Accompanying soundtrack: Lucas – "With The Lid Off"
All too soon again it was Monday morning, and another week of teaching lay ahead. Most weeks she could take it or leave it, but after the events of the weekend she was quite looking forward to being back and having the distraction. When you're trapped with your own thoughts, putting on a brave face only does so much. When you have to wrestle 30 hormonal teenagers into check you don't get much head space to yourself.
"Paul Roberts!" she barked, "Stop running in the corridor!" as a fair-haired boy rushed past her, knocking her bag. She checked her pockets for her phone to put it on silent, and saw a message from H.
"It's a new start, onwards and upwards bird! And call that bar hottie! Have a good day H x"
Jen smiled, H didn't know when to give up, but that was one of her lovable flaws. No matter what H was there looking out for you - a fist to throw in a fight, and a shoulder to cry on in a heartbreak. Everyone needs someone like that, and knowing she had that support gave Jen confidence. She looked out of the window at the sun breaking through the clouds outside, bit her lip and nodded in agreement. She suddenly felt in a good mood, and thought it was time for a bit of carpe diem.
"Hi Jess, it's Jen. You gave me your number on Saturday night. How's it going? Just wondered when you were free so we could meet up for that drink. ;)"
She rifled through her wallet to find the receipt with the number Jess scribbled on it and sent the text. She knew it was early and wouldn't have expected a reply anytime soon. She turned her phone onto silent and headed into her classroom.
Half way through her lesson Jen had felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, but she had assumed it was H would could normally be relied upon to provide some in-work amusement. When she checked her phone at break she was pleasantly surprised to see it was Jess.
"Well hello Jen, hot brunette from the bar. I'm not working on Weds if you're free and don't mind doing something on a school night? Jess x"
Jen couldn't help but feel a little flush of excitement at the response she received. It all sounded good, and although she always ended up half-sabotaging her own efforts by thinking the worst of every situation, she was determined to be positive about this one, and not let her usual doubts creep in. The brain can be a miserably annoying beast sometimes.
"Wednesday sounds great to me. How about we meet at the Retro bar at 8? Jen", she replied back.
Feeling quite chipper now, and astonished things seemed to have gone so smoothly, Jen thought it was time to let H in on the good news. "I texted her, she replied, the date's on for Wednesday. Feel free to get the inappropriate comments out of your system now – you've got one minute", Jen chirped down the phone to H.
"Oooh, action on a school night, everyone likes a bit of school mistress discipline! You should ask her to wear a school uniform."
"Are you done?"
"Not quite. Take your cane along, bend her over a table and give her a good thrashing in detention!"
Jen stayed quiet.
"Ok, now I'm done," said H.
"H, I'm reasonably certain I won't be re-enacting any of your Victorian schoolgirl fantasies whilst I'm on my date in a bar, but if that situation does arise, I'll be sure to factor in all those points. Now, if you could see your way to popping on your practical head at some point, I will await your words of words of wisdom, IF you have any. See you later babe", and with that Jen hung up the phone and headed back into class as the bell rang.
The rest of the day seemed to pass reasonably quickly. H kept sending the odd inappropriate text and image to Jen mocking her impending date, which Jen felt compelled to read when she got the opportunity, one in particular making her laugh and then blush quite profusely during the Lower Sixth lesson on Picasso she had to hide out in the crafts store cupboard for a minute to regain her composure.
She began planning her date in her head, thinking about what to wear and how to act, and by the end of the day she'd worked out the whole thing, to the minute detail. She wasn't good at small talk, and she was trying to run through some topics of conversation in her head, to make sure she could manage any awkward silences. Everything H had advised her not to do, because it crushed the spontaneous element in Jen, which was so well hidden, but quite appealing when unearthed. Daydreaming a little, Jen heard the final bell ring, and as the students packed up their work and exited, she smiled to herself with anticipation.
As she walked across the car park to her car, the events of the weekend were now firmly out of Jen's mind. She couldn't help but continue to let thoughts of the impending date start to run through her mind, and couldn't help but feeling excited at the prospect.