Chapter 4: In the gym again

"Would you step into my office please Sarah?" My face must have shown my concern because June quickly added, "Nothing's wrong, I just wanted a chat. Close the door and sit down so we can talk freely." Already I'd become aware that June was somewhat of an enigma, in her deputy principal mode she was authoritarian and ruthless but outside that, she was friendly and helpful. Still apprehensive, I sat down gingerly. "Ignoring the spanking you had on arrival, how are you getting on here now?"

It was Thursday afternoon of my first week and I'd hardly come to terms with the whole set-up. "It's all very strange at the moment especially after teaching at normal schools. The kids are great and I enjoy teaching them and they're not the problem children I thought they might be. We seem to gel okay, just like I did with the kids at my last school. Having all the free time is great too, but I've found that it isn't really free. This is more a hybridisation between a regular school and Summerhills where the students can go to lessons if they want, or can miss them; the choice is theirs. Here they must go to the lessons they're timetabled for but they have lots of free periods too and can do anything they choose and if I'm free at the time they come in for an extra tuition. They're always polite and ask if they can come in, and I really like having them and they're very informal so with most of them doing different things, I work harder than the actual lesson time. They also seem to have the knack of calling me Miss, in lessons and Sarah when outside the classroom, which is something I'm beginning to get used to."

"And your English lessons?"

"Wow, that computer room is something all schools should have. Fortunately Ronnie knows the system and I'm getting the hang of it, at least I think I am." The room had twenty computers and I sat at a raised console and could monitor everyone's work from it. June and I shared the English lessons; she did the literature and grammar side of it and, because I'd had a number of articles on art published in magazines, I did essay writing and was to bias it towards commercial publication. The idea was to give students another means of earning money. "Can we have a graphics programme put on so I can do computer art with them?" I'd done this at college but none of my previous schools had the facilities.

"Probably, let me know what you need. And the after school activities?"

I knew she referred to the sex part of life here. "Yes, I enjoy that too. Seems strange to be sent here for having sex with a student and for it to be accepted here, albeit they are older."

"How are you getting along with other members of staff?"

"As yet I haven't had much dealing with Harry Penrose who teaches history and humanities part time but he seems okay. Roger Hawkes, the woodwork teacher has been very helpful and has helped me out with drawing boards and I found he'd stored the art easels so they didn't get damaged. Pity he's only in on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. He's offered to let me join in his free time classes and I may well do that."

"And you seem to have hit it off with one member of the security staff at least."

I guessed she'd heard that I'd slept with Chris the previous night so I just nodded. In fact all the ones I'd been in contact with, even the two women, greeted me in a friendly way.

June smiled. "Yes, I've had good reports, perhaps I should say glowing reports, on what you are doing from the students and the staff, all except Paul."

We were coming to the crux of the meeting. After the incident on Monday, I hadn't slept with Paul nor been to any gym sessions. Monday night I found I wasn't forced to have sex with anyone. The computer sent two boys to our room and I chose one of them to take to my bed but Jerry, the other lad, pleaded with me to take him instead. "I'm not gay and I hate being fucked in the arse. Paul will want to do that and if I refuse he'll use the strap on me for some excuse in gym tomorrow." I heard Paul swear at him a few times and guessed the boy had refused his advances. At lunchtime I asked Kate if that was the case and she told me Paul had given Jerry four with the strap for not putting enough effort into the exercises. "Paul is just a bully, June," I answered, "He's kind and considerate until you don't do things his way, or the way he thinks you should, then he'll find some way to reek his revenge. That's what happened on Monday. I could no more have jogged back here from the walk even if I hadn't been thrashed, I'm not made that way, but because he'd ordered it, I had to pay the price. Jerry too had to pay the price in an underhand way for not succumbing to Paul's desire." I repeated the story to her.