Nick and the Escape hatch

Feeling encouraged by my last journal entry to address the situation with Nick, I went ahead and asked him about it today.
"Nick, how are we doing? You're not annoyed with me or something are you?" I asked. Nick looked up with a quizzical expression.
"I've just noticed that you haven't been very talkative lately," I added.
"Oh, that's just because it's morning. I'm not a morning person," he responded matter-of-factly.
I was about to pursue it further, but Goi sensei glided towards Nick - he doesn't seem to take steps, he glides - and then leaned his expressionless face toward him and started talking about something in Japanese. This is not a racial generalization. Goi sensei truly keeps his expression flat most of the time, and he bends at the waist rather than curving his body toward the seated Nick. He's tall and slim and his hair is spiked, and he wears a dress t-shirt and tie every day.
After a while they finished talking. Nick was looking at his papers on the desk in front of him. I spoke.
"Uh, Nick. I just wanted to make sure there's no problem between us. You seem to be quiet with me most of the time."
"Yeah, as I said that's just morning. I'm not a morning person".
"No. Actually you do it in the afternoon, too. I'll say something to you and you don't reply. Or you'll say 'What? Sorry I didn't hear..." and I explained the situation. He reacted at first with surprise. Then he admitted that he had been worried about being too closely associated with me because he thought I was going to explode! He talked about my angry reaction to trying to get my couch delivered, and he said that some of the teachers had asked him if I was unhappy. I was unhappy. I was very frustrated with the lack of help from my tantosha, the general bad attitude of the school, and being unable to speak the native language. Nick knew all this, but he was trying to maintain the easy truce he had established with Nishi Chugakko, our Junior High. He was maintaining a zero-energy-expenditure policy, and the volatile new foreign teacher was making waves.
BUT the good news is that I had given in. I was in zero-energy mode myself, and Nick saw this. It was ok. We were two lazy gaijin together, because the school was too big to fight. He didn't have to worry that I would try to change the system, to make things better (to make things right!).
I don't love this solution. I don't love to slip unnoticed into the corners. Today I actually escaped from the principal's extended speech in the gym by slipping out the window! I was shocked that I actually did this, but I was tired and it was past 4. We had the culture show today. The kids put on FOUR different plays, each with elaborate sets and costumes. There were art displays, and a darkened classroom filled with painted lanterns (one was mine!). They take their culture show very seriously here. I was generally impressed - only the extended speech at the end was unnecessary for me, as I couldn't understand a word and the principal is generally recognized as being full of hot air anyway. I used this as a justification, and then slipped out. Only two people saw me do it, I think. Yasuda sensei, who can be trusted as she's a part-time teacher and dating Goi sensei, and someone who saw me walk by the window. Maybe it was a student. I'll find out in the next couple of weeks if I caused a scandal.