Saint Peters Academy, My Fathers Private Boarding School for Boys.

Saint Peters Academy. 10.

Tonight’s staff dinner was an Annual event at the start of term and for it my father had chosen and laid out an outfit for me to wear. The dress, a plain black knee length with a golden waist and straps had a wonderful flow to the fabric. It made you feel like spinning around in circles and watching is flutter. Not my first choice in an outfit but appropriate for my fathers request.

Sliding on a pair of plain black ballet slippers, I left my hair to hang long and loose.

Just as the lip gloss brush made its final slide over my upper lip there was a knock on the door.

"Come in"

"Ah Hey Nean it's Mr. Blake."

Weird. What was a teacher doing in my room.

"Hey um I was just about to go to dinner. Aren't you going? I thought it was some big event or something?"

"Yeah that’s why I came up here. I've been trying to find the dinning room for half an hour. I went to the staff room and no one was there. Then I couldn't find the Teachers rooms. Then I couldn't find anyone. But I remembered you saying your room was the furthest room on the top floor so I thought I would see if you were still here."

"Well you're in luck. I was just leaving. Let's go."

"You look nice by the way. That dress suits you."

A little inappropriate from any other teacher but it just seemed right coming from him.

"Thanks, My dad picked it out for me. I'm pleased to know it's not to bad."

"It's beautiful, Sorry that was inappropriate. I have to try harder to remember I am your teacher and you are my student."

Did he really just say that.

"I have to remind myself the same thing sometimes."

We spent the rest of the walk to the dinning hall in silence, heads faced forward, almost as if the other weren't there. A except the under lying awkward feeling.

When we finally reached the grand looking dinning hall we went our separate ways. Him to the left end of the staff table and me to the center. Next to my family.

"Nean", My father turned to me inviting me to sit next to him."That dress looks wonderful on you by the way. Now I meant to ask you. Once the other students arrive."

"You mean all the boys," I interrupted his sentence paired with an evil frown.

"Yes once the boys arrive. Do you want to sit at the staff table or year 13 table?"

"Well either way I'm completely conspicuous. I guess I don't want to seem like daddies little tattletale so I’ll sit at the year 13 table, for now. If I get to much shit I'm going to come back up here."

"I won't have that language from you thank you."

"Sorry father."

"It's okay. Now eat your dinner before heading off to bed. You need to be up early tomorrow. We have a big day ahead of us. You have to greet all the students with me."

"Boys."

"Yes, all the boys with me."

I shoveled the food down my throat barely noticing what it was. I was a fast eater but that was ridiculous, even for me. Rising from my chair I headed to the gym to practice some of the moves I had learned earlier that day.

"I should have figured it would be you I would find in here." Mr. Blake's warming voice filled the gym.

The hit previously directed at the punching bag swaying in front of me, shot of to the side with such a sudden distraction to my almost entirely absorbed thought pattern. Allowing the bag to swing back round and knock me over. Pounding foot steps made a quick approach as I attempted to rid myself of the winded feeling.

"Are you okay. Sorry I didn't mean to frighten you."

"I'm fine. Just a little winded is all."

"You were doing well. Really."

"Till you showed up and scared the hell out of me."

"Sorry about that. I have to close up the gym. Sorry."

"You're kicking me out?" I laughed. Who knew a Phys ed teacher would be telling their student they'd had to much exercise.

"Nean, it's one in the morning. You only have another five hours before you need to be up again."

Glancing up at the clock above the pool I realized that the time was intact one in the morning and I had been in the gym for five hours.

"Oh sorry. Have you been up all this time waiting for me to finish?"

"Oh it's fine. I don't have to get up as early as you. You've definably improved since I've been watching you. You've done well but there's going to be hell to pay when you wake up tomorrow and you feel like your limbs are about to drop off."

"How long have you been watching for me to have actually improved?"

"About two hours."

Suddenly I realized that the distance between us had rapidly decreased and we were now standing just under a foot away from each other. Taking a awkward side step, I quickly made my way across the gym floor and away from his examining eye. He was my teacher. I couldn't let that thought pass me.

"I'll see you tomorrow, I mean later tonight. At dinner. Sorry, again."

Out of the corner of my eye I caught him shaking his head before pulling his gaze away from me and heading toward the switch board.