The Cockney Canuck - 61. Chapter 61 Happy Monday

I couldn’t remember Alex ever talking to me before in homeroom. He wouldn’t normally waste his breath on anyone outside of his inner circle, but on Monday morning he made an exception. He called me a ‘fucking asshole’ on the way into class. I didn’t reply, knowing that later he would come looking for me. He wasn’t the type to take no for an answer and could be quite persuasive, even when he wasn’t using his fists. However, my mind was made up, and there was no way that I was going back to that house, even if there were other people there.

I expected him to pull me aside in the cafeteria for a not so friendly chat, so I hatched a plan to avoid him. I sent Nathan a text, telling him that I would be holed up in the library during lunch. I was prepared to go without food if it saved my eardrums from a battering and I was expecting my boyfriend to visit me during my self-imposed exile. He arrived twenty minutes after me.

“Who are you avoiding?”

I motioned for him to be quiet and glanced around the mostly empty tables. There were only a handful of students dotted around the half dozen or so aisles, and no one close enough to overhear but the librarian wasn’t known for her sense of humour.

“Just some asshole,” I replied.

“That doesn’t narrow it down much,” he whispered, but he looked a little concerned, so I put him at ease.

“It’s nothing to worry about; just some guy who wants to chew my ears off about something.”

“And you don’t think that somebody biting your ears off is a problem?”

“I don’t mean literally, as in actually chomping on my ear, it’s just a turn of phrase,” I said. “Although I would probably let you do it.”

“Is this another little fetish of yours?” he asked. “Ear chewing.”

I smiled and shrugged my shoulders, happy to admit that the thought of Nathan nibbling on my ear was quite a turn on. “I can’t help it if I have a high sex drive.”

“Well, I guess I don’t mind a gentle bite here and there, as long as you don’t expect me to eat any part of you,” he said, “except consumables, of course.”

I was puzzled. “What does that mean?”

“Consumables? You know…oh, it doesn’t matter; I was just being rude.”

“Well, it sounds hot anyway.”

He laughed. “It usually is.”

“Oh, I get it,” I said, and giggled with him. “Consumables huh?”

“Yeah." He glanced around and lowered his voice. “Are you hungry?”

“I don’t think that we could get away with that in here.”

He rolled his eyes at my joke. “I meant, have you had any lunch?”

“No, but it doesn’t matter, I’ll live.”

“I didn’t think so. I stopped off at the cafeteria and bought you a sandwich, tuna, and sweetcorn, is that okay?” He knew it would be; it was one of my favourites, along with his next offering. “And a carton of chocolate milk.”

He must have seen my face light up. “Wow, you didn’t have to, it’s not like I’m gonna starve. But thanks, it's really cool of you to do that. And you know what I like.”

He slid my hastily prepared food parcel across the table with a smile. “Of course I know what you like. I know everything about you, I’ve been studying you.”

“You have?”

“Yes,” he said, “but not in a creepy way. I mean I haven’t been stalking you or anything. I don’t hide in the bushes outside your house and spy on you with binoculars.”

“I wouldn’t mind if you did that,” I said excitedly and then covered my mouth as I remembered where we were. “But I think I know what you mean; I guess I’ve been watching you too.”

That may well have been the understatement of the year. I knew exactly what he meant, and I had been watching him like a hawk from the first day that we met. I knew all of his cute little mannerisms and expressions like the back of my hand, as well as his favourite food, drink, clothes, and everything else. The CIA couldn’t have done a better job. In fact, if studying Nathan had been a subject at school, I would have already nailed that high school diploma even before Friday night. Now, there were bits of him I probably knew better than he did.

I don’t know why I was so surprised to hear him admit to doing the same thing, but like many of his compliments, it was unexpected. I guess I was still finding it difficult to understand what this perfect boy could see in someone as imperfect as me, almost to the point where I was scared to believe him.

Students were not supposed to consume food or drink outside of the cafeteria, so I used my lap as a plate while I hastily devoured a sandwich that seemed to taste much better, knowing he had bought it for me. I thanked him again as I swallowed the first mouthful, washed down with half a carton of milk, before burping and wiping my mouth with my arm. “Oops, sorry about my manners.”

He just smiled and watched, no doubt happy to see his thoughtful act, so clearly appreciated. “I need to keep you in good working order and fully stocked,” he said with a wink.

