The Heart Never lies
Author's note: I apologise for the long break between updates. I am not trying to change Rachel's personality or character completely, just adding a different side to her that we very rarely got to see on screen or at all. And I have no idea if Phil did Art but for this purpose, he did; and Jasmine, Rob and Matt never left. And I apologise for this been an extremely long chapter; that were just a lot going on that I wanted to explore but I hope you enjoy.
Chapter Twenty One: Honesty
After much crying from Michael, Rachel and Eddie had finally dropped him off and were now stood in the staffroom, slightly later than anticipated.
"I'm going to keep this quick for those with form groups; basically the meeting with the LEA yesterday didn't go well. We have six weeks to turn this school around get kids back…"
"And if we don't?" Steph asked.
"We close, as simple as that; we need this to work guys or we will all be out of a job"
A scatter of groans, gasps and mumbles could be heard from across the room.
"We've pulled this school back from much worse, we can beat this; get to your lessons and my door is open to any suggestions"
As they began to disperse out, Rachel took Kim and Chris to one side.
"I didn't realise things were that bad; is this because of Max?" Chris asked.
"Yeah; this is really serious. I don't wanna see this school close any more than anyone else does so we need to come up with something and fast. I've asked Eddie to sit in with the meeting; he's got experience with this kind of thing. Neither of you mind, do you?"
"Course not"
"No; I'd better get to my class" Chris said before leaving.
"You got time for a chat?" Kim asked.
"Er, yeah, I've got half hour; come to the office"
She followed her through where they got a drink before sitting on the sofa.
"What's going on?" Rachel asked.
"Nothing much; I haven't spoken to you in a few weeks so I just wanted to see how you were doing?"
"I'm…good; the summer was the best I've had in at least four years…especially compared to the last two"
"You and Eddie are finally making another go of it then?"
"Yeah, we are; I really missed having him here last year when everything was kicking off. I didn't realise just how much I did until he came back; we took Michael and Phil away and…it was nice to be able to relax and get away for two weeks. Just to talk and open up to him about everything; I mean, I know Steph is trying her best to come between us but, knowing how we both felt not been able to see or speak to each other, we don't want that happening again because…the truth is…I love him and considering my track record, it's a big deal for me"
"And Eddie feels the same?" Kim asked.
"He was willing to come back here as a maths teacher just to see me; what does that tell you?"
"How's Phil taking it? It must be so confusing for him; I mean, Eddie's with his mom, then you, then his mom again and now you?"
"He's been great; we made sure that both kids where happy with us before anything started because they've already been through so much that we don't want to upset them anymore"
"You look great; it's so obvious that you're happy and in love; and there's no one that deserves it more considering what you've put yourself through for this school"
"That's why I don't want to see it close; I didn't survive Stuart and the fire and Ralph and the digger and Max bloody Tyler to lose it all now"
"Listen, a couple of years ago, the school was under serious threat of closure – it was worse than it is now – but in less than a week, we pulled together an open day with performance and a talent show and food, the lot. If it worked then, it might be an idea to try; show the community that this school is still fighting and going strong despite Max's best efforts?"
"That could work"
"I think I might still have a copy of the brochure in my office; I'll see if I can dig it out"
"Thanks; how are things between you and Chris by the way?" Rachel asked as she put her cup down on the table and leant her head on her hand resting on the sofa.
"Better, still going slow but we're happy and getting to know each other first"
"Good; I can't believe a year ago it was all kicking off. I've got a meeting with Marion and Lindsay James so I'd better get down to the foyer.
"How's Lindsay doing?" Kim asked as they made their way downstairs.
"Still adjusting to life outside; hopefully she won't get too much stick when she comes back tomorrow"
"We'll make sure she knows both our doors are open at any time; if she's got the support, it might not be too bad"
"I hope so; I'll see you at break"
As Kim disappeared, Rachel walked down to the foyer where Marion and Lindsay were standing; she showed them up to the office where they sat on the sofa, she could instantly tell Lindsay wasn't comfortable.
"How you doing Lindsay?" Rachel asked softly.
"Not bath; it feels weird been here"
"I'm not surprised but myself, Miss Campbell, Mr Mead and all the other staff will try and help you in anyway we can"
"Thanks miss"
"How are you coping Marion?"
"We're doing okay now, aren't we Linds?"
"Yeah, we are"
After 20 minutes, Rachel showed them out; as Mario went to the car, Lindsay held back.
