Morning all! Hope you have a good Saturday, and the weathers holds where you are for fireworks!

love Bananagirl x

Chapter 9: Moments in time

Sometimes, Molly reflected, you wake up in a moment in time that you makes you want to pause the world from turning, just for a moment and stop to appreciate the significance of ther event. Some were momentous or joyous, some quite the opposite, and then some appeared on the surface to be nothing special yet in your heart you knew a tiny part of your inner jigsaw had clicked together, bringing you one step closer to creating the picture of yourself in completion.

Leading her Year One class through the pretty park separating school and church; trailed by nearly 400 students Molly knew this was one of those moments. In the two weeks she had been teaching Seagull Class she had become very attached to them and it struck her how much she was looking forward to finding a permanent role in a school with a class she could call her own. Her good relationship with Katy had been mutually beneficial, Molly had lapped up all Katy had shown her regarding the changes to curriculum organisation and assessment procedures that had been implemented while she had been away and she knew her skills as a teacher had developed greatly over the fortnight too.

Her concerns about Bashira had not diminished; she and Farooq were looking increasingly tired and a quick check in Farooq's exercise books, when Molly looked back and noticed a change in handwriting, had shown that he was the one now writing in her reading log and homework diary. She had continued to pass on her concerns to Mr James, or Boss as he seemed to be letting her get away with calling him, and he had assured her that steps were in place to try and establish what was happening with the family and get them some support.

A squeeze to her hand and a little voice to her right brought her back to the present. "Look Miss, our line is snaking all the way back across the park." It was an annual last day of term event for Quayside Primary school to walk to St Peter's Church for the Easter Service, and Molly had been astounded at the organisation that had gone into making sure it ran smoothly. Looking back to see what her observant companion had noticed, true enough the line of children of 400 snaking across the width of the park was quite a sight. The bright red of the children's school jumpers, interspersed with the flashes of fluorescent yellow jackets worn by staff looked reminiscent of a Chinese Dragon. The spring was proving to be delightfully warm and had served to ensure the flower beds surrounding the path were awash with bright blues, yellows and pink.

The service, as expected, was very sweet. Reverend Paul was young and enthusiastic, the children loved his assemblies and were typically enthralled by his active re telling of The Easter Story calling on a many of the children to be actors. Some of the pupils in the upper school had been selected to read passages and prayers, and with limited space for extra adults, only their parent's had been invited to come along. Noticing Farooq standing up to read, Molly looked around to see if she could spot his parents but saw no one that obviously fitted the bill. She looked at Bashira and saw the pride bursting from her as she sat up straight, hanging off his every word. When he sat down Molly caught Bashira's eye and asked whether her parents where there. "No Miss" came the sad reply.

-OG-

Charles stood at the edge of the playground surveying the scene in front of him. He had called an early lunchtime after the children had returned from Church and some of the teachers had volunteered to supervise until the lunchtime supervisors took over. He wasn't surprised to see that Molly sitting with her back to him, back propped up against a tree watching the children play. "Penny for them" he asked as he took a seat next to her.

"Hey, Boss you shouldn't creep up on people like that, nearly gave me a Julius!"

"A what?" His expression was that perfect mix of mock questioning and amusement that she had come to see when she closed her eyes.

"Just something me dad used to say, I guess when I'm taken by surprise I go back to my East-End ways."

"Ah, so that's home then? How come you found yourself working as a supply teacher in on the South Coast?"

"Well that's where I grew up, but this part of the world is my home now. I came south for Uni and fell in love with being by the sea, excluding the fact that I don't want to be anywhere near my family, I couldn't imagine not starting my day without running along the foreshore first." Molly suddenly realised she had divulged a little more about herself than she planned to in her response and hoped that Charles would have the manners not to ask her about her family situation. Opting to dig her way out of the situation she continued talking, "After graduation I spent two and a half years volunteering in a school in Ghana, but earlier this year my visa ran out and I decided to come back, my old housemate said I could move in with her so here I am."

There were so many things he wanted to pick up from what she had said but found he had no idea where to start. He was fascinated by her and found once again that he wanted to spend days locked away listening to her stories and getting to know her. Deciding that it was probably for the best to remain on the professional tack, he opted to ask if she planned to continue with supply or look for a full time post.

"I'm looking for something full time, at first it was because I needed to get my NQT year started but having had the chance to spend a longer period here it's made me realise how much I want to have a class of my own. I've really enjoyed getting to know the children, and working with Katy has been a lot of fun."

