Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
“Okay, folks. Great stuff today.” Emma slung a hefty sack of netballs over her shoulder, her arms feeling the weight but her stride somehow steady.
She stopped just outside the changing rooms, the worn brick walls of the school blending in with the stench of old equipment and aged corridors.
Her voice, though calm, carried a subtle authority as she glanced over her class, each of them standing in various states of tiredness, excitement, or indifference.
“I’ve been keeping an eye on one or two of you, and I’ll be sending letters home about possible netball trials.
I can’t commit to giving you game time at the moment, but some of you are showing a lot of promise. ”
The class shuffled into a line, some heads nodding while others, like Kelsey, stared off into space, her arms folded across her chest in a posture that screamed defiance.
Emma’s eyes softened briefly as she looked at her newest students.
She had been so impressed with them so far this year.
That fresh talent was showing, and the way they pushed themselves was inspiring.
She could already see it. A few of them had the potential to go on to represent their county, perhaps even their country.
“Miss, can you tell us now who will be getting letters?” Kelsey’s voice cut through the silence, laced with frustration.
She was one of the tougher students. One of the ones who tested boundaries and the ones who made Emma second-guess her approach sometimes.
Standing there with her scowl, her challenge was clear. “Don’t see why we can’t just know now.”
Emma felt the weight of Kelsey’s stare but didn’t flinch.
She knew why Kelsey was asking and why she was pushing.
It wasn’t about impatience. No, it was about the need for validation, and the hunger to be recognised.
But Emma couldn’t give her that just yet, not in front of everyone.
“If you’ve made the cut, you’ll receive a letter, Kelsey. It’s all about having patience.”
Kelsey snorted, her stance more defensive than moments ago. “Probably gonna pick the teachers’ pets.”
Emma sighed inwardly. She had anticipated this.
Kelsey’s words were a familiar mixture of resentment and sarcasm.
Emma could see the insecurity beneath the bravado, but the reality was that there was only so much she could do.
She couldn’t let her emotions show, not now.
“I don’t base any of my decisions on anything other than what I see in practice or lessons.
Though having a bad attitude may make me think twice. ”
Kelsey rolled her eyes dramatically, and a small group of her friends nearby giggled at her antics.
With a smirk, Kelsey mimicked Emma’s calm demeanour, folding her arms and leaning back as if to mock Emma’s poise.
Emma saw it, the effort to rile her up and break her composure. She wouldn’t let it affect her, though.
“Do we need another detention, Kelsey?”
Kelsey’s shrug was nonchalant. “Don’t care. Won’t show up anyway.”
Emma’s jaw tightened slightly. She had seen this before, this rebellious act designed to challenge authority and to see how far she could push, but Emma wasn’t about to be outmanoeuvred.
“You won’t? Okay. Then a call home it is.
” She unlocked the changing rooms calmly.
“Get changed in a reasonable amount of time, all of you.”
As the students filed in, Emma paused for a moment and watched them with a mixture of resignation and hope.
She had been where they were once. Young and full of potential, but also unsure of who she was and how to navigate the complicated world around her.
If she had dared to talk back to a teacher the way Kelsey had, her parents would have known about it before she’d even had the chance to get home.
A rush of nostalgia for her own school days hit her, but it was quickly replaced by a sobering thought.
Her job wasn’t just about teaching sports.
It was about shaping and guiding her students.
And Kelsey was one of the more complicated projects.
Emma wasn’t ready to give up on her, not yet.
With a sigh, Emma turned and carried the netballs to the storage cupboard.
It wasn’t often she dealt with students like Kelsey, those who wore their anger like armour.
But there was always one every year. This year, it seemed that Kelsey was the one.
She’d keep an eye on her, dig a little deeper if necessary, and find out what was lurking behind the walls Kelsey had built around herself.
Maybe then she could help. If nothing else, Emma would show her that respect was earned and given, no matter how many tests of patience it took.
