Stood on the stage looking out at all the old and new faces of two schools coming together as one, exciting challenging days ahead for Waterloo Road.
"Good Morning everyone, I'd like to start off by saying welcome back, a new term, a new building and new faces. Now you're all aware with the two schools coming together, so I'd like to start off welcoming John Fosters students and teachers.."
"Booooooo" a few students called out
Clapping her hands together and giving the serious stare "hey come on, now that's enough we'll be having none of that; this stops right now! We're Waterloo Road, a community and we're all in this, together. So the bullying, bickering and violence stops! Ok?" Giving a smile and a nod as the students and staff give a cheer and applause.
"Right, that's great! So we have 100 new students, 6 new teachers and I'd also like to welcome you my new deputy, Mr Mead."
Everyone applaud as he stood up and gave everyone a wave. Rachel rolled her eyes as she caught a glimpse of Steph whispering to Grantly, probably acknowledging how young and attractive Chris was.
"It's good to have you on board with us Mr Mead, I'm looking forward to working with you, all the new staff and I can't wait to get to know all you new students. Now I'm going to try something new here, I want you all to stand up and we're going to do a meet and greet. Come on, stand up and go introduce yourselves to one another"
A few moans and groans came from the students and surprisingly the teachers. Rachel knew this was going to be difficult but as the day goes on, hopefully it should all start to settle. After a while, everyone participated; Rachel then went on to explain the day ahead for everyone, thanked everyone and wished them a great day ahead and new beginning for Waterloo road.
Philip was sat in his french lesson taught by his new teacher Miss Lipsett, he was happy for this merge as he was glad that he was now learning french, something that Steph could not do that well.
His phone had been going off all morning and he didn't want to answer it due to the caller, later on during the lesson a text came through.
"Er Miss. I need to go and see Miss Mason"
"Can it wait? We've got fifteen minutes left"
Already Philip had packed his things and stood up "no Miss, it can't. Sorry" he left, running across the corridors, up the stairs to his aunt' office.
Getting to the chamber, her door was closed which gave Phillip enough time to catch his breath before knocking on the door.
"Come in.
"Hey Philip, everything ok?"
Closing the door behind him
"No, I don't know"
Rachel got up from behind her desk and went over to Phil, placing an arm around his shoulder
"Hmm. What's wrong? Come on, sit here. Do you want a drink?"
"No thank you"
"Aw Phil, you can talk to me you know. We'll get through this together, like always. What's wrong?"
"It's mum.." he looked up and saw her facial expression change. He hated bringing her up in conversation, he didn't want to put Rachel through the pain and hurt of it all.
"Is she ok? I mean is everything ok, what's happened?"
"She's in hospital. She's been calling me all morning but I didn't want to answer. I was just in my French lesson with Miss Lipsett and then I received a text from Eddie. She's having the baby Rach"
"The baby? She's not due for another 3 months right? Are you sure?"
Phillip pulled out his phone and showed her the text he received from Eddie
"Right. Do you want me to take you to the hospital?"
"No, you don't have to do that. I can get a taxi" he already knew how much pain the last six weeks have been for his aunt, so the last thing he wanted was for her to drive him to the place where the people that caused her that pain were.
"Are you sure? It's not a problem, you know that"
"Honestly Rach, it's fine. I'll get a taxi. I just wanted to come and tell you and ask if it was ok for me to leave school.."
"Aw Philip, course. I'm glad you came and asked first, some students need to learn from you!"
They both laughed
"Do you need money for the taxi?"
Shaking his head "no, I've got it, thank you"
"Ok, well text me later if you need picking up and what's going on. Send my love to Mel."
"Will do, thanks Rach"
"See you later"
"Come in" Philip walked in with the look of worry over his face
"Hey Philip, everything ok?"
He closed the door behind him
"No, I don't know" He didn't look right at all, she got up and went over, placing her arm around him showing her support.
"Hmm. What's wrong? Come on, sit here. Do you want a drink?"
"No thank you"
Really worried about him "Aw Phil, you can talk to me you know. We'll get through this together, like always. What's wrong?"
"It's mum.." Rachel's heart sank, she adored her sister and still does but after everything she just needed time. Rachel was still hurting, she missed Eddie and the thought just brought tears to her eyes. She closed her eyes to stop the tears from falling, not wanting to show her emotions in front of her nephew and took a big gulp before she spoke. Her nephew was obviously worried about something, she needed to put all feelings aside and be there for Philip. You can do this you silly woman she thought.
"Is she ok? I mean is everything ok, what's happened?"
"She's in hospital. She's been calling me all morning but I didn't want to answer. I was just in my French lesson with Miss Lipsett and then I received a text from Eddie. She's having the baby Rach"
As much as Rachel was hurting, she wouldn't want anyone to go through an early labour and was hoping her sister was ok, especially Eddie after everything with Stephen "The baby? She's not due for another 3 months right? Are you sure?"
Phillip pulled out his phone and showed her the text he received from Eddie
"Right. Do you want me to take you to the hospital?"
