Chapter Three
"You're hiding."
Rachel looked up at the accusation; finding Eddie standing in the doorway of her office with a smirk on his face and a piece of paper in his hand.
"I'm busy," she defended herself, a smile creeping across her lips.
"Oh how convenient," he retorted, walking into the room, "I'm out there on the corridors and in the classrooms dealing with the snickering and giggling and you're hiding in here."
"I'm doing paperwork that I won't have time to do later," she explained, sitting back in her chair and looking up at him.
"Well, you believe that if you want to."
"If I'd been hiding, the door would have been closed and I probably wouldn't have been in an office with my name on it."
"I accused you of hiding, I didn't say you were good at it," Eddie grinned.
Rachel couldn't help but smile back; it seemed to come naturally to her to banter like this with Eddie. No amount of telling herself that she had to stop flirting, and stop thinking about the kiss, was making a difference. The logical part of her brain was saying one thing, but she was doing something else.
"Need I remind you that all this was caused by me helping you out?... I think the least you can do is deal with the repercussions."
"It probably would have been better being stalked by Ms James!" Eddie exclaimed.
"Wow, thanks," Rachel muttered, feigning taking offence to his comment.
"No. No, I mean, every child – and adult! – I see gives me this knowing look. It's like being stalked by six hundred people! They all know my business."
Fighting the urge to laugh at Eddie's melodrama, Rachel pointed out, "They all think they know your business."
"Yes, some things they think they know aren't true, Rachel, but they know we kissed in the car park last night."
"They don't know that's true, though," Rachel rationalised.
"Yes, but I know it's true!"
Rachel's initial reaction was to ask him why that was a problem; to find out if the knowledge of what happened between them was hounding him, as it was her. She managed to catch the words before they came out though.
"Have you told anyone that it's true?" she asked instead.
"No, of course not," Eddie replied.
"Then they still only think they know. It's a rumour. The kids will be bored of it by Monday, and the staff - … Well, they'll have all the gossip from the staff conference to keep them going." She knew there was an evil twinkle in her eyes as she played on his concerns about the conference.
"That's not very comforting," he protested.
"Why not? Do you intend to be the subject of said gossip?"
Those words were out before she even realised what she was going to say. Her question seemed to still the air around them, as if the world had stopped – either through shock at her stupidity or with anticipation for his response. For Rachel, her stillness was caused by both.
The teasing smile that had been on her face when she had spoken gradually fell as she just sat and looked at Eddie. Her heart beat loudly, counting the time spent in this silence; and she tried to read the expression on Eddie's face. It was a fruitless endeavour, though; she couldn't tell how he was going to respond, nor could she tell what he had interpreted her words to mean. It was only while she had been sitting waiting that she had realised he may think they were words of jealousy; envious of whoever it was he intended to become the topic of gossip with. And though this had been far from the truth when she had spoken, she felt her stomach churn now at the thought of him with someone else.
She was about to speak; to say anything to end the silence, when Eddie said, "I think starring in one rumour's enough for this week, don't you?"
Rachel smiled with relief that she hadn't created an awkward situation between them, and also that she hadn't led them into a conversation she didn't know how to have. But, behind her smile, disappointment niggled at her. She ignored it.
"I agree," she told him. "Speaking of the conference," she took the opportunity to change the subject quickly, "Do you have that list of rooms?"
Eddie was looking at her curiously again, but his expression shifted to neutral as he answered her questions. "Yes, I do. Actually, that's why I'm here." He handed her the piece of paper she had forgotten he had in his hand.
"Ah, thank you… Is suchabody a suitable distance from suchabody else?" she smirked, and it did not escape her notice how easily she had slipped back to teasing him. She looked down at the list, but realised she couldn't remember where the rooms were located in relation to each other anyway. "Did you get many specific requests from staff?" she asked him.
"A few," he said, "Mainly to do with Steph's snoring though."
The bell rang as Rachel laughed and put the paper down on top of the pile of files she would be taking to the conference. "Well, one hour to go. Then the whole ordeal will be over before you know it."
"You're really enjoying the fact that I'm worried about tonight aren't you?"
She smiled innocently and stood up. "I just like winding you up… Come on, I'm going to brave the corridors and classrooms," she said, walking round her desk.
"I'll enjoy winding you up next week after I'm proved right," Eddie commented as he followed her towards the open door.
She stopped at the threshold and faced him. "Maybe we need one of those pacts. What happens at conference stays at conference," she joked.
It was the amused frown on Eddie's forehead that made her realise how that had sounded.
"Not… us," she backtracked, "The staff, I mean. That way nobody winds anybody up, and next week will run just as smoothly as any other."
Eddie didn't say anything. He just pursed his lips and nodded.
"Okay," she said, "Classrooms and corridors."
She rolled her eyes at herself as soon as she had her back to Eddie. This was ridiculous. Prior to last night she had never found it so difficult to have a conversation with him. One kiss and suddenly the entire dynamic of their relationship had shifted.
They stepped out of the office into the hustle and bustle of the lesson changeover, and the amused, knowing looks Eddie had complained about. Rachel smiled pleasantly at anyone who passed her; her head teacher mask firmly in place so that she wouldn't give away anything about what was really going on. Perhaps the corridors and classrooms were the safest place for her. Here she had to be in control, and there was no risk of her making any more stupid comments to Eddie.
Bolton and Janeece were the last ones to leave the corridor, and they walked past and then started whispering to each other. Rachel jumped slightly when Eddie's voice came from right beside her ear. "I told you," he whispered.
She turned her head to look at him and - ignoring the fact that she liked it when he leaned close to her; and that she liked it when he whispered to her; and that she liked the look that she could see in his eyes now - she raised an eyebrow and said, "I don't think this would do anything for quashing the rumours."
Eddie's eyes flitted around, seeming to take in their position, then he dropped back. "See, I shouldn't have to be paranoid about standing too close to you, or worry about what I say to you."
Rachel smiled because she knew Eddie would expect her to be amused by his frustration, but inside she was piecing it together with other things he had said and done, and concluding that he did seem to be having the same reaction to last night as she was. She didn't quite feel ready to decide what to do about that though.
So, she decided to carry on their walk round the school, putting that wall back up. She stepped away from him, saying, "Oh, Eddie, I told you – "
"Yes, they'll all have forgotten about it by Monday," he interrupted, following her.
"Exactly," she said to him. 'But I won't,' she added to herself, and she could have sworn she heard Eddie whisper the same thing behind her.
TBC…
