“And this is your classroom,” the older woman said with an obviously faked smile. Her caked-on make up cracked under the strain of an act she clearly wasn’t familiar with.

Aidan glanced around at the desks, stools and what seemed to be scenic paintings from 1986 on a far wall. “It looks…great,” he said in a much less convincing voice than he expected.

“Now, I’ll leave you to settle in and your first class, 10B, will be here in about fifteen minutes.”

“Fifteen minutes!”

“Yes, I did say you’d have to start immediately, and I really commend you for doing so,” the woman, Principal Robyn Beattie, turned briskly and stalked out of the room. Her voice echoed down the hall as she yelled at Jonathan to stop spitting on an 8th grader.

Aidan slumped onto a stool and felt the frown on his face almost hitting the table. The realisation that his dream to be one of the great artists of the 21st century had finally been put to rest, or at least had the screen put up and put it down humanely. Now he was forced into whoring himself to the system for the money because he was about to fall below the poverty line.

Getting to his feet, Aidan moved to the waiting teacher’s desk and began to unpack his art books, taking care to arrange them in a way that made him look much smarter than the pubescent pions he was to teach. They would in any case disregard anything he had to say because everyone knows you only take art in high school because it’s easier than physics.

“I come baring refreshments,” Leo perked as he leaned against the desk next to Joaquin.

“Why? What have you done?” Joaquin queried, looking up briefly from her monitor.

“Me? I’ve not done anything?” Leo said innocently as he held out a strawberry milkshake to Joaquin.

Joaquin sucked up some of her milkshake and raised an eyebrow. “Strawberry, huh? You have done something!”

“No I haven’t,” he said quickly and moved back to his computer.

“You haven’t sold me to Ben have you?” she jeered. “Because I won’t be happy if you have.”

“No, but now you’ve given me the idea…”

“Leo!”

“He’s still moping about the house over you, you know,” Leo sighed. “You really should talk about the whole licking each others esophaguses thing.”

“No!” Joaquin squeaked, causing strawberry milkshake to go up her nose. She choked a few moments and then breathlessly managed to talk again. “I’m never seeing Ben ever again, so I’ll never have to deal with it.”

“Oh, that’s mature.”

“It’s worked for me in the past.”

“You can’t avoid people forever, you know.”

“Like you’re avoiding Del?”

“What?” Leo said, surprise etched clearly across his face. “I’m not…”

“She told me about what happened.”

“Do girls ever keep secrets?”

Joaquin pondered a moment, “Um, no, don’t think so.”

“She’s not interested in me anyway,” Leo shrugged.

“Oh, I think you’re wrong,” Joaquin perked. “She’s been acting so weird lately, y’know. It’s the first time I’ve seen her happy since I met her, and it’s all since you laid one on her.”

The words ‘poor deluded Jo’ popped into Leo’s mind and it took a lot of effort to not actually say them. Leo knew that any change in Adele’s personality wasn’t down to him, but he didn’t have the heart to admit that either. “Maybe I’ll invite her to lunch sometime.”

“Sometime? Take the bull by the horns, Leomont!”

He shot her a weak smile and quickly threw himself into the book cover he was designing.

“If you sigh one more time I’ll hit you over the head with that manuscript,” Joel grinned as he sat himself on Adele’s desk.

“Sorry, I’m just not in the mood to be here today,” Adele shrugged and leaned back in her chair.

“So why don’t you just leave instead of sitting here all unproductive and pouty,” he suggested. “I mean the little rain cloud over your head is kinda distracting.”

She sat quietly and twisted her pen in her fingers before looking back at Joel. “Want to go for coffee?”

“Is naming your child after any sort of fruit psychologically damaging?” Joel beamed and skipped back to his desk to grab his coat.

Aidan looked at the door, then the window, and then under the desk. All were acceptable ways to escape and/or hide. Unfortunately, there was a class of Year 10s talking at the top of their lungs and he had to rein them in before they did something like kill him and eat his flesh.

“Attention!” Aidan said loudly and not one student flinched. “Class!” he tried again, but still nothing. He let out a huff, threw politeness and caution to the wind and decided to do something extreme. He found his lunch and grabbed the cling film it was wrapped in. He poured some paint into the cling film and made a paint-filled projectile. The class continued to ignore him as he climbed onto his desk, then with a wry smile he threw the paint bomb as hard as he could at the paper covered pin board on the back wall. The noise, the paint splatter and the realisation that their teacher was standing on the desk stopped the class in their tracks. “Hi kids, I’m Mr Murdoch, and this is your first lesson – modern art!”

“Wow, this couldn’t be any more fun,” Joel chided as Adele sat staring into her caramel tea. “Del!” he added and threw a sugar packet at her. It bounced off her head and into her tea with a plop.

