Chapter I
Eddie watched as the new head began to rearrange the office which had, just moments earlier, been his own, a scowl forming on his face. This had been his moment to prove himself and now the school faced yet more upheaval as a new woman came steamrolling in with yet another set of rules and objectives and no understanding of the pupils and their circumstances. She looked up at him expectantly, her smile dropping slightly as it became apparent that Eddie Lawson was no ally of hers'. "So, these plans of yours'; care to expand?" he asked, his voice coming out a little harsher than he had planned.
As she began to tell him about her 'vocational courses' and 'business and enterprise status' Eddie could feel his blood boiling. This Rachel woman was obviously just here to do what the LEA asked in order to improve her own CV.
"Hang on a minute, where's the money to pay for all this?" he demanded.
"Oh, I wouldn't have accepted the job offer without the promise of hard cash," she told him, he voice now steely and her posture defensive. This one's not going to be a pushover, he thought as she sat herself down in his chair.
Reading through her new file, he couldn't deny that the ideas were well-presented, though he would never have told her that. Rachel then asked him to set up a meeting with the rest of the staff that break which he thought should be entertaining. He couldn't wait to see Grantley's reaction to her.
By the time break rolled around, it seemed that she'd already upset a fragile Tom Clarkson and, seeing as Grantley already appeared to be rowing with Jasmine when they walked in, he thought Rachel's introduction would be amusing. When Rachel began to speak, Grantley's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
"My name's Rachel Mason and I've been appointed head teacher at Waterloo Road with immediate effect." The room remained quiet as the staff's faces formed into expressions of surprise, although Eddie couldn't help but notice a couple of the male staff already looking her up and down appreciatively. He couldn't deny noticing Rachel's figure, despite her work attire, but he glared at the others anyway, wondering why it irritated him so much.
He realised his eyes had glazed over slightly partway through Rachel's little speech but he focussed again in time to hear Steph putting her foot in it. "Oh no, what about me daily dose of Bolton Smilie?" she sneered as Grantley sniggered along. "That's Bolton as in conceived in Bolton," she explained as Rachel drew herself up like a cat about to pounce. Steph didn't appear to notice as she added, "Well, fine by me, as long as I get to teach the bright kids!"
"I think you might find, Miss Haydock, that the conditions of your employment require you to teach all children," Rachel hissed dangerously, "irrespective of ability." Eddie smiled inwardly at her words. As much as he may have disliked this new head, he couldn't deny that Steph was out of order. As Rachel continued her tirade, he noticed Grantley muttering something derogatory to Tom and he saw that she heard it too, despite her not acknowledging anything. By the end of Rachel's little speech, feathers had been well and truly ruffled and as Eddie watched his fellow staff begin to fall into a haze of dissent, Rachel swept out, the tips of her perfectly straightened hair bouncing as she strutted off, leaving shock in her wake.
As the kids began to enter Eddie's classroom, ready for the enterprise initiative, he spotted an unimpressed-looking Rachel Mason approaching. Taking him to one side, she explained that she had discovered evidence of Grantley gambling on school computers. "Yeah I'll deal with that" he offered, "I found him in the computer room this morning."
"What, you caught him gambling?" asked Rachel, sounding horrified.
"No… look, I said I'll deal with it." Eddie told her in an attempt to stop her, but it was too late.
"No," she said, as if she thought he was trying to undermine her, "I will. Between this and his performance in the staff room, he's not going to last long under me. And that's your stuff from my office," she told him, producing a bin liner before walking past him into his classroom. Eddie found himself fuming again. If Rachel wanted to assert herself and gain his respect, she was going about it in completely the wrong way.
