When Storm Clouds Hover

14: Dom - In love or lust?

Dom enjoyed walking Em to class, they caught up at the fountain outside the library before English every day and he'd carry her backpack for her. English was the only subject they shared. Compared to the intensity of his math's and science classes, it was light relief. On this day, they were both leaning against the wall outside of class reluctant to go in for the lesson. Dom found himself caught in a daydream.

He realised he was enjoying school more than he'd expected, since Pascal had left. He'd made friends with a lot of the year 11 girls from Watford girls, mostly Em's friends, and they hung out together with his mates in the common room between lessons, stuffing around. Em often had her guitar with her, and she'd sing and make up silly rhymes that made him laugh.

When Izzy was there, Dom made a habit of teasing her too. It had a double bonus for him, not only did it keep Em on her toes, but he enjoyed the way it made Izzy blush.

He'd been with Em for two months now, and things were exactly where he wanted them to be. He didn't refer to her as his girlfriend—that would make it exclusive, but she did seem to want to please him, which worked for him.

Em had a great sense of humour which she used relentlessly to flirt with teachers and other boys. It didn't worry him though, he found it amusing and sexy. She was also more adventurous sexually than he had first given her credit for. They'd practically done it in every empty room on the school grounds. The riskier the location, the more they both enjoyed it. He'd even navigated the five kilometers to their school in the dead of night by bus to sneak into Em's dormitory a couple of times at night but had since decided that was too much effort. Mostly because when he arrived, there was the annoying hindrance of the other girls in Em's dorm.

As the new 'it' couple at Watford, they probably should have discussed the status of their relationship by now, but Dom hadn't bothered to raise it. Em had updated her social when they first hooked up to 'in a relationship', but he didn't say anything and on the rare occasion that she introduced herself as his girlfriend, he hadn't seen a need to correct her.

The school bell rang signaling the start of class. He nudged Em gently towards the door. It was eleven by his watch and the classroom had filled up already.

Em immediately went to sit at the front of the class as she always did. She liked to be the center of attention. Dom took his seat behind her, and she swiveled her chair round to face him before the teacher arrived.

Ms. Zeiman, their English teacher, was late as usual and arrived reeking of cigarette smoke. She was an eccentric old bird, with long white hair and skin like leather. Of all of Dom's teachers, she was the easiest to get off track. The students made it a daily mission to distract her from whatever she had planned for the lesson each day.

'Okay, quiet now, please—take your seats.' Ms. Zeiman said as she entered the classroom tossing her bag onto her desk. The class shuffled about a bit as everyone found their places.

'Hat off in the classroom, please?' Ms. Zeiman said, addressing a boy in the back row.

The boy obliged. 'Thank you, Mr. Austin, eyes forward.'

Ms. Zeiman perched herself precariously on the edge of the desk. She held her laptop open in the crook of her elbow, though no one could be certain if she ever switched it on.

Dom had noticed the stricter teachers never asked how everyone was, it opened the door wide open to distraction. His math's teacher, Mr. Sellars, couldn't have cared less how everyone was going, but Ms. Zeiman, she made the same mistake every day.

The students issued a collective mumble in response to the question that sounded like "Great!''

Then in the pause that followed, the student from the back row launched his first offensive. 'Hey Ms. Z, you live here, don't you?'