Thank you for the reviews.
In Push My Luck (still one of my favourite stories that I have ever written), I mentioned a comment I made in this story regarding the number of English teachers at Waterloo Road. That has come mainly because Rachel is an English teacher in my head and I think I have got a way around why she has a bachelor of science degree instead of a bachelor of arts degree (looked it up many times to make it work).
Also, all these chapters are stand-alone... It will make more sense when I actually start changing things.
Series 3 Episode 8
"Can we talk about earlier?" Eddie said.
"What part?"
"When you were being rather harsh to Miss Forgatt?"
"Not really."
"Eh?"
Rachel sighed. She knew this conversation was coming once the Forgatts left.
"I would rather not talk about it, Eddie."
"Why not?"
"Because I have only known you for a week."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
There was a part of her that wanted to tell him everything, for some reason. The only problem was that she knew that if she started talking about her childhood and where she grew up, she would have to eventually reveal her secret to him. Her dark secret that could ruin everything for her. The one thing that she could never tell anyone about.
"I do know what you all think of me. What is this middle-class person doing in a working-class school? She has had every opportunity in the world. How can she help these kids when they will never have the same opportunities that she had?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"There is a reason why kids that are at risk of exclusion are a high priority for me."
"Why don't you just tell me, Rachel? Rather than working in riddles."
She took a deep breath. "I was Sally once."
"How do you mean?"
"The absent Mum. Looking after my little sister. Not that there is the same age gap."
"I have an older brother. Three years old than me."
"There are five years between us."
"Grew up in Stafford."
She smiled, realising that he was giving little bits of himself so that she would tell him. Clever of him.
"On the outskirts of London."
"Choose Maths because it was the only thing I was ever good at."
"English. Was always a sucker for a good story."
"But…"
"Bachelor of Science? I took a combined degree. They were really pushing Computer Science when I was looking into becoming a teacher. So I have a combined Computer Science and English degree. I just preferred the English side of things."
"Dear god. This school is swimming in English teachers. And no wonder you found that Maths teacher as dull as ditchwater."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Either you get words or you get numbers. I get numbers."
"I didn't hurt your ego by saying that, did I?"
He gave a short laugh before wincing. "It bet your boyfriend never threw himself off a crag."
"I know I said I used to go out with a maths teacher but he wasn't my boyfriend. I was set up on a blind date. But no he didn't. Maybe not all maths teachers are so dull."
"No, you are just laughing at my pain."
"Maybe just a little."
She giggled as he winced again and she had no idea why he was making her feel the way that she did. He, for some reason, made her feel at ease and she felt like she was a young girl with a crush. Not that she did have a crush on Eddie. It was way too soon and bearing in mind last week, she thought that he hated her. She only asked the question because of the way that he was looking at her.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"No, you are thinking about something. What is it?"
"The whole middle class/working class thing you said earlier."
"Yeah?" Rachel said, regretting ever saying anything about that.
"That might be Steph or Grantley. But that isn't me."
"No. You just dislike me because I took your job. You still give me only six months."
"Rachel, it has been a week. I doubt that you have always click instantly with the people you have worked with."
"Not when this is only my third headteacher job."
"Your third!"
"I am only 37. I think I have climbed the ladder quite quickly."
"I suppose. Maybe I understand your outrageously ambitious plans a little more."
"What?!"
"You are obviously an ambitious person."
"I am just trying to do the right thing by the kids in this school and every school I have worked at."
"Aren't we all?"
"I suppose so."
Rachel shared a smile with him. She knew that they would do what she said earlier. They would find a way to kick the boys' arses.
"Should you really be teaching with that? I mean, we still have the cover sheet. We can at least still cover your lessons."
"I'll be fine Rachel," Eddie said as he turned his whole upper body towards her.
"You sure?"
"Positive. It might help me forget the pain."
"Still sore?" She said, slightly mocking him in her concern.
"Don't push it. Didn't have a great night's sleep."
"Good thing you now might not see me until lunchtime."
"Why not?"
"Going to see whether I can arrange a meeting with Miss Forgatt. See whether we can help her out so that we don't have another episode like we did yesterday."
"You said to Sally that you believed her mum."
"This is me making sure she keeps that promise."
"It is what you would have wanted? Growing up?"
Her eyes flicked to him a couple of times. "I'm not going to say that someone noticing would have changed anything, but it might have done. It might have stopped quite a few things from happening."
"Well, I have a free after lunch. Maybe we can start brainstorming some ideas for how we are going to tackle the boys."
"Good idea. I will see you later." She said as they reached the top of the stairs to her office.
"See you later. Hopefully with some good ideas."
Rachel sighed as she watched him go, with a smile on her face. There was just something about Eddie that she couldn't quite put her finger on. It was like, in a week, his whole attitude towards her had changed and she knew that by the end of term, they would be working as a team.
She knew that Steph probably wasn't going to get on board so soon and maybe a rethink of her position in the school would be for the best. Try and find her a role that she could get on board with and slide someone else into the role of Pastoral Care. She would, of course, run it past Eddie first. Something to discuss later perhaps.