One of a Kind

Chapter 6: Keye to the Soul

Work was a very important part of Jennifer's life. Her life revolved around it and whatever happened she would be there, without fail. As a child, her ambition was to sing but after being put down by older girls in the school at talent shows she found a more suitable plan. After much thought and research she decided that she wanted to teach, she was good with young children and did babysitting for her parents friends to increase her experience and confidence. After a few years, she decided for sure that she wanted to be a teacher and when they were close to taking their options she took music. She loved music and singing and wanted to carry on and she decided to combine her two great loves. Music and children.

Her first lesson alone with an older year ten class didn't start out well but it soon turned out to be the start of her lovable reputation.

'Girls can you please...' she stopped short of her sentence and dodged the flying missile of scrunched up paper that whizzed past her ear, 'that isn't very lady' a pen flew through the air and hit her in the face '...like' she finished with a sigh. She wasn't going to give up that easily; 'so' she continued slightly louder than before, but they just blotted her out, she shook her head in despair and put one of the popular songs of the time on using the computer. A few at a time, girls began to stop talking and ended up singing along, at the end of the song they stayed quiet 'any requests?' she asked beaming with the triumph 'me me!!' girls yelled as they all clambered up to the board 'sit down please' they all rushed back to their seats except for two girls, Daniella and Emily, who prided themselves on making their teachers lives hell. Being relatively new Jennifer didn't know quite how to deal with these girls and so tried a different tactic than that of most teachers. After trying to sit them down Daniella walked out, Emily tried to follow but Jennifer caught her before she could get away, but Daniella was too quick. Jennifer slipped quietly out of the classroom and ran after Daniella who was storming down the corridor towards the office. She heard Jennifer's heels clicking on the floor and ran faster, 'shoot!' Jennifer hissed to herself and sprinted after her, eventually catching up at the school office. 'Daniella' she puffed 'yeah I know I've got detention, see you tomorrow' she jerked her arm away from where Jennifer had her hand on her shoulder. Jennifer snorted, 'what are you talking about?' she laughed 'why would I give you a detention? That's the most exercise I've had for ages!' Daniella couldn't help herself and the two of them stood laughing by the office, luckily no-one was there so Jennifer suggested they get back sharpish.

That class was telling everyone how nice the new music teacher Miss Emerson was and the year sevens that had her next weren't as scared anymore.

She was like everybody's second mum. If you had a problem you could go to her and she would help, when she was on duty and a year seven fell over and hurt themselves, she would pull a plaster out of her jacket pocket, like she was expecting it, and bandage them up, sending them off with a hug. Teachers weren't meant to touch the kids but everyone respected her for her comforting break in the rules. A year eight broke her leg by falling off a chair in her room one day and the girl, Sally, sat on Jennifer's lap in the school office while the ambulance was on its way. Her compassionate nature gained her an excellent reputation and the kids loved her. After a year, the year elevens who were lucky enough to have her cried a lot on their last day, as did she. Some kids took advantage of her good nature and would forget their homework or their book on purpose, but she took this handful of girls with a pinch of salt.

When she met Alex, they were both work-a-holics but Alex soon grew to change his mind. Even now, Alex regarded her as a work-a-holic due to long hours spent, after her busy working day, creating presentations and fun lessons for all her classes, while she couldn't understand how he hated his job but yet, he was still working there, so she decided to put the question to him. 'Why do you still work where you do, if you don't like it?' he shook his head and laughed at her, 'I don't hate it' he explained 'I just don't have that passion for your work that you have' 'oh' she glanced at him to see if he was joking. She frowned at him and when he turned around, he laughed heartily but stopped quickly as she went to sweep out of the room 'passionate?!' she snapped and he held up his hands, defeated. 'In a good way!'he called after she left and childishly put his hands over his ears and hummed so she couldn't argue. Gingerly, he lifted his hands away, expecting her to be angry, but his charm was too much and he nodded at himself with approval as she sat before him, laughing.

Jennifer's best friend was an older lady who also worked at Keye, her name was Lynn and the two got on like a house on fire; Lynn was almost like a distant relative in the family. Lynn didn't have a husband; unfortunately he had passed away several years ago and now she tried to improve the kids lives. 'The kids didn't approve though' Lynn laughed when Jennifer questioned her 'being a headmaster wasn't all it was cracked up to be. But then, no-one said it was going to be easy'