod in appreciation, ‘but it is you who must want to strive to reach that potential,’ a couple of the lads groaned.

  Friday 3rd September 10.25pm

  Lucy and Jess had seen the pretty woman with brown wavy hair sat on the lime green sofas and noticed that she was mesmerised by Kat, so when the hilarious dance finished Lucy announced that it was now or never, get back in that saddle and ride the horse out of town, was that right she thought? Oh never mind it sounded good. Kat was always nervous when it came to her love life. Jess and Lucy were constantly frustrated with her inability to realise what a fantastic catch she would be and just how beautiful she had become. Kat knew she had been a plain child, never encouraged to do her hair or wear nice clothes or take an interest in her appearance and her self-doubt had remained even after the blossoming of the late teenage years. But now early twenties and full of body popping confidence she thought why not and made her way across the dance floor to the lime green chilling area.