Its still your birthday Em - I wrote three chapters for you so I hope you enjoy this one too!

This chapter came about from a long ago convo with Gem regarding the idea of Ruth in St Trinians uniform...so the scene is being set. Your wish is my command! ;)

Thanks Katie for the beta.

Chapter 2

Ruth stood quietly, and she hoped unobtrusively at the back of the form room, watching her new peer group and letting the noisy chatter wash over her. Behind her, the large open windows overlooked an attractive expanse of green lawn broken up with swathes of long weedy grass and dying daffodils which had enjoyed a torture free few weeks of flowering over the school holidays.

"Quiet please!" A tall, middle aged lady with a booming voice cried, as she walked in through the door. "I do not expect to arrive to this level of noise every morning. Especially from a group of young adults who are apparently considering themselves old enough to drive, marry and most of whom who will be leaving home in just over a years time!" She paused for breath, sending pointed looks towards five or six of the twenty odd seventeen year olds gathered in the classroom. "Now please take your seats."

Ruth slipped into the chair nearest her, noting the surge of movement as friends attempted to sit together in their little cliques. Trying to forget the dreadfully embarrassing fact that this appeared to be a sixth form with a very strict uniform code, something which neither she nor her mother had thought to check up on, she concentrated on reading the other members of her class. It was very easy to place the class jokers and layabouts even without the tutor's comments and glances, their body language said it all. The over confident, over exaggerated swagger as they threw their legs over a chair and leaned back, stretching their legs out beneath and crossing them at the ankles. The gum chewing whilst tapping a pencil against the desk in rhythms Ruth thought she vaguely recognised. The self satisfied smirks they shared with their peers.

"Welcome to a new term" Mrs Williams said in a gentler voice as a couple of stragglers took their places behind the remaining empty desks and the level of noise lowered to a hum. "Has everyone had a lovely Easter?" Nods and gruff ascents echoed around the class. A shy looking blonde haired boy of medium height caught Ruth's attention as he shared a blushing smile with his long red headed neighbour, reaching for her hand surreptitiously beneath the table. Obviously some holidays had been better than others she thought ruefully, remembering the packing cases, the long motorway journey, the attempt to make her latest bedroom more familiar and welcoming by dotting it with books, ornaments and photographs.

"Before I take register," Mrs Williams's voice interrupted Ruth's thoughts, "I wanted to take this opportunity to remind you where my room is if you want or need any help over the next few months. This term is going to be a hard one for all of you," she continued in a kind, friendly manner. "Most of you will already have your heads down revising for the AS levels you're taking, University choices are looming for those who wish to continue their studies further after next year, including Open Day visits, interviews and possible exams. And then there's the driving lessons I know many of you are involved with – one of the reasons I'm walking to school at the moment!" she chuckled. "What I'm trying to say is that you have a lot on and if you feel you want some guidance or an ear to bend then my door is always open."

Gosh! Ruth thought. She'd fallen on her feet here. That certainly hadn't been the tone the teachers had used in her last school. Maybe the next year wouldn't be so bad after all.

As her teacher opened the register in front of her and started calling out the names Ruth drifted, her mind suddenly full of graceful spires, cool green courtyards, ceiling high shelves filled with books, informative lecturers and attentive inspired students. Evenings spent sat bunched up on single beds together with friends, chatting over a bottle of cheap red wine, chocolate and strong black coffee.

"Evershed, Ruth?"

"Miss Evershed!" Ruth's head snapped up and a blush stained her cheeks as she felt the weight of over twenty pairs of eyes upon her. So much for remaining unobtrusive!

"Yes Mrs Williams?" she replied in a quiet voice.

"Stand up please."

Oh God! Ruth reluctantly pushed herself up into standing.

"Class, I'd like you to welcome our newest arrival Ruth Evershed," Mrs Williams waved her hand in Ruth's direction. "Ruth joins us from Harrogate, North Yorkshire where she gained twelve A star grades for her GCSE's, including the highest grade in the country for English."

