Part 1

Tessa put her mug of coffee down on the table. She looked forward to her class. They were a large group of sixteen year olds and each of them looked equally bored with their English lesson. What did she expect though? Were there ever going to be children interested in Romeo and Juliet, more than they were with their own love lives?

“Right…seeing as no girl will read the part of Juliet, I might as well read Juliet, and anyone…come on…a boy to read Romeo? Please.” Tessa said firmly, feeling annoyed at her class. How had she got here? She did have some intelligence. She did not want to spend the rest of her life-teaching children who looked like they had only just been resurrected. She should have gone into acting. Instead, she got pregnant by the first loser that came around and now she was married to him with two children. She was only thirty-two and was rather good looking, so why had she jumped onto a ship with a guy who at the time was the captain of a football team, but now only earned a small wage at the local supermarket. In his young age, he was good looking, but now he had put on quite a bit of weight and was already losing his hair. She couldn’t bear to watch him glug down several pints of lager anymore. She wanted to break free of his confinements.

One of her most eager students put their hand up. Tessa nodded, happy that at least one person was awake. It was Lionel. Even Tessa had to admit, he was a bit of a geek. He had huge glasses and always wore a suit that looked like it had come from before Tessa’s childhood. Tessa thought Lionel was one of her most promising students, as he actually bothered to pay attention.

“Okay…Lionel…you can be Romeo.” Tessa spoke with a smile. A group of lads looked to each other with smirks at the back of the class. The ringleader of this group smiled. He was good looking with wavy blonde hair and twinkly blue eyes. His face was somewhat chiselled so he had a handsome appearance. Tessa thought that if this boy tried hard enough, he’d probably be the most promising student she had.

“Lionel for Mrs Rowanwood.” The boy chorused in a mocking voice. Tessa sighed with disappointment and Lionel went red.

“Paul…you will be Romeo…Lionel…you can be Mercutio. Paul…prove to me that you deserve to be in this class.” Tessa replied, with a grin on her face. Paul went crimson and his friends sniggered around him. Lionel looked back at him with a smirk, but Paul straightened himself up and smiled.

“Alright I will.” Paul returned confidently. Tessa ran her fingers through her dark red hair and fluttered her big brown eyes.

“Okay. Go from the part we finished at yesterday.” Tessa ordered Paul lightly. He looked at her, his eyes twinkling in their usual way. He picked up his version of the book from his table, his friends sniggering and his eyes flickered over the page.

“She speaks. O, speak again, bright angel, for thou art
As glorious to this night, being o'er my head,
As is a winged messenger of heaven
Unto the white-upturned wond'ring eyes
Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him
When he bestrides the lazy puffing clouds
And sails upon the bosom of the air.”

Paul recited in a loud clear voice. Tessa smiled. He had always been good at reading things out. He was definitely gifted student, but one who seemed to always be in trouble.

Tessa smiled and spoke her part:

“O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name;
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I'll no longer be a Capulet.”

Her class watched, interest actually seeping into their eyes. Tessa had never done acting in front of her pupils. Never. Only her old drama teacher had ever seen her act, she had never shown many others, because as soon as her talent had seeped out, she was already carrying her first child, Lola. Life had stung Tessa twice with the conceiving of Lola. Firstly, her acting career had been cut short and secondly, Lola was now an argumentative fourteen year old whom her father seemed to always side with. Well…at least Tessa had her five-year-old son David on her side. Though he couldn’t really help with the ironing.

Paul looked up from the book and then back down again, to read his part.

“Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?”

Paul smiled with satisfaction once more and placed his book firmly on the table, making a scraping noise.

“'Tis but thy name that is my enemy.
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face. O, be some other name
Belonging to a man.
What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet.
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name;
And for thy name, which is no part of thee,
Take all myself.”

