Lorraine and Nikki had left for Waterloo Road. It was the last day of the week, but Lorraine was tense and stressed.
"You look like you could do with a massage" Nikki stood smiling, hinting at what Lorraine was missing; a massage.
"I would love one, but right now I have to deal with Brooklyn" Lorraine's face said it all, she wasn't looking forward to it.
"I've rescheduled for you to be in here with me, I want you to try and crack Brooklyn" Lorraine dead serious.
"Ok, well you better go and get her. I'm in a good mood today, hopefully this will be fast" Nikki sat whilst Lorraine went to get Brooklyn.
Lorraine walked down to where Brooklyn was having her first lesson.
"Hello, sorry Audrey, but can I borrow Brooklyn please" Lorraine looked over at Brooklyn, her eyes cold. Lorraine still couldn't believe what Brooklyn had done, but this wasn't just her idea.
"Thank you Audrey" Lorraine smiled and left the room with Brooklyn.
She made her way with Brooklyn to Nikki's office, Nikki knew Lorraine was coming as her heels always clicked. Nikki wasn't looking forward to confronting the very person, who allowed everyone to get a glance into her private life.
"Here" Lorraine had hold of Brooklyn's arm and literally shoved Brooklyn into the room.
"Why do you always do that?! You hurt me" Brooklyn teary, but Lorraine seeing through the bullshit.
"Sit down Brooklyn" Lorraine wasn't playing games, she had Mrs Barry on her case and had threats coming left, right and centre. All of this had stemmed from the fact Brooklyn and whoever else, had posted intimate pictures of her and Nikki.
"Ok Brooklyn, we know you weren't alone. How could you post all those in such little time?" Nikki didn't lose her cool and asked nicely.
"Oh so you're a proper team now?" Brooklyn sniggered
"Who was it!" Lorraine got angry, she leant over Brooklyn with both hands on the two arms of the chair. Leaning over Brooklyn, didn't help, it fuelled the fire.
"I won't tell you, you think I'm a grass?!" Brooklyn had changed from being a lovely girl, into a jealous teenager.
"I will stay here overnight, I will stay here with you until you tell me. I don't have anything better to do, so.. Who was it?" Nikki had seen Lorraine angry and saw how blunt she could be, but she'd never seen her like this.
"Brooklyn come one, give it up" Nikki was the good cop and Lorraine was the bad.
Brooklyn sat there and didn't speak a word, Lorraine and Nikki walked over to the other side of the room to speak.
"She's not going to tell you Lorraine, you might as well give up. All of this will blow over soon" Nikki tried being the voice of reason, but Lorraine wasn't having any of it.
"I'm not going anywhere, she can fucking tell me. I don't care how long I have to be here, I need to know. I have Mrs Barry on my back among other mums too" Lorraine's eyes started to well up, Nikki didn't like seeing Lorraine upset.
"Ok, ok. I'm here, I'm on your side y'know" Nikki stroking Lorraine's cheek, lifting her chin up to make eye contact.
Lorraine smiled at Nikki knowing she had her to lean on.
"Look Brooklyn, I'm tired of this. I know you're angry, but you've gone too far. Please" Lorraine now turning the tables and pleading.
"Also we need to know which medication you're on, incase there's an emergency here at school" Nikki soothed.
"I'm not on medication, I just said it. I had taken something, but it wasn't exactly legal" Brooklyn finding it funny, her stupidity repulsed Lorraine. Lorraine wondered what it was she saw in Brooklyn, but she wasn't like this when they were together. It was like Brooklyn had decided to become a completely different person, but not in a good way.
"What do you mean, of the illegal sort.? What did you take? You seemed fine when you were at mine, till you drank the wine" Lorraine's curiosity shown in her face a she spoke.
"Ok, so I didn't take it that day" Brooklyn was getting on Lorraine and Nikki's last nerve, it was like she was teasing and testing them.
"Brooklyn we're not here to mess around" Nikki had nearly had enough of the girl.
"I like to do it once in a while, well more than once in a while" You could nearly see the steam coming out of Lorraine's ears, the words ringing.
"For fuck sake, I'm done" Lorraine was about to walk out of the room when,
"It was me and Barry Barry. I accidentally let it slip, that you two are together, then he came up with this idea and I agreed. I just wanted to get back at you, seeing you with someone else hurts. I thought it was a good idea, but then regretted it afterwards" Lorraine had no sympathy for Brooklyn, her actions were wrong.
"Ok you can go now" Nikki spoke up as Lorraine had her back turned to everyone, speechless.
Brooklyn walked out quietly, not saying a word, she didn't want to fire Lorraine up again; when Lorraine got going, she never stopped.
