Guidance
First, laughter, then anger. Head pressed against the wall, he was surely crying, remorse and shame the only emotions left. Passing through the stages of grief in less than a minute.
She had tugged at his blazer, yelling, comforting. Anything to make him look up and listen for a damn change. Such a good boy, so clever, nice… Easily misled and easily bullied. Rachel would have to be blind to not see how some of the students treated him, jeering and calling.
Serves them right, in some ways, to have been dealt such a prank. Yet, this was her school. Her rules. Nobody had the right to come here and make a fool of her, not at the expense of her students.
She told him that she was disappointed. He told her that she wasn't his mother- even she hadn't wanted him.
Rachel felt her heart sink, words jumping to mind, leaving as quickly as they came. So, where did they go from here? They both needed help, but him most of all. He needed a mother. No, she wasn't one but she could be. If he'd let her.