Another overdue update. Very sorry. Really. And Reddie just didn't manage to make it into this chapter. Sorry. Seriously. Next chapter, I promise. I have ideas still to work on but I'm trying to coax everyone into the story still. From now on I will be updating every single Saturday. Please review.
Disclaimer: I don't own Waterloo Road. But Adi and Grace Waters are mine. YAY!
Matt bounded into Eddie's office, a sullen faced, tow headed boy trooping in behind him. Eddie set aside the papers he'd been thumbing through and smiled up at the music teacher, glancing curiously at the teenager behind him.
Matt's latest ward. He was tall and tanned with the whitest blond hair Eddie had ever seen. It was long and neglected looking, clinging to his head untidily. His face was hard and cold, almost impassive with ice blue eyes that failed to bring any warmth to his features. But there was something in his face that Eddie liked. A kind of unapologetic mischief that forewarned of trouble. Something impish around the mouth.
"Hey Eddie. This is Adi. Adi Sk-Sk-Skr" Matt stuttered, unsure of pronunciation.
"Skrzeszewski" Adi prompted sullenly, folding his arms across his chest. Eddie grinned. He was never going to be able to say that surname.
"Right. Adi. He's fourteen and I was wondering about getting him enrolled. I have all his paperwork here. Adi was going to be sitting his GCSE's but, to be honest Eddie, I don't think he's got the English for them so I'd recommend he get lumped in with Year Nine. He needs help with English. And he's required to have a special needs assistant with him all-"
"Sorry? He needs a special needs assistant? Matt, Davina spends most of her time with Karla. Just because he doesn't have English that doesn't mean he gets a full time SNA. You can apply for-"
"ADHD, ODD, dyslexia, dyscalculia and badly behaved to boot. He's got to have an SNA with him all the time" Matt interrupted gently, scratching his temple. Eddie frowned and took the papers Matt held outstretched, glancing over them. The folder was bulkier than he'd expected with notes from social workers squeezed inside. Along with two police cautions. Eddie placed the folder on his desk and resolved to look through it in greater detail when he had a chance.
"Right. Matt, I'm a little swamped at the minute and I'd really appreciate it if you could cover my Year Eight maths class. We have a bit of a situation. A hysterical runaway who Rachel is trying to calm down. And Tommy Mitchell's father was found dead. The poor lad's taking it hard and we can't get in touch with his older brother, Jed. The class have got work and everything left for them but it's just the last thing I need is a Lord of the Flies situation up there" Eddie said. His phone began to vibrate loudly and he rifled through his paper covered desk, searching for it frantically.
"Oh. Yeah. It's just that I was going to show Adi around and get him sorted with his schedule though. I suppose I can get someone to do that for me. What class would you say he could get into?" Matt asked, casting an eye around for the elusive phone. Eddie glanced up, frazzled, sending a drift of papers ricocheting to the floor.
"I'd say 9C. Sam's in that class. I'm sure she'd be able to show him around later. Maybe you should get in touch with Tom. He's free this morning and he'll need to work out a language support timetable with Adi anyway" Eddie said, lumping the papers back onto his desk in a haphazard stack.
"Yeah, that'd be great. I'll take him down there now and then get cracking with your Year Eights" Matt said, smiling and rubbing his palms together.
"Sandra!", Eddie called for his secretary, "Where is that bloody phone!?"
The ringtone persisted and Adi grinned, pulling the phone from his pocket and offering it, completely unapologetic, to Matt. He snatched it and handed it to Eddie, blushing crimson, before turning back to Adi. Matt was mortified and Eddie was bemused, answering the phone swiftly. It had already rung out. He was starting to think that admitting Adi was a bad idea. Especially putting him in the same class as one of the Kellys. Eddie studied him again quickly, taking in every single detail.
Adi looked unabashed as Matt scolded him, staring down at the ground, his eyes laughing. He looked incorrigible. Eddie had a feeling he'd be disciplining that lad more than once before the end of the week. He wondered absently just how much Adi understood. Or rather, how much he pretended to not understand.