"Miss, I just want to say thanks, you know? For been there and not giving up on me…making the effort"
"It's what I do for all my students Lindsay, no matter what the circumstances; tell you what, come to my office as soon as you get in tomorrow, okay? You've got a new teacher as your tutor and it'll give you a chance to air any concerns before you start; how does that sound to you?"
"Thanks miss; see you tomorrow"
As Marion and Lindsay left, Rachel checked her watch: 10:05am; she went back up to her office where she sat up to her desk and put together notes of things they could do to save the school, ranging from 'advertising' to 'open days'. She'd just finished photocopying her notes when Eddie came up; he followed her into the office and kissed her softly before they sat up to the table.
"How was your first lesson back?"
"Good" he answered.
"I need another favour but we'll talk about it later" she said as Kim and Chris cam in and joined them at the table.
"So, what's the plan then?" Chris asked.
"Well, Kim's suggested that we have a full on open day; we need to show the community that this school is still on top"
"What kind of things were you thinking?" Eddie asked Kim.
"Performances, spelling bee, football match, food, talent show; anything that will show our strength" Kim answered.
"The question is, can we pull together a brilliant performance in just six weeks?" Rachel asked, concerned.
"We can certainly try; we'll get Matt on it as soon as possible. What about catering?" Kim asked.
"I'll speak to Rose and see what we can come up with" Rachel answered.
"What about display boards of different departments' works?" Chris suggested.
"Good" Rachel answered, taking notes of everything "What about advertising?"
"Why don't we get Phil to do it? It'll give him something to focus on?" Eddie suggested.
"And to be honest, he was one of my best students" Kim added.
"That's sorted then; anything else?"
"Talent show; is that really wise after what happened last year?" Chris asked, cautiously.
"We've got to be seen putting the past behind us – that's what going us in this mess in the first place – and we'll keep a closer eye on the ones auditioning; we can't afford any slip up[s at all. Eddie, can you speak to Tom about the football match and we'll make it teachers against kids? See who he can get to take part?" Rachel asked, looking at him.
"No problem"
"Okay; Chris, you get on with the display boards; Kim, the talent show auditions – I'm not bothered who judges – Phil will do advertising and I'll sort out the catering. And Chris, ask Jasmine to see who our best spellers are and sort out training sessions"
"Okay"
They were interrupted by Rachel's mobile going off.
"Excuse me" she said as she walked over to her desk and answered the call "Rachel Mason speaking…hi…sorry, can you hold on for one minute…thanks"
She covered the handset with her hand as she turned back to her colleagues,
"Chris, Kim, can you get on with that and I'll find you at lunch? Eddie, I need a word"
"Sure" "No problem" Kim and Chris said at the same time before leaving.
"Hi, sorry…what can I help you with…oh right…no, it's okay, I'll be there as soon as I can…okay…thank you, bye"
She ended the call, put on her coat and grabbed her keys before looking at Eddie.
"That was Michael's school; he's been sick apparently"
"He was fine this morning"
"He's probably got himself so worked up that been sick is the only thing he can do; don't worry, I know you've got a lesson in a minute. I'll sort it; if he is genuinely sick, Phil will be home by now"
"You sure you don't mind?"
"It's fine; I'll sort everything out when I get back. I'll see you later"
She leant up and kissed him before leaving; twenty minutes later, she was sat in the headteacher's office with Michael on her lap. His headteacher, Mrs James, had given them a couple of minutes alone; Rachel gently rocked him, stroked his hair and kissed him as he slowly started to calm down enough to look at her.
"What's with all the crying honey, eh?" she asked softly.
"I wanted you and daddy"
"I know but you can't make yourself sick; your daddy and I will be here when you finish later"
"But it's been ages"
"I know; did you not make any friends?"
Michael nodded as Rachel wiped away his tears.
"And were they crying?"
"No" he answered, quietly.
"And were they horrible or nasty to you"
"No"
"I know it's been a long time since you were away from your daddy and me but I promise, we'll never forget to pick you up, okay?"
"Okay"
"Do you think you'll be okay now?"
Michael nodded.
"Good; I'll be waiting outside when you finish, I promise" she reassure him as Mrs James walked back in.
"You ready to go back Michael?" she asked.
He nodded as he hugged Rachel before following the receptionist, Marie, out of the office; Mrs James smiled and sat opposite her.
