Hello! Hope you are enjoying this story so far as I am really enjoying writing it and will be putting up another short chapter this evening at some point. Just want to give a shout out to my amazing friend Lauren who has helped me come up with the ideas that are going to occur over the next few chapters and say a huge thank you to her! Anyways, I hope you all enjoy it and please remember to leave me a review so I know what you all think

Chapter 26

When Taliah arrived at Mr Clarksons' class, she was the only one in the classroom so she went in and sat in her usual seat. As much a she didn't want to be there as she would rather be at the hospital with her family, she knew she had to make the effort as it was the start of her GCSE's and she didn't want to mess her future up as it was the last thing that she needed right now.

After a few minutes of sitting there staring into space, the class started to fill up and then she saw Mr Clarkson walk in, closing the door behind him and he began to write things on the board as the last of the late-comers snuck into the class. Taliah placed the scrapbook on the edge of the desk before getting out 'Of Mice and Men' and some paper to write on as she had forgotten to bring her English book with her.

Trying her hardest to focus on the lesson, she copied down what was on the board and began making notes about what Tom was saying about the novel but it didn't last long. She wanted to flick through her scrapbook but in a way she didn't dare as she didn't know how she was going to react.

However, she decided that she would as it would only just torment her if she didn't and she had science next where they were doing an experiment so she wouldn't have the opportunity to look through it then. This was going to be her only chance until break and she couldn't wait that long so she slid it over so that it was in front of her. She remembered making the front cover out of cream material which she stuck to the cover before adding buttons to it and her name in pastel coloured wooden letters.

It took Taliah a moment before she had the courage to open it up as she couldn't remember what was in it as it had been ages since she last look in it. On the first page it was a collage of her, right from when she was a baby up until she was about 12 years old. As she looked over them, she couldn't help but grin at how much she had changed over the years and at some of the stupid faces she was pulling.

After a few minutes of examining the photos, she turned the page again and found a huge picture of her family that took up the entire page. Taliah leant in closer to get a better look at all the smiling and happy faces that were looking back at her. It had been taken on Millie's 6th birthday and she looked so cute dressed up in a baby pink dress. She could feel a lump forming in her throat, not only because a photo like this will never be taken again, but also because she was so proud to have had a Dad like hers and a little sister like Millie.

It was times like this when Taliah didn't have to sit next to anyone in English as it not only lets her spread her belongings about and put her feet up on the spare chair, but it also allows her to sit and stare out of the window without anyone pestering her. She peered outside and could see the sun shining in the sky, the playground deserted as everyone was busy working in their lessons. She allowed her mind to wander off to wherever it liked as she had tried to focus on the lesson but she knew it wouldn't work.

Taliah didn't know how long she had been staring out of the window for, lost in her own thoughts, until Mr Clarkson had walked around the rest of the class and handed them a sheet that they were filling in whilst chatting to their friends about what they had done last night. Tom placed the sheet on Taliah's desk, but not directly in front of her as though he knew that was wasn't in the mood for work. He walked round to the other side of her desk so that he was opposite her before bending down onto his knees.

"I just want you to know that if you ever need a moment to yourself during my lesson, you only need to ask." Tom said calmly to Taliah and he watched as he received a faint smile back before getting up to patrol around the class.

Taliah had always liked Mr Clarkson, not only because English was one of her favourite subjects, but also because he was a fair and understanding teacher. Maybe it was just in his nature to be like this but Taliah reckoned it was because of what he has gone through in his own life as everyone in the school had heard about what he has been through.

Picking up the sheet Mr Clarkson had placed on her desk, Taliah was about to have a look at it when the bell went for next lesson. Gathering up her things and placing them in her bag, she made her way out of the class room, the scrapbook clutched tightly in both of her hands as she made her way down the stairs to the science corridor, bumping and bashing into people accidently as she struggled once again to keep her mind focused.