“If you’re talking consumables again, then don’t worry, I’m ready to go,” I said, glancing down towards my crotch. “Fully stocked again, believe me. But first, we have to find someplace.”

“Yes we do,” he said and gave me a little smile that gave the impression that he was holding something back. I narrowed my eyes at him as I stuffed the last of the sandwich into my mouth, but he was quick to change the subject.

“So, is it Rory that you’re hiding from?”

“Rory, no of course not. Why would I hide from him?”

“So who is it?”

“Just somebody in my homeroom who won’t stop bugging me, but it’s nothing for you to worry about.”

“Boys. Students come here to study and read. If you want to talk, you should go somewhere else.”

“Sorry,” we said in unison, looking towards the chubby librarian, who seemed to appear from nowhere.

“I don’t mind you talking if you’re studying together,” she said, “just keep it down.” Then, as she idled away, I looked at Nathan with a cheeky grin.

“It’s easy for her to say. It’s been impossible for me to keep it down lately.”

“Shush, you’ll get us thrown out,” he said.

“Sorry, I get a little excited when I see you.”

“A little? You’re like a dog in heat.”

“I know, it’s great, isn’t it? I feel so much better now that we’ve done it.”

He looked around and coughed into his hand. “Yeah, I think I know what you mean. I feel a lot more relaxed around you, it’s difficult to explain, but it’s kinda cool.”

“Super cool,” I confirmed.

“Sorry about your eye,” he said, with a cheeky smile that said otherwise.

“It’s okay, it was worth it.”

“Really?”

“Totally.”

“I got a little carried away.”

“I noticed; I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much you know… consumables.”

“Don’t,” he said, blushing and looking down at the table. “Let's talk about something else. Like, are you coming to my dress rehearsal tonight?”

“Of course, I’m your number one fan, you know that. Plus, I wanna make sure that Simon keeps his hands off you.”

He rolled his eyes at me. “Whatever, Mr. Jealous. Anyway, now that everyone in the class knows you’re my boyfriend, we can maybe act like we’re together.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you know, hold hands and stuff. Maybe a quick kiss here and there?”

I was already sold on the idea. Being able to show some affection to my boyfriend in front of other people was appealing, and I couldn’t wait for the opportunity.

“Can I help you get changed afterward?”

“No.”

“I could make it worth your while,” I said, licking my lips.

“Don’t,” he said, flicking his hair from his eyes with the tips of his fingers, a cute little trait, which he employed whenever he got a little hot under the collar.

“Don’t what?”

“You know; start talking like that, you’ll get me all worked up and then I’ll have to stay here in the library all afternoon.”

“Good,” I said, “then I’ll stay with you.”

“No, you’ll just make things worse.”

“We could sneak into the toilets and have sex?”

“Shush,” he said, looking around us in panic. “We’re not alone, you know?”

“I don’t care; I wanna have sex with you.”

I was smiling. It was a broad statement that was only meant as a joke, and I was sure Nathan understood that, but his smile suddenly dropped, and he raised his eyebrows.

“You mean like proper sex?” he asked.

“I was only joking Nathan. I didn’t mean. Bloody hell, mate, we’ve only just started to.”

He reached across the table and placed his hand over mine. “I don’t mind,” he said. “We can do that if you want?”

I looked around, trying to think of what to say.

“Not now, stupid.”

“I know. It’s just. Do you really want to do that?”

“Yes. Why do you think that’s bad of me? You’ve done it before, right?”

I had, but it didn’t stop me from panicking. “Um, yeah. Kinda.”

“What do mean kinda? Either you have or you haven’t.”

“Shush, boys. I won’t tell you again.”

“Sorry,” I said. The librarian wasn’t having the easiest of days. I coughed and lowered my voice again to a whisper. “Yes, I have.”

“With Tom, in England?”

“Yes, but only a few times.”

Nathan smiled at me as he leaned across the table, to pat my hand. “It’s okay Robbie; it doesn’t matter how many times. It’s none of my business. I know that you had a life before me and I know that you and your friend Tom were close.”

He was being nice, but it still felt weird to be talking with Nathan about Tom, and I didn’t like it. They were, after all, worlds apart and I wanted them to stay that way, although I didn’t know why. I wasn’t betraying either of them, or doing anything wrong, but to me, it didn’t feel right. When I talked to Tom, I rarely, if ever mentioned Nathan.