“Thanks, that was mature of you,” she winced as she used her spoon to rescue the sugar packet.

“Well talk to me and I won’t have to resort to throwing condiments at you.”

“Can’t we just be happy to share silence.”

“Are you mental?”

“Slightly,” she mused. “What do you want to talk about? Australia losing the Ashes, maybe?”

“I thought we vowed never to discuss that…EVER!”

“I vowed nothing.”

“I made the vow for you,” he frowned and then sighed. “Come on, spill, tell Joel your woes.”

“You just want to know someone else is suffering.”

“It’s shallow, but true.”

Adele took a sip of her tea and sighed. “Ok, I’m going out of my mind.”

“What? That’s it?”

“No, you interrupted.”

“My bad.”

“I’m in love with Aidan.”

Joel smiled wryly, “Finally got some private art lessons, huh?”

“No, we’ve never even kissed, but we’re intimate in other ways.”

“That is such a Cosmo thing to say,” Joel winced.

Adele looked startled. “Oh god!” she blinked several times and then continued. “We slept hangovers off together and it felt so nice just to be close to someone, to him. He’s beautiful…”

“You do want to fuck him, though?”

“Yes, of course, but…’

“Oh thank god. I thought I was losing you to some new life in a romantic comedy.”’

“I can’t go on like this, Joel,” Adele whined. “I broke up with him even though we’re not going out, and he turned up on my doorstep and refused to let me dump him.”

“This is just getting confusing.”

“Jo has a real thing for him and it just wouldn’t be fair if I started flaunting a relationship with Aidan in front of her. She’d hate me, I’d hate me…”

“But you’d be getting laid.”

“You’re not helping.”

“I don’t remember offering to?”

Adele dropped her head onto the table. “Men are all idiots!”

“Are you coming to lunch?” Leo asked as he slid off his swivel chair.

“Nah, I think I’ll just pick up a sandwich and eat in the park,” Joaquin replied. “I’ve got a drawing I want to finish.”

“Can I see?”

“When it’s finished.”

“That’s what I meant.”

“Course you did,” Joaquin mused as she grabbed her backpack from under her desk and followed Leo to the elevator.

“Got any plans for tonight?”

“I’ve got my class,” Joaquin yawned. “That’s why I’ve got to finish the drawing.”

“Of course,” he nodded. “Don’t want to disappoint his Royal Highness Aidan Murdoch.”

She felt herself blush and leapt out of the elevator as the doors opened. She hurried out into the street, happy to be alone in the crowd and away from Leo who was clearly dealing with an inferiority complex.

She called into a café and picked up a chicken salad sandwich and a bottle of water before heading to the park. Joaquin was grateful for the warm sunny day and found a shady spot under a large gum near the duck pond to sit. A noisy mallard marched up to her the second her bottom hit the grass.

“Go away,” Joaquin huffed as the mallard quacked loudly, flapped his wings and took off with her chicken salad sandwich. “I HOPE YOU GET MAULED BY A DOG!” she yelled at his retreating feathery form.

“Why is every animal in this freaking country viscous?”

“I think it’s something to do with inbreeding and clima…” Joaquin turned to see who’d addressed her and paused. “Ben!”

“Hi,” he said sheepishly. “I’m not stalking you. I’m meeting Leo for lunch.”

“I was having lunch until that bastard duck took it.”

“Aw Bliss, think of it as helping our starving animal brothers,” he mused, a wry smile creeping onto his lips.

God he was cute when he smiled, and she fought hard to hold back her reddening cheeks. “You sound like my mother.”

“You never know, I could be your brother,” he chided, smiling more and raising an eyebrow.

Joaquin giggled despite herself. “I shouldn’t laugh, it could be true.”

Ben shuddered. “Fucking hippies.” There was a brief silence before he found his voice again. “I should go, Leo will be waiting.”

“Yes,” she nodded, not entirely sure she wanted him to leave.

He started off, then stopped and walked back. “By the way, kissing you was amazing.” He smiled and walked away again.

He turned the deepest shade of crimson possible and buried her face in her hands.

“Jo!”

“What?” Joaquin said, her voice muffled by her hands. She looked up and over her shoulder sheepishly.

“Do you want to have dinner sometime?” Ben asked, eyes wide and pleading.

She found herself nodding automatically. “I’ll cook.”

Adele unlocked the door to her apartment and flopped onto the couch, still clutching her bag. There was a headache just waiting to cripple her already tired brain and her feet were killing – stupid new shoes. October emerged from the kitchen looking annoyed that he wasn’t being attended to, and Adele shot him a withering look.

“Go away,” she sighed, lying back on the couch and shutting her eyes.

“Oh my god I did something stupid!” Joaquin shrieked, flying in the door and practically toppling over the coffee table into Adele’s lap.

