Chapter 2: Progression

I wasn't really worried by Kirsty's behaviour yet; she was just a young girl after all and would form many crushes probably. In class she continued to follow me round the room, her eyes like a desperate puppy. How she managed to learn anything in that state was a miracle and I secretly suspected she was actually covering the lessons at home so she could daydream about me during the lesson.

Her work continued to be of a high standard and I was happy that she was progressing well, well enough that I had already made enquiries about how I could have her moved up into the credit class. That would be difficult, as it would have to fit in with the rest of her timetable. It was most likely that she would have a different teacher and I wasn't sure how I felt about that. Still, the most important thing was her development.

Heather Marshall, Kirsty's English teacher approached me a couple of weeks later. She was clearly exercised by something.

"Okay Buster, what have you done with Kirsty MacLeod? The girl in my class is not the same person I had two weeks ago. I've asked her about what can only be described as a miraculous improvement in her work and she told me you had impressed on her the importance of her English for examinations!"

"Hi Heather, yes I did tell her that her standard of English would pull her marks down and that she had to work hard at improving it."

"Well, let me tell you she has gone back to Primary school texts and begun to work through those and first and second year work too. It's almost like she's running her own little remedial class and it's working. Whatever it is that you've got over her keep using it!"

I blushed at this comment and tried to explain my intervention to stop the bullying she had been subjected to.

"The only thing is I think she's now got a crush on me."

"Oh, how sweet. Mind you, I can see why, you are kind of cute." She laughed.

"Fuck off Heather! Be serious, I'm sure she'll grow out of it soon enough but anything you could do to help that along would be appreciated."

She said she would have a chat with Kirsty and repeated her request for me to keep Kirsty hitting the books.

Kirsty didn't repeat her flashing incident, for which I was thankful, but continued to moon over me in each class. I consoled myself that I was having a positive impact on her development - four other teachers had now approached me to discuss her significant improvements in performance. Maths, Biology, Chemistry and Spanish all seemed to be areas that Kirsty was now excelling. The progress was so marked that the Head called a conference of Kirsty's teachers.

We gathered in Henderson's office and he poured us all coffee. Once we were settled he opened the conference.

"Thank you all for staying on after classes today. As you know, we are here to discuss the progress of Kirsty MacLeod, and quite remarkable progress it is too if the reports you have all submitted are to be believed."

Heads nodded all round the room to confirm that we were all in agreement with this.

"I believe we can trace the seeds of this improvement to Ken's intervention to tackle the bullying behaviour Kirsty was being subjected to and we now need to nurture that as much as we can."

I blushed at being singled out and caught Heather Marshall's eye as she winked at me as if to say she knew there was something else motivating Kirsty now.

"Okay," said the Head, "I have brought you together to discuss a highly unusual plan of action for this school. I suggest we should consider upgrading Kirsty in all of her classes to credit level. That would deal with difficulties in re-doing her timetable for just a few subjects, but would give her a massive challenge. What do you think? Could she cope with it?"

One by one the other teachers gave their opinions. All of them were amazed at the difference in Kirsty's performance, the degree to which she was now a clear self-starter. The progress she had already made indicated she would be able to make the step up was the general consensus.

"Ken, you've been quiet, what do you think?"

"Oh Ken's got his own little motivational tool," interjected Heather, "Kirsty's got a little crush on him and he just keeps telling her she needs to work harder!"

I turned a bright red in front of my colleagues and the Head.

"Well, um, she does have a crush on me I think but it's harmless. What's more important is that she now seems to be studying at the local library, using their computer and getting out of her house where the climate is not conducive to good study habits."

My colleagues were having a chuckle at my expense.

The Head asked each of us one last time for confirmation we felt Kirsty should be moved up and we all agreed. Henderson said he would take care of discussing the proposal with Kirsty herself to make sure she would be willing and also to have a new timetable drawn up if she did.

As we were leaving the Head's room Heather tugged my elbow and drew me aside into a corridor.

"Ah Romeo, I had my little chat with Kirsty as I promised. Man you're in trouble, she is smitten, boy is she smitten. There was no way I was going to get through to her Ken so just watch yourself okay?"

I groaned and promised her I would, thanking her for at least trying.

Kirsty was called to go and see the Head during my class on Friday. I guess Henderson thought I was the main one behind Kirsty's progress and could therefore be the one to give up some of my teaching time with her. She didn't return before the lesson ended and I didn't see her for the rest of the day.

I was packing up my books and papers at the end of the day, thinking about the weekend, when my door burst open and Kirsty flew in. She didn't pause but instead launched herself at me, wrapping her arms and legs round me as she squealed.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you Sir!"

I was conscious once more of her little body against me, even worse this time I was holding her by her butt cheeks, an instinctive reaction to her leaping into my arms. I tried to drop her and back off but instead she let herself slide down my body until her feet hit the floor.

"Thank you Sir. Mr Henderson has told me that my progress is so good that I'm to be upgraded to credit in all of my subjects. It was you again wasn't it?"

"Kirsty, calm down, you really can't behave like that and no, it definitely wasn't me this time, it was all down to you."

She did seem to calm down a little although her face was still flushed, the red blush in her cheeks highly attractive.

"But I wouldn't be working so hard if it wasn't for you sir, so it is down to you really."

She hugged me again and I was intensely aware of her head on my chest, the smell of her shampoo and her little breasts pressed up against me. I heard her sigh, a pleasurable sound, and gently pushed her away from me.

"Kirsty, please, students can't behave like this with teachers. I'm really pleased for you but you have to begin to control yourself or I'm going to get into trouble."

She glanced down shyly at the obvious bulge in my trousers and giggled.

"At least somebody's pleased to see me." She said.

"Kirsty! That's quite enough. Now, off with you miss and have a nice weekend."

Thankfully she did leave at that point. I sat at my desk, guilt washing over me at my noticeable reaction to her. This was no way for a teacher to react to one of his students. I had to admit that the combination of shyness, youthful innocence and then outright wantonness would make it difficult for any man to control his reactions. I sighed and finished packing to go home.

I had only one more class with Kirsty that year before her timetable was changed and she left me a note on her desk as she left, too emotional apparently to try to talk to me. The note was sweet but left me feeling relieved that she was moving to another teacher - perhaps she would switch her attentions now?

'Sir, for all the things you've done for me
I love you
Sir, for all the help you've given me
I love you
Sir, for seeing the real me inside
I love you
Sir, I'm working as hard as I can to show you
I love you'

I passed her occasionally in the corridors and she would flash me a thousand-watt smile but she kept her distance. I kept a check on her progress with her various teachers and was really pleased to find that she was not only continuing her good results, she was improving if anything. Changes like this were what teachers lived for; it provided affirmation of the vocation we had chosen - pedagogy. So naturally I marked Kirsty down as one of my big successes.

I had no further involvement with Kirsty that year until the run up to the third year exams. Heather and two of her other teachers sought me out to tell me her performance was dipping dramatically and they didn't know why. Her attitude in class had become withdrawn, she was quiet, wasn't contributing. Her assignments lacked the detail and attention to detail they had previously shown.