Chapter 29

That morning I had the year two lads’ first session, we went for a cross country run, then year one lads we did five aside and then the year three lads and we did rugby drills. To be fair my head was not with it, I was worried about Marcia. I had sent a few texts and left a few voice mails but had had no replies.

I went through the motions. I went into the canteen and got a takeaway sandwich and some fruit; I did not want to sit at a table and have to listen to the ideal gossip about Natalie and Marcia.

I went to my room and watched some rugby while eating. I was just about to leave the room to go back to the gym when I got a text message. It was from Marcia.

‘I am fine, sorry I ran away, I will call you around nine thirty tonight xxx.’ I replied.

‘Good to hear you are okay and looked forward to speaking later X.’ I left the room with a smile on my face. I got to the gym, made coffee, and checked my emails while I waited for the lads to arrive. I had another class of year three lads after lunch and then the year fives for a double lesson.

The year threes arrived, changed and after a few warm-ups we played some games of five-a-side football.

The year five class I had were mainly rugby squad lads so it was a double session of rugby drills and game to end the session. We worked on defence during the drills especially the ability to get back into the defensive line and how to organise the defence.

We worked hard and then they played a game and put some of the new skills into practice.

The rain started to fall just as we finished the game and the lads jogged over to the gym block as soon as I had finished my post-game chat.

I went into my office and checked my email. I replied to some. I delete plenty.

Then once the lads had finished changing and had shot off to do whatever the lads did between classes and dinner, I cleaned up the changing rooms and hosed down the showers.

I went up to my rooms and did an hour on my book before going for dinner. I went for the traditional mince and tatties. The chat as was to be expected was all about the change at the top and the fact that Marcia Armstrong had worked out of her job.

To be fair it was boring and most of it was just idle gossip and hot air.

I ate my mince, had a bowl of rice pudding, and then took a takeaway coffee up to my room. I did an hour on the book.

Rugby training that night was well attended, the rain had stopped and the lads were all eager. We did some shuttle runs and then some tackle drills. Then we worked on some set moves from both the line out and the scrums. All the lads seemed eager to get stuck in and the chat was about the next game.

I finished the session fifteen minutes early and made sure the gym was all locked up before heading up to my room. I was shaved and showered, had made a coffee, and was sitting on the sofa when Marcia rang.

“Hey handsome how are you?” she asked.

“I am good thank you and how are you?” I replied.

“Yea, I have been better, I take it you have heard what happened?” she asked, her voice catching in her throat.

“Just that you had an argument with the headmaster and walked out,” I told her.

“Well, that’s not the complete story, listen are you doing anything this weekend?” she asked.

“No, I have nothing planned, why do you ask?” I asked.

“I am at a mate’s flat in Edinburgh for a few days, she is away on holiday, but then I am moving to London” she said and I sensed a bit of sadness in her voice.

“Okay, why London?” I asked.

“I have arranged a job down there; it is only emergency cover for one term as a member of staff was in a car accident. But it will give me time to find some work,” she said and that made sense to me.

“Okay well I don’t have a car so I will have to come down on the train, let me look at the timetable and I will see when it’s best to come down,” I told her.

“Okay, Zak it would be good to see you! “She said that sadness creeping out again.

“Leave it with me! “I said.

“Right, I will talk to you soon,” she said.

“You bet you will,” I told her and she ended the call. I made another coffee and did another hour on my book. It was really taking shape.

I went to bed and tossed and turned while thinking about Marcia and what would happen to her.

The alarm woke me the next morning, the sun was already high in the sky. I got my running gear on and headed out, warmups done I headed done the drive and out along the path that led down past the lake and into the moor.

I soon caught up and passed a bunch of lads that were out and about early. We exchanged good mornings and I powered passed them.

I ran up a small hill and felt the burn in my legs, it felt good. I got back to the school and did some warm-downs. I shaved and had a long shower. Then it was down for breakfast. I went for two bowls of porridge and a bowl of fruit and a mug of tea.

All the chat around the staff tables was still about Marcia and Natalie, well it was until Natalie came in and sat down and then the weather became the number one topic.

I went up to my room, made a brew and fired up the laptop. I logged into the internet and started to look up train times. I had left my car down south as I was not sure I would need it, and now I wish I had brought it with me.

I checked my timetable, my last lesson ended at four o’clock on Friday afternoon and I had not planned any rugby stuff for the weekend. I would tell the lads it was a rest weekend.

I found a train that left at around five o’clock on Friday night and would get me into Edinburgh at eight-thirty, I had to change at Glasgow. I booked a ticket and prebooked a taxi to pick me up at four-thirty.

I guess I could have asked Brian Carothers, he loved driving the school’s minibus, but I wanted to just sneak off.

I sent a text to Marcia with the times of my train and headed down to the gym. I checked my work emails and got ready for work. I had year fives for a double session first thing, so it was all about rugby.

I set up some shuttle runs while I waited for the lads. Once they were ready, we did warmups and a double run around the pitch. Then I got the forwards to do tackle practice and shuttle runs while I coached the backs. We worked on kicking and catching for the first half an hour. Then I switched and got the backs to do tackle practice and shuttle runs while I coached the forwards on online out drills.

In the last half of the session, I got the lads together and we worked on defensive lines and attacking lines.

The rest of the day was with year one and year two lads so I took the easy option and got them playing five a side. They loved it and the weather was good for it. I did not bother with lunch; I went back to my room and had coffee and biscuits.

I worked on my book. As I typed away, I got a text from Marcia to tell me she would meet me at the station. The afternoon lessons were with more year fives and year Fours. The year fives for a cross county run the year fours was a repeat of the lesson I had done with the year fives that morning.

The rain came in with ten minutes of the lesson left. I blew my whistle and the lads helped me to carry the kit into the stores then they buggered off to shower. That was the end of my day, I checked my email both work and personal.

Then I went up to my room and showered and put on some jeans and a shirt before sitting on the sofa to watch some quiz shows on TV.

My phone woke me, it was a text from one of my old coaches asking if I had any thoughts on the coaching role. The game I had been watching had finished, I glanced at the clock. I had twenty minutes to get down to the canteen before it shut.

I had a piss, washed my hands, got changed into some training kit and jogged across to the canteen. There were still a few teachers and kids hanging around. There was not a great deal of food left.

I opted for a baked potato with cheese and beans and a slice of cheesecake, I took a glass of water and a mug of coffee. I sat with Brian Carothers, and the headmaster.

They were chatting about politics and they bored me silly. I ate my food and downed the water; I took the mug of coffee over to the gym.

The rugby squad where all on time and we got down to some warmups and I sent them on a double run around the pitch. Once they were back in front of the gym, I told them we would train on Thursday night and then it as a long rest weekend.

Then we had a bit of training on defensive lines and kick takes before we played a game of rugby that was very much stop-start, as I blew the whistle and explained stuff and then we played on.

It was nearly nine thirty by the time we had finished, thank God for the big flood lights. I thought about the games we had coming up, first was Fort William and then the weekend after that we were hosting St Anne’s. the St Annes game was a must-win for me and a must-win for the team.

That was a big game, the school had to lay down a marker to say that they and indeed I had made impressive steps forwards. Once the lads had showered and changed, I cleaned up and went up to my room. I took a shower and put some shorts and a T-shirt on, made a coffee and opened a bar of Cadburys finest before chilling on the sofa, I started to watch a new TV series about a bunch of geeks and a cute blonde neighbour.