A/N: Managed to scrape together another update...then technology decided to hate me and it deleted what I'd written...so I wrote this...I'm not happy with it...but I'm never happy with my writing...haha anyway, hope you enjoy, Sammiee x

Disclaimer: I do not own Waterloo Road or any of the characters :-)

Chapter Three.

Nor is love.

Feelings are never true.

They play with their mirrors. ~

Jean Baudrillard

Early morning, again.

The quiet of a virtually abandoned pile of marking cast aside to her left as she lay on her leather couch; her head propped up on one fluffy, cream pillow. It's lonely, but Nikki likes the stillness. She can think more clearly, well she usually could. However, right now she is tired, the irritating kind of tired where her brain wants to keep working but she keeps losing her train of thought. She needs caffeine. Coffee.
Good old coffee.
When she stops sleeping, work and personal life combing together with a crash and exhausting her, coffee essentially replaces her blood - She drinks it out of sheer physical need.
Swinging her legs off the couch and planting her feet firmly on the floor, she stands up. Her eyes quickly scan along the wall, fixing upon her wall clock. 4:47Am.
No point in going to bed, really. She thought to herself as she plodded through to her kitchen in her cotton Christmas pyjamas. Nothing like getting in the spirit early.

Fumbling in the dark, trying to get the plug in the plug socket to get the kettle to work (after a heated rant at the inanimate object of how useless it was) she managed to plug it in, boiling the water; listening to it humming and bubbling as it steamed into perfect rings.

As she sat back down on the sofa she nursed the cup of boiling black coffee, secure in both her hands giving her the warmth and strength she needed
As she inhaled the warm, soothing steam that freely left the cup, her eyes involuntary closed. So good!
Nikki's eyes glanced to the clock once again;
5:47.
Bloody hell! Arguing with the kettle must have taken longer than I thought...

She looked in the mirror after having her shower. Her eyes widened in horror. To say she was pale was an understatement. One thing coffee cannot fix; sadly.
She quickly grabbed her make-up bag, dissecting the essentials from the bag.
Mascara; for her amazingly long eyelashes. Watermelon flavour lip-balm for her soft lips. Foundation to mask her tired skin and blusher to give her cheeks a flushed tone.
Squirting a little foundation into her palm, she rubbed both her hands together before smearing the toned liquid all over her face and neck letting it blend. She swept the mascara brush gently over her already long black eyelashes. Next was her lip balm before sweeping her cheeks over with a pinkie shade of blusher.

The sound of her heels tapping against the cold, hard tiled floor resounded throughout the corridors of Waterloo Road.
On her shoulder hung her bag, held tightly against her chest in her left hand were three folders full of GCSE English coursework; marked at half one that morning leading her to no sleep. And in her right hand she held a cup of takeaway Starbucks coffee. – Coffee again.
She became aware that during her daydream she had walked three doors past her own classroom. Sighing, she reversed and opened the door skilfully with her elbow.
She slowly walked into her classroom, setting her folders down on her desk, her back facing the door as she took a sip of coffee. She felt someone's breath painting the skin on the back of her neck. The aftershave smelt familiar...
"Tom. I know it's you." She giggled, turning round.
"Damn." He chuckled. "Is that coffee I see? Late night?" He winked, but suddenly felt a pang of jealousy at the thought she was-
"No." She said, sternly. "Well yes, but not in the way that your meaning. I was marking." She gestured towards the folders on her desk, smiling softly. Tom smiled a relieved smile.
"Come on, you; staff meeting. Your Starbucks too." He said as he chuckled, turning and exiting the room heading in the direction of the staffroom.
Nikki giggled and enclosed her cup within her hands, keeping a tight grip on it as she followed Tom.

"And lastly, I would like you to all welcome back Nikki," Michael added after his rant on how he needed all the head of department's departmental budgets on his desk by Friday at the latest.

He's finished talking and he is watching her expectantly. Nikki was stood with Sian, her cheeks flushing an extraordinary shade of scarlet as everyone's eyes averted their gaze to her.
She flashed her radiant smile awkwardly, at everyone before turning back to Sian who was giggling at her.
"You're as red as my blazer!" Sian chuckled to which Nikki rolled her eyes. Sian's eyes darted to the door as Jez walked through the staffroom door. She smiled at Nikki before walking over to Jez and pressing her lips to his. Nikki rolled her eyes at the pair.

The day seemed to pass by slowly. She had drawn together a conclusion that it was because there was no coffee. Michael had drunk the last.

Yeah, he so needed it. She rolled her eyes at the thought of him sat drinking coffee. Her coffee. Oh god. I am not getting jealous over coffee, no way...

"Can anyone tell me what your personal thoughts are after finishing of mice and men?" Tom asked as he paced in front of the classroom. His eyes averted to the class.

"Kate?" He said with a smile that reached his eyes.

"I really liked the book, sir. It's like everyone is lonely in one way or another. It seems as if all these lonely character's; with the exception of Curley's wife as she just thinks that Lennie is 'nuts' going on about rabbits, are particularly drawn into George and Lennie's dream. Candy and Crooks both ask if they can be a part of buying the farm when they learn of George and Lennie's plan. I think this is because they feel it would be a place they could feel as if they finally belonged and they were not alone. I also found the way it started at the brush talking about their dream and ended at the brush talking about their dream, before George killed Lennie really effective."

She said, moving her hands in the air to verbally explain her point.
Tom smiled at her and nodded. "I agree; anyone else?" He questioned looking around at the silent class.

Oh dear god.

He sighed and turned to the whiteboard before writing a task on the board. "Write the date and title, underline them both and then do task 1, 4, and 5 in your textbook. Page 135,"

Nikki sighed as the bell rang for the end of the day. Standing up, she tucked a stray piece of her straight brown hair behind her ear. She looked up from her files as there was a knock on her door.

It was Tom.

"Alright Boston," he smiled, walking over to her.
"Hi Tom," She smiled packing her belongings and work together before putting her bag over her shoulder and standing up straight; looking at him. His pale blue orbs twinkling as he watched her.
"Where are you going in such a rush?" He asked, seeing how fast she had packed up, ready to leave.
Nikki shrugged. "I have somewhere to be..." She smiled, walking over to the door. "I'll speak to you later Tom..." She said before rushing out and running to her car, briskly.

Tom sighed. Was she avoiding me? He couldn't help but wonder...
He sighed and walked back to his classroom, wondering what he could of possibly done.