Chapter 35

Opening the door into the school, Taliah staggered her way in after crawling her way up the front stairs. Looking both ways down the corridor she could see that it was completely deserted as everyone must be bust in lessons.

Clumsily making her way down the corridor, Taliah could feel herself becoming more worked up. She hated how Scout was trying to be so friendly to her just because she was in the room next to hers. She had no idea what life was like from where Taliah is standing. Every time Taliah met eyes with Rhiannon, tensions would run as high as was physically possible. She couldn't get over what she had said about family and after her snoop around in Scout's room, she was just as bad as Rhiannon was.

As Taliah made her way along the corridor, she could once again feel herself becoming more and more emotional and Taliah had definitely decided that alcohol wasn't helping the situation but she didn't know what else to do.

"I hate this," Taliah whispered to herself as she paused outside a row of classrooms. "I hate this, I hate this, I HATE THIS!" Taliah repeated getting progressively louder. She needed to let all of this emotion out of herself but she had no idea how to.

A classroom door came bursting open as Taliah made her way past the class and Taliah recognised the history teach Miss McFall emerging from within the room. Taliah continued to stagger her way down the corridor even though she was fully aware of the teachers beady eye upon her.

"Taliah, have you been drinking?" Miss McFall asked but Taliah ignored her, bashing into the wall as she attempted to get away from her.

"Taliah O'Donnell! Don't walk away from me when I'm speaking to you!" Taliah heard the woman calling from behind her in her broad Scottish accent but Taliah wasn't in the mood for all her old school talking. She was sick of talking.

"Oh, go away you old hag! I don't want to talk to you!" Taliah shouted back, slurring her words as she did so. She didn't hand around to see Audrey's reaction as she stumbled her way through the double doors at the end of the corridor, ensuring she kept a good grip on the almost empty bottle in her hand.

Making her way into the English corridor, Taliah knew it would only be a matter of time until someone would find her as she was sure that Audrey would have told someone about the state she is in by now.

Passing Mr Clarkson's room, Taliah was glad to see that it was empty as it meant that she wouldn't have to try and avoid him seeing her as she passed, however, it did mean that he was still out looking for her.

Shuffling down the corridor, she came across Mrs Mulgrew teaching and as Taliah peered into the room she could see Imogen staring back at her and Taliah could tell that Imogen was aware of something not being right. However, whilst Taliah had been peering into the room, Mrs Mulgrew had managed to spy Taliah stood outside her room and was curious to know why she wasn't in it with the rest of her class.

"And what time do you call...have you been drinking?" Christine asked because the closer she got to Taliah, the stronger the smell of alcohol got.

"Oh, what is it to you? Don't start playing the 'concerned teacher act' with me, I'm not in the mood." Taliah moaned back and she could instantly tell that Christine wasn't impressed with the comment, then her eyes fell on the almost empty vodka bottle in her hand.

"Right, cooler now." Christine said sternly to the drunken school that stood before her but Taliah refused to move.

"Taliah, move!" Christine shouted as she pointed down the corridor in the direction of Michael's office and Taliah began to move, but in the opposite direction. She wasn't going to listen to her.

"And where do you think you're going?" Christine turned and said to the girl as she held onto the window sill for support. All she wanted to do was to find Scout as she needed a word with her and to go and sit quietly somewhere to finish the remains of her bottle.

"Away from you. That's where!" Taliah shouted back to Mrs Mulgrew, her moaning at her wasn't really helping as she was beginning to feel rather sick due to the amount of vodka she had consumed.

"I'm not listening to you!" Taliah shouted, struggling to keep her mouth shut and she could feel the bottle slipping out of her hand as she struggled to keep a grip on it. It fell to the floor, smashing into smithereens and wetting the floor with the remains of the bottle.

"Now look what you have made me do!" shouted Taliah at Mrs Mulgrew who was busy staring at the mess that was splattered across the corridor floor.

"I don't think you needed any more of that anyways. Seems to me that you've had quite enough looking at the state that you are in." Christine replied simply and she could see Grantly emerging from the classroom next door to see what all the commotion was about.

"You can't really talk can you Miss," Taliah started sarcastically, "Everyone knows about your drinking habits so I don't think I'm going to take advice about when I've had enough to drink from an alcoholic like you!" Taliah screamed at her, completely unaware of Mr Budgen's presence behind her. He could hardly believe that those words had managed to escape her lips as he had never had any issues with her until now.

"And who do you think you are talking to?" Grantly asked firmly, Taliah turning unsteadily to look him in the eye.

"Miss Mulgrew Sir, can't you see that?" Taliah stated thinking that it was a bit of a stupid question since she was the only other person in the corridor. Taliah watched as Budgen went to say something but he was cut short by Taliah.

"Sir, have you seen Scout?" Taliah asked trying to sound casual but her words were slurring and she could tell by the expression on Mr Budgen's face that he wasn't impressed.

"No. Maybe you will see her on your way to Mr Byrne's office." Grantly said simply as he grabbed Taliah by her shoulder as he tried to steer her towards the heads office but Taliah tried to resist all the way. She knew she was going to be in serious trouble.