“One day you’ll come home from work and say something different.”

Joaquin frowned. “I’m serious.”

“Fine, what did you do?” Adele breathed, reluctantly opening one eye.

“I saw Ben in the park and invited him for dinner Friday.”

“That’s not stupid,” Adele mused, then fell serious and sat up. “Wait…why?”

“He smiled at me,” Joaquin winced as her cheeks burned red.

Adele gasped and smiled wryly. “You like the jock!”

Joaquin blushed deeper. “Not in a naked kind of a way.”

“Well what kind of a way?” Adele grinned and sat attentively. “And why were you anywhere near him to ask him to dinner and….”

Joaquin sunk into an armchair and became very focused on its blue suede covering. “I ran into him in the park.”

“And you just randomly asked him to dinner?”

Joaquin sunk further and averted her attention to her hands. “That night I said I had pizza with Leo…”

“You fucked Ben!”

“NO!” Joaquin squeaked. “But I did get a little tipsy and kiss him.”

“In front of Leo!”

“No, Leo wasn’t there…”

Adele’s mouth fell open and she blinked several times. “You little minx.”

“He likes me, it’s not mutual ok,” Joaquin pouted, brushing off her embarrassment and getting to her feet.

“So it’s a sympathy dinner?”

Joaquin shot Adele daggers and started stalking from the room.

“I wouldn’t run away,” Adele called after her. “YOU CAN’T COOK!”

Joaquin stopped, turned around and fell to her knees. “You have got to help me. I don’t know why I said it. I must be losing my mind. It just kind of slipped out and I couldn’t stop it.”

“I have to cook you and the jock dinner.” Adele frowned. “How fun for me.”

“You can stay,” Joaquin pleaded. “I’d rather not be left alone with him if it’s all the same to you.”

“Why, in case the wine goes to your head and you try to shag him in the salad bowl?”

“You’re a bad friend,” Joaquin huffed as she got back to her feet. “I better get ready for class.”

“God, pashing the jock, drooling over the art teacher, you’re turning into a bit of a slut, Jo,” Adele giggled as she was greeted by the slamming of Joaquin’s bedroom door.

“…and then we shade along…” Aidan stopped to yawn and then blearily looked at the class. “…to add definition. I want you all to have a go using that vase of horrible plastic flowers while I go back to my desk and fall into a coma.” He finished and collapsed into his chair. The whole working two jobs thing was not working out as easily as he had been hoping.

“What did he mean by definition?” Fiona asked, looking blankly at Joaquin who to spite herself had actually been thinking about Ben’s smiling face.

“You have to show the shadows that the flowers cast and, y’know, define the petals and leaves.”

“Couldn’t I just use two different greens for the leaves?”

“If you were six maybe.”

“What?”

Joaquin rolled her eyes as Fiona waved her hand in Aidan’s direction.

“Mr Murdoch!”

“What?” Aidan sighed, wondering if he couldn’t lob his stapler at her head and knock her unconscious until the class was over.

“I’m not sure what to do, can you show me?”

“Fiona, this is an advanced art class and this is basic stuff. If you can’t do this on your own then I really think you shouldn’t be here,” Aidan declared, leaning heavily on his clenched fist.

“With my art this kind of stuff isn’t needed,” Fiona huffed. “I’ve never needed to do it before.”

“Fine,” Aidan muttered. He got to his feet and stalked over to the corner of the room where he retrieved an old wooden student desk. On it he put a sheet of blank paper and a packet of crayons before he pulled over a chair. “Fiona, come here.” She looked at him strangely and walked over. “Sit here and practice basic shading with the crayons and when you actually advance above a fourth grade level you can move on to big girl pencils.”

The class gasped and even Joaquin was surprised at just how far Aidan had gone to humiliate Fiona. Fiona, embarrassed and speechless, started to wail and fled from the room. Aidan shrugged and went back to his desk, looking just a little pleased.

“Dude, sorry I’m so late but I had to…” Leo paused as he entered his own front door. “Are you wearing an apron?”

“I made dinner,” Ben smiled and then winced. “And I may have cleaned, too.”

“Any particular reason, or are you finally gonna confess your undying love for me?”

Ben looked coy. “On my way to lunch today I ran into Jo.”

“And?” Leo mused, dropping his briefcase near the door and wandering into the kitchenette. “Did you play hide the turkey sandwich under a picnic table?”

“No, the sandwich was chicken and a duck ate it.”

“What?” Leo frowned, grabbing himself a beer from the fridge.

“We’re having dinner Friday,” Ben grinned and puffed his chest out. “And she’s cooking.”

Leo choked in his beer. “Jo is cooking?”

“Yeah,” Ben said suspiciously. “Why?”