"Adi, what've I told you about stealing!? You're not to touch things that don't belong to you!" Matt lectured, flustered.
"Not steal if I give back!" Adi protested. Eddie frowned, but only to stop himself from smiling. He liked Adi. He liked the way he wasn't lying, just arguing the toss. It was refreshing.
"It's fine, Matt. No harm done. I'm sure Adi and I will get to know each other very well before the end of the week. Won't we lad?" Eddie said, eying up the new boy. Adi shrugged, scuffing his trainers on the carpet, his fingers twitching slightly. Eddie watched Matt lead him out of the office, scolding still, and smiled again. He had always loved a challenge.
"Matt!" Tom Clarkson jogged after the rambling teacher, slightly disconcerted by the strange boy he was nattering to. It sounded like a tour of the school. Matt wheeled around, grinning and reached out to stop the blond, strange teenager by the shoulder. He received a loud string of swear words and a two fingered salute for his trouble. Tom frowned.
Every single year the kids got more insane. They used to confiscate smokes and naughty magazines. Now it was knives and drugs. The blond boy looked almost dangerous but somehow childishly immature at the same time. Like a five year old in a seventeen year old's body. He shifted his weight constantly, kicking out at dust mites floating in the air. Tom folded his arms across his chest, his eyebrows knitted together.
"Hello. I'd heard you wanted to talk with me? What's up?" Tom asked, turning his eyes away from the teenager. His eyes glinted with dark mischief, laughing but immediately distrustful at the same time. Tom had seen that look in childrens' eyes before. The automatic distrust of adults, an amazing natural instinct Tom had to admire. He'd seen it before. He could tell immediately that this was a lad to be watched closely.
"Tom. Great. This is Adi. He's my new foster placement. And I was actually wondering if you could possibly take him down to your class to sort an English language support timetable? He's not got much of it. I think he has to take one of those test things to get an assessment because I'm not actually too sure how much he understands. I've got to cover for Eddie, y'see. Did you hear about Tommy Mitchell's dad?" Matt said, dropping his tone.
Adi wandered over to the class window that looked into Steph's classroom and Tom returned his attention to Matt's face.
"Yeah. I was the one who answered the phone. Terrible. Poor lad's up in Jasmin's class. He hasn't said anything yet. Jasmin reckons he's in shock. So, another foster placement? Adi? Where's he from?" Tom asked interestedly, pushing back his sleeves slightly further.
"Poland originally. Came over last year. His dad's a bit of a head banger. Some gang thing. He's a bit... troublesome. But I'm sure you'll have no bother. He, um, seems to be behaving slightly better than usual today" Matt said, scratching the back of his head edgily.
Steph burst from her door, squawking indignantly while wild, hysterical laughter echoed from her classroom. Adi sprang away from the window, beginning a rapid diatribe in Polish which Tom supposed was disputing his innocence. Steph marched over to her male colleagues, steam practically billowing from her ears, blushing fiercely. Adi followed immediately, still spewing loud Polish which meant nothing to Tom.
"Could one of you please take control of this little blighter!? Matt, you wouldn't watch my class for just a minute, would you? I'd better go and fetch the cleaners to get rid of that lot" Steph said, gesturing vaguely over her shoulder. Tom glanced over at the window and felt his mouth hang open.
It was what looked like permanent marker. In a remarkably accurate caricature of Steph's head. Attached to a hippo's body. Wearing a beret. With a speech bubble. She was, apparently, swearing loudly while farting raucously. Tom closed his mouth. Matt began apologizing profusely. Steph hurried away, flushing crimson. Tom fixed his gaze on the unabashed teenager. He had an incorrigible grin on his face.
Matt rushed into the classroom and tried to regain some order. Adi looked up and down the corridor once, ignoring Tom, and then began to walk towards the door. Tom couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was the most ineffective, half arsed attempted getaway he'd ever seen.
Matt banged on the window frantically, gesturing for Tom to stop him. The French class hooted with laughter. Steph was nowhere to be seen so Tom decided to cut Matt a little slack. He'd need it if he was going to be looking after such a moron.
