Chapter 2 - "School Tour..."

'So there's two classes for every year group. Which is kind of what makes it easier because you don't have to prepare every single lesson yourself. For instance I do PE and you do English' he shrugged.

Clara just followed him and took mental notes in her brain knowing in reality that she would forget everything that is being told to her.

'This is the staff room. There is normally a meeting in here every night. Staff meetings for us are every Wednesday and Thursday from 4 until 6'

'Okay' she mumbled.

'Any questions so far?'

'How do you go to meetings and have two kids to look after at the same time?'

'Any questions that aren't about my personal life?' He scoffed.

'Shit sorry' she mumbled then covered her mouth at her foul language.

'This is year 5JS and opposite is year 5MN I'm 3SH. Dunno why they just like to use the last letter and first letter of your last name. You'll be OD I'm guessing?'

'That's what Mr Foster told me'

'FYI... those two are totally sleeping together. They have been tor over a year. Just neither of them will admit it'

'How does that work if they teach the same year?'

'It was a total coincidence, Lilly had year 2 last year and Richard had year 5. By the time foster has worked it out - it was too late' John explained. 'This is the coffee machine. It's the saviour of everyone's life in this place the only rule we work by is that if it's under 25% full... you refill it. You do not want to get involved with coffee gate' he warned. 'Want one?'

'Umm I won't right now. I have my mug in my classroom. I'll bring it up later' Clara mumbled.

'Fair enough. Well no offence but I've got to run. My kids get pretty impatient when I stay behind for too long' he smiled. 'See you tomorrow' he grumbled slumping off out of the school.

- - -

'Come on Henry give me a break' John begged as the 6 year old in question sat on the steps at the bottom of the stairs in protest.

John had Isla in his arms and was trying to get her into a bed time routine properly but it was really difficult to do that when Henry wouldn't comply.

'I want to go to James house on Friday. Why can't I go?'

'Because you have football on Saturday morning so you can't stay round James. I'm sure you can go another time' John huffed.

'But it's James birthday. I really want to go' he scoffed.

'Buddy I don't have time for this fighting over nothing. I have a lot of work to be getting on with including writing tomorrow's Maths lesson' John grumbled as the door unlocked. 'I can't fricken wait for you to move out' John snapped looking as Richard stumbled in.

'Sorry. Had a real crisis. Lilly and I had to plan tomorrow's English lesson. It's been a real nightmare' Richard said hanging his coat up as Henry ran to Richard and jumped up in his arms wondering why he was home so late.

It had been 3 years since John's ex wife moved out and had been pretty much 2 and a half years since Richard had moved in.

John hadn't had the house to himself since before he got married. And that was over 7 years ago now.

'I'm going to let you flatten your sex hair and try that one again' John scoffed as he went up the stairs and dropped Isla to the ground as she ran up to her bedroom on the second floor herself.

The house contained three small floors with the third floor being Richards floor. He had his bedroom and a bathroom and John had even worked out a way to make his own mini kitchen up there so he didn't have to go down into the main family kitchen if he didn't want to intrude.

The only rule that John held in the house was no women were to be bought back without consultation - and since the pair were having sex in "secret" Richard couldn't bring Lilly back.

They also had to be careful of Henry.

Henry was only 4 when John's ex wife moved out. It is a complicated back story - but long story short of it is that she had found herself a better man and wasn't interested in the kids.

John had immediately got an injunction and court order allowing him to be the sole parent in the kids upbringing and stopping all contact with them until they were 18 and even then she had to contact them. Any other visit before hand has to be on the kids terms. They have to find her.

But she hadn't shown any interest so far. John had, had major trouble trying to track her down really.

He assumed she had moved back to Spain because he hadn't heard a peep out of her.

Either way it was nothing strange to Henry that he lived with two of his teachers. John never taught Henry directly because that wouldn't be ethical and he would make sure that Richard doesn't teach him directly - but that means there is not many other teachers left.

What John didn't want was Henry waking up to find three of his teachers from school in the house.

It would be a bit weird.

He wanted to transfer him to a different school - Isla too. But it wasn't practical and he gets a very good deal on the pair by working in the school.

He wanted the best education for his kids and that school was it.

With Isla very soon to start the kindergarten (after Christmas) he didn't want to start messing things up. If he took them out he knew he would never be able to afford the private school fees.

He had savings - and the savings were huge but even that wouldn't cover the costs.

Isla squeaked in a pitta pattta of her toddler feet along the carpet and bounced straight into the white wooden bed in the corner of the room just for her.

It wasn't ideal - but Henry and Isla did for the moment share a room. John needed the bigger room for himself and the spare box room as an office.

What would help is if Richard moved out because it would give extra room.

'Dada. Read the bears pease' Isla demanded in her high pitch voice and plonked lightly brunette self on John's lap and nestled her head into his neck. 'Pease?' She said with pleading eyes.

'Okay' John sighed knowing he had so much work to do but that his kids will always come first.