The gym teacher

It was hot, hotter than anything I've ever experienced. I sat along with my squad mates inside an open trunk of a mildly reinforced jeep, escorting a convoy in the middle of the desert. It was so hot…

"Come on soldiers, man up! I want to take a shower before this day ends," our captain said. His name was Vincent Rourke, but we all called him 'Talon'. He's an American soldier; we fought side by side under a few joint operations between the British and the American army, a good soldier.

He held his MK18 Mod 4 steadily in his arms, his smirk made me wanna punch his straight in the face.

"Permission to speak freely, captain!" called the soldier to my right. Barrett "Psycho" Swift, a fitting name for a crazy motherfucker. 'Psycho' was a British soldier like me; we had a few encounters before, but nothing serious.

"Permission granted!"

"You can go bloody fuck yourself!"

The rest of the squad laughed as we navigated the desert. 'Kid' was in the back, trying not to pass out, I moved to the back and put my hand on his shoulder "Come on, 'Kid'…"

"Private first class," Said 'Talon'.

'Kid' snapped forward "Yes, Captain!"

"You better drink; we need our best medic at top condition."

'Kid' groaned silently and took a small sip from his bottle. His name wasn't really 'Kid', his name was Jensen Mastiff, but everyone called him 'Kid' since he was the youngest in our group, only nineteen years old.

The last member of our squad was Keegan "Gunslinger" Ellis, an exceptional sharpshooter with a passion for head shots. We met under peculiar circumstances in Australia. He was an American soldier like 'Kid' and 'Talon', though I know him better. He wasn't much of a talker, preferring to work alone or in small teams.

But there was something… off, about our surroundings. I couldn't quiet describe it, call me crazy but I knew something wasn't right.

And then… I saw it. A small, roundly shaped green object flew out of nearby ruins, landed into the open jeep and straight to my lap.

"Grenade!" Yelled 'Talon'.

Time froze at that moment. I remember hearing shots fired and guns blazing. My eyes were fixed on the grenade as my mind battled against itself over my options. My first thought was I hope this doesn't hurt too much. That, and I've really only got one chance to do this. If it fails, either way, doing nothing, I'm going to get the same amount of hurt. So I picked it up and threw it off the jeep.

It exploded in mid-air just seconds later, sending shrapnel flying. Unfortunately, a shard of said shrapnel lodged itself right in my neck.

I fell down as the corners of my eyes darkened.

"Man down…"

…

With a loud gasp, I woke up, completely drenched in cold sweat as memories flooded my mind like a cracked dam. I looked at my watch, five fifteen. I couldn't go back to sleep, not after that dream.

I walked a bit in my new flat, trying to find the damm mirror. Upon finding one, I took off my shirt and examined my body. My entire upper torso was riddled with scars, cuts, bruises and a few blue spots. I smiled fondly at each and every one; every scar was a memory, a proof that I was better than the one who gave me said scars. I then turned my back, unlike my front, it was spotless. Not a single scar or bruise. I smiled again; it was a testament that I never turned my back. That I never ran away.

My father told me countless times that a true soldier never run away, that being a good soldier is about sacrificing yourself for the greater good. There is a lot that can be argued against such statements, but I took them to heart. That's why I now felt like shit. I couldn't even die on my own terms.

By the time I finished sulking in front of the mirror it was already five thirty. I stepped outside my flat and did a few morning exercises. Once finished, I stepped back in and took a nice cool shower.

Just as I stepped out from the shower, I heard a knock on the door. I checked my watch to see that it was already six in the morning.

I grunted in annoyance as put on a towel across my waist and moved towards the entrance and opened the door.

"Mr. Brindley, good mor-" Cheerilee stood at the entrance to the flat. Her eyes fixed on my bare chest "My goodness, what happened to you!"

I shrugged "It's not important, why are you here anyway?"

Cheerilee looked me in the eyes "We agreed to meet yesterday, have you already forgot?"

