Chapter 2

Dreams? I had none. None that I remembered anyway because as the sun broke through the window, and it broke through hard, all I could do was check, double-check and then triple-check my reality.

Strange room in Coolamein. Check.

Filthy headache. Check.

Birdcage mouth. Check.

That ‘I just fucked two hot chicks feeling.’ Check.

Even in my most lucid dreaming states, they don’t end like this. They usually climax in the bizarre; a melting Daliesque landscape of dancing wolves and hybrid beasts.

This, for sure, was real. For starters, I was still naked, and sleeping in the nude is something that I rarely ever do. I also had a skin splitting erection. It was one of those erections that if it were socially acceptable to do so, you’d take it out on the street and show everyone.

“Look at this whopper!” I’d say to an appreciative throng.

“Nice job mate,” they’d chime back and follow with thunderous applause.

Alas though I was in a rapidly warming room, with a dizzying hangover, in a stinking hot town and I had an hour to get to work. I kicked my sheet back and took a hold of my erect monster and was almost about to contemplate a nice wank when I heard a noise near the door.

It wasn’t much of a noise, just a gentle rustle of clothing and the sharp intake of breath. I wasn’t a hundred percent sure it was a female noise, but considering that I was the only guest and the only other people were Erin and her brother, Georgie and Erika, I assumed that it was.

After the night before I was feeling a touch unstoppable, so rather than try to cover up I decided to invite the onlooker in. I, quite comically I think, aimed my knob end at the door and while shaking it said, “Would you like to join me?”

Suddenly there was a flurry of activity and the sound of something hitting the floor. I leapt out of bed and tried to find my clothes and I remembered that I’d left them in the bathroom. As I came around into the hallway there was a pile of my clothes jammed up against the open door.

Still naked, but with my hands covering my slowly receding erection, I boldly stood out in the corridor looking for whoever had just left a softly scented trail in the air. I could see and hear nothing, but that familiar fragrance, a smell I recognised but couldn’t place, haunted me.

I kicked my clothes into the room and grabbed a dry towel off the dresser before heading back to the shower. The first thing I noticed was that someone had used the bathroom only moments earlier. A wall of steam greeted me and once more there was that perfumed aroma that made me uneasy. Someone had had a shower and gathered up my clothes. I’d been hoping that it was Erika that was at the doorway, but it seemed unlikely. Why would she shower in this bathroom when she has one of her own?

As I tied my towel around my waist I noticed a crumpled box in the waste container. I immediately recognised not only the box, but the lingering perfume that had once been inside it. A few years earlier Natasha had bought me a bottle of Tommy aftershave as our first anniversary gift. I hated it. I really hated it. But she insisted that I wear it and I ended up slowly pouring a little bit each time I used it, down the sink.

The reality that a man, most likely Erin’s brother who I’d never met, had been watching me jerk off, sent a cold sharp shiver down my spine.

“Fucking hell Julian,” I said to my reflection in the cracked mirror, “You invited a man into your room as you had a wank. You dickhead. Lucky for you he took off.”

With my towel wrapped around my waist and a weighty feeling in my stomach I headed back to my room only to find Erika standing at the door.

“Well hello,” she said as she took a slow look up and down.

“Bloody hell, sorry,” I scampered down the corridor and she took a step back out of the way.

“I just wanted to make sure you’re up,” she smiled. “How do you want your eggs, fried, poached or scrambled?”

Although I preferred poached for the lack of oils, I was feeling somehow vulnerable, as if I’d reached the top of the pinnacle last night and now I was barrelling down the other side.

“Fried,” I quickly answered as I stepped into my room, “Give me the grease.”

“It’ll be ready in five,” she said, “I have everything else ready.”

“Cheers,” I said as I closed the door to my room, “I’ll be there in a jiffy.”

I really found it hard to focus on preparing for my premier day at my first full-time job. Images of Erin and Georgie, and of Erika, mixed with the possibility that a man had been watching me jerk off, compounded and clouded my thoughts.

