The Private School

Chapter 7

(ORIGINALLY POSTED 22 APRIL '18)

It's been a couple of weeks, work has been busy but good, I've managed to keep avoiding Mrs Hall-Plug, she's keen on having that drink with me but every time she finds me, I just tell her I'm busy, I'm surprised she hasn't tried to force herself onto me, but I swear if she does that I am not going to let her near me again, and I'll report her for sexual harassment, she'd probably lose her job here.

Maths sessions with Addi have been going good, instead of having the sessions in this classroom, we've started having the sessions in her room, I know it sounds kind of weird but we see enough of school during the day, and the sessions have been working out pretty good in her room too.

Talking of Addi, I was supposed to have her this morning but she didn't turn up to class, I'm thinking maybe she overslept, I oversleep all the time, fortunately not by much as of yet, but she's been working hard the last few weeks. I hope she doesn't get in trouble for being late, and if she does, I hope it's not big trouble. I'll try and catch up with her at some point, I'm bound to bump into her in the corridors.

I'm almost 45 minutes into a lesson and the class are being a little difficult today, which is unusual.

"Hey guys, pipe down" I say quite loud as the class talk too loud.

"Sir, we heard that you've been a naughty man" A young boy says. Me, naughty? Never.

"Well you've heard wrong, now all of you get on with your work!" I demand.

"And if we don't?" The same boy asks, his name is Ben.

"Well, Ben, you know I'm an easy teacher, I don't think it would be nice if I had to start giving out detentions because you've been a fool" I say calmly. He goes quiet and gets on with his work, that's what I thought.

The lessons go by as hours pass and eventually school is over for the day, I still haven't seen Addi, I'm getting concerned about her whereabouts, I did promise her Dad that I'd make sure she's ok while she's here, surely if she overslept then I would have seen her already, nobody sleeps in this late, not unless they've been awake until like 6am.

There is one way of finding out if she is in today and that's the school register, I can check her attendance for the day on the system. I go over to my desk and put collected papers to one side, I log in to the computer and go onto the register, I search Addi, Addison Taylor, click on today's attendance. She hasn't been marked in at all today, now not marked for one or two lessons is understandable if she's overslept or sometimes teachers forget the register, but she would have been marked in at least 2 or 3 times, she hasn't been marked in at all, she wasn't in today? Maybe she isn't feeling well then, that would be a huge possibility and explanation to her absence.

I'm thinking I should go to her room and make sure she is ok, see if she needs anything. I pack my bag with work to mark later on and I turn the computer off, I leave the room, locking the door and speed walk to Addi's room, I don't want to look suspicious.

Once I get to her door I knock on it, no answer, I knock again, no answer, I see a lad walking towards me.

"Hey, do you know who stays in this room?" I ask, the lad looks a little younger than Addi.

"Sure, Addison Taylor, why?" He asks back.

"Is she in, it's just she missed school today, I want to make sure she's ok" I say serious.

"She hasn't been here all day, that's why you can't find her" He says.

"What do you mean? Why hasn't she been in?" I ask confused and my concern for her is growing.