So this is my first story on FF, ever. This two are just perfect and I can't wait to see how the story plays out over 8C so this is my version. Each chapter is like an episode of the show but how I think the season will end :)
Enjoy :)
It is the start of a new term which meant new pupils (and old, let's not forget them) and new challenges to face over the next ten weeks.
Pulling up in her red Ferrari, Lorraine Donavan pulled up outside the gates of Waterloo Road.
"Morning," the blonde greeted as she got up her car, bag on her arm.
Michael Byrne, head of Waterloo Road, turned at the sound of the similar voice. "Morning," he and girlfriend slash fellow colleague Christine Mulgrew said, glancing over at the other body that exited the Ferrari quickly.
"Good holiday?" asked Ms Donavan
"Yes," Mr Byrne looked over at Christine, the pair smiled at each other. "Very."
Nikki Boston breathed out, joining in with the group conversation. "Back to reality for us all, then."
Michael agreed before turning his attention to Lorraine. "I take it this early meeting is about appointing a deputy of us all, yes?" He changed the subject.
"Oh, on the contrary, I've hired someone," she stated.
"I'm sorry, you've what?"
"Meet your new deputy head," Lorraine smiled.
Silence fell in the group before Nikki Boston, the new deputy head of Waterloo Road, gave an awkward smile towards Mr Byrne.
"It's good to be back."
"So… Nikki?" Tom Clarkson asked Christine in the teacher's lounge, surprised.
"I know," she responded, same tone of voice. "Michael didn't even get a say in it."
"Uh, I think an official announcement would be more appropriate, don't you Christine?" Lorraine suggested walking in-between the pair, Nikki behind her once again. "Morning," she smiled at Tom.
"Morning," he mumbled before Michael walked into the staff room.
All the teachers took a seat, knowing Michael had something to say.
"Now," he breathed out. "Sadly we lost Sian Diamond as deputy head last term but I'm pleased to announce Nikki Boston will be stepping into the role," he pointed over to her, "alongside current dept. Tom Clarkson. Nikki more than proved herself last term with her excellent work in the PRU so I think we can all wish her well in the job," Michael's voice trailed off noticing most the staff looked uncomfortable. "That's it, have a great first day back."
Nikki thanked Lorraine who had held the door open for her as she struggled with her hands full with paper work. "Well my promotion went down like a lead balloon."
"So?" Lorraine commented as they walked down the school's hallway. "I gave you the job because it's the right discussion for the school. Michael knows it, too, it's just he has to take what's politically right for the school and he just hasn't made a decision." She stopped walking to turn and faced Nikki. "And as you know, I hate having my time wasted."
Nikki chuckled at her colleague's words. "Yeah…"
"Some of the teachers here are too complacent and you're in the post to give them a boot up the backside alright?"
"Don't you worry about that, I shall kick ass."
The pair smiled at each other. "Good," Lorraine responded. "Right, I got to go, I've got a meeting in town. So I'll see you later."
"Alright," Nikki said before the teacher's went their separate ways.
Ms Boston entered her classroom full of awaiting students who were ready and willing to work. She hoped.
Nikki is the Head of the PRU; as well she is the Head of English and now the school. The PRU is made for the pupils who are not able to attend a mainstream or special school. It provides the pupils to learn life lessons as simple as how to work a washing machine and basic skills in English and Maths like spelling and how to calculate their weekly shopping. Nikki also likes get her students involved in a bit of PE as well as activities in the classroom. Last year she had her pupils run laps in the playground to teach them a lesson, to push them. She wants her students to leave with the best understanding of the outside world as well as their best possible GCSE grades that depend on the rest of their lives.
Earlier in the day, Mr Clarkson introduced Ms Boston to a new pupil, Fergal Doherty, who she believed would be better off in the PRU given his background but Clarkson disagreed and wanted him straight into normal classes. After much deliberation, Ms Boston won the debate and is now determent to prove herself to not only Mr Clarkson but to Waterloo Road that she is right to be appointed as deputy head.
She began giving out sheets for today's work before hearing the sound of her classroom door being opened.
"Yvonne would you mind giving the rest of these worksheets out, thank you," Ms Boston asked one of her pupils then headed towards the teacher wanting to speak to her. She breathed out. "This is about Fergal Doherty?"
"Tom and I agreed he would be better off in the mainstream—new school, new start," Mr Byrne started.
Ms Boston folded her arms over her chest. "Lorraine and I reviewed all the new in-takes while you were on holiday. I had no idea; I thought she had discussed this with you." She rubbed her upper arms, feeling nervous about the situation.
"She should have."
Picking up on Mr Byrne's attitude, Ms Boston's nerves remained. "Yeah, but, this morning the way my appointment was spurn on you, I—"
"I'm not blaming you," he interrupted. "It's Lorraine's methods I have a problem with but Tom and I should have been part of that decision process." His voice became a lot softer.
"I didn't realise you hadn't been," she shrugged her shoulders. "Michael it was you that hired me in the first place. It's you I want to make happy."
He nodded. "Well you're doing great work here with the PRU. If you had applied for the job, you probably would have got it."
A smile crept up on Ms Boston's face. "'Cause I know you'll be great in the role," he continued. "So… just show everyone that you deserve the post."
Ms Boston let out a small laugh. "No pressure." She shifted her feet her body, feeling uncomfortable.
"And if Lorraine has anymore bright ideas, make sure she runs them by me first okay?"
She nodded in agreement and breathed out. "Yes… of course."
Knowing the conversation was over, Mr Byrne left the room. Once the door was closed, Ms Boston turned her attention back to her pupils. "Fergal, can you come with me please."
