troubled teachers

Chapter 1

Running his hand through his hair one final time, the boy scowled at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. Leaning forwards, he bared his teeth, checking none of the remnants of his cereal had avoided the rigorous brushing he had just finished. They hadn't. His hands returned to his hair, trying to push his floppy fringe to the side but it kept falling back into place, covering his eyes so he looked like a Justin Bieber wannabe from 2009. Wetting his fingers under the tap, he tried again. The hair hovered momentarily, teasingly, and then fell back once more.

"Henry! Hurry up! We're gonna be late!"

"Coming!" Henry yelled back, giving himself one final glance in the mirror before turning off the light and slumping from the bathroom. He scooped up his new schoolbag in the hallway, swung it onto his shoulder, and made his way heavily down the narrow staircase.

"Do you have to stomp?" his mother asked him as the gangly fourteen year old appeared by the front door seconds later.

"I want a hair cut. And I wasn't stomping," Henry argued.

"But I like your hair long. And you were," Emma said, reaching towards him and tightening his school tie.

"Get off," Henry complained, backing away from his mother and loosening the knot again.

Emma sighed. "Henry, I know this is hard for you. I know a lot has changed but -,"

"We're gonna be late," Henry said, pushing his way past his mother and opening the front door.

Both Swans blinked in the bright September sunlight. As their eyes adjusted, they stepped out of the house and into the small front garden. Henry hovered by the gates as his mother locked the canary yellow door.

"We need to paint that," Henry commented, nodding towards the door before following his mother to their car.

"Why?" Emma asked.

Henry raised an eyebrow and pointed to the yellow Volkswagen Beetle they now stood beside. "Because I don't want my new friends to think we've matched our car and our house door. I mean, how lame is that?"

Emma just chuckled and climbed into the car. Henry got into the passenger seat and slammed his door, scowling again.

~

"And just to start the year on a jolly note, we are due an Ofsted inspection in the summer term." Everyone in the staffroom groaned. "Now I know school inspections are the bane of our lives," the school's headteacher Mr Gold continued, "but at least we know it's coming. We have a lot of time to get ready and I am expecting yet another outstanding report. We have a great school here and our students, despite some of their backgrounds, are fantastic. And that's down to you guys. As teachers, we are the front line for these kids and parents have entrusted their education to you. And I'm sure you won't let them down. So on that note, I'll let you get to it. I hope you all enjoy your first day back."

Chatter broke out in the staffroom at once; some teachers already moving towards the door with others heading to get more coffee or glancing over lesson plans.

"Oh one more thing," Gold said, raising his hand to indicate he wanted everyone's attention again. Headteachers, even out of the classroom, never forgot the tricks of the trade. "We have a new teacher joining Storybrooke Secondary School this year. Emma Swan," he waved his arm towards the blonde woman who was sat near the back, alone, "is our replacement geography teacher. She has just moved down to the area from ... where did you say you were from?"