“Is it Friday yet?” Emma poked her head through the open office door, offering a small smile to Graham, who was hunched over his laptop, absorbed in whatever he was working on.
His presence in the school had been a constant, yet recently, the air between them felt different.
Cold, almost. The reason was clear, though.
Emma had been chosen over him for the head of department job.
It hadn’t been an easy decision, but she had earned it.
She couldn’t help but notice the distance in Graham’s eyes as he looked up, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“Can’t handle the heat?” He scoffed, his voice laced with a bitterness that wasn’t lost on her.
“Trust me, I can handle it.” Emma felt a familiar flicker of boldness rise within her. She wasn’t the type to back down from a challenge, especially one like this. “Unlike you, who can’t handle the fact I got the job.”
Graham simply shrugged, but Emma noted the tension in his face as he glared back at her. “We both know I’m more suited to the job. But sure. You believe what you want to believe.”
Emma felt her heart rate pick up slightly, but she stayed calm. The last thing she needed was to get drawn into this now, especially with students still around. She wasn’t here for drama. Not with Graham or anyone else. “I’m here to work with everyone…and that includes you, Graham.”
She turned away, choosing to leave the conversation hanging between them. There was no need to say more. Emma had a job to do, and she would do it well. The rest? Well, she’d deal with it when the time came.
As Emma turned away from the office, her eyes landed on the new girl standing alone in the corridor.
Freya had only joined the school this week.
The first thing Emma had noticed was the uncertainty of someone navigating unfamiliar waters.
She was the kind of student who didn’t make a fuss.
Reserved, shy, and with an air of anxiety that Emma knew well.
Freya stood there, clutching a hardback book to her chest, her gaze flitting around as if she was searching for something, or someone, in the busy school corridor.
Emma couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy.
New students always seemed to stand out, not because they were loud or disruptive, but because they were silently hoping for someone to notice them.
“Hi, Freya. How have the first couple of days been here for you?” Emma asked as she stepped closer and gave Freya a warm, inviting smile. It wasn’t a forced smile. It was the offer of a friendly face that could, in turn, offer a connection.
Freya lifted a shoulder but kept her eyes on the floor. “Okay, I guess.”
Emma nodded, recognising the subtle signs of someone trying not to make a scene. “Well, if you’re all done in the changing room, you can head off for lunch.”
Freya’s gaze lifted a little, an uncertainty noticeable in her eyes. “Do you know where there are benches, miss? Somewhere I can eat lunch?” Her voice trembled ever so slightly, as though she didn’t want to intrude on anyone else’s space.
Emma’s heart sank. She knew that feeling all too well.
The discomfort of being the odd one out.
“There should be plenty of space in the dining hall. No need for benches,” Emma said, but the look in Freya’s eyes made it clear that she was already picturing the crowded room, and the clusters of students surrounded by their established groups.
Freya shook her head lightly. “The dining hall is full of groups of friends.”
A deep ache settled in Emma’s chest. This was the worst part of teaching for her.
Seeing a child feeling invisible. Watching them anxiously navigate their new environment, hoping they wouldn’t be left behind.
Emma wished more people could see these moments.
To recognise when someone was standing on the edge and waiting to be welcomed in.
“That’s understandable.” Emma nodded, acknowledging the weight of Freya’s words.
Freya hesitated before speaking again, as though the words had been on the tip of her tongue for some time.
“I tried to be friends with some of the girls in the changing room, but nobody really wanted to talk to me.” She said it matter-of-factly, as though it had happened time and time again.
“I don’t think Kelsey would ever want to be my friend. ”
Emma nodded, her mind briefly flashing to Kelsey and the endless frustration that came with her behaviour. She didn’t imagine Kelsey would have many friends left if she continued to alienate everyone around her. But Emma also knew that wasn’t the answer Freya needed to hear.
Before Emma could think of something comforting to say, the changing room door creaked open, and Alice emerged. She walked towards them, her usual bright smile plastered on her face.
“Alice. How are you?” Emma asked in a cheerful voice, trying to ease the tension in the air.