My head was all over the place. I needed the caffeine, surety and distraction of breakfast, and I wasn’t disappointed. The plate was brimming with sausage, tomato, beans, bacon, eggs and thick slices of heavily buttered white bread. I was in breakfast heaven being served by an angel.

Erika wore an apron tied neatly across the front of a short skirt. A skirt that not only emphasised her sensational legs, but highlighted her nicely defined backside. A tank top barely covered her breasts and a floral bra beneath shone through the webbed white material. The similarities between herself and Georgie were intense. It was almost as if I’d entered a time machine and skipped twenty years into the future.

Just as I wiped my last bit of toast across a golden smear of egg yolk, Erika sidled up to me with a pot of boiling water and topped up my tea pot.

“I never asked you last night where you’re working?” she asked.

I sipped on my tea and sat back in the chair like an overfed roman emperor. “At the high school,” I said, “English department.”

For whatever reason, this made Erika stand up straight and smile like some insane person.

“Well,” she said, “I’m sure you’ll find it very interesting.”

“Well it’s a pupil free day today, just get to meet everyone and get settled.”

“As I said,” Erika leant forward and picked up my plate and I couldn’t help but eye her cleavage. “You enjoy today and I’ll see you this afternoon. You’ll be glad to know that the restaurant will be open tonight for dinner, the girls will be on waitress duty.”

I really, really tried not to smile, but it broke through and fortunately for me, Erika had spun on her heels and taken off back to the kitchen.

I topped up my tea for the final time and took on the atmosphere of the dining room. In the air clung the greasy odour of thousands of cooked meals mixed with stale beer. The ornate pressed iron ceiling was covered in a faint yellow hue and the dark burgundy curtains looked stiff and dusty as if they’d never been opened. The axminster carpet had distinct paths turning through the chairs and tables and near the register it was bare in patches.

I had twenty minutes to get to school so I checked the location on my phone and decided that it was close enough to walk. I called out goodbye to Erika but there was no answer so I bolted upstairs, shoved a few items into my pack and headed outside. It was only 8:15 but it was already warmer than I liked. Stupidly I realised that my car, complete with my life’s belongings was still parked out the front.

I had no choice but to drive to work and decide later where to park the car. My trusty Subaru sparked to life and I took the opportunity of the 15 minutes that I had to take a quick trip around town. I was pleasantly surprised by how the town looked. Tree lined streets provided shelter from the sun and a duck filled lagoon sat in the middle of a very appealing park. An old church had been converted into a theatre/art space and the street had become alive with vans, vendors and chairs being placed on the footpath.

Coolamein didn’t seem to bad at all. I navigated towards the school and reversed the car into the final space at the end of the block.

I tucked my shirt in, gathered my pack and nodded at an older overweight bloke who was walking towards the school. As I passed a small VW Golf the occupant, an attractive lady in her late thirties with long black curly hair, hopped out of the car and waved to me.

“Hi there,” she said, “Welcome.” Taken by her good looks I replied with a simple hello and a cliched comment on the weather.

“It’s a bit warm,” was all I could muster.

“It’ll get worse,” she said, “I’m Sharon by the way.”

“Julian.” She held out her hand and we shook.

“Ahhh,” she said, “the new boy in our department.”

“You’re in English?” I said with maybe a bit too much cheer. “Excellent, you can show me the ropes.”

“Not a problem at all,” Sharon said, “Just follow me.”

I was happy to, Sharon, although petite, cut a fine figure. We didn’t speak as we headed towards the staff room and I absorbed as much detail of the buildings as I could. Student artworks were scattered around the hallways and the heavy oppression of a room that had been closed up for six weeks hit me. I was surprised to see two male students, in full uniform, walking past a window.

The English staff room was full of activity as the teachers all gathered up their folders and notebooks. Only two of them, both female, looked at me. That was until Sharon spoke up.

