Ryan sat resting his head on the glass, his breath misting and obscuring the fast-flowing hedges outside of the window. He retreated into his world of splayed hair and hot breath while the other kids on the bus shouted and laughed, shoved and teased.

He hated getting on and off the most. Once he was in position, in a seat, it was bearable. A moment of calm in a day that had the potential to be chaos.

He dreaded it.

Every. Single. Day.

If he kept as still as possible and avoided eye contact or facial expressions, he might just be able to sit unbothered.

The bus pulled into its bay at the school and he waited until he was last off. Seeing that the bus was empty, he got up and scurried to the doors, taking a moment to look left and right before stepping down. No-one there.

Safe.

He found his usual nook close to the bins at the back of the canteen. He had worked out that there was enough room for him to duck behind it, if he was quick. There were spells, days where he was left alone and often, if the area was empty of all others, he'd sit, ready to jump up, if necessary but sometimes it was nice to just take the weight off his feet and lean back against the wall, the sun on his face and hope the wind was blowing the smell of the rubbish the opposite way.

Those days were great.

But rare.

The bell went. Registration. His tutor was nice and sometimes, he'd chat with her. She had him sit by her desk and she'd confide things in him that made him smile. Sometimes, when she was marking at lunchtime, she would let him sit, while she played music and leant over books, hair hanging. He loved her for the shelter. He wished she could be his sidekick throughout the day.

Corridors beckoned and lessons. Head down, get through. Running the gauntlet. He had his routes. Avoiding fists and other hazards.

The highlight of his day? Home-time. Even better, if Mum said she could pick him up.

Freedom!

Until it all started again.

***

366 words

I used to be a teacher. The dynamics of being a kid are not ones that I would want to revisit for the world. School days, the best days of your life? Not for me at all.

And as a teacher? I used to provide a place for kids to come while I did my work. If they needed it. Where they felt safe.

I could do that, at least.

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