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that’s what I assume since he’s got a female ball and chain and two miniature ones. He seems happy enough, though.
    We head to a place on the edge of town. It’s new and wasn’t here before I left for university God knows how many years ago. It’s strange that once you hit twenty-three, the years just start rolling by. Sure I’m only twenty nine, but I feel older, yet less mature than I should be. Time is flying and I’m in no hurry to settle down just yet. Maybe when I’m thirty-five, assuming I’m still alive.
    Carpe diem.
    “How are your classes?” Stuart asks after we sit by the window and pick up the menus.
    “Not as interesting as my classes back in the city. Kids here are so riled all of the time.”
    Katherine nods slowly, her lips pinching. “I have a feeling this school year isn’t going to be the best. Like last year.”
    Stuart shudders slightly. “Yeah, last year was… manic. Uncontrolled chaos.”
    “Fortunately for us, most of the chaos kids have left and the ones that have stayed behind seem to have calmed down a lot.”
    I relax back into my seat and wait for the waitress to come over and take our order. She does so the second my thought ends and ushers herself away quickly enough.
    “So tell us about life in Cambridge. That is where you’ve transferred from, right?” Katherine pouts slightly, her thin lips plump, and I know she’s trying to draw my attention to her mouth. I let her have it for a second before returning my eyes to hers and responding, “It was good, modern, high tech and easy. Everything is done by hand here, whereas students in my old school all had netbooks to work on.”
    “The joys of working in a private school.” Stuart laughs a little. “It’s kind of shit seeing everyone from school make it in the bigger world while we all stay here. I’ve barely been more than two hours away and that was for a trip to that Holiday Park in Cleethorpes.”
    “There’s nothing wrong with this town…” Katherine interjects, clearly affronted.
    “Not if you’re not a teacher looking after three hundred bored teens with a will to smash our cars and egg our houses.”
    She closes her mouth and opens it a few times before admitting defeat and quietening for a while. We all sit in silence until our food arrives. It’s awkward and uncomfortable, but we seem to share a mutual loathing for our current positions. Sure, we love being teachers. What we don’t love is the lack of power we seem to have at present. Kids don’t listen to us anymore. We have to do something to change that. Teaching is the only purpose I seem to have in life at the moment. It’s the only thing that gets me up in the morning and it’s the only thing that brings me any kind of happiness.
    “We’ll figure it out,” I tell them and take a sip of my drink. “We’ll figure something out.”
     
    Eloise
     
    I have my tutorial just before lunch and don’t bother stopping to eat with my friends. My humiliation from this morning still hasn’t fully abated and I honestly need to just go home for an hour and lick my wounds before work.
    The weather doesn’t seem to be on my side and the rain hammers on the ground as I make my way home. With each quick step, water splashes up my ankles and my hair sticks to my neck and shoulders. Why didn’t I wear a warmer jacket? My scarf has been officially rendered useless; it would be better suited as a dishcloth right now.
    Upon entering my house, I’m not happy to see that it’s empty. Dad is probably working his arse off as usual and Mum, as usual, is probably getting her nails done. It’s not an issue; my dad works hard so she doesn’t have to. He’s a bit old fashioned like that and my mum does her stuff around the house, making it nice for when he comes home. It all seems a little sexist to me, but if that’s what they both enjoy then why not? I’d happily pack in work to be supported by a handsome man who thinks the world of me. What person