"Bullocks, it went completely over my head." I sighed "Come in while I find something to wear." I moved to the side and let Cheerilee in as I searched in one of the boxes labeled 'Clothes' "There isn't anything proper to eat except for some canned food, but I think I have some rum in one of the boxes if you want some." I shouted from the next room.

"I don't think getting drunk in six in the morning on a work day is such a good idea." Cheerilee shouted back.

"Drinking rum in the morning does not make you drunk, it makes you a pirate." I exclaimed.

I could hear Cheerilee smack her forehead all the way from the next room "Just-… put on some bucking clothes."

I shrugged and put on a pair of shorts and a plain white T-shirt, steeping back into the main room and finding Cheerilee idly looking around.

"So, where are we going?" I asked.

"Well, first of all, I think that we can go to eat something proper since you don't have anything decent. After that, we'll head for the town's hall to see about possible employment opportunities."

I rubbed my chin and deep thought "Sounds reasonable. Did I thanked you already?"

Cheerilee giggled and flashed me a smile "I don't think so…"

"Then remind me later…" I smiled when I saw Cheerilee gave me a deadpan look.

Cheerilee gave an angry huff before trotting outside with me following suit. The walk was quiet and awkward, none of us made any attempt at conversation, at least not until we stepped into a coffee shop of some sorts. As I entered the shop I could smell the sweet aroma around me that gave me a pretty good idea as to what kind of food they were selling here.

"This is the place, huh?" I said.

"Yes, it's the only place I know that is cheap and serves humans meals as well," Said Cheerilee as she went to the front counter. I found a nice booth to sit and tapped my fingers against the hard table.

Cheerilee quickly joined and sat in front of me.

"So, what's this job opportunity we're after?" I asked "Don't get me wrong, but it feels to me like you're already having something in mind."

Cheerilee shrugged "I guess you can say that. What you said yesterday got me thinking, I need someone that would… 'Drain' my students of all their excess energy, and you need a job, so I was thinking-"

"-That I can put them through some exercises and whatnot?"

"Yes, exactly!" Cheerilee exclaimed.

Our conversation was momentarily when a big man placed a batch of pancakes in front of us, with a pitcher of water and two glasses.

"Thanks Mick" Cheerilee took a fork in her hoof and started cutting some pieces of pancake and munching happily on them.

Seeing a pony using a fork has always left me wandering as to how that was even possible. I recalled asking a few ponies I was acquainted back in Canterlot about the matter, but they always responded in a similar fashion, either shrugging it off, saying it was natural, or they looked at me like I had grown another head.

I didn't even realize I was starring until Cheerilee brought it up "What is it, is there something in my face?"

"Wha-… No, I mean… no, no, your face is perfect- Not that I mean anything by it, it's just- not dirty, or anything… oh blooming hell…" I rested my chin on the table, a look of defeat plastered across my face "Can you pretend this never happened?"

Cheerilee had a cheeky smile on her face "Nope." Figures…

"So… what's the deal," I said, trying to change the subject "How is it gonna work, this gym teacher position bullocks."

Cheerilee frowned but refrained from saying anything about my vocabulary "We'll go to the town's hall and meet with the mayor. She's a friend and just like me, she's been looking for someone capable to fill in as a gym teacher."

I took a small bite from the pancake and though deeply "Sounds awfully rushed…" I said absent mindlessly "And I don't need any job qualifications? Degrees in teaching? This seems really shifty."

Cheerilee simply waved her hoof dismissingly "Don't worry about a thing Mr. Brindley. I don't know how it is on earth, but here it's much easier to become a teacher. All you need to have is an extensive knowledge and some motivation."

"Still… it sounds rather-"

"Oh, just lighten up." Cheerilee nudged me slightly, batting her tail across my knees, as well, "You're too worried about everything. Tell you what, after today what do you say about a quick visit to the bar with me?"

Wow, this mare was coming strong. I don't think women had ever been this forward in my life. Then again, I wasn't on earth anymore, and any female attention I got was from my troops, and it was strictly professional. Maybe Cheerilee was right, maybe I do need to lighten up. After all, I did start a fresh page.

