Brownsville Tales, JJ Erickson

'Hmmm, interesting. There's a new development. When did that begin?' J.J.Erickson ambled along at the rear, following the slowest walkers as his Year 10 class went to the school hall for a movie pertaining to their North American Geography studies.

He'd long ago decided that today's kids were spoilt rotten; they were in no hurry to get there. Even when he was a kid, not so very long ago, movies at school were still a novelty and something to look forward to.

He'd be glad when Brownsville High joined the 21st Century and installed inter-active electronic white-boards in the classrooms. Then they wouldn't have to traipse to the hall for films, but would be able to stay where they were in their seats in the classrooms. That would be a great time-saver. Any chance these kids got to waste a few minutes, they grabbed eagerly.

What had taken his eye was the two boys walking just ahead of him. That was new and they were an unlikely pair – Dillon Kirkwood, tall and well-built with loose blond curls and little Jordan Houston with his huge mop of dark hair bouncing as they walked and jostled together.

They weren't exactly acting-up and not walking overly close together, but there was a lot of nudging and pushing, joking and whispering going on. Something was definitely up with that pair. Even from behind, John could see that there was chemistry between them, as the romantics say.

He'd not noticed them together before. Jordan's mates, the infamous Tight Five, usually stood between him and anybody else. Maybe they'd admitted a new member to their close-knit group? He wondered if Kirkwood had any musical talent? They could definitely do with some.

No, that wasn't fair, they did have some – Ashton Morris was an amazing little guitarist, probably the best in town. Why he stayed with the others, John would never know. Well, he did know really – they were his mates and everybody needs friends. It was a shame that the others weren't up to Ashton's standards, they might get somewhere if they were.

'So. Dillon Kirkwood and Jordan are a couple?' Maybe. He'd have to keep an eye on them. The other members of the Tight Five were doing just that too. They were keeping back and giving the pair space, but they were watching.

Another regular couple, Storey and Moore, were not together for once. Storey was walking with Fortune, they were sitting together before too. Moore was walking alone and looking daggers at them. If that couple had split-up, it was a messy divorce.

'Interesting what you can see, when you look. Wonder if teachers were watching me 10 years ago? I bloody hope not!'

He had to smile again, once they were settled in the hall and he went to the back to work the projector. Moore was now sitting with Young and Storey was the one who was alone and glaring. There was obviously unfished business there.

Damm, he loved teaching teenagers – it was better than most soap operas!

They had to wait a minute while there was some re-arranging going on. Morris, Crestani and Breene were sitting behind Kirkwood and Jordan, but they had to move when Jordan objected. Ashton and Gene went across to the other side of the hall but Lucas just moved back a couple of rows and sat where he could still watch them.

“Okay, if we've all quite finished, we'll begin. Ronald, turn the lights out please.”

That wasn't the best of moves; there was a lot of shuffling going on while he fumbled with the projector in the dark – some dork had pulled the power cord out. He plugged it in and there was quiet at last as the film started.

It was a good movie and it easily held everyone's attention, even John's and he'd seen it several times before. When it finished, Ronald Herbert got up and turned the lights on without even being asked to. It was good to see a kid showing some initiative.

“Thanks, Ronald. Well done.” John rewarded him with a smile. “Okay, Gentlemen, for your homework . . “ he waited for the groans to subside. “It's not a lot, I just want a short precis of what you've seen here and your thoughts on how the geography has affected the economic development of North America's countries. Bear in mind, we're not forecasting about the future, just discuss yesterday and today.

That's enough education for one day, class is dismissed.”

He ejected the video cassette, returned it to its case, opened the curtains and turned the lights out as he left the hall – last one out, as usual.

He'd noted the the new couple, Dillon Kirkwood and Jordan Houston, had left together and that Storey and Moore were back together again. When had that happened? He'd missed that one.

Another regular pair were walking ahead of him as he returned to the classroom. Well, they were sometimes seen together but he doubted if they were a twosome – the chemistry between them didn't seem right for that. Or was it? He didn't know, they weren't that easy to read and that annoyed him.

Jayden Collis and Cade Caldwell, ('Only CC's is tasting like these'). They were friends, on and off, but there was a distance between them. Were they together in the hall? He didn't know.

That'd be another advantage of the whiteboards, if and when they arrived, they wouldn't need to sit in the dark to watch movies. The disadvantage was that other entertainment would be curtailed – whi;le they were at school anyway. No doubt, they find other places to play around.

'Hmmm.' His eyes went back to Collis and Caldwell. 'Yes? No? Maybe. I'll be watching you two.'