Chapter 12 - Rugby

I slipped out of Marcia’s room in the early hours and got back to my room without being seen. I set my alarm clock for nine-thirty and got some much-needed sleep. Marcia had kept me busy all night and then again before she let me escape from her room. We had tried every position you can dream of, and if we really liked one, we did it twice!

I got my head down, and the alarm woke me from a deep sleep. I had set the alarm for eight-thirty, as the last breakfast sitting was nine-thirty. I had a free period, so there was no rush.

I got out of bed, used the toilet, and then made a coffee before jumping in the shower. I washed off the smell of our sex and then dressed in jeans and a t-shirt before gulping back the coffee and heading down to the dining room.

It was still snowing, and I knew there would be no outdoor sports that day and for a few days to come.

I had breakfast with Mrs Heart and a lady called Jan, who worked in the admin team. The snow was the topic of conversation. I had the full Scottish breakfast, then porridge, and a mug of tea. Marcia came in. She smiled as she walked past me. She didn’t eat in the room; she took fruit and a smoothie and left the room.

I got another mug of coffee and headed over to the gym. I checked my email. The professor had called a meeting at seven o’clock that night. I checked the weather forecast, and it indicated snow for the next three days. I checked the rest of my emails, both work and personal.

My first lesson was a class of the second year, lads. We played indoor cricket. The lads seemed eager to be indoors. My second lesson was more of the second-year lads. Again, we played indoor cricket.

I got a takeaway sandwich for lunch and some fruit, and then I went to my room. I watched an American soap opera. I was back in the office in the gym as the lads arrived.

The year three lads played indoor cricket, and then I had year four lads for a double session. I got them to work out on the gym machines. We had enough machines for half the guys, so the rest of the lads used skipping ropes, medicine balls and the gym ropes. I got them swapping around every ten minutes, so the lads got to try different things.

They would all help the guys with fitness and core strength.

That evening, I went to the dining room early. I had to walk through the snow that was still falling. I ordered chilli, rice, and chips, followed by my banoffee pie and a pint of water.

I sat with Mr and Mrs Heart, Bones, and the professor. We talked about the fight with the farmers. The police had been in touch with the professor, and they wanted to know if we would all go to court. I was iffy, but he said it was our duty.

I didn’t go back to my room after eating. I headed into the staff room, got a coffee, checked my mail box, and then sat and read a magazine.

By six-thirty, the room was full, and all the teachers and admin staff were there. There were people I had never seen,

The professor came in. His meeting was in three parts. Part one provided an update on the farmers and the fight; the second part discussed the weather and how the school would cope with it. The third was a warning to watch the kids, as the fight, plus the snow, might be worrying for them. When he had taken all the questions we had, he ended the meeting, and we all left the room.

I went back to my rooms, made a mug of coffee, and took my Kindle to bed.

The next few days were quiet; the snow kept falling. I did lots of indoor sessions, and lots of indoor hockey and cricket were played. My running was curtailed; I didn’t want to slip over in the snow. There were lots of unknown obstacles hidden under the white carpet.

I ate, worked, and slept. There was no fun and games to be had. The only positive was that I managed to complete a significant amount of work on my book.

I had a meeting with the professor, and he advised me that our game against the high school should be moved. I called their coach, Gary Hastings, and he agreed. We would push the game back two weeks.

On Thursday night, the snow stopped, and Friday was a bright sunny day. I knew it would take a few days for the snow to melt away. All the rugby sessions went ahead, but indoors. We did gym work and played indoor cricket as it helped with fitness levels.

We did the video show on Friday, and the lads had lots of questions.

I had an early night; I was in bed before ten o’clock. I went for breakfast, walking to the gym on the way. The training pitch was still covered in snow, but I was sure it would be safe to train. I opened up the gym and sent an email using the mailing list Marcia had set up for me.

I breakfasted on porridge and fruit. I sat with Bones, Carothers, and Mr Plum. There seemed to be a dark cloud over the school. I had two coffees and some pastries.

Then I went back to my room, got into my training kit, and went to the gym. I checked my emails, both work and personal.

The lads turned up for training, and we did warmups before working on attacking lines. It was good, as half the squad got to work on attacking, while the other half worked on defence. There was a lot of fun included, as snowballs got thrown and other activities took place. The lads enjoyed messing around in the snow, and I let them. It was good to let off steam.

I decided that we would only do the half day.

I switched the teams around every twenty minutes. I made sure the session was over to give the lads time to shower and head to the dining hall.

I ate with Bones, Carothers, Mr Plum, Miss Green, and Mrs Heart. I went to the tuck shop and bought coffee and milk, along with a massive bar of Cadbury’s milk chocolate. I spent the afternoon watching old movies on TV.

That evening, I went to eat, and the catering staff had put on a curry menu. I started with onion bhajis and then had a chicken and mushroom curry, accompanied by rice, chips, and naan bread. It was all well-cooked and very tasty.

I would have liked a beer, but it was against the school rules.

That evening, I went to Marcia’s film show, to kill time more than anything, she was showing Back to the Future and Uncle Buck. I sat at the back with my popcorn and a bottle of Coke.

Sunday was boring. After breakfast, I went to my room, put on some music, and began editing my book. I gave lunch a swerve. I watched some rugby in the afternoon and then went down to the dining room for dinner.

That evening, I watched some game shows on TV and went to bed before nine o’clock.

I woke at six and a glance out of the window told me the snow was starting to melt. It was still risky to run through the woods. I knew I needed a run. So, I got my running kit on and did some warmups. I did ten laps of the training pitch.

I went back to my room and had a shower. I didn’t fancy breakfast, so I made a coffee and fell down a YouTube black hole.

My first lesson was with year one lads; we played hockey in the gym. Then, for three years, they played indoor cricket. Before lunch, I had more of the year ones, and again we played hockey in the gym.

Lunch for me that day was pie and veg. The talk around the table was all about the weather. Some were saying we were due more snow, and others said it would not come our way.