You have no idea how much it made me smile when I looked and saw this had 4 reviews. (Although I don't seem to be getting email notifications... any idea how to do that guys?) Honestly it means so much that you're reading this and replying. And please don't think I've forgotten all the wonderful people that have favourited this/me and that have followed this/me. You are beyond amazing and I love you all.

So anyway here's part two. Again please excuse the language, I don't normally swear but I just feel like these are both two characters who pre watershed show aside, probably would.

Oh and who else is excited for Thursday?!

Hope you enjoy chapter two. x

Chapter 2

Lorraine

Waking up in a pile of your own vomit has to be one of the most disgusting things to happen to you, and it was an indignity that I'd never ever had to face. That was until now.

Groaning I looked around the room for any clue as to what exactly had happened here last night. The last thing I remember was driving away from the school in floods of tears, nearly crashing my car, finally getting home, downing a shot of vodka, texting Nicki with what had to be the most inadequate apology ever, and then opening a bottle of wine. Then another... and then another. I had no idea where to even begin but the bed was probably the first thing I should deal with. Carefully I sat up and after dragging myself to my feet I slowly managed to strip the bed back to just the mattress. Unfortunately the effort of moving that much had caused a second burst of sickness and slinging the sheets into a pile in the corner of the room I raced into the bathroom.

An hour later and I was finally ready to leave, although not perhaps in the best state despite the five glasses of water and cup of coffee. In fact all they'd done is made me really need to pee. After a quick race to the toilet I was finally ready to head out of the door when it occurred to me that I hadn't checked my phone this morning when I'd thrown it, along with its charger, into my bag. Pulling it back out I looked, almost afraid of what I might see. I let out a small groan. No text, no missed calls, nothing. I really had managed to royally fuck it up the night before hadn't I?

The drive to school felt like it went on forever. Then just to add to the awfulness of my day on my way in I'd bumped into Michael and Christine. No offence to them but the last thing you want to see when your own love life's going to shit is those two making out in a car park. I mean let's be honest it's puke worthy at the best of times, let alone after what I'd done the night before. I didn't really need a graphic reminder of kissing on the school premises.

I eventually managed to make my way to the office and sitting down I put my head in my hands and groaned again. I didn't remember much of last night once I'd arrived back at my flat, and I have no idea what conclusion I'd come to at the time, but sitting there now I knew I really needed to sort out my head and work out what was going on in it right now.

A knock at the door.

"Come in."

I barely even looked up until whoever it was that had just come into the room didn't talk. Raising my head from my desk I immediately met a pair of brown eyes that were looking pretty intensely into mine. "Lorraine."

"Nicki" I had no idea why we were saying each other's names, but at least we were saying something which was better than the awkward silence that followed. For over a minute neither of us spoke before she eventually took control... sort of.

"Look Lorraine, I... I'm sorry if I was out of place last night okay? I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

The look of guilt on her face made ME feel sick with guilt. This was so unfair on her, she hadn't done anything wrong. "No Nicki I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me, I just completely panicked and... Please can we just forget last night happened? You're such a good friend to me and I don't want to jeopardise that." Why was I lying? Why was I pretending that I wanted to be friends when really that was the last thing I wanted?

But you have to hand it to Nicki, what I said must have hurt her, at least a little bit, but she didn't exactly let it show very much. I'd been totally cold with her after practically snogging her face off and all she did was nod and then walk back out again.

Nicki

Walking away from the office this time I felt it before I saw it. Ducking into the nearest staff toilets I locked myself in a cubicle while I pulled it together. Why was she doing this? I knew there was more to this than she was letting on, there was a reason that she had gone from hot to cold so quickly, but I hadn't got the faintest idea how to get her to open up about it.

Eventually I was in a reasonable enough state to go and face the rest of the school, and so for the rest of the day I busied myself with work, avoiding Lorraine at all costs, something that wasn't all that difficult when she appeared to have gone into hiding.

It was only when the school bell went at the end of the day that we saw each other again. I'd been walking down the corridor where her office was situated at the exact same moment that she'd been leaving it and as neither of us were looking where we were going it resulted in an almighty crash as my folders dropped to the floor and an almighty yelp from Lorraine. I initially put it down to the shock of us colliding and busied myself with picking up my folders off the floor, not wanting to look her in the eyes in case my face betrayed my emotions. It was only when I heard a faint whimpering from above me that I forced myself to look up and realised that when we'd hit each other I hadn't been the only one with something in my hands. Lorraine had apparently been making her way out of the office with a steaming hot coffee, one that she was now wearing.

"Oh god sweetheart" I ushered her back into the office and taking the cup firmly out of her hands realised that she was still completely frozen in shock. I knew one of the worse things to do if you'd poured boiling liquid onto yourself was to stay in the clothes soaked in them. That was one way to almost guarantee that you'd get at least second degree burns. Realising that there was no point instructing her I quickly began to unbutton her shirt.

"What are you..."

"Shhhh" I whispered gently as I pulled her shirt off (with a little resistance but not much) and revealed the real extent of the damage. "Shit Lorraine I can't believe you were just standing there while the coffee was burning your skin." I dragged her over to the sink, made the water as cold as I possibly could and then dropped a tea towel into it. Taking it back out I draped it over the front of her before leading her to the nearest chair and sitting her down in it. Once I knew she was sitting and the towel was covering as much of the burnt skin as possible I went on a hunt for the first aid kit and bringing out a special cream gently peeled back the towel from her chest, getting an almighty shock when I discovered some of her skin peeling off under it.

"Oh god, Lorraine I'm going to call an ambulance we need to get you to hospital."

"I don't want to go to hospital."

"But you..."

"I don't want to go to hospital."

She's spoken louder the second time, so much so that I'd taken a step back. "I... Lorraine please, those burns are pretty severe, it's not something that I can deal with in an office with a first aid kit. You need proper medical attention."

"No."

I signed and sat down on the desk next to her. "Sweetheart you must be in pain, why won't you go and get it dealt with properly? Is this because of us? I don't have to come with you, you can go on your own or I'll phone someone else if that's what you want?"

"That's not what I want."

"Christ Lorraine you're not really giving me much to work with here are you?" When I got no response at all this time I decided to try a different tact. "Look if you're not going to let me get you to a hospital are you at least going to let me do what I can from here."

A small nod.

And I have to give it to her, although she flinched slightly the first time I went to touch her she did actually sit there and let me rub ointment over every part of her that I could get to.

"Is it going to scar?" Came a weak voice that I could barely even believe was coming from the strong, feisty business woman in front of me.

"I don't know darling, you certainly aren't helping yourself by not going to hospital, but I'm doing the best I can." I can see there are burns underneath where her bra's covering. I'd take that off too but it really doesn't seem appropriate and I have a feeling it's more than she'll allow. So after rubbing all the ointment into her skin I took my jacket off and draped it round her shoulders. "You can't drive in this state so you're going to have to let me drop you home."

All I got was another nod but that was enough for me to lead her out to my car. I wondered if I should try and make conversation but I didn't really know what to say and it seemed pointless when I wasn't getting any response back, so instead I let us drift into an awkward silence; one that was only interrupted by the occasional direction from the blond woman next to me. After a while we reached a large apartment building and I was given instructions about where to park. Once I'd put the car where she'd told me I got out and let her out of the passenger's seat.

"So... here we are." I didn't really know what else to say and as she turned and started walking towards her door for a moment I thought she wasn't even going to acknowledge me again.

But then, when I was least expecting it, a small voice called out from a few feet away. "Are you coming in then?"