I shrugged, smiled, and squeezed his hand as the five-minute bell sounded. As much as I hated to leave my boyfriend, the school library probably wasn’t the best place to be discussing the ins and outs of anal sex.

“We should go,” I said, standing up quickly and rounding the table to where he was still sitting. Then when he got to his feet, I put my arms around his waist from behind and kissed the back of his neck. “It’s you I love Nathan, and only you, okay?” I don’t know why I suddenly felt the need to re-affirm that, but it was appreciated as he closed his eyes and fell backward, melting into my arms.

“Hum…haven’t you boys got classes to go to?” It was the librarian who brought our romantic interlude to an untimely end, and I almost jumped out of my skin as she crept up behind to surprise us again.

“Sorry Miss." I released Nathan and wheeled away, keeping my head down to avoid eye contact with the middle-aged woman. When we reached the corridor, we were blushing and giggling.

“I’ll see you at the rehearsal this afternoon,” he said.

“You bet, so when is the actual show anyway?”

“Friday,” he said, “I think Daniel’s gonna be there.”

“Friday?”

“Is that okay?”

“Yes, of course, it is. I’ll definitely be there.” I watched him walk away.

‘Friday. Why does it have to be Friday’?

* * * * *

I knew if the show was as good as the dress rehearsal, then it was going to be a hit. There was a real buzz around the auditorium as the acts sailed through their routines for the final time, with little instruction from their tutors. The show was a musical timeline, showcasing popular dance from the past seven decades. At least that was the description written on the posters that were appearing around the school.

Nathan was performing in two routines. A Buddy Holly medley from the fifties, and the ‘Take That’ song from the naughties, which would be the finale. I wasn’t an expert on music from the fifties, but his performance in the rock and roll dance was stunning. I was captivated as he twirled his girl partner around the stage, then lifted her up and even swung her between his legs. I thought it was amazing, and even though they were one of three couples, my eyes, of course, were glued to Nathan and his partner.

I was standing among the small gathering of fellow performers and teachers at the front of the stage, and after, I was joined by an equally excited Simon, who was to dance the final number with Nathan. I gave him a friendly smile as he approached and high-fived me. I thought was a little odd, but played along.

“Your boyfriend’s good isn’t he?” he said, spitting into my ear over a background of Jimi Hendrix, and I nodded in agreement, rather than testing my tonsils. We were way too close to the speakers, and he motioned for me to follow him toward the back of the hall, where we could talk. It was an irresistible opportunity to break my fifteen-year, self-imposed, gagging order and talk openly with a boy who I knew was gay and who knew about Nathan and me.

We stood near the main entrance, where it was possible to talk above the music, and I asked him how long he had been coming to the drama club. “This is my second year,” he said, which meant that he was the same age as me, although I didn’t bother to mention that.

Simon was a fairly talkative guy, and quite camp with it too, which I thought was really funny. I knew that he would be most people’s perception of a gay boy. The shoe fitted him almost too perfectly.

“You’re really good,” I said, and I meant it. His dance in the opening number had been superb and I told him so, much to his delight. Then to my regret, as he graciously credited his teacher, choreographer, parents, friends, and siblings for his success. I was expecting him to receive an Oscar, but instead, he turned his attention to me.

“You’re a lucky boy. Nathan’s totally besotted with you.”

He may have seen me blushing, even in the darkened hall and I did my best to play down what I already knew. “You think so?”

“Oh yeah. It’s so obvious. I know all about you.”

“You do?” Now he had my full attention.

“Well not everything. But I remember him telling me about a boy he met at the bus stop. That’s you right?”

“I suppose.”

“Yeah, then one day he tells me about this cute boy, who he thinks is gay. He keeps giving him the eye and is somehow related to his best friend.”

“That’s right,” I chuckled, “I’m his….”

“Then you went and broke the poor boy's heart. My God, he was so upset. Simon, he says, the boy that I like is straight and he’s dating a girl from school.”

He made me feel bad, but didn’t give me long to dwell on it.

“So I’m like, okay, Nathan. Don’t waste your time on straight guys. I’m here and I’m single. But whatever. He completely ignores me to chase after you, even though you’re breaking the sweet boy's heart. Don’t worry, it wasn’t your fault. You were unsure of yourself, I guess. But my God, why couldn’t you see, this boy was so in love with you?”