“Oh, nothing,” Leo mused, sitting himself at one of the places Ben had set at the table.

“Don’t ‘oh nothing’ me,” Ben scorned. “What do you know?”

“Dude, Jo can’t cook.”

“Oh.”

“Adele on the other hand can,” Leo giggled. “So with any luck she’ll actually do the cooking and you won’t need your stomach pumped or money for take away.”

Ben dropped into a chair. “Dammit!”

“Hey, she still asked you to dinner, though,” Leo enthused and patted his friend on the back.

“True,” Ben nodded. “Hey, maybe I can offer to teach her!”

“No,” Leo smirked.

“Why? I’m a great cook!” Ben pouted.

“Normally I’d find no reason to disagree,” Leo chided. “But right now your potatoes are boiling dry.”

“SHIT!” Ben yelled as he raced back to the stove.

“Next week we’ll start looking at drawing the human form because in a couple of weeks I’ll be getting in a life drawing model for you,” Aidan mused. “Oh yes, you’ll all be drawing rude bits.” The class giggled as they finished packing up and headed out into the corridor.

“Oh, can I come for that class?” Adele smirked as she sauntered into the room. “The life drawing one.”

“How do you know it’s not going to be a naked woman?”

“Why do you think I’d care?”

“Hmm, kinky,” Aidan smiled and then yawned.

“Now he cheers up,” Joaquin sighed.

“Oh?” Adele blinked and cocked her head to the side. “Been a miserable bastard, have you?”

“I’m tired,” Aidan shrugged. “I’ve started working at a high school, got myself a day job.”

“Working two jobs is just insane,” Joaquin gasped.

“Just because you struggle with one,” Adele chided and Joaquin frowned at her. “What? You know it’s true….”

“Well he was mean to Fiona,” Joaquin pouted. “Really mean.”

“Did you make her cry?” Adele asked, raising an eyebrow.

“A little…” Aidan said innocently.

“She ran from the room wailing!”

“I thought you hated her and wanted her flogged?”

“Well yes,” Joaquin winced. “But he really humiliated her when he could have just fobbed her off.”

“Jo,” Aidan smiled as sweetly as he could. “Could you go to the staffroom and grab everything in my pigeon hole, there’s something I want to show you before you go.”

Joaquin wanted to protest but he looked tired and had asked so nicely. “Sure.”

Adele waited until she heard Joaquin’s footsteps fading and then looked back at Aidan. “You look awful.”

“Thanks.”

“Have you eaten today?”

“I think I had a pie at lunch.”

“No wonder you’re a cranky shit,” Adele frowned. “You should apologise to Fiona for being an arse.”

“Has there been a Fiona fanclub I’ve not been privy to?” Aidan gasped and looked vaguely irritated. “Why is everyone ganging up on me?”

Adele gave small giggle and then sighed as she watched Aidan yawn and rub his eyes. “I’ll give you a lift home, quicker you’re in bed the better.”

“Don’t suppose you want to join me and be my pillow?” Aidan smiled wearily and reached out to gently touch her cheek.

Adele opened her mouth but was cut off as Joaquin returned.

“Do you, like, ever clean out your pigeon hole?” she groused and dropped a large pile of papers and envelopes on Aidan’s desk.

“No, I get my pions to do it for me,” Aidan grinned and began rifling through everything as Joaquin pouted. “Ah huh!” he announced and handed her a piece of paper.

“School open night?” Joaquin shrugged.

“They want me to put up an art display in here,” Aidan enthused. “I (a) want you to help me and (b) want to use most of your stuff.”

“Really?” Joaquin gasped and blushed.

“What did he just say?” Adele sighed and rolled her eyes.

“Yeah but my stuff, it’s not…”

“Oh, don’t you dare start being modest,” Adele groaned and grabbed Joaquin by the sleeve. “We’re going, come on Ade, you can inflate her non-existent ego in the car.”

By the time Adele had pulled to a stop outside the block of flats where Aidan lived, Joaquin had reluctantly been convinced she was talented and it was decided that they’d work out the display one day after work.

“Thanks for the lift, ladies,” Aidan smiled. “I don’t think I would have made it otherwise.”

“Anything for a good-looking man in distress,” Adele smirked and Aidan winked at her. “Oh, by the way are you busy Friday?”

“Not that I know of.”

“Great, Jo randomly invited Ben for dinner so I’m randomly inviting you.”

“Del!” Joaquin squeaked.

“Sounds great!” Aidan grinned. “What time?”

“Seven.”

“I’ll be there with bells on,” Aidan perked as he slid out of the car. “And nothing else.”

“Bonus,” Adele laughed as Aidan headed off toward his flat. She looked over at Joaquin who was scowling. “What?”

“I really, really hate you,” Joaquin spat. “Bad, bad friend!”