Rachel couldn't think, could barely suck air into her lungs as Stuart looked at her with an unsettling expression on his face, ignoring Karla completely. "I have to get to class." The girl turned on her heel, quickly walked off without another word and Rachel felt her stomach sink as her footsteps faded away. She knew she was breathing just a bit too fast, heart threatening to beat right out of her ribcage as Stuart stepped towards her, crowding her.
She couldn't help but retreat backwards, voice barely more than a whisper because she couldn't quite find it in her to raise it louder. "What do you want?"
He smirked. "What do I want?" He kept coming closer, and she didn't even realise he'd pushed her backwards until her back hit the wall, harder than was strictly comfortable, and suddenly she had nowhere to go. He was pressed against her, and she tried to dart to the side but was stopped by his hand slamming abruptly to the side of her head, preventing her from moving away. His eyes were dark, voice a sneering hiss. "I want your life to become as much of a ruin as you've made mine."
She shook her head. "You did that yourself."
"You did it!" He snarled. "You and your little lapdog. I know you're screwing him."
Rachel tried to push him away, her hands scrabbled at his chest, bucking against him but instead he grabbed her wrists and pinned them above her head, his knee landing between hers to pin her rather effectively to the wall. She had no leverage to push him off, was at a disadvantage to him in every way. "Let me go!"
"You should be used to this," he commented, almost mildly. "Do keep wiggling, though."
She realised what he meant instantly, and stilled, breath coming in gasps. "Is this how to get you onside, Amanda?" He tightened his grip, one hand beginning to trail down her body. "I should have guessed there's only one way to hook a whore. Tell me, does your Mr Lawson treat you like what you are? Does he tell you he loves you, or does he just screw you like the slut you are?"
"Get off me! Let go!" Her voice was raw and desperate, as loud as she dared. She didn't care who heard, didn't care about dignity or professionalism anymore she just wanted someone to come, anyone, she didn't even care who. "Get the hell off me!"
"Miss Mason, are you okay?"
God, hearing the voice of Candeece Smilie was like a godsend. Stuart immediately let go and took a large step back, and Rachel didn't hesitate to move away from the wall and to Candeece's side immediately. She practically sagged against her, the cook putting a comforting arm around her as she shot daggers at the businessman.
"You need to leave." Rachel tried her hardest to pull back some form of authority, but her voice wavered with unshed tears as she tried and failed to keep her feelings under control. She could cry later, she could break down when she was home and safe in Eddie's arms. Now, she was still a headteacher and she was still in charge of this school.
Only her words didn't have the desired effect, and Stuart let out a laugh. Even now with an audience, he didn't seem to care. He'd gone too far, had lost too much more and simply didn't care about what was to happen to him. His businesses were gone, his name now dirt amongst the people who once came to him for help. Being interrupted wasn't in his plan, but he quickly saw what he needed to do next. It was staring his right in the face, a light bulb flashing above the gas canisters that just so happened to be situated in the very place he had ended up in. "You know, it could have been so easy." He began to walk then, taking slow steps to check both women were watching his movements. They were and were still shaking as they tried to guess what was coming next. Stuart could see Rachel was clutching onto the other woman's hand, eyes frantically searching for a way to get out. "It's nothing you haven't done before Amanda, there was no need for the fight. And now? It's going to be so much worse."
"What do you mean?" She asked, not really expecting answers from the way he was grinning so manically. But the answers came without words, and her heart sank as soon as Stuart pulled the lighter from his pocket. "Stuart, don't." She wasn't entirely clear of what he intended to do, but there was no way anything good could come from him holding the flame in front of her face.
"Good luck saving them all." He kicked over the gas canister then, dropping his lighter onto the floor and watching it catch onto a piece of cardboard. He took their shocked state as his chance, and quickly locked the gate to the rubbish area he'd found himself in. They were trapped, and the entire place was sure to go up in flames in a matter of minutes.