Lorraine was sat in Michael's office with her head in her hands; she really didn't know what to do. Money was running out and she didn't know how much more she could supply to the school before she went bankrupt. She didn't want to tell anyone she felt ashamed, the only way she could see keeping the school open under her funding was to make major cuts for the school. But where to start, she had no idea. Lorraine rubbed her head trying to get the aching to go away, she looked up at the door and saw Nicki walking past. That was all that Lorraine needed, she still felt really guilty over what had happened before the break. She wished that she had just gone after her and spoke to her, accepting that drink Nicki was a good looking woman and whenever she was around her she felt her heart beat speed up.
She knew that Nicki felt like the only person she could talk to about this; she walked out of the office quickly trying to catch up with Nicki. Lorraine looked up and down the corridor and saw no sign of Nicki, she decided to check the PRU she walked through the maze of corridor's and finally got to the stair case that led up to the PRU, she slowly climbed the stairs her heels clicking on each step as she went. As she reached the top she finally gathered the courage to look through the window on the door. The bell had gone for lunch a few minutes before so she knew Nicki wouldn't be teaching. Lorraine opened the first door then knocked on the second, seeing Nicki look up from her marking and smile at her walking over to open the coded door.
'Lorraine what do I owe the pleasure' Nicki smiled, looking down at her shoes suddenly finding them interesting all the embarrassed feelings suddenly coming back from the rejection before the break. Lorraine could see Nicki suddenly starting to clam up and felt bad, her head was a mess meaning Nicki's must be in an even worse state. Lorraine looked down at the floor also, had this been a bad idea, coming to Nicki for help. Lorraine didn't feel like there was any one else she could go to about this, Nicki had been her closest friend since Nicki moved up to Scotland and she trusted her completely. Tom was sweet and everything but she never really felt as if she could be close to Tom, not like Nicki and him seemed to be. Lorraine looked up at Nicki, 'Can I speak to you? About something…personal.' Nicki looked at Lorraine rather shocked, 'You're not pregnant or something are you?' Nicki looked as if she was about to run for the door. 'NO! God no, Nicki what do you take me for?' Nicki laughed nervously, at least that seemed to break the ice. Sort of. Lorraine looked back down at the floor again feeling like she should possibly just keep this to herself and leave Nicki to go back to her marking.
'Lorraine, whatever it is you can tell me you know. We are friends' Nicki paused for a bit 'aren't we?' Lorraine's head shot up, 'yes of course we are, it's just…well I don't know how to say it and I feel rather well…embarrassed.' Lorraine looked down again and noticed the difference between them both from their heads down to their feet was like the two ends of a magnet. Nicki was wearing barely noticeable heeled black sensible shoes whereas Lorraine was wearing her usual red stilettoes, Nicki was wearing her usual tight dress pants whereas Lorraine was wearing her usual pencil skirt and her skin coloured tights, Nicki was wearing a rather tight rather hot night blue shirt if Lorraine did admit it to herself, whereas Lorraine was wearing a plain white one, not as tightly fitted as Nicki's but that seemed to be the only similarity. That was when Lorraine realised she was staring at Nicki's breasts and felt rather ashamed of herself.
She looked up fast and found Nicki staring rather awkwardly at the floor with the most beautiful blush colouring her features. 'Erm…yeah so I came to talk to you about well…I don't know what to do.' Lorraine felt her whole body just sag a bit when she thought back to her problem. Nicki noticed the change in the way that Lorraine carried herself. 'Come on.' She directed Lorraine towards one of the comfier cushioned chairs and sat down beside her 'what's wrong?' Lorraine looked up tears in her eyes 'I don't know what to do Nicki, I'm running out of funds for Waterloo Road.' Nicki looked shocked, in some way she should have seen this coming how could one woman fund a whole school. 'I need to start cuts.' Lorraine said looking at Nicki, 'I don't know where to start or what to do.' Nicki tried to smile reassuringly at Lorraine, but she couldn't muster the courage. Lorraine looked down at their feet, maybe Nicki had been a bad idea she hadn't said anything helpful yet. 'Have you spoken to Michael?' Lorraine's head shot up and looked at Nicki in absolute fear. 'He's the last person I want to tell,' Lorraine deflated a bit 'I made him, a bunch of his teachers and a bunch of his pupils move from Manchester to Scotland and now I have to tell him that moneys running out or that I have to make cuts of the school I promised to make better.' That was it for Lorraine she broke down in tears.
Nicki didn't quite know what to do; Lorraine was usually a strong passionate woman, not this broken one sat in front of her. All she wanted to do was hold her try and make her problems go away, but after everything that happened before the break would Lorraine let her or would she just feel awkward. Nicki after battling with her mind and her heart went with her heart and pulled Lorraine towards her and into a hug, hushing her slightly to try and calm her down. Lorraine tensed slightly but then relaxed into the embrace; she hadn't felt so calm and safe in a long while. She wrapped her own arms around Nicki and continued to cry into her shoulder. She really didn't know what to do. She couldn't close the school down now, after everything the staff and students had gone through. But where was she going to be able to supply the funds from.
She eventually felt herself calming down in Nicki's arms as she continued to run her hand up and down her back, Lorraine pulled back slightly and looked at Nicki, she smiled slightly her watery blue eyes looking straight into Nicki's. Nicki smiled back and pulled away from Lorraine feeling rather strange, she thought she saw something in Lorraine's eyes but she didn't want to take advantage of her because of the rather depressed state she was already in. Lorraine only wanted a friend, that's what she had come for. Nicki started thinking, was there any way really that Lorraine could cut things without people causing hassle. 'Lorraine,' Nicki said quietly trying to get her attention 'you could always speak to the rest of the staff explain where you're coming from. I'm sure they won't mind a little drop in pay.' Nicki tried to smile reassuringly at her 'I for one know that you upped the wages for the staff to move from Rochdale to here, as you tried to persuade me with a pay rise remember?' Nicki was trying to make Lorraine laugh but realised that it wasn't quite working, Lorraine shook her head 'It won't work Nicki, half of them left their homes and families to move here because of the pay rise, I can't take it back now'