“Everyone,” she said as she dumped her bags on the table in the middle of the room. “Welcome back,” I wasn’t sure, but I think that Sharon was the Head Teacher. “This young man here, is Julian, Tom’s replacement.” The five other staff members all took turns shaking my hand and introducing themselves. I immediately forgot all their names except for another brunette named Kathy. Kathy was a touch too skinny for me, but she had really sexy eyes and deep red lips.

“Let’s get going down for the meet and greet,” Sharon said.

“Are you the Head Teacher?” I asked.

“Temporary head, yes,” she replied, “The permanent is away on leave.”

“Right, a bit of an extended holiday then?” It was the wrong thing to ask.

“No,” Sharon said. “She’s pregnant, and because it’s probably better that you know now rather than finding out from someone else, or just saying something stupid, her husband has left her because the baby is actually Tom’s, the man you’re replacing. Tom’s also taken off because he’s married and is trying to save his marriage. So now she’s living with her two other kids at her mother’s, and her mother is slowly slipping into dementia.”

I felt like a total dick. “Right, that was stupid,” I said and tried to change the subject. “Which desk is mine?”

“The cursed one here,” Kathy said and everyone laughed. “At least that’s what we like to call it.”

I could say nothing but thank you, and I think it was a wise decision.

As soon as I placed my bag on my chair though, we all had to head down to the hall for the welcome speech by the principal.

The hall was identical to every other public school hall I’d ever seen. Pale yellow bricks, grey painted doors, retractable basketball hoop etc, etc.

At that point I was feeling fine. Apart from being the dubious recipient of the doomed chair, all was pretty good. I’d had a magnificent shag, a great breakfast, the town was nice and the English staff all seemed approachable.

The hall was fairly well packed with teachers, some who’d come from other towns in the region. I was sitting alongside my English compatriots when the Principal, named Gavin, took the podium and began the usual welcome speech.

I was mindlessly flicking through some paperwork when Gavin’s speech took my attention.

“As is the tradition here at Coolamein High School, we have quite a few new teachers to welcome and be shown the way around the school. Could I get the two captains and the vice-captains to come to the stage please.”

It was at that moment, as soon as I saw the two girls and the two boys stand up, that the pinnacle that I had been tumbling down earlier in the day, reappeared, this time with jagged edges, fire breathing dragons and a deep sense of doom. The cursed chair had already cast its spell. For when the girls stood up, I recognised Erin and Georgie before they’d even turned around.

I couldn’t believe that I’d fucked the girl’s captain and girl’s vice captain the night before. As they swaggered up onto the stage all I could do was remember how fucking hot they’d been only hours earlier. That great feeling though oscillated with my intense unease and fear that I was now breaking all the rules regarding teacher/student relations.

Emotions and thoughts swirled in my cerebral cortex. I was devastated that I couldn’t fuck them again, but oh so glad that I had. I wanted to tell all the blokes about how I’d fucked these two hot girls, but now couldn’t. Technically my contract with the department only started today, but no one will even be worried about that if word gets out.

That left me worrying what the girls would do, would they brag to their friends or try to blackmail me? Erin in particular concerned me the most. Her demeanour after our session only ten hours earlier, her insistence that it wouldn’t be the last time, again left me excited, and fearful.

I used the head of the person in front of me to shield my face as I slumped back in my chair, hoping that they wouldn’t spot me amongst the many. The summer Coolamein girl’s school uniform was a short grey check skirt, white blouse, long white socks and black shoes. The girls wore it well. I was safely obscured from the two vixens and I thought I’d have time to procure my thoughts, develop a plan of action. It wasn’t to be.

“Now if all the new high school teachers could stand and come up to the stage,” Gavin said, “the students will take them for a quick tour before we settle down for our first session.”

Suddenly all I could feel, was fear. Fight or flight, they say, are our two responses to situations like this. I have a third; don’t move and pretend that you’re invisible. It doesn’t work.

I felt as though my ankles had sprouted roots and were now tightly attached to a boulder sitting below the hall floor. I was just staring at the days workshops, trying to look as though I hadn’t heard anything, attempting to look like an ignorant fool.