The bell rang for lunch, and as soon as it did my students had packed up and bolted out the door.
"REMEMBER GREASE AUDITIONS THIS FRIDAY!" I yelled after them as the door slammed shut.
I rolled my eyes. I remember being in their situation. How hard it was to actually pay attention in class. I began packing up my papers when I heard someone sneeze. I looked up and saw the girl, Kate, just stuffing the last of her notes into her Nike backpack. When did she not leave? I asked myself as I looked at her quizzically from where I stood.
She looked up "Yes?"
"Nothing nothing…" I said shaking out of my train of thoughts.
She rolled her eyes and slung her bag over her shoulder and ran out the room. I chuckled lightly to myself grabbing my jacket which hung on the back of a plastic chair and made my way to the staff lounge.
The staff lounge was like solitude for us teachers; it was away from all the chaos of the students. It wasn't anything fancy mind you. In one corner sat an old out of use water cooler and in another sat a coat stand. In the center of the room were a variety of tables and chairs. The tables were an off grey and were scattered with papers and old abandoned coffee mugs. On the far side of the room was a large slightly opened window, which let teachers prey on the kids hanging below. A few teachers gathered round it, with cigarettes between their yellow fingers. One of the younger women, who I believe to be Spanish judging by her skin tone, who was in the group of smokers glanced over at me and smiled before breathing out a large expanse of smoke. Along the wall closest to the door sat a row of cupboards and a lino topped counter with a slightly out dated coffee machine etching a dirty mark into the pale cream wall. Surprisingly the sink was near too spotlessness with only one or two coffee mugs abandoned in its metal chasse.
I was dying for some coffee so I walked over and began trying to figure out how the machine worked. I pressed as many buttons as I could but nothing seemed to happen until someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned and saw a man who must've been at least 20 standing behind me. He had dark brown hair with turquoise green eyes. He wore a plain white shirt with dark grey trousers and a lilac tie. He grinned broadly at me causing the light etchings on his face to become more prominent.
"Do you need some help?" He asked in a very strong Australian accent.
I nodded "Yes please, if you don't mind"
He stepped foreword and pressed 3 buttons which made the machine eject a jet of black steaming liquid into my mug. I grinned and took it sipping at the drink. I turned to him smiling.
"Thanks"
"No problem" he said pouring himself a glass of water "You're new? Aren't you? My wife saw you moving in the other day, into that old apartment block downtown. She said you looked like a teacher" he chuckled "She told me you wouldn't last long"
I smirked "Tell her thank from me"
"You can tell her yourself, the faculty are having a dinner tomorrow evening to celebrate the principals 50th birthday"
"I'll try make it" I said swirling the coffee in my mug slightly "I guess it'll beat marking papers all evening"
He chuckled drinking his water as the Spanish woman who had been smoking by the window came over to us.
"Hello" she smiled "New face I see"
"Yep…Names Garrett Hartley"
"Nice to meet you Garrett" she glanced at the guy "I'm Maria Santos and I see you've met Peter Logan?"
I nodded swallowing some of my hot drink "Yeah he invited me to the birthday dinner tomorrow"
"Good" She smirked "Someone's got to give the new guy a chance eh?"