Things move on

Part Four

'Just thinking of you. Bet your new Deputy won't be as good as your old one. My new Head is a right prat. I miss you. I love you. E x'

Although Eddie was miles away, reading his words, knowing that only moments before he had been texting them using his own hands, touching his phone, thinking of her, gave Rachel a bizarre sense of being close to him. Of being with him. Touching him. Taken aback by his message, instantly she felt a pang of regret. Impulsively, she began to type a reply.

'This Head is also a prat. I've thought about you at least five times today already. But you are not here. You are there. I miss you too. I still love you. R x'

Rachel finished texting. Her finger was poised over the send button. She did not press it, but re-read her words time and time again.

She knew such a response would be futile. It would simply prolong her pain, his pain; the mutual feeling of defeat they were feeling over their separation. The moment Rachel had seen her pregnant sister, the second she realised that Eddie really was the father, she had convinced herself that their relationship was over. The baby was due in a few months. Nothing could change that.

Rachel felt such a hypocrite. She desperately wanted to believe what she had told the students less than half an hour before; it was a new term, the past was the past. It was time to move on. If only things were that simple.

Rachel contemplated what alternative, more measured, response she should send,

What words can I write? What can I say to hide what I really feel? We both need to move on. Telling you these things won't help. They won't help either of us.

Suddenly, Joyce knocked on the door. Rachel was taken by surprise and her hovering finger involuntarily pressed send. She hesitated, disconcerted by the unintended message she had just sent. Still in a state if disbelief, she continued looking down at her phone.

"Sorry to disturb you Rachel. Adam Brownlow, the LEA's new Welfare Officer, has just turned up with a new pupil. Are you ok to see them?"

Flipping her mobile shut and thrusting it into her bag, Rachel looked up swiftly and replied,

"Er, yes.. Yes of course. Show them in. Thanks Joyce."

Rachel stood and moved towards the door to welcome her visitors; her Head Teacher mask was, once again, firmly in place.

In walked a small, slightly emaciated, terrified looking boy; he looked about eight years old. His smart, over large, uniform almost drowned him. By his side was a rugged looking man in his late forties. Dressed casually in jeans and a jumper, he had the dishevelled appearance of someone who had already worked a full day, despite the early hour.

Smoothing the creases out of her suit, she proffered a hand to greet Adam. He returned the gesture, offering apologetically,

"Hi, I'm Adam, and this is Jamie Blake." Placing a hand reassuringly on the young boy's shoulder, he continued, "Sorry we're so late; my fault totally. We had to drop his younger sister off at primary and the paper work took a bit longer than we expected. I've told him, if he has to do a detention to make up the time, I'll do it for him." Rachel smiled at Adam and then looked at Jamie who was staring down at his highly polished black shoes.

"Oh, don't worry about it. There's nothing you can't tell me about paperwork; bureaucracy gone mad if you ask me!" She replied in a light hearted tone. "Right Jamie, I'm Miss Mason, the Head Teacher. Just let me get Miss Campebell, our Head of Pastoral Care; she'll show you round and get you sorted with your classes today." Gesturing towards the sofas near the window, Rachel continued, "Why don't we sit down and you can tell me all about yourself."

The young boy instantly became anxious at Rachel's final words. Adam moved to take a seat and patted the vacant space next to him, encouraging the child to follow suit. However, Jamie remained steadfast near the door. His wide, petrified eyes were glaring. Rachel noted his reaction, quietly asked Joyce to get Kim, gently closed her office door and took a seat near Adam.

"Tell you what Jamie, why don't we start with the basics eh? How old are you?" When her question received no reply, she continued encouragingly, "Eleven? Twelve?" There was still no answer. "Twenty seven?" Adam chuckled. "Surely you can't be thirty five." Adam stifled a laugh as Jamie's facial expression turned to disbelief.

"Don't be daft, corse I ain't. I'm eleven." He announced proudly, moving his now incredulous eyes to look at Rachel. Giving an exaggerated sigh of mock relief, Rachel retorted,

"Phew, that's good to know!" she said, blowing a few wisps of hair away from her face and rolling her eyes, "for a minute there I thought Adam had brought you to the wrong place." She paused, smiling, gauging Jamie's reaction.

" I 'ave come to the right place." He informed her confidently. Why'd ya fink I'm wearing this stuff?" Jamie asked, giving a grimace as he spread out his arms to show his uniform off to full capacity, his tiny, fragile hands disappearing inside his enlarged blazer.

"Well that is excellent news. Especially as that means you'll be joining the new Year Sevens. It's their first day today as well, so I bet they're feeling exactly the same as you." Rachel explained.

Jamie nodded and his demeanour became less agitated. As he was about to make his way over to join Rachel and Adam on the sofa, there was a knock at the door.

After a few short introductions, Jamie left the room with Kim. Her confident, reassuring manner had aided in putting Jamie at ease even further.

Adam groaned with relief. Although an experienced Welfare Officer, he always found getting the young people in his care in to school somewhat of a trial; he was frequently more apprehensive about their first day than the kids themselves were. He began foraging in briefcase for Jamie's case notes.

Rachel appreciated how anxious Adam had been and wanted to dispel any doubts he had about Jamie and his new start at Waterloo Road.

"He'll be fine you know." She assured him, as Adam located the file he was after and withdrew the mini encyclopaedia from his briefcase. "A lot of kids come here to make a fresh start." Unintentionally, her thoughts drew back to Eddie and the text message she had inadvertently sent earlier that morning. Momentarily, the warm reassuring smile on her face dropped, " A lot of us see this place as an opportunity move on from a past we need to forget." There was a fleeting lapse in her efficient Head Teacher facade. Adam looked at her as if he had some innate understanding that it was not just the pupils she was referring to. Breaking the silence, concerned by the pained look that had overtaken her, he enquired,

"Could I have a coffee? I'm parched. If you've got a few minutes, I'd like to go through Jamie's notes. His case file isn't a pretty one and you should be aware of the child protection issues involved."

Rachel was drawn back to the business of the day once more.

"Of course... Sorry, I should have asked you before if you wanted a coffee; you look like you could do with one." Making her way over to the small coffee percolator she had installed in her room, she poured Adam a cup. Although her voice was chirpy and positive, Adam could not fail to note the overwhelming sense of despondency in her body language.

He was fascinated by the self-assured, very attractive, Rachel Mason who, quite evidently, looked like something was troubling her.

***

NB: Any similarity between Ian Watkins and 'H' from Steps is TOTALLY unintentional! LOL