"Hey" Nikki put her hand on Lorraine's shoulder, but Lorraine shrugged it off. Nikki left the room, leaving Lorraine to simmer. Nikki felt a little insulted by the way Lorraine had shrugged her off, she was only trying to be supportive, but Lorraine never seemed to want anyone to help.
Nikki walked outside, it was still lessons and she had been scheduled to be with Lorraine, so she decided to go and sit outside. Instead of sitting, Nikki ended up at one of the local shops. She started looking around for a drink. Nikki spotted her favourite chocolate bar, she was healthy and kept to a strict diet, but fancied a treat. She went to the counter and left with a Diet Coke and a Kit-Kat. There was a bench opposite the shop, the perfect place to sit and relax, whilst eating a chocolate bar. It had been a stressful morning, what with Brooklyn being a handful as usual. Nikki just wanted it to end, all the stupid remarks her and Lorraine got from some of the pupils. She wanted a break, maybe a week off. She thought to herself, maybe Lorraine would let her take a week off. It was Lorraine's school and she was Lorraine's girlfriend, that was a bonus. Nikki had to butter Lorraine up first, Lorraine was in a bad mood when she had left. Sometimes Nikki felt as if Lorraine had a barrier up and sometimes it felt like all the walls were being let down, she didn't know where she stood half of the time. All she knew was, that she needed a holiday, just a small break. Lorraine probably couldn't go with her, as she had meetings. It was a shame, they could have spent the week together not worrying about work or stressing over the little things.
Nikki walked slowly back to Waterloo Road, the shop wasn't far and she had more than enough time. It would be break by now, but Nikki couldn't face the pupils. Some of the pupils acted out to follow suit, but most done it out of spite. The only thing she wanted to see, was Lorraine's smile, but she doubted she'd see that either.
Meanwhile Lorraine had been sitting in Nikki's office since Nikki had left. Lorraine knew she had been harsh towards her, shrugging her off like that. One of Lorraine's qualities was to push people away, when all she wanted was to have someone close. The thought of letting someone deep within, scared Lorraine. She had let Mark in, who was her best friend. Sonia knew most things, but Lorraine didn't share many feelings with Sonia. Nikki was different, even different from Brooklyn. Nikki was open, kind, honest and listened, but Lorraine still kept barriers up at times when she felt threatened. It was a defence mechanism, she had used it from the age of 16 and upwards. Except when Lorraine was a teenager, she pretended with a bad reputation. She tried hiding feelings, she tried not feeling at all. Sometimes there wasn't a choice and she couldn't help, but feel something. Lorraine took a moment to realise how pushing the ones she loved away, wasn't going to help her. The thought also entered her mind, that she couldn't take Nikki to meet the parents. Her dad wasn't alive and her mum was in a nursing home. She could take her to Sonia's, but Sonia worked at Waterloo and Nikki already knew her. Mark was someone, he wanted to meet Nikki, but it's not the same thing as a parent. The thought lingered in Lorraine's head, Nikki on the other hand was about to teach her first lesson of the day.
Nikki decided she didn't want to be inside, she wanted to teach outside. She got the kids in P.E gear and told them they were going for a run. Her pupils sulked, but Nikki didn't care, as long as she was outside.
"Hey Rhiannon, you better watch it. Miss Boston might take a sneak peak of you in your joggers" Barry Barry was always someone who got on everyone's nerve and he was proving why.
Nikki rolled her eyes
"Right come one, ten laps around the car park" everyone sighed at her very words.
"Oh and Barry, twenty laps" Nikki smiled to herself, feeling as if she had gotten one up on Barry.
Lorraine came out to the car park and the students started sniggering. They all knew Lorraine and Nikki were together, the posters said it all. The whispering started to get to Nikki
"Alright you lot, pipe down" they listened, Nikki wasn't one to cross. She was sweet and caring, but if you got on her bad side, well you'd get to see her bad side.
"Hey I need to talk to you" Lorraine looked upset, but Nikki didn't want to know. Lorraine was always like this, there wasn't any excuse, even if she did find it hard to show her emotions.
"Can we leave this till I'm free" Nikki stern and blank.
"Yeah, I just thought" Lorraine barely speaking
"Isn't that something you don't really do. Not often anyway. You're intelligent, but you never give anyone else's feelings a second thought" Nikki was now angry, her anger shone through her eyes, Lorraine thought it best to leave Nikki. The coin had flipped, Nikki was the one who was shrugging her off. Lorraine couldn't say anymore, so she walked off, but just as she walked off one of the pupils threw their bag at her.
"Oi!" Nikki was mad, but wasn't going to let a teenager hurt Lorraine.