Nikki had been having one hell of an afternoon, first day back and already the new pupil had been causing trouble with his Mum who now works as a cleaner at Waterloo Road but was any of it news to the school? No, Nikki shook her head. Last term alone Nikki had dealt with more issues than what she did during her time in the army.
Another knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. "Hey," she greeted Lorraine, holding the door open for her like she had done earlier in the day.
"Hi… uh, do you mind if I use your computer this afternoon? I need to access some school files."
"No problem," she pointed over to the PCs. "Apart from Tom's, you have the rest to yourself."
Nikki watched Lorraine walk through the door then closed it behind her. "Uh," she sighed. "Just to say, Michael stepped in earlier about Fergal Doherty and the PRU."
"Oh, right," she nodded, placing her things down at the desk she had chosen at the front of the classroom. "Great…" Lorraine shook her head, facing out the window, her back to Nikki. "Sorry… I've just got other things on my mind."
"Is everything okay?" Nikki became concerned.
"I've just, uh… had a meeting with my accountant."
"Not a good one by the sounds of it?" Nikki took a step towards the blonde.
Lorraine stayed silent.
"Look, I don't want to pry but if you want to talk," Nikki suggested, edging closer to Lorraine.
She finally turned around before Nikki could get to close. "My accountant wants me to close the school."
Nikki looked at her shocked. "And?" she questioned further.
"And… I need to look at the numbers," Lorraine spoke softly. "I know everyone here thinks this is Michael's dream but," she breathed in, "it was mine first. None of this would be here if it wasn't for me."
Had Lorraine not got in contact with Michael last year, Waterloo Road wouldn't have moved up to Scotland. Lorraine saved the school, it was unable to be funded any longer in Manchester and so far moving up to Glasgow, taking old pupils from previous years and hiring the best teachers there is, Waterloo Road is where it is today—successful.
"And, quite frankly, I'm tired of feeling like the bad guy." Lorraine spoke as she walked over to her desk.
Nikki followed her, sitting on the edge of the desk whereas Lorraine took the chair. "No one sees you as the bad guy."
"They do," she nodded to herself. "I'm the one holding the pair of strings—raining in on Michael's parade." She looked up at Nikki. "But it's simple. To do all the things we want, we need to be solvent and Michael seems to think I'm a bottomless financial pit. I could throw a ton of money at the school and it would last… five? Ten years? And then we'd have to close it down," Lorraine spoke with passion in her voice. It wasn't the business side of her speaking it was the side that she grew after being taught by Michael; she was a wild child before him. "But put it on sound financial footing and we could influence generations." She smiled proudly and Nikki just smiled back, captivated by her passion for Waterloo Road. "Michael's not the only one with a vision."
Nikki looked around the room. "Ha-have you told him any of this?"
Lorraine breathed out. "I try… but sometimes I think he still looks at me like a difficult kid that needs guidance."
Nikki let out a small laugh, shaking her head. "Well, I don't see it like that." She looked at the ground. "And you know, anything I can do to help, I'm here."
Lorraine felt her heart swell. After talking about her drive for education and hearing the Nikki say that made her smile. "I know."
Nikki wasn't good in situations like this, she suddenly became slightly uncomfortable and pushed herself off the edge of the desk before heading towards the door. "I'll let you get on with what you need to do."
It had been a long day at Waterloo Road; the rest of her day was spent with Fergal who was found out to be handing out drugs. Unsurprisingly, Barry Barry had wanted in on the action but surprisingly it had been Harley Taylor who had wanted the drugs Fergal was carrying about.
It had turned out Fergal wasn't supposed to be at the school or his Mum; they had been trying to hide from a man who wanted to kill him. In that time, Ms Boston learned Fergal wasn't a bad pupil just misunderstood. He had been taking him because the man who wanted him dead believed he killed his daughter with an overdose when really Fergal was in love with this girl and she was an addict, Nikki believed he was trying to overdose himself out of guilt.
But that was over now, Fergal has been arrested and now, at six of an evening, Nikki was clearing her head of today's events in her office alongside Lorraine.
"They need this place don't they?" Lorraine said, fazed about the whole day as well, sat at her desk unable to focus on any work that still needed to be done.
"Who?" Nikki asked, standing on the other side of the room.
"Kids. No matter what crazy things are going on in their lives, Waterloo Road is here to mop them up." There was a thick air and everything being said was being said very slowly like neither of the women couldn't quite believe today's events. "Keep 'em safe."
"You only just realised?" the brunette chuckled.
"Don't think anyone can question your appoint-ness after today," Lorraine began to pack her stuff.
"I wasn't just, um… the staff that I wanted to prove myself to." Nikki spoke softly, looking over at Lorraine.
Lorraine stopped what she was doing. "I don't want people thinking that I'm your puppet," Ms Boston continued.
Lorraine huffed, standing up with her bag. "What, you think I gave you the job so I could… pull the strings?" she made her way over to Nikki.
Nikki shrugged her shoulders. "Nikki, the last thing I think of you is that you're… manageable."
The pair laughed between each other. Nikki licked her lips before Lorraine continued.
"I've got some amazing plans for this school. You and me, we're the ones to make it happen."
Nikki smiled up at Lorraine. "But what about—"
Lorraine didn't let Nikki finish, instead she silenced her by pressing her lips to the brunettes.
No other word was spoken. The two women pulled apart for a brief moment to look at each other. Nikki let her feelings get the better of her and looked at Lorraine's lips before the pair were able to embrace themselves in the act again.
It's good to be back.