"No, you don't have to do that. I can get a taxi"
As much as she hoped her sister was ok and the baby will be fine. She didn't really want to face it all today, she couldn't handle seeing him so soon, but she needed to be there for Philip, especially because when it came to his own feelings he wasn't great at expressing them. But there time together over the past months he's started to trust her more and she appreciated that.
"Are you sure? It's not a problem, you know that"
"Honestly Rach, it's fine. I'll get a taxi. I just wanted to come and tell you and ask if it was ok for me to leave school.."
"Aw Philip, course. I'm glad you came and asked first, some students need to learn from you!"
They both laughed
"Do you need money for the taxi?"
Shaking his head "no, I've got it, thank you"
She smiled and rustled with his hair, stood up and walked back over to the place where she felt most safe, sat behind her desk
"Ok, well text me later if you need picking up and what's going on. Send my love to Mel."
"Will do, thanks Rach"
"See you later"
Hours had passed and still nothing from Philip, biting at her nails and pacing around her office and then her phone bleeped. A text from Phil
Hey Rach, all good here. Just thought I'd let you know mum had a baby girl, mums ok and baby is surprisingly well - very chubby, she was 7lb 6oz good size for baby especially being 3 months early!! Anyway, I'm going to hang out here for the rest of the day, then going back to mums house to keep him company...
Rachel smiled, she really appreciated how Philip understood her and respected her feelings. A little confused with the baby weight, but she'll find out more when Philip is home
..I'll see you tomorrow Rach. Enjoy the rest of your day!
She closed her phone and slumped back in her chair behind her desk, the tears started to flow, she couldn't handle all these emotions, they were consuming her, why did she get involved with Eddie Lawson - she never got involved with work relationships in a professional setting, so why now, where did she go so wrong and why did she let her feelings take over.
Lifting her head up to the sound of the door knocking, composing her self and taking a quick glance at her reflection on the laptop screen, she was now ready to face whatever was waiting on the other side of the door, hopefully something good.
"Yes, come in"
"Rachel, come quick!"
"Kim? What is it?"
"A fight Rachel, Waterloo Road against John Fosters! Come on"
Kim noticed Rachel had been crying but that conversation was for later, now they had to go and sort out the real problems they were facing at the school.
Racing down the corridors Rachel followed Kim out of the school onto the yard, she couldn't believe her eyes, it was like being in the wild. What happened to everything she said in assembly this morning.
Rachel saw red, she was really disappointed in her students, breaking them apart with the help from the rest of staff that were already at the scene before she had gotten there, they were sending them all into the hall, to wait for the head.
After a while, they managed to break everybody up. Rachel blew out her cheeks, which made her look like a pufferfish and her eyes glaring.
"Right, this is getting sorted now!!"
Silence awaited Rachel in the hall, you could hear a pin drop. The students knew they were in trouble big time. She got up on stage and looked out to all of them, none were making eye contact not that, that was a surprise. The staff were spread out around the hall, awaiting what the head had to say.
Using a firm approach, as much as she wanted to shout, she knew it wouldn't come across as well, she found children don't respond or listen to shouting, where as speaking in a firm very stern manner was a better approach when you wanted to get through to children, young adults.
"I must say I'm very disappointed"
They all looked up as she started to speak, she maintained eye contact and looked at every single one of them in the hall, until she had their attention.
"You obviously didn't listen to a word I said this morning. I will not tolerate violence in MY school, now does anyone want to tell me how this started?"
Silence, no one answered. She waited and a voice in the back
"They're all posh pricks aren't they, thinking they're better than us"
All the Waterloo Road students laughed
This time Rachel raised her voice, it was the only way they would hear her
"I said that is enough!!"
Silence.
"Now, like I said this morning and I'm going to say it again, this stops NOW. I know this is new to us all, but we're in this together and soon you will see each other as one team! Work together guys. I don't believe in excluding students and I can't exclude all of you as the teachers won't have jobs.
"So this is what I'm going to do, once I leave here I'm going to go up to my office and call each and everyone of your parents, with the help of my PA and a few staff that are free this afternoon."
Grantly and Steph looked at one another and rolled their eyes, knowing they both had frees this afternoon
"And I'm going to tell your parents that you'll be staying behind 2 hours after school for the rest of the week"
Bolton soon piped up "whaaat! You can't do that, Miss that's not fair"
"Quiet Bolton. I'm the headmistress of this school, I can do what I like. Until this nonsense stops, you'll all be in after school detention until I decide otherwise. This week will be the first, if I hear anything and I mean anything, it will carry on to the following week and so forth. You all understand?"
They all responded "Yes Miss Mason"
"Great, we're on board. And even if I hear only a few of your names, you'll all still be paying the price. Like I said we're all in this together. So learn to work together, be kind and enjoy the rest of your day. Now get on, go back to lessons, quietly please"
There was a lot of unhappy faces as the students gathered themselves up and stumbled their way out of the hall.
Making her way back to her office, she only hoped that this will work because she didn't believe in excluding anybody from school, unless it was absolutely necessary.
Thanks for the lovely reviews. Happy Easter! X