fThe term got well underway and things were generally a lot better, especially with teachers now on high alert for Jackie coming anywhere near her. Clara found herself relaxing a lot more now having Jess and Faye back and with Hayley and Kodi occasionally joining them it was becoming very enjoyable. Infact 2 weeks in Clara realised she'd barely even had a panic attack since she'd been back. Danny and her met up as frequently as they could but they both admitted they missed the holidays a lot. Jess and Faye knowing did make life a little easier though and occasionally Danny would come into their room, which was the situation that currently stood.
"I'm just saying, you looked very cute," Danny grinned as they went through pictures of their holiday.
"Ergh I can't stand not having sleeves and trousers," she moaned, glaring a little at her uniform that was hung up on the side with the skirt.
"Danny is right, it really suits you," Jess told her. "I'm honestly rather jealous."
Clara rolled her eyes and sat up, "says you. Where's Faye got to anyway?"
"I don't know, she should have been back a while ago…" Jess also sat up. "I might go on a hunt. You guys stay here, I'll call if there's a problem." Clara agreed and watched as she left.
Danny also sat up now, both of them leaning against the wall. "You okay today?" he asked. Clara shuffled over to rest against him.
"Yeah, I really am you know? I've spoken to Dad at least once a week and things are really good here. I think this might be the best I've felt since everything with Mum," she sighed contentedly. "I can't thank you enough."
"You don't have to thank me at all. I do this because I want to, but because I have to," he smiled and kissed her head. "It's nice seeing you smile so much." Clara rested her head down on his shoulder, "how is your Dad coping without you then?"
"He says he's okay but Gran told me she's putting off moving back to her place for now because she doesn't want him to be alone again just yet. Gran's loads better though, back to her old self… poor Dad," she chuckled. "I'll bring you back to visit her during the holidays if you want, but be prepared for full interrogation."
"I will do my homework before coming," he told her. Clara picked up her phone now to check but there was nothing from Jess. "Everything okay?"
"I don't know, something doesn't feel right. Faye is never ever late back from anything without letting us know, she's a stickler for time keeping." Clara bit her lip, trying to consider the options. "It's not like she has far to come."
"No, it's not. There are loads of possibilities though love, don't panic just yet," he told her.
"Are you still okay being here?" Clara asked.
"Oh yeah, Jackie and her lot are having a pamper night apparently so no boys allowed. My lot just always assume I'm in the library and they won't go near there," he chuckled a little.
"They've accepted your library geek status then?" she asked.
"Oh absolutely," he replied. "The teasing is all worth it," he added and kissed her head again.
Clara lay there for a moment until the door suddenly opened and Jess ran in. "She's not well." Jess had to pause for breath, "they said it's not serious but they're keeping her in the nurses bay."
"Contagious then," Clara stood up. "Did you see her?"
"Through the window, looked really pale. They're looking after her though so I'm sure everything will be fine. You alright?"
Clara nodded and went to sit on the edge of her bed, "yeah, all good. Fine."
#-#-#-#
It didn't feel right not having the 3 of them together. Faye was still out of action 4 days later, apparently it was flu. They'd considered sending her home but apparently Faye had refused, not wanting to take it home when her Grandad lived with them. She had been allowed her phone so Jess and Clara had video called a couple of times to wish her well, bit she really wasn't over well so they didn't stay on long.
"You okay? It's unsettling you all this isn't it?" Jess asked as they hung up from Faye.
"Yeah," Clara sighed. "I think I'm gonna go find Paula if that's okay?"
"Course it is, do you want me to come?" she asked. Clara shook her head. "Alright, I'll see you later love."
She left, but she didn't go and find Paula. Instead Clara used the back entrance she had discovered early on to sneak out - she needed a break. It was times like this she was grateful school wasn't really far from home and the hospital was only a little further to walk meaning she was there within half an hour. When she arrived she text Danny and told him where she was, but also swore him to secrecy. She made her way through, greeting Lucy on reception as she went by. She found Hayley at the nurses desk, thankfully it didn't seem over busy tonight. "Hey I thought you were back at school, what you doing here?" Hayley rushed round the desk to her.
"I needed to get out, things have been different at school - Faye's been in the nurses ward all week because she has flu and… it should affect me but it is, which is stupid," she sighed. "Sorry."
"No don't be, sometimes when things get a bit much you need to come somewhere familiar I understand that," Hayley smiled. "Let's get you a drink," she told her and they went to the staffroom.
"I couldn't go home, I'm not meant to in term time anyway and Dad thinks I'm doing okay, which I am I guess but I don't want to let him down thinking I'm not," Clara tried to explain. "It has been good you know? Danny and I have things worked out, Jackie has been keeping out of my way and Faye, Jess and I are closer than ever, but I think that's why it's shaken me." Hayley handed Clara a tea and sat down with her. She was smiling, Clara wasn't entirely sure why.