Although the enterprise day did seem to be going well, Eddie found himself feeling irritated. Rachel had undermined him again over some "staff appraisal" and now she was telling him not to go all "Kevin the teenager" on her. "Ria Cheetham didn't want me to say anything, but you are my deputy. If we do get college status, the LEA is going to insist on a full-scale staff restructuring. All posts, from me, right down to the assistant groundsman." So she was threatening his job now?! She looked so smug that he found himself sorely tempted to slap her. Even more annoying was the fact that he kept seeing her flirting with Brett bloody Aspinall across the room which made him furious, especially as no one else seemed to have noticed. She may have been subtle but he was sure Brett had a glint in his eyes as he looked at her and Eddie knew all about the little twerp's relationship history. Someone should probably have warned Rachel, but he didn't want to speak to her. She deserved everything she got as far as Eddie was concerned. Even worse was the fact that he'd just watched Grantley come storming out of her office. The woman was out of control, like a bull in a bloody china shop.
He found himself sat with Rachel at lunch and watched her picking at some salad. He wondered if all of this was an act to conceal the real Rachel and her nerves. He couldn't help but to stare at her. As much as she was annoying and difficult, she was gorgeous, with her auburn hair and her lips… Luckily for him, however, Steph sat down and started mouthing off again, distracting Rachel so that she didn't notice him staring. Once again Steph was demonstrating her incompetence, not even knowing what a PSP was, and he found Rachel getting defensive again as she stood up to leave. "Enjoy your Candice special," he smirked as Steph pushed her plate away.
He followed Rachel back up to her office, where she was helping Bridget with some paperwork. Eddie watched as she bent over the desk, finding his eyes drawn to a certain area. He shook himself when he realised what he was doing and pushed Rachel's pert bum to the back of his mind as Steph appeared in the doorway. Yet again, she upset a member of staff and Eddie decided it was time to step in. "I've seen enough," he told her as he followed her into her office.
"No you haven't, not by a long chalk."
"Now, you're not an unintelligent woman, I can see that, but what are you trying to prove? Steph Haydock? Grantley Budgen? They're not the greatest in the world, but they've clocked up more teaching years than you've had of life," he growled.
"Well, so what? Tell me I'm not right," she said, knowing full well that she was indeed correct in her assumptions.
"Well I hope you know what you're doing because-"
"I know exactly what I'm doing." Rachel told him.
He sniggered. "Such confidence. How long are you staying here?"
"I don't know. My first task is to get-"
"College status, yeah. And after that?" she looked suddenly unsure of herself. "It's just that you're doing all this 'bomb up the backside' stuff as if it means something to you. You're an associate head. You'll be gone in six months." And with that, he turned and left her staring after him with a look of slight worry. Somehow, despite feeling faintly guilty, a sense of satisfaction had built up in his chest and he didn't look back.
By the time Rachel reappeared in his classroom that afternoon he was angry again. "Listen; it's not up to me if I stay here or move on," she told him as they wheeled a whiteboard across the room.
"I just want to know how you can even hope to get people working with you when we all know you're leaving at the end of the year!" he fired back.
"It's not my system Eddie," she tried to argue.
"Suits you pretty well though, doesn't it?" he replied, leaving her stood staring at the floor like a schoolchild.
It wasn't long before she was in pursuit. "You're a dinosaur! I'm not surprised they never offered you Jack Rimmer's job!" That stung him and he found his pulse rising as he followed her towards a smirking Aspinall.
"Listen! You've been here ten minutes and already you've thrown a grenade into the curriculum and you've upset every single teacher in this school. All I'm asking for is just a little more subtlety!" their hushed tones were developing into harsh hisses of anger.
"I will give my all to this school, however long I stay!" she spat, her face inches from his and her cheeks flushed with intensity. As they both turned away, Grantley came in looking incredibly sheepish.
"Ah Miss Mason, I just… I'm sorry… about my attitude, earlier, please rest assured, it won't happen again." Eddie turned around in amazement, just in time for the cherry on the cake. "Mm, I must say, I'm very impressed at what they've done. You don't mind if I have a look-see do you?" Eddie has never heard him sound so terrified.
"Go ahead," Rachel told him.
"An apology from Grantley Budgen; you into black magic or something?" Eddie asked, secretly impressed despite his sarcasm. Rachel Mason really was a force to be reckoned with.
