This is my first fan fic! It's started in a completely different, fictional, school down in the south of England. Apologies if it's a real school, I didn't know. It continues on to Waterloo Road, set in Rochdale with lots of characters from previous and current series! I hope you enjoy it and please review!
Poppy Brown was an ordinary girl with a deep, dark secret that nobody knew. And nobody will ever know, if she can keep it that way. Poppy was in year 8 and was currently at Fendown Secondary School. It was almost the end of the autumn term and she walked into her English class, late, again. "Poppy!" the teacher called. Poppy kept her head down and took her seat. "Poppy May Brown. Why are you late to my class again? It's almost time for the bell to go for next lesson." Poppy remained silent, hiding her face from the rest of the world. "That's it. Poppy, stay behind at the end. Now, after that interruption, silent reading from page 42 to page 45."
The bell went and Poppy remained silent in her seat. The teacher came over and sat at the desk opposite her. "Poppy, why were you late?"
"Sorry. Slept in Miss"
"Again, Poppy? Is everything okay?"
"Yes, Miss" Poppy replied as a tear slid down her face. Poppy wiped it away, hoping that the teacher didn't notice.
"Oh Poppy! Look at me sweetie," Poppy didn't turn to look at her, still trying to hide her face. The teacher took Poppy's hands in her hands. "Poppy, please talk to me. I can help you." Poppy looked up at her teacher. The teacher gasped at Poppy's black eye and cut on her head, both of which she sustained that morning. "How did this happen Poppy?" Hundreds of lies began to swirl around in Poppy's head, but she couldn't lie anymore. She couldn't keep living like this. She had to tell someone. "I need the truth, Poppy. I can get you out of this."
"My Dad was drunk… He got angry… And this is what happened" Poppy stammered.
"Has anything like this happened before?" Poppy looked her teacher in the eye and, with a tiny nod of her head, confirmed her teacher fears.
All the injuries she'd come to school with and lied about. All the signs, but what was missing? Confirmation.
The teacher helped Poppy get away from her Dad. As an only child, it was only Poppy to worry about. Poppy was placed in the safe care of a foster family just before Christmas and she remained there for several months.
Poppy enjoyed being with her foster family. She never mentioned anything that happened when she lived with her Dad. Poppy's Foster Mum, Katie Smith, was an English teacher at her school. Her foster Dad, Mark Smith, was a PE teacher. How she had been placed with two teachers, she did not know. There is a shortage of foster parents who want to foster teenagers, and the Smith's were the only suitable foster parents for Poppy.
An unexpected phone call in early April turned Poppy's world upside down. "Poppy!" Katie called. "Can you come down here for a minute please?" Poppy obediently came downstairs and found Katie and Mark sitting at their dining room table. "Poppy, your social worker was just on the phone." Poppy wondered where this was going. "They've found a family that want to adopt you!"
"What? Really? When?" Poppy said excitedly.
"Well, it's totally up to you if you want to live with them, but hopefully within the next two weeks! They're coming down at the weekend to visit you."
"What do you mean 'coming down'" Poppy interrupted.
"Poppy, they live in Manchester."
"Will I still be able to see you?" Poppy questioned.
"Yes, of course you will. You can come for respite care here every 6 weeks if you want to."
"Okay then. What are they like?"
Poppy, Katie and Mark spent the rest of the evening discussing the new family and new adventure Poppy was about to start…
Poppy met the new family that weekend. Chris Mead would be her new adoption Dad and his wife, Jessica, would be her new foster Mum. They had a little girl together, Sophie, who was 2 years old. Within two weeks, Poppy moved up to Manchester with her new family. Poppy was going to start a new school in September, the same school that Chris was just about to stop working in, Waterloo Road.
Poppy enjoyed life with her new family. It was strange at first but she soon grew used to it. Poppy grew close to both of her adoption parents and adored little Sophie. Little did she know, but a family outing at Waterloo Road would change her life forever…