"Adi? Don't you think you're in enough trouble as it is? Tell you what. I'll sort out a timetable with you now, seeing as Matt's busy. My office is just up those stairs. Go in. And don't touch anything" Tom cautioned. Adi stopped and wheeled around slowly, disbelievingly. His smile vanished instantly as the prospect of escape slipped through his fingers. Tom almost laughed. Adi scowled angrily, almost dangerously. He looked older, more grown up, when he wasn't grinning impishly.
"I not go to fucking office! No want English! Want go London!" Adi protested loudly. Steph's class flocked to the window of the room where Matt stood anxiously watching the scene unfold. Tom crossed his arms on his chest.
"Adi. My office. Now" Tom said firmly. Adi's eyes narrowed and he sighed theatrically. He seemed to debate what he was going to do. Eventually, a slow grin slid across his face and he made for the stairs. Matt gave Tom a thumbs up and a mouthed thanks. Before Adi had taken the first step on the stairs, he paused and turned around.
"Your office. Is one with dickhead written on door?" he asked, a perversely angelic smile on his face. Tom felt his face burn and ignored the hooting students and Matt's devastated expression. He marched over to the stairs and followed Adi silently away from the laughter. Adi's shoulders shook mutely but Tom directed him into his office before he finally looked the young Polish boy in the eyes.
"Look. I know you're new here. But taking the mick out of teachers isn't going to do you any favours. You've got to-"
Adi yawned loudly and sent a mug cascading from the desk, jumping at the loud smash. His hands shot up into the air. Tom frowned, stooping to pick up the shattered clay with a weary sigh. He was knackered at the day had only just begun.
Every single day, the kids got more insane.
Bolton Smilie strutted along the corridor, his best friend Paul Langley just behind him. At his right shoulder. Where Paul always was, really. Bolton glanced down towards the kitchens, just to make sure his mum was nowhere in sight. Excellent. Now they could both just bunk off the period.
"We going to the lads toilets then?" Paul asked, shifting his shoulders and socking his fists into his pockets. They rounded a corner and Bolton was about to answer before a small, thin girl hurtled into him at a rather high speed.
"Watch it!" he yelled angrily, pushing the girl away from him. She was a waif of a girl, tiny and thin. Like a doll. She stiffened under Bolton's rough shove and looked up, terrified. He felt guilty as soon as he realized that she'd been crying. Mascara streaked two tracks across her face and her eyes brimmed up again. He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably, staring at her ash blond hair just so that he wouldn't have to watch her cry.
"I'm sorry. Didn't see you. You should look where you're going" he told her, his face flushed. Paul chuckled and Bolton resolved to punch him for it later. She started to cry loudly, her voice high and whining, snot trickling down her face.
"S'okay. Nobody wants me anyway so it's not like you're to blame" she said between loud wails. Bolton and Paul exchanged a terrified glance. Girls were good. Tears were bad. Bolton stooped to pick up the phone he'd knocked from her hand and Paul hovered awkwardly. She kept crying, pausing momentarily to thank Bolton for retrieving her phone.
"What's your name? You new?" Paul asked, desperate to stop the crying. The girl seemed to collect herself momentarily and sniffled.
"Grace. Waters. I don't know if I'm allowed to stay yet" she said reluctantly, glancing back over her shoulder. Bolton smiled. She'd stopped crying at least. But she was still an absolute mess. Maybe they could help her? She was quite pretty if you ignored the dirt and running nose and dribbling make up and filthy hair.
"'Course you'll be allowed. I bet your dead clever and that. D'you want us to show you the bathroom 'cause your make up is like-"
She started keening loudly again and sprinted away from them, wailing. She turned a corner and gradually the noise faded. Bolton glanced at Paul. Paul glanced at Bolton. They both looked at the ceiling and then back at each other, at a complete and total loss for words. Finally, Bolton settled on something to say.
"She was absolutely bonkers, mate".
"Too right".
Thank you. Next update on Saturday. Goodbye.