Tom was the next member of staff through the door. "Rachel. I… Listen, I've just had a call from the police. Chlo's been arrested. Is there any way-"
"Go, go!" Rachel told him, smiling at his obvious excitement, "I'll cover your lesson."
"No Mika?" Tom asked Eddie as he shook his head.
"Well, if you see her, would you let her know?"
"Of course." Eddie replied, understandingly.
The presentations began minutes later and Eddie found himself reluctantly impressed, especially by Janeece and Maxine's photography business (embarrassed as he was by his own photo). Next up was Brett which Eddie had been dreading, mostly because he couldn't stand the lad, but also because Rachel seemed keen on him and that didn't sit well with Eddie.
When Eddie noticed Mika Grainger in the doorway, he felt sick but before he could stop her, Rachel went running forward. Mika was clearly drunk and Rachel didn't know the circumstances. "Excuse me, what are you doing?"
"How's this for your headline? Posh egomaniac screws girlfriend's sister." Mika announced, bitterly. Oh no Mika, he thought.
"I'll deal with this," he told her, but Rachel grabbed his arm to jump in herself.
"My sister's missing because of you," Mika slurred. "She could be dead, and all you care about is showing how clever you are with a poxy school newspaper!"
"Stop it," Rachel said, trying to grab hold of the drunken blonde.
"Who the hell are you?!"
"I am your headmistress and you are my pupil-"
"I'll sort this out, I know the history…" Eddie tried to intervene, but it was too late. Mika promptly threw up all over Rachel who shrieked in disgust. The pair of them manhandled Mika away as Brett clapped a hand to his mouth.
Back in Rachel's office, Eddie laid Mika down on the sofa as she went to clean herself up. When Rachel reappeared, she tapped him on the shoulder and beckoned him out to Bridget's room. "What the hell were you playing at? Don't ever undermine me in front of pupils again! I am perfectly capable of handling-"
"Listen," Eddie butted in, disgusted by her insensitivity, "that girl lost her mother six months ago. She's Chlo Grainger's sister." Rachel suddenly looked guilty. "I know the background, that's all. Nobody's trying to undermine you."
"I'm sorry," whispered a humbled Rachel, pressing two fingers to her forehead as if it hurt her. "Mika, love, can you hear me? How much have you had to drink?" She suddenly sounded motherly and caring.
"Bottle of vodka," Mika murmured.
"Oh," Rachel turned to Eddie.
"I'll ring Tom," he said, calmly, his anger suddenly dissipated.
"Thanks," she replied from where she knelt beside Mika, sincere now that she was worried for a pupil. "Listen, I'm gonna stay here; can you give out the prizes?"
"Yeah, of course," he reassured her.
"You'll be alright, my love," he heard Rachel saying as he left. "Might have a sore head in the morning, but we've all been there."
"I'm so sorry."
"Hey, chalk it up to experience. Always feel better after being sick, huh?"
"I can't believe…"
"Come on, you made a mistake. But you're gonna get through. I've got some good news for you; Chlo's been found."
As Eddie went to judge the competition he was confronted by both Steph and Matt, but somehow made it there in one piece. In spite of himself, he awarded Brett's team with the prize, although he had to stop himself punching the smarmy git in the face.
Finally Eddie had to brace himself for one final confrontation over his risk assessment forms. Rachel went so far as to tell him she wouldn't have authorised the trip at all. "You see," he said, "that's where you went wrong today. It was in the assumption that traditional education has nothing to offer a certain type of kid. They all need qualifications, even if they're going to do something more vocational. Brett Aspinall won your little competition today, not one of the kids you were really targeting."
"But you were the judge," Rachel argued.
"He was the best. I'm not into positive discrimination. What was today about for you Rachel? Proving that you can throw the baby out with the bathwater?"
"Hardly."
"That's what it seems like to me."
She had the grace to look affronted at this. "I do know what I'm doing, trust me on this one Eddie." She gave him a searching look. "So can I count on your support?"
He looked at her for a moment before turning to walk away, leaving the headmistress silent at her desk. Deep down, he liked Rachel Mason and for some reason he couldn't get her out of his head that night, no matter how hard he tried.
