Nikki was sitting in the canteen with Maggie when Sonia hurried across the room towards them. They both looked up at her expectantly, waiting for her to tell them the latest gossip. She settled herself carefully at their table and looked between them.
"Well?" Maggie demanded.
"Hollie told Mrs Wark that it was her that hit Gabriella." Sonia told them quickly. "I don't think Mr Lowsley believed Gabriella's story because he said that she wasn't bleeding in Pastoral Care, but she was in the Head's Office."
"Wait?" Nikki held up her hands. "Where's Hollie now? Is she OK?"
"Simon sent her back to the Cooler after she vowed not to let Gabriella ruin your life anymore than she already has."
Nikki was on her way to the door when it opened and Kacey, Dynasty, Connor and Kevin entered the canteen. Carol was at her side almost instantly and they both smiled at the woman's younger daughter. She crumpled and wrapped her arms, not around her mother but around her teacher instead. Nikki glanced, almost awkwardly at Carol, before rubbing soothing circles on Kacey's back.
"I'm gonna swing for that Gabriella Wark." Dynasty threatened.
"You might wanna think about that." Mr Windsor advised her.
Nikki and Carol exchanged a look. "There's kinda…"
"Something…"
"We need to tell you…"
"What happened?" Kacey asked.
The whole story came tumbling out of both women, from Carol attempting to extort money and then slapping Mrs Wark to Gabriella accusing Nikki of attacking her. The teenagers listened and then asked questions, none of them believing that their English teacher was capable of what she had been accused of for a minute.
Leaving them all discussing their options, Nikki headed to her classroom, needing a couple of minutes alone to get her head around things, before she went to speak to her daughter. She was sure that Hollie would still be angry with her, whatever she had said to Gabriella and her mother, and needed some time to formulate her ideas before confronting the teenager.
"Can I borrow you?" The brunette glanced up as Christine entered the room.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm trying to save your job. I need to know exactly what happened with Gabriella." There was a long pause as Nikki considered her. "In your own time. Nikki?"
"Yeah?"
"Tell me what happened." Christine pressed. "Hollie's told me her version of events and Gabriella was quite happy to tell her side. I need to hear what you have to say."
Nodding slowly, the brunette started at the beginning, telling her friend everything that she could remember. Christine listened patiently until she reached the end of the tale and then nodded. Standing up, she indicated for Nikki to follow her from the room, smiling reassuringly at her.
They headed towards Pastoral Care, only making a brief detour to collect Hollie from the Cooler. The teenager frowned curiously between the two women but, as neither of them spoke to her, she didn't attempt to make conversation. Instead she followed them wordlessly through the hallways and into the office.
"I don't want her in here." Gabriella announced as soon as Christine ushered Nikki into the Pastoral Care Office. "Or Hollie."
"Do they need to be involved?" Mrs Wark demanded.
"Yes." Christine informed them bluntly. "Gabriella's story jeopardises Miss Boston's future as a teacher and Hollie's future, too." As Mr Lowsley indicated for them to sit around the circular table, Hollie deliberately refused to meet anyone's eyes. "We could, and probably should, hand this over to the local authority and the police but I think calling them is the last thing any of us need. However, it is twenty to three so when the bell goes for the end of school Mr Lowsley will have to follow procedure and call the police, unless we can sort this out now."
"I think it would be better all round if we could come to a sensible, amicable agreement." Mr Lowsley told them calmly.
"We have two cases of Gabriella's word being called into question." Christine continued. "First by Kacey, secondly by Miss Boston."
"I'm telling the truth." Gabriella said pathetically, turning wide, innocent eyes on Mrs Mulgrew. "Nobody believes me, do they?"
"No, because you're a liar." Hollie muttered under her breath, earning herself several sharp glares and a kick under the table from her mother.
"Mum? Mum, I wouldn't… not today. Mum."
"Stop it!" Her mother snapped. "Don't you dare use today against me."
"I believe you, Gabriella." Christine announced, causing everyone to stare at her. Hollie frowned, feeling betrayed. "It's a bit stuffy in here, don't you think? Fancy a walk?"
As they left the room, Hollie slouched in her chair and folded her arms. She shook her head, muttering under her breath. "Idiot… She's such a liar." The teenager fixed Mrs Wark with a glare. "Mum never touched her. I did… She deliberately knocked Kacey off that climbing wall. You need to start realising what your daughter is capable of."
"That's enough, Hollie." Nikki muttered, laying her hand on her daughter's arm. She shot her a warning look before turning to Mrs Wark. "I'm sorry. Hollie's right, though. I didn't lay a finger on your daughter; I wouldn't."
Standing up, the woman in question moved to the door and wrenched it open, striding away along the corridor. There was a long silence as no one was quite sure what was happening. Minutes later, they heard the click of heels on the floor outside the room and the door opened once more. Christine was the last of the three women to re-enter the room, pulling the door shut behind her.
"I'm sorry. Miss Boston didn't touch me. Neither did Hollie. I did it to myself." Gabriella announced softly, looking around the room. Her gaze lingered on Hollie's confused face and she attempted to send her a small smile. "Kacey, I… I hurt you to get attention… attention from my parents. Since my sister died they haven't… everyone loves you, Kacey. I just wish someone felt that way about me. I stamped on your hand. I shouldn't have… and I shouldn't have lied." She turned back to the older teenager. "And you, Hollie… I deliberately pressed your buttons and made you lash out at me because I was jealous… jealous of how much your mum loves you…" She sniffed. "I hope you can all forgive me."
"You're forgiven." Nikki told her in a broken voice.
"Hallelujah! Now where's that cheque book?"
"Carol, I hear that bruise on Mrs Wark's face is your doing?" Christine asked, arching an eyebrow. "Maybe we should leave all this here? Kacey's going to need her mum around."
"Let's just drop it, Mum." Kacey urged, turning pleading eyes on her mother.
Nikki steered her daughter out of the office after the Barrys. They paused in the corridor and then Hollie threw her arms around her mother and buried her head in the space where her neck met her shoulders. Nikki clung on tightly, not wanting to let go in case Hollie changed her mind and disappeared from her grasp again.
"I'm sorry, baby." She murmured, pressing kisses to her daughter's hair. "I'm so, so sorry. I love you."
"I love you too, Mum."
"I'm going to speak to Vix… it… I don't love her enough to risk losing you."
Hollie blinked. "What?"
"I'm going to tell her it's over. I'm choosing you."
The teenager grinned, her smile splitting her face from ear-to-ear. "Thank you."
As she watched her mother heading away along the corridor, Hollie shook her head. She turned in the opposite direction and walked into Mr Reid, almost straight away. He gripped her upper arms to stop her stumbling sideways, sending her a broad grin.
"You look happy?"
"Yeah." She agreed. "I am… and thanks for your help, Mr Reid, but I don't need it anymore."
He frowned lightly, shaking his head. "I don't understand?"
"Mum's going to break up with Vix, so I got what I wanted."
"But I thought…"
"You thought what, Sir?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. "You thought I wanted my mum to get with you?" She laughed. "No way. I just wanted you to help me break up her and Vix, but it turns out I didn't need your help. So thanks, but that's it."
She pushed past him and strode along the corridor as the bell rang for the end of term, leaving the PE teacher staring after her, his mouth still hanging open even as the doors banged shut behind her.