"I'm sorry; Michael's had a really rough time lately"
"It's not unusual for children to be unsettled on their first day"
"I know; I'm a headteacher too, Waterloo Road"
"Oh right; how long have you known Michael?"
"On and off, about two years but only properly for about six months since his dad and he moved in; his mom died about a year ago"
"Oh right; and how is he at home?"
"Perfectly happy, really settled; his dad had to take him out of nursery in June so Michael's been used to having one of us around all the time"
"We'll keep an eye on him and let you know if there are any other problems"
"Thank you; it was nice to meet you" Rachel said as she shook her hand and left; she went back to work where she went through to the kitchens. It didn't scare her anymore, to think of the times and memories she and Adam had shared; she was brought out of her thoughts by a strong Irish voice calling her name.
"Miss Mason, can I help you with something?" Rose Kelly asked.
"Sorry Rose, I was miles away; can you put together some kind of buffet for an open day in six weeks?"
"So the rumours are true then?"
"I'm afraid so; we need something to prove the school is still on top"
"I'll do the best I can; I'll let you know when I've done the draft menu"
"Thanks Rose"
Rachel sighed and headed back up to her office; she put her coat on the rack before sitting up to the laptop. She had a million and one things going round in her head that she could've, should've, been dealing with but all she could think of was Michael, scared; she shook her head and got to work. She looked up a few hours later as there was a knock on the door and Eddie walked in with a sandwich for her; she smiled and shut the door as she sat on the sofa next to him.
"Is Michael okay?"
"He will be; he was scared we'd forget about him. He didn't understand why we weren't there; he has made some friends though"
"Good but he's definitely okay?"
"I promise; how's your morning been?"
"No problems so far; I've seen a couple of familiar faces. Not too keen on a couple of them…they just scream troublemaker"
"Let me guess, Finn Sharkey?"
"He's a little cocky so-and-so"
"I have a feeling you'll be just fine; did you get a chance to speak to Tom?"
"All sorted; I can't believe my little man is in school already…makes me realise how much Stephen missed out on"
"Michael is going to be just fine, I know it; I'll go and pick him up and we'll meet you back here"
"Is he really okay?"
"I promise, he's just got used to having you around all day everyday and now he hasn't; once he starts playing and learning, he'll soon forget all about been upset"
"Thank you"
"Anytime" she smiled as she leant in for a quick kiss; later that afternoon, Rachel was stood outside the fire exit door, waiting for it to open. As soon as it did, and his teacher Mrs Holmes said he could, Michael ran into Rachel's arms and kissed her.
"You must be Mrs Holmes?" Rachel asked as she stood next to the young woman.
"Yes"
"How was he after he came back?" she asked, Michael rested his head on her shoulder, clearly shattered.
"Much better; you had lots of fun didn't you Michael?"
"Yeah" he answered, sleepily.
"I should lat you get him home; see you tomorrow Michael"
"Say bye honey" Rachel said.
"Bye"
"Bye" Rache; said before they headed to the car; she strapped Michael into his booster seat. When they arrived back at the school, he was still drifting off; she carefully carried him inside and up to the office where she sat on the sofa with Michael asleep on her lap. She looked up and put a finger to her lips as Eddie came in, followed by Chris and Kim; they sat either side of her as she ran her hand over his hair.
"He looks so cute in his uniform" Kim said, quietly.
"Yeah, he does; how did you two get on?"
"I think we might just pull it off; Matt's gonna see what he can do, even if it's just the school choir singing again" Kim explained.
"Good, maybe the song they sang at the competition could work; certainly means the same. I've spoke to Rose and she's working on a buffet menu for us; Tom's sorting the football match and I'll talk to Phil when I get home"
"How was your first day back Eddie?" Chris asked.
"Not bad"
"You come across Finn Sharkey yet?"
"Oh, yeah, I've had that pleasure!" he joked, sarcastically".
"We should probably get this one home; he's had a very eventful day" Rachel declared.
"We'll see you in the morning" Kim said as Rachel and Eddie stood up, slowly and carefully, as to not wake Michael up, they headed back down to the car where they strapped Michael in before heading home. "With Michael sort of awake, they got him changed into his pyjamas before giving him some juice and sitting in his bedroom as he had a nap for a while; Eddie sat next to her and handed her a coffee.
"He must've had fun if he's this worn out"
"From what his teacher said, he was much happier when he went back this morning"
"Good"
"By the way, that favour I need?"