"You never would have told me all that before, it would have taken at least half an hour for us to work that out," she explained. Clara suddenly realised she was right, "you're understanding your own feelings a lot more."
"I guess I am," she replied.
"Your friends are having a good effect on you Clara, it's lovely to see," she told her. "Anyway, do you need distracting? Because I was looking at bridesmaids dresses and I could do with an opinion."
Hayley showed her a variety of dresses on her phone and they made a list of positives and negatives about them all. They eventually concluded that the younger bridesmaids would have slightly different dresses to the older ones. "Do you know what you're gonna wear?" Clara asked.
"I'm thinking a dress…" Hayley replied sarcastically. Clara rolled her eyes. "I've had a look at a couple but I don't know yet. There's plenty of time. Speaking of time, it's getting late."
"Yeah, shouldn't you be working?" Clara asked.
"Oh I already text Greg, it's surprisingly empty tonight so I told them to get me if they need me, which evidently they do not. You however have a school with a strict bedtime routine I expect?" Hayley questioned. It was only when she looked at the clock that Clara realised not only was Hayley right, but lights out was almost half an hour previous. She grabbed her phone and looked at it - 10 missed calls. Damn. "Clara did you tell anyone you were coming here?"
"I just needed to get away," she replied, not really answering the question.
"Alright I'll drive you back," she told her. "You need to let someone know you're safe while I sort things out here. I'll be 10 minutes." Hayley left the room and Clara looked down at her phone, scrolling through the missed calls. There were 5 from Jess, 3 from Paula, 1 from the school phone and the last one was Danny which meant Jess had probably contacted him. She knew she should probably call Paula, but she didn't.
"Are you okay?" Danny whispered. "I haven't said where you are Clara but you need to come back, Jess and Paula are out of their minds."
"I know. I'm sorry I just needed to get out and then Hayley and I were talking and we lost track of time. I meant to be back earlier."
"Have you phoned now?" he asked.
"Only you…" she replied. "Man I've screwed this up haven't I?"
"Clara just phone Paula, now. Let me know when you're back safe. I'll see you tomorrow." Clar agreed and hung up, quickly dialling Paula. She answered within one ring.
"Clara where the hell are you?" she asked on answering. "Jess said you told her you were coming to find me, but you clearly haven't." Clara froze, taking the phone away from her ear for a moment. She could faintly here Paula calling her name down the phone.
"Come on Clara you're being stupid," she whispered to herself and lifted the phone back up. "I'm sorry, everything with Faye just made me really unsettled and I needed something familiar so I came to the hospital. I didn't mean to be gone so long."
"You can't deceive us like this! Clara the hospital is half an hour's walk, if anything happened to you we wouldn't know where you were! I'm sorry but the rules of the school apply to you too and you shouldn't be out without permission!" Paula was angry, with good reason too. "Right I'll come and get you-"
"It's fine, Hayley is bringing me back," Clara told her.
"Okay. I'll meet you at the entrance then," she replied. "We will need to have a serious talk tomorrow."
Clara agreed politely and hung up just as Hayley came back, "right I've got an hour. Come on, you're lucky this is a calm night and a fully staffed department for once."
"I'm so sorry Hayley, I shouldn't have come tonight," she sighed and picked up her bag.
"No, you shouldn't, not like this. Clara you know we are always here for you and I could condone you coming 5 minutes from your house but it must take half an hour from school and it's across fields and all sorts. It's not safe and nobody knew where you were if anything were to happen. You can't do this again. If you need to come that's fine, but phone me or Greg or speak to your teacher. You have to promise me, I need my bridesmaid in one piece," she told her. Clara nodded and Hayley held her arms out and they hugged briefly. "Right, let's get you back."
"Yeah, I guess I had better face the punishment," she replied and off they went.
Clara went straight up and slept when she got back, but Paula had told her to be in her office by half 8 the next morning and so at half 8 on the dot she knocked on the door. Paula looked up from what she was doing and waved her in.
"Good morning, how are you this morning?" Paula asked. Clara shut the door behind her and sat down when she offered the seat out.
"Okay I guess," she replied.
"And the truth? Because that's what you said to me at the end of lessons yesterday too," she pointed out.
Clara bit her lip slightly, "I'm better than I was. Hayley and I chatted and things are better. I don't know why it got to me, I was trying to sort things out without alerting anyone but I went the wrong way about it, I know that now."