"Sure, why not…"

"Great…" Cheerilee smiled, though that smile quickly turned into a frown when she looked at a nearby watch "Hmm, we should get going, come on now…" she hopped from her sit and poked my side with her head until I did the same.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming, blimey…"

We walked for about ten minutes in silence. Not because none of us had nothing to say, it was just a calm, quiet morning and we didn't want to ruin it. The town's hall came into view as we neared the town's center. I saw a few ponies as well as humans as they made their way to their work places.

I opened the town's hall door, letting Cheerilee enter before coming it myself. We passed a few corridors before coming to a stop near a door that led into the mayor's office. Cheerilee knock three times on the door and waited patiently, smiling at me all the while.

"Come in." came a feminine voice from within, Cheerilee flashed one last smile at my direction before opening the door and stepping in.

"Ahh! Cheerilee, it's so nice seeing you, and you brought a human as well, how naughty…"

Cheerilee's cheeks turned bright red "T-This isn't what it looks like. Remember what we talked about yesterday?"

The older mare chuckled before speaking "Yes, yes, I know." She then turned her attention to me "And what's your name mister?"

I straightened myself up and looked straight into her eyes "Name's Alexander Brindley ma'am."

"And a gentelcolt as well, you sure know how to pick em'." Commented the mayor, or Mayor Mare if the name plate on her desk was anything to go by. The look of sheer awkwardness on Cheerilee's face was greatly worth it, though.

"P-Please Mary, w-we're all adults here, let's act like ones." Cheerilee tried to save the last scraps of her dignity as both Mayor Mare and I chuckled before promptly sitting down and assuming a more serious expression, though I could still see a glint of mirth in her eyes.

"So I take it that you're the human Cheerilee mentioned yesterday?" when I nodded, she spoke again "And you know what you're in for, right? Cheerilee briefed you?"

I nodded again "Yes she did, something about being a gymnastics teacher. Though I must confess, this whole employment process seems a bit wonky."

Mayor Mare sighed and browsed through some papers in front of her "Well, to be perfectly frank, it's only because we made some drastic changes to the education system, now that human families enlisted their kids to school. We had little time to come up with anything stable at the moment, so I can understand why you find the whole process fishy, though I promise you that there are no strings attached or catches." She concluded.

I nodded in understanding, though something still didn't add up "But the human immigration started some time ago, how come you still don't have a working system?"

"It's a work in progress." Cheerilee chimed in "It's true that we aren't fully prepared, but it was a lot worse at the very beginning. We made a lot of progress, extending the schoolhouse, and employing more teachers for certain subjects."

"Okay, I'm in."

"Wait, just like that?" said Mayor Mare in astonishment.

"Yeah, it's not like I have better options, and I'm not gonna decline a job offer when one is presented to me on a silver plate. I just hope the pay is good."

The slowly growing grin of Mayor Mare's increased by tenfold. I could almost see the waves of relief wash over her "Excellent, I'll have my assistant, Azar, to handle the paperwork. I just need you to sign a few things on your end of the contract and you can begin teaching by tomorrow." She then turned her attention towards Cheerilee "If you don't mind my dear, I'd like you to accompany Mr. Brindley here around the schoolhouse today, show him the ropes and such."

And with that said, I sighed whichever papers were slid towards me and bid farewell to Mayor Mare, exiting the town's hall and making my way towards the schoolhouse with a plum mare at my side.

"Say, Cheerilee…"

"Hmm, yes?"

"Just exactly why are you doing this?" I asked.

"Doing what?" she inquired, looking at me with a raised eyebrow.

"All of this," I said "I mean- we just met yesterday, and for a brief time, and yet you came to my aid. I simply don't bloody get that."

Cheerilee looked thoughtful for a few moments before shrugging "I don't know. You seem okay and you needed a job."

"You still haven't answered my question," I stated.

"Well, maybe it's because I don't need a reason." Cheerilee brushed her tail across my thighs, sending shivers up my spine. Any traces of shame were gone as her face turned sultry.

What am I gotten myself into…