[mf] Girl in the flat window

My day of extra time finally done, I trudged through the grimy city streets. Each car that clipped my heels as I crossed a road I never even noticed. I was simply resigned.

Other students walked past- intoxicated and in a party mood, ready to go "out" for the night, to a club downtown. I walked past them all, and stared up at the wide, brightly lit glass windows of each flat I went past. Floor after floor, block after block, each filled with smiling young people clutching a glass of something or other.

In one window, a girl looked out. She was fully dressed up, in a beatiful green dress and with her lovely brown hair spread out around her head. I stared up at her, and met her gaze. Our eyes locked, and I gestured with my hand as if I was holding a phone. She was surprised, and hesitated, then instead left the room she was in.

I stood still and looked around, wondering what I should do. Then, just as I set off, the door of the house opened behind me. I span round to see the girl, who closer up seemed to have cried recently. She didn't say anything, but I walked up to the door and held it open further. She staggered out and brushed my chest.

(MF) Glory Stations

At Horrow Park Boys School, they had a problem. Their 18 year old last year students just weren't getting the great standard of grades that the directors wanted them to get in order for the school to retain its place on the league tables.

At a meeting, the senior staff discussed how best to motivate their boys more. They talked about frustration, lack of concentration and most of all a lack of interest in staying longer for revision. Someone pointed out that a great deal of the boys were keen to leave school to go meet their girlfriends, and this not only meant they spent less time in school but left those boys without a girlfriend feeling inadequate and frustrated at their lack of sexual activity.

That was when they decided to install the Glory Stations.

Making way in the computer room by sliding a few old desktops out of the way, they broke down the wall to the common room that the senior boys used. They created a small enclosure with three holes between the common room and the computer room. These were the glory stations, and at first it was decided that all unmarried female teachers under forty should take a half hour slot in the glory stations every day should they wish to keep their job.