On Monday at school, he avoided her as best he could, she took the hint and didn't bother him, even in her lessons with him. He was quite upset, she didn't talk to him at all, wouldn't answer any of the questions and did her work in silence, as soon as the bell went she packed up her stuff and quickly waited for Max and Janeece before walking out. Safety in numbers she thought. After a few days of this he'd reached his breaking point, he was at his wits end. Grumpy at home, grumpy at work, he must have seemed he was on some kind of male PMS. After class on Wednesday he called her back, she pulled on Janeece's hand to stay with her. Tom looked up and realised they weren't alone. She rolled her eyes and told Janeece shed meet her in the common room.

"So Mr Clarkson, what can I do for you?" What can't you do for me Tom thought in his head before quickly shaking these from his mind.

"Talk to me" He said, his eyes pleading

"Why?" She asked him "You ignore me, but want me to talk to you. Tom you don't make sense" She sighed slouching onto the desk in front of him, he got up and sat on his own desk, closer to her

"Sorry, I'm confused… I don't know what to do" He told her, she stood up and sighed, she moved closer to him and looked around.

"Neither do I" She told him, taking his hand in hers, he didn't try to take it away. Just held it. "When you figure it out tell me yeah" She gave his hand a final squeeze and left.

The next week Anna had been staying late at school, making the most of the new gym that had been installed over the Christmas holidays. Unfortunately Earl Kelly had also been making the most of the resources, every day he hit on her, tried to get her to go out with him. Never in front of Max, if Max was there then he wouldn't give her a second glance.

It was about 4:00pm and Anna had been on the treadmill for the best part of an hour, she showered and got changed, the sun was starting to go down and she wanted to get back before if got dark. She was walking through the school and most people had gone home, there were quite a few teachers in their rooms and the football team were out on the field practicing. Earl appeared by her side

"I've got a free house, why don't you come over and have a few drinks"

"No thanks" She said without even looking at him

"Why not?" He asked

"Urm, you have a girlfriend why don't you invite her round for a few drinks" She said getting a bit annoyed at him. Maxine as a nice girl and deserved better

"No thanks, I'd rather have you. What do you say?" He smiled and placed his arm in front of her to stop her from moving.

"No. Earl let me go" She said, trying to move his arm.

"I don't think so" He said " I think you like me, your just playing hard to get" HE crushed his body against hers and tried to kiss her, one hand holding her in place and the other at her waist. She struggled against him turning her head away.

"I mean it Earl!" He refused to stop "Get off of me!" She shouted. Tom was walking back from the staff room to his when he heard raised voices he turned into the corridor and what he saw made his blood boil. He ran up to them, put his hand on the back of Earl's jacket and pulled, he went flying to the other side of the corridor he pulled him up and slammed him against the wall, his forearm across Earl's neck and his right hand clenched into a fist inches away from his face. Anna ran off crying in the opposite direction.

"Give me one fucking reason why not?" He spat at him

"Go on. Loose your job" Earl said with a sneer. Tom shoved him against the wall and dropped his fist

"Get the hell out of my sight Kelly. NOW!" He shouted. Earl grabbed his stuff and walked out of the school, when Tom was sure he was gone he went looking for Anna, he checked the surrounding classrooms, common room and even toilets before going to his classroom, when she wasn't there he could only think of one place that she could be, he entered his office. Head of pastoral care. The light's were off but he could still make out her shape curled up in his chair, he turned on the lamp near the door, illuminating the room in a dim glow.

"Anna" He asked, trying to control his emotions, he heard her sniffling, and took that as an ok to go in. He knelt down in front of her and took her hand in his and squeezed. It killed him to think of anyone hurting her, she looked up at him with a tear in her eye. She slid of the chair and onto the floor to join him.

"You saved me" She said after a few moments of just sitting there

"What?" He asked, lost in his own thought of what he wanted to do to Kelly next time he saw him

"You pulled him off me, when he was coming onto me. Thank you Tom" She looked up at him, with tears still coming down her face, he reached up his hand, using his thumb to wipe them away, she leaned into him millimetres away from his lips, waiting for him to make the next move. Thinking of how close she came to being hurt he didn't think twice. He leant the rest of the way, letting their lips make contact for the first time, she let her hands go round his neck and tangle into his hair as he pulled her so she was sitting on his lap, his tongue traced her lips as she opened them and he slipped his tongue into her mouth caressing her tongue with his, as he deepened the kiss she moved her position so she was straddling his lap, his hands moved down to her waist as he held her to him, pushing her against his frame. His lips moved down the side of her cheek and neck until he reached the point where her neck and shoulder joined

"Hmm, Tom" She moaned as she felt the hardness in his trousers pushing against her. Her voice snapped him out of his daze and he sprang back from her. Looking her in the face.

"Sorry" He held her hands and pulled her up "Anna, I'm so sorry" He said, and walked swiftly out the room. Anna just stood there kind of confused until Miss Haydock her French teacher walked past.

"Anna love, What's wrong?" Her head shot up

"O, Nothing Miss I…erm…"

"If your looking for Mr Clarkson, he went that way" She said gesturing to the way she had just come "He looks quite angry though. I'd leave it if it's not important"

"No, it can wait, It was the homework" She lied and ran out the room. Tom was sitting in his care, his mind going a mile a minute. He'd kissed her what the hell was he thinking, Kelly had tried to hurt her. His knuckles went white because he was gripping the steering wheel so hard. She kissed him back, she moaned his name in pleasure, that thought alone could make him come. He drove home and went straight to bed, not to sleep, he lay there long into the night thinking about her.

The next few days dragged on, when Anna stayed at Chlo's Tom made himself scarce and at school he had as little contact with her as possible and always surrounded by people. After a week she'd had enough, she waited in the car park for Tom to arrive he got out of the car talking animatedly to Chlo, but as soon as he saw Anna he stopped and mumbled an excuse about a Pastoral meeting.

"What's wrong with him?" Asked Anna as they walked towards the school

"I don't know he's been really distant lately, there's something bothering him, I haven't seen him like this since… well since my mum died. He spends so much time on his own, just thinking. It's love I know it is" She answered. Anna was stumped by this insight, she knew he fancied her but love, she would have never though it. Armed with this information she decided to make a stand.