"Good, I can see you know that," Paula replied. "I've spoken to your year head and we've agreed that for the next 2 weeks you're under house restriction, do you know what that entails?"
"No leaving the building without permission, even to the fields. No entry to the common rooms and you'll be following me round again," Clara replied. "That's fair."
"Well I have to say it's never been this easy to dish out punishment before. And once this is up if you ever feel like that again you come to me. There's every chance I can get permission to take you to see Hayley and Greg if you need to, but you're never to walk there alone again," she told her.
"I promise, it won't happen again," Clara told her.
"Wonderful. Let's get you to Maths then," Paula stood up and picked up her laptop and they headed off.
When they arrived at the classroom there was all sorts of commotion. Their teacher had yet to arrive at the room so the class was outside but as they walked down Clara could tell something was going on. Paula told her to wait back and went down the corridor. "What on earth is happening here?!" she shouted and everyone else stopped doing so, dispersing slightly. Clara then quickly spotted what was going on - Jackie and Danny were arguing.
"He-" Jackie pointed at Danny, "-is lying to me."
"I'm gonna need something better than that to explain why you're causing such a racket!" Paula replied, but neither of them spoke. "Right, happy to shout about it before but not know. Both of you in my office now," she told them, "go!" she added when neither moved. Paula followed them back up the corridor, "you have to stay close by me, you'll have to stand outside while I deal with them. Sorry," Paula told Clara who nodded, kind of hoping she would be able to hear anyway.
They made their way up and Clara stood outside the room as Paula let the other two in. She'd kept back as they walked and neither Danny or Jackie had noticed her.
"Right, what's all this about?" Paula asked.
"Jackie has got something in her head about me sneaking off or something. She knows full well I'm just spending more time in the library doing my work!" Danny spoke, he was frustrated. Clara suddenly felt a little nervous, was Jackie catching on? They'd been really careful.
"You're never bloody around anymore!" she shouted back.
"Yeah, because I've got so much to catch up on having spent the last 2 years doing next to nothing," he seethed.
"Jackie if Danny wants to work to get his grades up you should be supporting him not fighting him," Paula said calmly. "If you really care then you should be letting him do that."
"How do I know he's even doing that?!" she shouted again.
"There's a thing in relationships called trust Jacqueline, I think you need to learn that," she told her. "I think you both need to spend some time apart today. Let's go back to the class but I want you to sit the other side of me today Danny."
"Rather you than me," Clara just about heard her say. She knew that was in reference to her.
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," Paula told her. "Come on, let's go," she told them. Clara quickly took a few steps away so they wouldn't think she had heard anything. When they did leave Jackie tutted at her as she walked by and Danny just held her gaze for a second before continuing. They finally got to the lesson and walked in with Paula who quickly told the teacher where they'd been before getting them to sit down as she'd arranged.
The lesson continued and at first was just a normal maths lesson, but suddenly the teacher announced something. "...so it was decided to make maths your project subject this term. Now I know how difficult you lot can be about project partners so I'm going to allocate you after you've completed the activities in your textbooks. That's all for now, get going I want all the questions completed before the lesson is up."
Clara didn't make a noise, but internally she groaned at the idea of a project. None of the people she could consider friends were in this class so whoever she ended up with this was going to be far from easy. She got her head down into the questions to take her mind off the idea for now. They were quite easy for her and she had got through a good selection when she noticed the noise of frustration coming from a couple of seats down. It was only when she looked up that she realised Danny was clearly struggling with it. Paula was trying to help as Mr Fraser was busy with someone else, but she wasn't a maths teacher either. Clara took a deep breath and spoke just loud enough for Danny and Paula to hear her, "you need to times both sides by the same number to get n by itself," she told him. Paula looked over and realised how much she'd done.
"I think we should swap seats, you're much more help than I am," she smiled. Clara knew this was her trying to get Clara to talk to more people - little did she know. As instructed they did indeed swap seats and Clara ended up talking Danny through a few questions. They both noticed Paula get up and go and speak to Mr Fraser.
Danny checked the other side of him quickly before lowering his voice as far as he could, "I promise I am listening."
"I know, Jackie keeps looking over," Clara replied equally quietly. "I got it covered," she told him and suddenly turned away, putting her head down and starting to finish off the rest of the questions as if she was frustrated with him. Danny played along and shrugged, going back to his own work.
As the lesson came to a close it was time to announce the pairings. Mr Fraser informed the class that they would be mixed up a little which caused a ripple of frustration round the room. He started off announcing them, most of which ended up being alright - after all most people in the school did get in with each other. "Danny Pink with Clara," he suddenly announced to which they both instinctively looked up at him in shock, "no arguments. Just try and be civil and I think you could actually work well together," he told them before moving on.
