Hello, and welcome back to chapter 3.
I hope you're liking this so far, please feel free to review and tell me what you think. I'd love to know.
Anyways, I hope you're all doing well - on with the story!

The bell rang, signalling the end of the first hour, Mr Budgen excused himself to make another cup of coffee (as if he hadn't already drunk enough of it. He stank of the stuff).

Nat made a split second decision as the door clicked shut that she had no time to rationalise. She jumped out of her seat, pulling her bag over her shoulder and made her way over to the door.

"Where you going?" Charlie, a boy she had made friends with asked.

She shrugged at him and left the room.

After making a quick stop at the toilets, she headed outside for some fresh air. She was longing to be back in bed again - not only was her head pounding, but she still felt sick and her neck and back were aching badly.

The fresh air helped her feel a little better, after walking round the back of the school, she re-entered through one of the fire doors.

What she didn't realise was someone had been watching her through their classroom window…

...

Jasmine Koreshi had taken a liking to Nat when she joined the school, she'd reminded her a little of herself when she was at school.

It was a surprise to see the girl skipping lessons - she'd never done anything like that before.

"Nat!" She called down the corridor as Natalie slunk in through the fire door. "Come here. Now."

…

Nat's heart dropped as she walked into Miss Koreshi's classroom. Now she was in trouble.

"What do you think you're doing?!"

"I… I went to get some fresh air Miss," Nat had never really been in trouble at school before, and now here she was - skipping lesson.

"Who's lesson were you in? Did they give you permission to leave class?"

"Mr Budgen, and no he didn't. He'd left to get some more coffee I think."

"Then I think you'd better make your way to the cooler, don't you?"

"Yes Miss. Sorry."

…

Once she was in the cooler, Nat began to worry about what would happen. She'd never even been sent out a class for talking let alone skiving. What was her mum going to say?

All the worrisome thoughts flooding through her head made her headache even worse but then it turned to anger. She'd only left because she needed to, but no one wold understand that. Why couldn't Mr Budgen have let her leave in the first place.

She was sitting one row back in the room behind two boys from the year above. They'd grown rowdy as Mr Clarkson who was supervising them had stepped outside to speak to Miss Koreshi. Nat had been watching them talk anxiously but quickly looked away as he entered the room.

"Bolton, Paul - stop that please." A paper ball that the boys had been throwing at each other had landed at his feet. "You're supposed to be working in silence."

He walked over to Nat's desk and gave her a copy of the book she was studying in English - Of Mice and Men and a piece of paper. "Carry on what you were doing in your lesson please. Miss Koreshi will see you after school for your detention."

Nat struggled her way through the rest of the lesson and eventually it was lunch time. She'd written a few sentences on her piece of paper before giving up putting her head in her hands.

…

Nat didn't feel like eating anything at lunch, so went off to try and find her mum.

"Is Ms Mason out of her meeting now?"

"Yes she is," Joyce - the head teacher's secretary replied, "but she's not in her office, I think she went to the staff room."

"Okay thank you."

…

Rachel was surprised to see Nat knocking at the staff room door, she managed to get there before any of the other teachers - she knew her daughter would be embarrassed at having to go and talk to her during the school day.

"Alright?" She noticed that Nat's face was drained of all colour and dark bags had appeared under her eyes. "Not feeling well?"

"Not great, no. My head is pounding."

Rachel's concern grew, Nat didn't complain very often. "Have you taken some paracetamol?"

Nat shook her head, "I left them at home. I came to find you earlier, but you were in a meeting."

…

Her mum handed her two tablets and a glass of water. Once Nat had taken them, she suggested she get some fresh air and try to eat something.

"If you're still feeling bad next lesson, then I'll be in my office okay?"

Nat knew that if her mum was aware she'd been put in detention after school, she wouldn't have been half as nice. Hopefully she wouldn't find out.

…

Nat managed to stay in lessons till the end of the day - the painkillers had definitely helped. When the bell rang, Nat went to Miss Koreshi's classroom as Mr Clarkson had told her to.

"So, are you going to tell me why you were skipping class? It's not like you, Nat." Her form tutor asked when she arrived.