“You think?”

“Yes, of course. And then one day he’s like. Simon, Simon, that boy that I like, is gay. Oh, my God, I could’ve killed you. Now I had no chance, but I’m like okay baby if he’s your prince charming, go and get him.”

“Wow, I didn’t…”

“Then he tells me that he’s going on a date with you, and he’s so excited about it. But he’s nervous too, and I’m like, don’t do it, Nathan, go out with me instead. But I might as well have been talking to a brick wall, you know. Whatever, I love him to bits. Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I see this strange guy here watching and talking to him, but no one says anything, and I’m thinking to myself, is this him? Is this Nathan’s guy, the infamous bus stop boy…you’re cute, though, I’ll give you that? Don’t go telling him I said that, will you?”

“Of course not,” I said.

“Don’t tell him you said what?” said Nathan. He was behind us and timed his arrival perfectly.

“He thinks I’m cute,” I said. Then I smiled at my mischief, leaving poor Simon at a loss for words and me in the doghouse.

I enjoyed the final number, almost as much as I enjoyed my one-sided, ego-boosting chat with camp Simon. Although I think I preferred watching him onstage, rather than having him chew my ear off, even if he was dancing with my boyfriend. Nathan’s dance partner was fun, but hard work, and I found him a bit overpowering. It wasn’t a surprise to hear Nathan had turned down Simon’s attempts to date him. They worked well together on stage, but I knew Nathan well enough to know they weren’t compatible. I actually felt better knowing he had tried and failed. It was simply too ridiculous for me to believe any boy who found himself in the company of Nathan, on a regular basis, for any length of time, wouldn’t try his luck at some stage. Gay, bi or straight, it didn’t matter, I was convinced that anyone with a dick would be trying to hump him, and keeping him to myself wasn’t going to be easy.

“I’m gonna need to chain you up,” said Nathan playfully, as he joined me outside the changing room in shorts, t-shirt, and sandals. I guessed he was referring to my chat with Simon.

“I don’t mind,” I said eagerly, “you can do that if you want.”

“You would like that wouldn’t you?”

“Oh yeah; you can tie me up anytime you want, sexy.”

He rolled his eyes at me and smiled at the floor as we crossed the auditorium. I was watching his face and he gave me a cheeky glance from the corner of his eyes. “Well maybe I should keep you on a lead,” he said and I pounced on it.

“I’ll be your dog Nathan, if that’s what you want.” I turned to paw him and lick his face. He backed away and pushed me off, but my antics got the attention of a couple of the girls from the cast and his teacher, who were waiting near the door for us to leave.

They found it amusing, as Nathan stopped to wipe his cheek with his hand. “You licked my face."

“Sorry,” I whispered, “I won’t mention what you did to mine.”

He hit me with his bag. “Don’t be disgusting, that was different.” Then he bit his bottom lip to stop himself from laughing, as I opened the door for him to enter the now empty corridor.

“I wasn’t trying to chat him up you know,” I said.

“I know that silly."

“In fact, I wasn’t chatting to him at all, just listening. He could talk for England. Oops, Canada I mean. I forget where I am.”

“Dork.”

“So am I.”

“I meant you,” he said. “I know Simon gets a little excitable and he can be a little, shall we say feminine, but he’s a nice guy.”

‘A little feminine’?

That was an understatement if ever I heard it. Simon made Nathan look like a total jock.

“Anyway, he doesn’t really like me; I’m his sworn enemy.” His expression demanded an answer as we traveled the main corridor, towards my locker, where I needed to collect my bag. “Because, I got you, and he’s jealous.”

“He told you that, huh?”

“Yep.”

“He’s been trying to get me to go out with him ever since I joined the club in September, but he’s really not my type.”

“I know.”

“I mean, I like him and all, but not in that way. Not the same way that I like you.” His voice trailed off as we stopped in front of my locker and he leaned over to kiss me on the cheek.

“Careful, there are cameras remember.”

“Do you think that anyone actually watches them?”

“Maybe,” I said as I worked the combination, but when I turned back he was gone, walking away from me towards the boy’s washrooms. “Where are you going?”

“Where does it look like?”

“Oh.” I grabbed my bag from the locker and went to stand in the middle of the wide empty corridor. “Well, hurry up, or we’ll miss the bus.”

“Come with me,” he said, “I wanna talk to you.” He was standing in the entrance, holding the door open for me, but I had no intention of joining him, even if he was going to get his willy out. It would have only made me more frustrated.

“So you can talk to me when you’re finished doing whatever you’re gonna do in there, can’t you?” I shook my head at him and laughed, unable to work out why he would feel the need to duck into the washrooms to tell me something that he could have told me in the corridor.

‘It’s not like anyone’s gonna overhear us anything; there’s no one else around. We’re probably the only ones left in the whole…school'.

“Come on, hurry up,” he said, as he motioned with his hand for me to join him. “I need you in here.”

‘He needs me in there’?

Then he flashed me a naughty smile before disappearing behind the closing door, leaving me standing on my own and confused about his intentions.

‘Am I reading this right'?

There was only one way to find out. After a glance around the still deserted corridor, I cautiously followed him into the brightly lit washroom.

It was the closest toilet to my homeroom and the one that I probably used the most, so I knew what to expect. The washrooms at Stephenson were kept reasonably clean, but they received a high volume of traffic during school hours, and the end of the day wasn’t the best time to be visiting, especially if you didn’t need to go, which I didn’t.

There was a small puddle on the floor as I walked in, from what looked like a blocked up sink, and some smaller puddles by the urinals that gave off a familiar scent. Nathan was standing facing the middle bowl on the driest patch of floor, doing exactly what I expected. It was too good an opportunity to pass up, so I stood next to him to get a better view.

“What are you doing?”

“Watching you pee of course.”

“Don’t watch me.”

“Why not? You asked me to come in, what did you expect?”

“Is this another fetish of yours?” he said, but he made no attempt to shield himself from my prying eyes. I wasn’t sure about the peeing bit, but I certainly enjoyed watching him shake his dick afterward, and I was quick to point this out before he tucked it back into his shorts.

“You’re a tease,” I said and turned towards the exit.

“Wait." I stopped as I felt his hand on my arm, pulling me back. “I haven’t finished yet, there’s something else.” As I turned to face him, he grabbed my hands and walked back a couple of steps to the first of the half-a-dozen stalls.

“If you’re taking a dump, then I’m waiting outside. I’m not that weird.” He didn’t reply but kept smiling and looking into my eyes, as he led me into the stall, his mischievous face now unable to conceal his intent.

“What if someone comes in?”

“They won’t,” he said, as he reached behind my back to lock the door, before dropping the lid and sitting down in front of me.

“How do you know?”

“I don’t,” he said as he put his hand against the front of my shorts.

“What about the cleaners, and the security? If we get caught.”

“We’ll have to be quick then won’t we?” He rubbed my dick through my thin clothing. “That shouldn’t be too difficult for you.”

“Very funny,” I replied as he carefully pulled down my shorts and underwear. His plan of action was a fairly obvious one, but after all of my recent promises to him, I felt that we should have probably swapped roles. I offered to do it, and I wanted to do it, but I guess he did too. From the moment that he started to yank on my dick, there was only going to be one ending.

“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” I said, and I really couldn’t. I would never have imagined us doing such a thing on the school premises, and once again it was the inherent danger and fear of being caught that made it so thrilling.

“I can stop if you want,” he said slowly dragging out his words, as he cocked his head and opened his eyes wide. His expression made me go weak at the knees and dizzy with excitement. Then he turned his attention to something a little closer to hand.

“Hello again." He talked to my penis as if it was a long lost friend. “Do you want to play?”

“Oh yes,” I said.

“I’m not talking to you,” he said, glancing up and winking at me. “I’m talking to my friend here.” He poked his tongue out to tease me. Then waited until he had my full attention before guiding me into his mouth. I threw my head backward, hitting it on the door as his soft lips glided along my penis and back again, sucking gently on my glans. He watched me the whole time as I reached out grabbing the top of the walls on either side, to steady myself.

I heard something outside. A noise which I thought was someone walking in. “Nathan, stop!”

“Hmm.”

“Stop a minute… Did you hear that?”

“Uh uh.”

“What?”

I felt the cold air on my penis as he pulled off me. “It’s difficult to talk with your dick in my mouth."

“You can take it out to talk, I don’t mind.”

“What’s the matter with you?” he said, “there’s nobody there.” I froze for a few awkward seconds straining my ears, but it was silent. When I looked down, Nathan was sitting perfectly still, staring back up at me, with my dick in his hand, waiting for permission to continue. “See, I told you.”