"What is it?" he asked, looking at her.
"You have a girl in your form group, Lindsay James?"
"That's the one who was abused right?"
"Yeah, well, she's back tomorrow and she's really nervous; she's worried about what people may say or do. Can you see her first thing in my office before tutor? It'll give her a chance to meet you and air any worries she may have"
"Course I will"
"I'm gonna go and talk to Phil; see how he got on"
"Rache, thank you for today, for sorting Michael out"
"Anytime; it's what I signed up for when he asked me to be his mom"
He leant in and kissed her softly before she left the room; she found Phil downstairs, sat up to the breakfast bar with a drink and the paper.
"Hey Phil" she said as she sat next to him.
"Hi Rache; how was your first day back?"
"Not too bad; nowhere near as bad as it was last year. It was nice knowing Eddie was there again…"
"Good" he answered, looking at her.
"What about you? Did you manage to figure out what you wanna do?"
"Not really, maybe something to do with advertising or something"
"Well, what if I was to say, I might have a job for you at the school for you?"
"Doing what?" he asked, not really relishing the idea of going back.
"Advertising; I'm gonna tell you something but it doesn't go any further. The school is under serious threat of closing so we're putting together an open day; I, well, me and Eddie were wondering if you'd like the job. There are posters, flyers, leaflets, everything to do. We're doing a staff against kids football match, a talent show, spelling bee, performance, food, display boards; there will be plenty for you to do and of course, we'd be paying you. And if we can pull it off and the school stays open, I can speak to the LEA about making the job official, if you want it?"
"Are you serious?"
"What do you say? Are you up for the challenge?"
"Course I am; thanks Rache" he answered, giving her a hug.
"No problem; come in tomorrow at dinner and I'll go through the details with you"
"I won't let you down, I promise"
"I know you won't; we're gonna order Pizza tonight, a treat for Michael"
"How was his first day?"
"Er, eventful; they called me up to go up there. He was so upset, he made himself physically sick"
"Oh, poor boy"
"I can understand why he was upset though; he did better when he went back but it's completely shattered him out"
"What about you? You must be shattered if you're running around after him as well as trying to save the school?"
"A little, I guess but you know it's new for all of us, it's bound to take a while to get used to it"
"And you're happy?"
"Definitely; I mean, we're taking things slowly and we've only been out once and that was while we were away but…I don't need fancy dinners or nights out or anything"
"But you should go out with Eddie; I'll look after Michael. It's the least I can do"
"We'll see; I should get back upstairs"
As Phil went back to his paper, Rachel left her empty cup on the side before going back upstairs; as she sat back on the bed, Eddie went to get a start on some lesson plans he hadn't quite finished. An hour later, she gently woke Michael and watched as he rubbed his eyes and sat on her lap, her arms around him as she kissed his forehead.
"Hey sleepy head; dinner will be here soon…and Phil's home"
"Rachel, is daddy angry at me for crying at school?"
"No, of course he isn't honey; today was a really big deal for you and you did very well"
"Promise?"
"I promise; shall we go and find him and Phil and you can tell them all about your day and what you did?"
"Okay"
She kissed his forehead again before he got down and ran out the room; Rachel followed as he ran into the living room.
"Daddy" he called as he sat next to Eddie as he put his laptop and paperwork on the table before wrapping his arms around his son as Rachel sat next to Phil on the other sofa.
"Hey buddy, did you have fun at school?"
Michael just nodded, scared that he was going to be shouted at for making Rachel come out of work and for crying.
"What did you do?"
"Colouring"
"Is that is?"
"Why don't you tell daddy about your friends?" Rachel suggested as she sat the other side of Michael.
Michael shook his head and looked at the floor; Rachel realised why he had suddenly gone so quiet and whispered into Eddie's ear before he sat Michael on his lap as Rachel moved closer.
"Buddy, do you think I'm gonna shout at you for crying today and making Rachel leave work?" he asked, softly as Rachel took the little boy's hand.
Michael nodded, trying not to look at either of them.
"I'm not angry at you; you were scared and upset and it was the first time you'd been away from us in a long time; that doesn't mean I'm going to shout at you" he said, trying to reassure his son as he looked at him, eventually "In fact, I think you were very brave"
"You were very brave; you went back to the class and you were really good and made friends, didn't you?" Rachel said.
"I'm sorry daddy"
"It's okay to be upset but did you have fun at breakfast club?"
