A/N: I've wanted to write a Waterloo Road fiction for a few days now... So I guess I'll jump on the bandwagon! I'm sorry this first chapter is kind of short-- I promise I'll update it regularly though as I have alot of ideas for this fiction. Set after Maxine's decease.
"Sam, can you turn off your mp3 player when you're in my office?"
The voice of Rachel Dawes seemed broken and lifeless, yet still held a form of authority. Sam drowned out the last lyrics of the song she was listening to, and Rachel couldn't help but to relate to it. (What is done in vain, truth is hard to swallow, so you pray to god, to justify the way you live a lie, live a lie, live a lie...)
Eddie. Melissa. Together. Her brain wanted to shut them out completely but that would only probe questioning. "If you have any issues..." Eddie had said in his deep, sincere manner, "Then..."
Well- of course she had issues with the matter. Melissa coming first best wasn't an unusual thing, but the one thing Rachel wanted most in life was that exactly- to live a normal life. Yes, being headmistress was stressful and sometimes she felt like turning to drink, but one person had usually managed to keep her disturbing thoughts at bay, and that person was Eddie.
But he was restraining Melissa from barbaric decisions now, she thought bitterly, not me...
"Miss?" Sam rocked back in her chair, twirling a strand of blonde hair around her finger, "You alright?"
"Yes, sorry." Rachel recovered and then shuffled some papers on her desk as if to re-clarify the situation. "Now, it's not going to be a telling off Sam-"
"Phew..." The girl exhaled and let all four legs of her chair fall back to the ground with a bang. "I thought I was like, in loads of trouble."
"On the contrary," Rachel smiled warmly, suppressing her thoughts, "I wanted to ask you to my office to congratulate you..."
Sam looked suspicious. "Congratulate me? Is there some big event I impressed everyone on, or something?"
Rachel laughed pleasantly. "Not exactly, but you're on the right line." She opened a blue file and handed the girl a report. "Now, I know reports aren't issued out till next week but I thought I'd give you a sneak preview..."
Sam's eyes widened. "I got A's? Wow... I've never got an A before."
"Well, now you have. Why don't you pop along and tell Rose- your mum- how you've done?" When Sam didn't reply Rachel lent forward on her desk, pressing her fingertips together. "She's really proud of you, you know Sam."
"I know," Sam managed a smile and stood up, "Well, arm, thanks Miss." And with that she was off.
Rachel sighed and put some files back before coming across a small, rectangular book. It certainly wasn't hers... Perhaps Eddie had confiscated something and left it there for her to read... She cautiously opened the book and the recognisable print from Eddie's writing jumped out at her. "EDDIE LAWSON - DIARY."
She closed it immediately. It would be wrong of her to snoop through his personal writing...
She glanced back at the diary, which seemed to be calling her name.
Well- maybe a little look wouldn't hurt- later on of course... She slipped it into her bag and then sighed again.
Everything was slowly spiralling out of control, and she certainly didn't know how long she could keep up the pretence. And particularly since Melissa was still married for god's sake...
At that moment, Steph burst into her office, strangely devoid of make-up and any flamboyant low cut outfit. "Rachel..." Her voice was constricted with emotion and immediately Rachel snapped out of her own thoughts and stood up. "Steph, what on earth is the matter?"
"It's... Maxine..."
"What about Maxine, is she hurt?"
Steph gave a dry laugh before tears spilt down her face again. "Rachel... she's..." she stopped midsentence, unable to carry on.
"Steph," said Rachel urgently, putting her hands on the other woman's shoulders and forcing Steph to look her in the eyes, "What's wrong with Maxine?"
"She's dead, Rachel... she's dead."