"Get inside and go to Mr Byne's office. Now!" With that, the pupil left the class and done what they had been told.
"If any of you want to make any slide remarks, or have anything un-positive to say; write them down and hand them to Sonia, that way no one will get hurt" Nikki was fuming at how some of the students could act, it was disgusting at times.
Lorraine never said anything, she just smiled at Nikki for backing her up and left.
Nikki still had half an hour left of the lesson, she wanted to go after Lorraine, but couldn't drop her class.
Lorraine walked to the office, Nikki and Tom's office, she was there once again. This time, she sat and sobbed, knowing no one would walk in as everyone was busy. She should be busy, she had some meetings next week and had to go dog hunting with Nikki. She wasn't sure Nikki would want her to go with her, she backed Lorraine up in the car park, but Nikki still looked a little angry; no wonder.
Sonia had just finished up, she was about to go and get a coffee. Sonia needed the break, but went looking for Lorraine before she left.
"Hey sis, what's wrong?" Sonia found Lorraine and could see she was sobbing.
"Nothing, I'm fine Son" Lorraine was lying, it was pretty obvious she wasn't ok.
"Come here, come on" Sonia put out her arm to coax Lorraine towards her. Lorraine got up, she was a little apprehensive, as she knew what was coming. Sonia grabbed Lorraine and hugged her, hugged her tightly, the kind where you can tell the person really cares about you.
"Sonia I don't feel good" Lorraine hysterical, she felt hot and her breath was heavy.
"Hey, it's ok y'know" Sonia stroking Lorraine's blonde hair, holding on for dear life.
"I, I, I" Lorraine couldn't make any sentences out, her breath was too heavy and the tears were to prominent.
"Don't worry, you don't need to speak. Just calm down yeah?" Sonia was scared herself, she had never really seen her sister like that. The door creaked and Nikki stood there, in the door way.
"Shit, what happened?!" Nikki stormed in to come and see Lorraine, her face went white.
"I found her like this, she won't stop" Sonia explained to Nikki and stepped away from Lorraine. Lorraine now had her hands on her face, she was slightly bent over and her breathing had gotten heavier.
"Lorraine, look at me" Nikki tried pulling Lorraine's hands down, but didn't get anywhere. Lorraine then started pacing, holding her gut.
"Lorraine, stop, please" Sonia was crying herself, Lorraine wasn't ok, her breath wasn't easing.
"She's right, you need to calm down. Lorraine?!" Nikki was worried, she grabbed Lorraine tightly at the wrists.
"Lorraine, look at me!" Nikki caught Lorraine's glance and the two women stared at each other.
"Ok, breath in and hold, now breathe out" Nikki calming Lorraine down, trying to regulate her breathing.
"I, I, can't brea.."
"Shh, shh, hey, hey. In, hold and out" Nikki cupping Lorraine's hands, lifting them to her chest, trying to get Lorraine's focus onto her breathing. Lorraine started repeating what Nikki was saying, she breathed in, held it in and let the air out. It was helping and Sonia was in oar of Nikki, Lorraine had completely calmed down.
There were still a few tears and Sonia had gone to make them all a cup of tea. Lorraine needed a drink, her mouth was dry due to breathing too quickly.
"You ok?" Nikki placing a hand on Lorraine's leg as they sat closely opposite each other.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I actually thought I was going to die. It came from nowhere, that's what always happens" Nikki frowned at Lorraine's words.
"Always? Has this happened before. Lorraine?" Nikki concerned
"Well, I've always had it, it creeps up. When I'm stressed it gets worse, this whole week has been a whirl wind. I think this week's just caught up with me" Lorraine being honest, she owed Nikki that much.
"I wish you had of told me, ugh Lorraine, you can tell me anything. I was thinking of taking a week off, I didn't want to say anything till tonight and at first I was expecting to go alone, but I think you should come with me. It's only for a week and you need it Lorraine. Cancel whatever plans you have and just come with me, please, you owe it to yourself, your welfare" Nikki wanted to spend a week with Lorraine somewhere she and her could relax.
"I don't know, I mean, this place" Lorraine wanted to go, but Waterloo Road was going to be down a teacher.
"I'm sure you can get a supply and you go away to meetings all the time. I'm sure Michael can deal with it" Nikki trying hard to persuade Lorraine.
"I don't, ugh, ok. You pulled my leg" Lorraine smiled excited at the fact they were going away together, she deserved to have some time out. Lorraine also had the worry of either turning the school into a private one, or handing it over to the council. She hadn't even told Nikki yet, maybe the week away would clear her mind and giver her a chance to tell Nikki; maybe Nikki could help.