Honor

Having followed the signs from the reception area, Honor now paused momentarily outside the room, and listened for voices inside.  When she entered a moment later, she saw a handful of faces spread throughout the room; one at the front.  The teacher's desk.  This must be tutor, she thought, as she debated the safest place to deposit herself. 


As soon as she sat down, she regretted it.  She found herself smack-bang in the middle of the classroom, directly facing the tutor, and with multiple sets of curious eyes either side of her, subconsciously sussing her out.


As she shifted in her green plastic chair, conversation and back-chat flowed easily and she soon realised she was the newcomer to this set-up. Even worse.  Not only was she exposed in the centre of the room, but she was also an unknown: an outsider. 


The tutor, kind-looking and plump with glasses, seemed to sense Honor's unease and slight phobia of large groups (or so she hoped).  Either way, she looked up in the break of chatter, caught her eye and asked, "So, what is your name then?"
"Honor", she said quietly.  Introductions were the worst part of having an unusual name.
"Sorry.  Honor, did you say?"
"Yes", Honor replied shortly. Like love, honour and obey, she thought to herself.  It was a phrase that had followed her since childhood.  One that had been forced to hear so many times, that she now cringed inside, whenever it looked like being rolled out.


"Ooh, that's unusual i'nt it?!", cooed a lady to her right.  "Like Honor Blackman, you mean? Well, how very glamorous!  Well I'm just Jackie.", she continued. "I mean, he married a Jacqueline", she gestured to the man perched on the desk behind, "but it's always been Jackie really.  I go by many other names", she continued adopting a faux-posh voice, "but they aren't really suitable for a classroom environment, if you know what I mean!"  Her last few words had started to build to an acute screech, and she looked around laughing to herself, and to the others, who seemed to be smiling.  Honor knew that it was best to laugh along as well.