"I wasn't feeling well Miss, and Mr Budgen wouldn't let me leave class." Nat said eventually after a long silence. She was worried that people might tell her off for lying again - when she really wasn't.

"Why wouldn't he let you go?"

"I was late to the lesson and then I… He asked me a question about the work and I didn't know."

'Why not?"

"I couldn't concentrate. I promise I was trying to but with this headache… and my dyslexia. It just wasn't working."

"Did you tell Mr Budgen that?"

"No, but I don't think it would have made a difference if it did. ...He practically called me thick as it was."

Miss Koreshi raised her eyebrows but didn't look too surprised.

"Okay Nat, that's fine. You can go now and I'll see you tomorrow if you're feeling better." She smiled a really genuine smile at her as she left and Nat felt herself relax massively.

…

When Nat got home she went straight to her bedroom and collapsed onto her bed glad the day was finally over.

Not long later, the bang of the front door shutting jolted her out of her doze. Her mum was home early, unless she'd fallen asleep for hours.

A quick check of her watch told her that she hadn't in fact slept for hours and that her mum really was home early - that rarely ever happened during the week.

"Nat, come down to the kitchen please!" Her mum's voice bellowed up the stairs. "Now!"

As she got settled at the table, the look on her mums face told her she was in trouble.

"When were you going to tell me that you got caught skipping lesson? I was worried about you when you came to find me. All you wanted me to do was take you home so you didn't have to go to your detention! Is that it?"

"No mum… I-"

"-No Nat, you can't wiggle your way out of this. When Mr Clarkson mentioned he'd seen you in the cooler - I've never been so mortified in my life."

"Mum, that's not-"

"Not what Nat? Not what?"

"That's not what happened. But as you seem to have worked it all out for yourself then why should I even bother enlightening you. Now if you don't mind, my painkillers are wearing off, so I'm going to go for a lie down." Nat had never spoken to her mum like that before but she'd just let her anger get control of her.

…

It had been a few hours since Nat had stormed off. After Rachel had had a glass of wine, or two she'd cooled off considerably and was immediately regretting how she'd jumped to conclusions.

She'd had an awful day after someone had brought up her past, and then she had come home and taken it all out on her daughter.

Nat hadn't looked great when she came to find her at lunch, that wasn't something she could fake.

Filled with sympathy, she made her way to Nat's bedroom and knocked gently on the door. There was no response so she opened the door slightly, and peered in - Nat was fast asleep on her bed, still in her school uniform. Rachel covered her up with a blanket and went back downstairs.

…

Nat was woken up by a pounding in her head. With a groan, she sat up and forced herself to her feet - the house was all dark so she guessed her mum must have gone to bed. As quietly as possible, she made her way her way downstairs to get a glass of water.

As she got settled back on her bed, her bedroom door creaked open as her mum peered through the door.

"Can I come in?" There was a shakiness to her voice that Nat hadn't heard before - perhaps she had been crying but in the darkness, she couldn't see her face clearly.

Rachel sat next to her daughter on her bed and there was silence for a second before she spoke. "I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions, I am listening now."

Nat was surprised by her mother's response, she felt uneasy but began to speak, "Am I talking to my mum, or my headteacher?"

"Mum of course Nat, why would you…?" Shock was evident in her tone as she turned to face her daughter

"Sometimes you can't switch off the headteacher in you. If you hadn't been the head at my school, you wouldn't have known about me getting in trouble today, right?"

"I suppose not. What are you saying Nat? Do you want to move schools?"

"No, I don't. Not again. I just think that at school, you are my teacher but at home - you have to leave that on the doorstep and be my mum instead."

"That makes sense, but it works both ways though - at school you are my student, yes?"

"Of course. I've always respected that." Nat ran an exasperated hand through her hair, "Anyway, I'm too tired to discuss this anymore now. You can ask Miss Koreshi about what happened tomorrow if you really want to know."

"No, it's okay. I trust you sweetheart. Goodnight. I love you." She gave Nat a quick hug and turned to leave.

"Love you too, mum."

Thanks for reading (: