The Learning Curve by Melissa Nathan

of Amanda’s future favourite topics up for discussion.
    But generally, the announcement went as well as could be expected. Roberta and Gwen eyed each other over their coffee with triumphant bitterness, their friendship jump-started. Ned, who had as much bitterness in his make-up as a hungry puppy lying on its back with its tail thumping theground, was delighted for both Rob and Nicky. He told his wife at lunch-time during their daily phone call and it had been a small interruption from his discussion of his Marmite and cheese sandwiches; ‘an intriguing combination and a not unpleasant surprise’. He’d even put his hand over the mouthpiece and told Nicky across the staffroom that his wife, Theresa, wished her congratulations. Nicky was grateful and tried not to pity him.
    Martha, the new Reception teacher, was too new in her post to even think of herself in terms of promotion, so she found it easy to be delighted for both Rob and Nicky.
    Nicky found Martha an intriguing addition to the staffroom. It had turned out that Martha’s private life gave her a unique position among the teachers. She was neither married nor single, which meant that no one understood her. It took them a while to work out exactly what this meant and, even then, they didn’t get it. Technically, she had a boyfriend, whom she liked very much, but he was not The One. Her explanation had been met with a short silence before Rob congratulated her in effusive terms, ‘Good for you, girl, go for it!’ followed by Amanda in agreement. ‘Yeah! You go for it!’
    Then Martha left the room and they set to discussing her emotional status with more energy than they would ever do once they’d got to know her.
    ‘That is
such
a shame,’ started Roberta in an exaggerated whisper. ‘Poor girl.’
    ‘What is?’ asked Rob.
    ‘Well, she’s obviously waiting for her boyfriend to pop the question,’ stated Roberta. ‘And she’s made up the whole “He’s not The One” lie to hide her disappointment.Didn’t you see how hard it was for her to come out with it?’
    ‘Rubbish!’ exclaimed all the singles in unison.
    ‘And he probably never will,’ agreed Gwen with Roberta, ignoring the singles. ‘And she’ll throw away her twenties for him.’ She clicked her fingers. ‘And that’ll be that. She’ll wake up and find it’s too late to have a family.’
    Nicky noticed Rob suddenly stare at her with determined concern. She gave him a fixed grin, but when it started to wobble she looked away.
    ‘In which case,’ continued Roberta, nodding, ‘she should get rid of him and get herself back on the market.’ She lowered her voice. ‘Perhaps I should introduce her to someone.’
    ‘Excuse me!’ shrilled Amanda. ‘Maybe she is actually enjoying herself! And maybe, just maybe, she actually doesn’t
want
children. Not every woman does, you know. And good luck to her.’ She looked over at Rob.
    ‘Or maybe she genuinely doesn’t believe in marriage,’ added Nicky. ‘And good luck to her with that too.’
    Amanda eyed Rob quickly, before nodding and saying, ‘That’s right, girlfriend!’ She laughed. ‘We’re career girls, aren’t we?’ she said, elbowing her.
    Nicky decided now was not the time to enter into a debate about why women had to choose career over family whereas men didn’t, nor the use of the word ‘girl’ for adult females, when the word ‘boy’ was only ever used for boys, let alone the fact that if Amanda ever elbowed her again she could expect to be punched in the face.
    ‘Excuse me!’ cried Roberta. ‘I’ve got an ex-husband and a son – does that mean I’m
not
a career girl?’
    There was an ugly pause.
    ‘Does that mean,’ clarified Gwen, encouraged by Roberta, ‘that mothers of three can’t be promoted?’
    Silence seeped round the room. Nicky changed her mind and decided that maybe now
was
the perfect time to open a healthy debate about all the above, but just as she was wondering how to get started,