Tessa read aloud, her lips moving amazingly fast as her diction was as clear as can be. The class looked at her with shock, their mouths falling open, but they suffered a rude awakening as the bell for the end of the day rang. They looked to Tessa, who nodded with her usual suppressed smile. They gathered their things and made their way out of the room. Paul started walking past Tessa, but she held out a hand to stop him. He turned and saw the look that suggested she wanted to talk with him and he stopped, looked around and saw that all his friends had gone.

He looked back and his blue eyes met with her brown ones. They froze and he sighed, knowing that this wasn’t just a congratulations.

“Paul…you’ve got to stop this. You are a bright student. If you work hard enough, you can achieve good things. Listen…Paul…I can see you getting a full scholarship to some of the best colleges in this country. I know your parents can’t really afford it…but Paul…if you work at this…I promise you…you will be able to go to one.” Tessa pleaded with her student. He looked away, his face clenching tightly. He looked back at her sharply, his eyes looking pained.

“Listen…Mrs Rowanwood…no matter what I do it will never happen. My dad was like me when he was my age…he tried and he never got what he deserved. I will end up with the same result.” Paul complained. It was true that around his friends, Paul was a completely different person. He was more objective and disobedient, but when Tessa saw him on his own he was more passionate and in despair over his future.

“No…no…if I had thought my life was truly over all those fourteen years ago…I would not be teaching now…I’d probably be at home with my fifth kid.” Tessa cried strongly. She was miserable the way she was now, but she was thankful at least that she wasn’t just a homemaker even if her class never listened. Hope lingered in Tessa’s heart that she was at least reaching one student.

“Mrs Rowanwood…you’re unhappy now…I know you are. The others may not see it…but I do.” Paul whispered, his mouth creasing into a half-smile, half-frown. Tessa ignored it and looked away in pain. She turned back to him.

“Paul…I gave up on all my dreams when I was eighteen years old, just so I could marry the guy who got me pregnant…I was going to be an actress… my dreams were shattered, but you’re different…I can see you seeing your dreams through. Whether you become an actor or a writer…I can see you achieving all you could ever hope for.” Tessa muttered, her voice strained as though she was trying not to burst into tears. Paul looked at her and sighed.

“Mrs Rowanwood…it is only English I’m passing.” Paul squeaked. Tessa nodded, thinking back to her school days. Back then; she had the nickname of ‘The Brainy Cheerleader’. She was good at every subject. Maths, science, English, music. Everything. She had had no shortage of boyfriends, but never lost her virginity until she was with the man that later became the father of her children and her husband. Tessa thought for a moment, Paul needed help in his other subjects and with that help, he could be the best student her school had ever taught.

“Paul… I’ve got an idea, but I don’t know whether you will like it. It may help, but it would involve going against school rules.” Tessa murmured quietly. His eyes widened.

“What would that be then?” He asked with enthusiasm.

“Paul…I could help you pass all of your subjects, but it would involve doing it at my house between four and eight every day…apart from weekends when you’d need to do at least four hours work on Saturday and have Sunday off. This is strictly against the school rules, but I’m willing to break them to help you get your dreams.” Tessa suggested, looking him firmly in the eye.

“Yeah…sure…I’d do that. Any day. I could just tell people I have a job…I just want to pass. My parents would be fine with it…if I say it’s for catch up work…wait…what about your husband and your children? I don’t want anyone to know that I’m being taught extra things for my schoolwork…I don’t want to be labelled as a special needs person.” Paul said softly. Tessa smiled.

“Lola is always out with her boyfriend or her friends. She doesn’t usually come home until eight. My husband is always at work at those times. David is with his childminder until eight on each of those days…so I can get the marking done. Well…Paul…have we a deal?” Tessa replied, holding her hand out. Paul took it and shook her hand firmly.

“Yes. Mrs Rowanwood. Yes, we do have a deal.” He said, his eyes glittering with hope for the future. His future flashed before his eyes and he looked down to his teacher, admiration entering his mind. He hoped it to be the start of a strong friendship between him and her. He thanked that she understood him better than she understood the harsh realities of popularity. To be smart is hardly ever to be cool. Paul said goodbye and walked out of the classroom, a spring in his foot as he took each step.