Clara suddenly realised something and looked to Paula, "is this your doing?"
"Yes. If you two can get along then it might just help your situation with the whole group," she told her. "But any issues you come straight to me and I'll get it sorted. I admit this is a bit of an experiment, but I think you're up to it. Danny clearly wants to do well in his work and you're the one who could help with that." Clara sighed and shrugged, packing up her work into her bag.
"You'll need to spend a decent amount of time with each other over the next few weeks, I'm sure you've got the rules by now. I'll be checking on you all every 2 weeks, more often if I think you're slacking. Right, off you pop, see you tomorrow." Clara stood up and went to walk away but Paula stopped her and made her turn to Danny.
"Library after dinner tonight?" Clara asked bluntly.
"Don't think we have much choice," he replied and quickly left.
Clara managed to hold up her pretence of being annoyed over the decision with Paula all day. When lessons finished she went back to her room and chucked her bag down, lying down on the bed. She really wasn't sure how to actually react about today. The door opened again as she had her face covered by her hands.
"Oi, Oswald," she heard Jess' voice and Clara rubbed her hair back and then looked up. She immediately smiled when she saw Faye stood by Jess.
Clara ran over to her and hugged her, being a little careful, Jess then hugged and they stood huddled as a group. "How are you?" Clara asked.
"Loads better. Still feel a little rough but they reckon I'm not contagious anymore, it's just my body reacting to having been so run down apparently. I was itching to get out though, I've missed you both so much. Jess was just filling me in on last night…" Clara let go of them both and looked a little awkward.
"Yeah that was… not good. Trust me, won't be happening again. Sorry Jess I shouldn't have lied-" she started.
Jess interrupted her, "shush silly you already said that 3 times today, it's fine, as long as you're okay. Speaking of which, what was all that about?" she asked and gestured to where Clara had been lying on her bed just before.
"Did you get your maths project partners?" Clara asked.
"Yeah Mrs Granger let us pick our own so we just went together, why what happened?" Faye asked.
Clara groaned and sat down, "Mr Fraser paired us up, he put Danny and I together."
"What?! How the hell did that happen, and why on earth do you not look happy about this?" they both sat either side of her on the bed, eagerly awaiting more information.
"Danny and Jackie argued earlier, which I'm sure you know about because evidently it's huge news. Anyway, Paula caught them at it and called them to her office. She told them they should keep apart and got Danny to sit next to her in Maths. He got stuck on something and Paula wasn't explaining it too clearly - not her fault, she's not a maths teacher - so I explained. Then she made us swap places so I could help Danny which was awkward enough and then Paula bloody told Fraser to put us together. She thinks it will help that group warm to me," she stuck her head back in her hands. "It'll be great working with Danny, but we are going to have to pretend to dislike each other for this whole term but still be expected to be seen together frequently," she complained.
"Damn girl I can see what you mean, when you starting?" Jess asked.
"Tonight after dinner. Library of course, still grateful that most people don't actually seem to work in there," she sighed, "I just hope this goes okay. We work really well together, this could be really good but it's just so complicated.
"Tell you what, we'll come over as well for support. And if we come then Paula might just leave you alone for the evening," Jess pointed out. Clara nodded, "it's a plan. Right now though I'm starving so can we please go eat?"
#-#-#-#
After dinner the three of them went to the library. Once Jess and Faye had promised not to let Clara out of their sights Paula did agree to allow Clara to go without her. They went over and the library was pretty much empty except from Danny sat in the corner reading over the project brief. "We'll sit at the table opposite, we can see the door and I'll wave if someone else comes in. Go on," Jess whispered to her and Clara nodded, walking over and sitting down next to Danny.
"Hey," she said to him, "why is this so awkward?"
Danny chuckled, "I really don't know, it shouldn't be, we work well together."
"I think that's the hard thing! We shouldn't," she rolled her eyes. "I guess we'll just have to be very clever how we handle this."
"Especially in the next two weeks," Clara pointed out, "I'm being stalked. Only got away with it tonight because Jess and Faye are being my wingmen."
"We'll work it. We could of course purposefully slack a little and then make it all up at half term," he pointed out.
"I like that plan, pretend we're not working well together," Clara replied. "Excellent. But for now, what are we doing?"
Reading through the project together they very quickly came up with ideas and jotted them down. It took next to no time to come up with a full plan. "We might have to work harder at slacking," Danny pointed out when they sat back and Clara chuckled. "I guess I should go back and complain about you."
"Mmm I guess I should go moan to Paula," she replied and they both smiled at each other. "See you later?" Danny nodded and had a quick look around to make sure the room was still empty before giving her a quick peck on the cheek and standing up to leave.