"Well that makes what I'm about to ask a lot easier." She looked at him questioningly, adjusting her position to look directly at him. "I've just got off the phone with Mrs Baker; her recovery is not going to plan. In fact it seems she's rather unwell and there is no way she will be back at school after the Easter break. I was wondering if you would be happy to continue with us for a little longer?"

"Thank you, yes please." She beamed, and his attention was caught by how beautiful she was. Her emerald eyes sparkled and her grin seemed to add more warmth to the day than the sun itself. "Can I tell the children I'll be back after the holiday?"

"That's fine, but just say that Mrs Baker needs a little more time to get over her operation." He settled back against the tree and forced himself to watch the children rather than gaze at Molly. "Do you have much planned for Easter?"

"I'm working at the holiday club at Emsworth Primary, but don't worry I'll have plenty of time for getting the planning done, I won't leave it all to Katy."

"That's good of you Molly, but that wasn't why I was asking." Suddenly he was on his feet and moving away from her towards a game of football that looked to be getting a bit rough, "Thomas and Zachary, I have told you a thousand times, I don't care what it looks like on TV, football is a non-contact sport." She watched as he joined in with the boys, instantly dispelling the aggravation that had been mounting, realisation dawning on her that it would be a lot more than the children she would miss when the time came for her to leave Quayside, and a question left hanging over why he was asking her about Easter.

-OG-

Later that night she sat back on the sofa and flicked off the TV. End of term exhaustion had kicked in and the pub had been abandoned in favour of pizza and beer that the boys had helpfully brought with them. Jackie and Fingers had called it a night earlier when Fingers' snoring had drowned out the action from the movie leaving her and Smurf alone.

"I can't stop thinking about Bashira and Farooq" she blurted out. Every time I close my eyes I see her sad little face."

"Don't get emotionally involved Molly, it'll do your head in. You've passed along your concerns, now you've just got to leave it to the powers that be to work out what's going on." He stretched his arm out for her to snuggle into him. At uni they had spent hours cuddled up together, all platonically she had thought until graduation when they had all drunk too much and Smurf had declared his feelings for her. She had been so hurt by her family's rejection that she had allowed herself to feel comforted by Smurf's affections for her and kissed him. One thing had quickly led to another and they had woken up in bed together the following morning, he full of the joys of their new romantic status and assuming she would cancel her VSO work to stay behind with him, her ashamed that she hadn't had the nerve to be honest with her best friend before things had gone too far. Telling Smurf that she didn't love him like that, and did in fact still have every intention of heading out to Ghana, had been one of the most heart-breaking conversations she had ever had.

"Come on Molls, give us a cuddle." Ignoring the voice in her head saying it was a bad idea she let his arms envelope her, he held her tight and whispered that everything would be ok in to her ear. The voice in her head shouting louder, Molly released herself from him and started to get the spare bedding from the cupboard. "Why don't I come and sleep with you tonight?"

"Why would I want to share my comfy bed with your snoring, farting self?"

"Come on Molly, give us a chance. We'd be amazing together."

"Smurf, please. We've been over this a thousand times. Why can't you just be my mate?"

"Because I'm in love with you!" He blurted, all traces of subtly now gone. "I've been in love with you since the day you walked into our flat at Uni. I was in love with you while we sat on the sofa together cuddled up watching your stupid movies, I was in love with you when you'd come back in a foul mood from visiting your family, I was in love with you when we'd stay up all night finishing essays and writing lesson plans, and I was in love with you when you sodded off to Ghana leaving me behind. You must have known how I felt about you. There was never anyone else but you." He dropped his head into his hands; unable to look at her for the inevitable rejection he knew was coming.

"Smurf, I'm sorry. Really I am. But there is no us, you are my mate and I will always love you like that, but not in any other way. I just don't feel that way about you." He stood up looking for his keys and shoes. "Where are you going?"

"Home. I can't keep doing this to myself. I'll stay out your way when you come back to Quayside, but then I think I need some space away from you for a while. I've wasted enough of my life chasing you." Tears streamed down both their faces as the finality of the situation struck home.

"How are you going to get home? You can't drive and it's late. Stay tonight at least. Come on, it doesn't have to be like this."

"I'll find a taxi. Goodbye Molly."

"Smurf. I'm sorry." she called out, but he was already gone. She switched out the light and took herself through to bed. In some respects, everything would be so easy if she could just fancy Smurf and be with him, but her heart had never lain with him, and she knew that it never would. Particularly now, she reflected, as that swarm of butterflies seemed to have made a permanent home in her tummy, taking flight every time a certain dark haired, brown eyed headmaster came near her.