"We watched cartoons"
"You did? And what did you have to eat?" he asked as the little lad sat between them.
"Coco-pops and toast but I don't like their toast; they don't put a funny face on it like Rachel does"
"Well, how about I give you some funny face toast before you go to school and then you can just have some coco-pops?" Rachel suggested as Michael looked at her.
"Yeah"
"Hey buddy, I've got a present for you" Phil said.
"What is it?" Michael asked as he went and sat next to him as Rachel snuggled against Eddie.
"I've brought you the brand new 'In the Night Garden' DVD" he said, pulling it out from his bag on the floor and giving it to him.
"Thank you Phil"
"Let's put it on, eh?" Phil suggested as he set it up.
"I'll be in the kitchen" Rachel said before leaving the room; she grabbed her laptop and paperwork and set it on the breakfast bar. While Michael was occupied, she was determined to find a way to save Waterloo Road; she started with a letter to the parents:
'Dear parents and guardians. It is with a heavy heart that, without sufficient support from the local community, Waterloo Road Comprehensive School is facing closure. I know many of you have supported the school through its recent trouble and I am doing everything in my power to stop it from happening but I can't do it without your help. We need to show the Governing body that Waterloo Road needs to stay open by getting everyone you know to pledge their support; this is not about fundings or donations, it's about community spirit. So please, pass the message on and sow your support by attending out open day; a letter will follow with all the details soon. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and I hope we can count on your support. Yours sincerely. Rachel Mason (Headteacher)'
She sighed and put her head in her hands as she felt a hand on each shoulder; she looked up to have her lips met with Eddie's.
"How long have you been standing there?" she asked as she saved the document.
"Long enough; that must've been hard to do?" he asked as she sat next to her.
"Had to be done so I thought I'd make the most of the quiet; did you finish all your stuff?"
"Most of it"
"I'm not gonna let them close the school, I'm not, I didn't go through all that physical and emotional trauma of the fire and Max to lose it now"
"Rache…was Max ever physical towards you?" he enquired, confused about her previous statement.
"Err, not physical as such; he was seeing Kim and I found out he was married, still living with his wife so I told her and Max…well, he didn't like that I'd interfered with his life. It was just another reason to want me gone; that night, I was sat going through some paperwork in my pyjamas, you know, trying to unwind and there's this really urgent knock at the door. It was Max; he was drunk and it did scare me so I tried to get him to leave but he…pushed me against the wall and pinned me against him. It was only because I threatened to phone the police that he left"
"Did anybody know about it?"
"Only Chris; Kim wasn't exactly talking to me"
"I'm sorry I wasn't here" he said, putting his arm around her.
"It wasn't that bad; at least I had Chris on my side. He kind of reminded me of you which…at the time was a nice comfort but…it was hard between us because no matter how much I tried to forget about you, you were always at the back of my mind"
"You were always on mine too; I'd be in the staffroom and I'd just wonder how, what, you were doing. I love been able to come to your office where I'm free"
"I like it too; what are we gonna do Eddie?" she sighed heavily.
"We'll work it out; we'll save the school, I promise"
He kissed her forehead as the front door went; he got up and paid the Pizza delivery guy before they say on the sofa eating. Afterwards, Rachel got Michael bathed and ready for bed before tucking him in; she kissed his forehead and left the room, going into hers and grabbing a much-needed shower. Dressed in her pyjamas, slippers and dressing gown, she went back downstairs where she sat on Eddie's arms, legs tucked under her and her head resting against his chest.
"It's been a long day, why don't you grab an early night?" he suggested, his fingers in her hair.
"I just wanna lie here with you"
"I'm gonna go upstairs; don't worry Rache, we'll save the school" Phil reassured as he kissed her forehead and left the room.
"He's right; we'll save it, we will. Did Michael get down okay?"
"Yeah; he's excited about going to school tomorrow"
"Good, maybe you should get an early night?"
"I've still got work to do; there's planning to do and permission to get and…"
"Leave it for tonight; you are physically and emotionally exhausted. Come on, go to bed and I'll follow you up soon"
"Okay" she whispered, admitting defeat.
He placed another kiss on her forehead before she went upstairs; she lay in her bed and fought back the tears as she buried her head in her pillow. When Eddie came in a while later, he wrapped his arms tightly around her and held her close; he face buried into his chest as she slept, her fallen tears stained on her cheeks.