Ruth's face was burning. Why did teachers feel the need to do this? It didn't help.

"Hopefully the fact that she failed to find out our uniform policy is just a small lapse of her initiative and she will return on sparkling form and in the correct dress tomorrow?" Mrs Williams finished her mild rebuke questioningly as snickers reverberated around the classroom.

Horrified to find herself the centre of attention so early on, on her very first day, Ruth reacted in a way that surprised even her when she was to look back on those final months of schooling, years later. She stood up and rushed out of the classroom.

Harry stood quietly, and, he hoped, unobtrusively behind the tutor in the doorway of the form room, watching the year 9 students and letting the noisy chatter wash over him. Behind him, the corridor lay echoingly empty, the last teenagers having managed to drag themselves reluctantly into their various classrooms to begin the new term.

"Quiet please!" The tall, middle aged gentleman raised his voice as he stepped over the threshold, Harry following behind him. "This level of noise is simply unacceptable at this time on a morning," he paused to emphasise his next point, "particularly from a group who feel themselves mature enough to be choosing their GCSE subjects this term. Now please take your seats!"

Harry perched on the edge of the nearest desk, noting the surge of movement as small cliques attempted to sit together. Trying to forget the slightly embarrassing fact that this appeared to be a school with a very strict uniform code, for teachers and pupils alike, including ties, and he had purposefully discarded his that very morning in favour of a more casual approach, he focused on trying to read the body language of the students in front of him. It was easy to pick out the class jokers, and those who were unlikely to take an active part in learning, even if he hadn't noticed the teacher sending pointed glances at certain members of the class. Their general demeanour, combined with the gum chewing and insolent tapping out of popular chart rhythms told him all he needed to know.

"Welcome to a new term," Mr Masters said, in a clear and distinct, though not overly loud voice, as a couple of stragglers slid into the last few empty seats. "I trust everyone has made the most of their Easter break, and are feeling fully refreshed and ready to work?" A mixture of nods, shrugging shoulders and grumbling noises reflected around the class and Harry spotted a few sly grins passing between a small group in the third row. Some holidays had been better than others, he mused, remembering the slimy yellow walls, and the amount of paint it had taken before he could start to make the new place feel more familiar by dotting it with his meagre possessions.

As the teacher opened the register and began to call out names, Harry drifted, his mind suddenly full of high tech offices and cool corridors, of terse expressionless bosses who issued new challenges for him to rise to. Of calm, quick thinking colleagues who could melt invisibly into a crowd without drawing suspicion. Of Friday evenings spent dissecting the week over a pint of real ale and a bag of crisps in the pub.

"…………..introduce you to Mr Harry Pearce"

"Mr Pearce?" Harry's head snapped up, eyes narrowing and lips piercing together in an attempt to cover up his embarrassment at being caught dreaming.

"Mr Masters?" he acknowledged the older man, moving from his perched position and rising to his feet slowly.

Mr Masters directed his focus back towards the class. "Students, I am delighted to welcome Mr Pearce to our school. He will be joining us as long term cover for Miss Stewart, your History teacher, who unfortunately is unable to rejoin us at present. We send her all our good wishes, for a full recovery. Mr Pearce will also be helping out with the PPE syllabus to assist Mr Grace, who, as you are all aware, was appointed deputy head recently."

Harry sighed, was he really going to have to go round every single class in the school to be introduced like this. It wasn't necessary. Far better to just let him get on with teaching, he could introduce himself perfectly ably, he was sure.

"Now if we can manage to find him a tie, then I think he will be ready to join us in twenty minutes time for this morning's assembly" Mr Masters turned away from the class, towards Harry. "If you head to the secretary's office then she will be able to help you out."

Harry thought about protesting, but decided against whilst in front of an interested class full of 14 year olds. Was it really essential to do it this instant? He thought as he stepped out of the classroom, pulling the door closed behind him and wondering if he could remember his way back to the main entrance.

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