“Okay,” I said, relaxing and letting out a deep breath. “I thought someone was coming.”

“So did I,” he said, smiling at me.

“Oh yeah, that’s funny. You can carry on now, if you want?”

“Oh thank you so much?” He smiled at me but I ignored his sarcasm.

The pleasure was all mine and it really was as I closed my eyes and felt myself sliding into to that familiar, warm, wet, sanctuary until I was touching the back of his throat. He didn’t choke this time, and he was able to repeat the move a dozen or so times until I was barely able to stand upright. I had performed a similar action on him, on Friday night, which drove him into a frenzy but failed to hit the spot. Nathan, was a quick learner, though, and this time he stuck with it until the bitter end, like a real pro.

I walked out of school that afternoon feeling ten-foot-tall and with a permanent smile on my face. We were, as expected, the last students to leave, and the security guard had to unlock the door for us.

“I thought you guys had all gone?”

“There was a bit of cleaning up to do,” replied Nathan, flicking his naughty eyes at me.

“Cleaners will be in soon,” he said, opening the door for us. “They do that.”

“I don’t believe we did that,” I said, shielding my eyes from bright sunlight. “You’re crazier than I thought. I never had you down as someone who would do that. I mean shit, Nathan. That was fucking hardcore, mate.”

“Did you enjoy it then?” he said and then wiped his mouth for the umpteenth time.

“It was beyond good mate, it was the best thing ever.”

“Thanks,” he said, “it was only my second time you know?”

“I know right. I can’t believe we did it in the school toilets. Fucking unreal. Tomorrow it’s your turn I swear I’m gonna.”

“No,” he cut me off. “Today was fun, I wanted to please you and it was exciting, but we shouldn’t risk trying it again.”

“But I didn’t do anything to you?”

“It doesn’t matter, there wasn’t time.” He was right but I still felt guilty.

“Is there any place we can go now then, where I can put it right. You know, I don’t mind. The least I can do is give you a hand job.”

It made him laugh as he started to walk again towards the bus stop where we had first met. “Thanks for the offer Robbie, but it’s cool, really. I can take care of it when I get home.”

I was already picturing him doing just that. “Can you video it for me?”

“No, you pervert.”

“Take a few pictures then?”

“Stoppit. I thought you’d be satisfied after what I just did?”

The bus stop was empty as usual and I anticipated a long wait as Nathan disappeared around the back spitting into the bushes. I watched him as he walked back to sit next to me on the hard plastic seats, wiping his mouth with the front of his t-shirt.

“Are you okay?” I said taking his hand and squeezing it.

“Yeah, I’m cool.”

“It’s not nice is it?”

“It’s okay, I guess.” He gave me a sideways glance and a cute bashful smile to match his red face. “I just had to get rid of the taste from my mouth,” he said.

“Yeah, I know.”

“It’s not like I haven’t tried it before; just not a mouthful.” He treated me to another gorgeous smile, and I would have gladly kissed those sweet cum coated lips of his if it wasn’t for a couple of younger kids arriving at the bus stop on skateboards. “Don’t worry,” he said, “I’ll get used to it, with a little more practice…if that’s okay with you?”

I wasn’t worried at all. “That’s never gonna be a problem, I’m always available, just give me a second or two’s notice, and of course sometime in between to stock up on…consumables.”

“Oh yeah, consumables are important,” he said, “and here comes your bus.”

I looked at my watch and stood up. “Wow, that was quick, less than three minutes.”

“I know,” Nathan said, and he started giggling, “I was thinking the same thing.” He had his hand over his mouth, trying to hide his amusement.

“What?”

“Nothing, Robbie, we’ll talk later okay.” Something had tickled him and he was biting his bottom lip, which he always did when trying not to laugh.

I narrowed my eyes at him suspiciously, as the bus stopped in front of me. Then when the doors opened, I turned on him. “No way,” I said, “it was longer than three minutes.”

‘Cheeky fucker'.

I giggled all the way home, getting a few curious looks from the handful of mostly elderly passengers on the bus. I could see the driver glancing at me too, in his mirror. Maybe they thought I was high on something, but I doubt if any of them could have guessed the real reason for my good spirits. I had to admit, for a school day that was going to take some beating.

‘Mondays, I love them’.