Chapter Ten
A/N: Thank you to AmyOncer for reviewing the last chapter.
When she returned to school on Monday, Sue had a spring in her step she thought she had long since lost. Her classes seemed to pick up on this newfound happiness and played up just a little more than they had done when her tiredness had been so pronounced, but Sue shrugged off Harley and Darren's teasing with a laugh. After that, they did not try it again, much to her relief.
However, that happiness faded quickly, as Sue's anxieties crept back to the front of her mind. Simon was never at home, so she could not discuss the matters with him, but when he arrived home late, he always insisted that she go to bed immediately. She had tried to explain about the work she had to do, but he did not listen and had seemed so immensely disappointed when he caught her making lesson plans when he got up in the morning that she had taken to sneaking out after he went to sleep and making sure she returned before he got back. She had tried to pretend that she was not tired, but it was so difficult. She did not know if she could do it much longer.
It was Friday morning when the illusion was finally shattered. Sue was making her way towards the staffroom, hoping to catch a few minutes of rest before her hectic schedule commenced once again, when Nikki Boston caught up with her.
"Sue!" she called, jogging to catch up with her. Sue prepared a smile of greeting that she hoped would be convincing, but Nikki's frustrated expression eliminated the need. "Have you got the PRU evaluations?"
Sue could have hit herself. She had meant to finish them that morning, but she had fallen fast asleep and when she woke she had found Simon already up, eliminating any chances of doing them then.
"I'm so sorry, Nikki." she apologised. The other woman sighed with frustration.
"Sue, I asked for them a week ago!" she exclaimed, running her hands through her short dark hair. Sue could do nothing but tilt her head apologetically, hoping that Nikki would understand. From the outburst that followed, it was certain she did not. "You know what, Sue, I trusted you! I gave you a chance, even though everyone told me you'd never get it done. And they were right! You let me down, big time. What am I going to do now? The kids are starting to fill in applications for work experience next week and if I don't have any details on their progress in Science, how am I going to know how to help them?"
"Look, Nikki, I'll have them with you first thing tomorrow morning, I promise." Sue professed, but Nikki was already shaking her head.
"It's too late, Sue!" the woman exclaimed. "I've got my own job to do, my own life to lead, and I've got enough workload as it is. I'm not going to work my backside off to do your work for you as well."
"Nikki, it was an honest mistake." Sue defended, trying to catch up with her colleague, who had began to move away, her fists clenched to contain her anger.
"It doesn't make a difference whether you forgot or you're just being lazy, Sue. Either way, you've let me down." Nikki returned, walking faster. Sue's heels clicked loudly against the floor- the sound was beginning to make her head ache.
"Nikki, I've been under a lot of pressure lately, and-" she began, but the English teacher cut across her.
"We're all under pressure, Sue!" she yelled, catching the attention of the few students who had not ventured outside for their break time. "But we don't shirk off our responsibilities. We don't think we can get away with murder just because we've family in the LEA!"
"This is nothing to do with my dad!" Sue cried out, becoming defensive once again. She hated when people thought her father was the only reason she had achieved all she had. The anger was beginning to make her head spin.
"Isn't it?" Nikki asked, her voice laced with bitterness. She stopped walking and turned to face her colleague, a look of disgust on her face. "You know, I've seen a lot of teachers like you over the years. Make friends at the top and think you can worm your way through the rankings without ever lifting a finger. Well, guess what, Sue? Life doesn't work like that. The sooner you realise that, the better. So, if you're not going to do the work, you might as well just give up and go home. Do us all a favour."
With those last poisonous words, Nikki began to move again, leaving Sue frozen behind her in shock. No one had ever spoken to her in such a bitter, hateful way before and it hurt in her chest to know that someone could despise her so much as to say those things. 'Did she really mean it?' she wondered. 'Or was it just the heat of the moment?'
She had to know.
Sue quickened her pace again, wanting to catch up with Nikki, who had just reached the top of the staircase.
"Nikki!" she called, but the woman did not slow down. "Nikki! Nikki, wait!"
She reached the English teacher and latched onto her arm to stop her, and within a moment, she had been pushed backwards into the wall. Suddenly, the world began to spin, the colours of the wall displays melding into a senseless pattern before her eyes. She could barely see Nikki, but she could hear her voice, blurred as if underwater, asking if she was alright. Sue grasped onto the bannister, but it was not enough. One final question from Nikki and everything had turned black.
All Sue felt was the sharp pain of her body colliding with the steps over and over again, and it stopped, there was nothing but darkness.
A/N: *gasp!* What will happen next? Review and you'll find out!