"We'll get you to the Head's office. Mr Byrne needs to know." Tom spoke, his parenting head now being overshadowed by his teaching head. "We need to figure out what to do. How are you two going to get home?"
Both girls nodded silently.
"Connor usually walks me home... but I think I might call my mum." Imogen said softly.
Tom nodded and looked to Dynasty.
"Mum'll be out when I get back." Dynasty spoke.
"You can come with me. Mum won't mind, then she can drop you back home whenever." Imogen put in. "If he's after one of us then he'll have to get through her first."
Tom smiled at the solidarity of the pair. He had seen the impact Imogen's mother had on young males, and if they were on the receiving end they were certainly scared away. But somehow he didn't think Steve-O would be affected.
"I know my mum's not much and she... tends to play with the male mind..."
Dynasty scoffed at her friend's statement.
"But she's pretty scary when she's mad. She's got one hell of a punch on her." Imogen finished, smiling a little.
Dynasty nodded but stayed silent.
Tom looked at both girls, he wished he didn't need to do this, not for them, or any other student in his care. "Right, Imogen call your mum. If you want to tell her then do it."
"I'll explain it when we go back tonight." Imogen nodded, taking out her phone and dialling her mum's number, putting the phone to her ear only to take it away after a few seconds. "Voicemail." She sighed softly.
"Let's get to Mr Byrne and we'll go from there. Then you can go back to your last lessons."
"If there's time for that, sir." Dynasty shrugged.
"If not then I'm sure Connor and Kevin will fill you in on what you missed." Tom smiled and walked out with them.
'Don't bet on it... Connor will be worrying over me...' Imogen thought as she typed out a message to her mum and sent the text. She then sent one to Connor saying; 'everything's fine, will see you after. Love you x' and she put her phone away in the hope that that would ease her husband's mind.
Connor looked as his phone buzzed in his pocket, glancing up to see Budgen at the desk, a copy of the Racing Post still in front of his face. He quickly took his phone and looked at the message, relieved to see it from Imogen. If everything was fine, how come she wasn't back? He pushed down any unwanted thoughts, sent a quick reply back telling her he loved her and wanted to know what was going on, and then he put his phone away. He then turned to stare out of the window.
Although Connor didn't see it, Grantley lowered his paper to watch the boy over the top of it. He knew that he had no doubt had a text from his beloved, and this time, said nothing about having his phone out in a lesson. After what Dynasty had told him, he didn't quite have the heart to chastise the teenager for checking his girlfriend was alright. He raised the paper again as the boy put his phone away, thinking now that Connor would actually get some work done.
He lowered the paper again after another ten minutes, just to make sure everyone was getting on with their work. Complete silence from his pupils, it was absolute heaven to Grantley. However, pupils that were daydreaming out of windows was not. Putting his beloved Racing Post down, he carefully stood up and walked to Connor's desk, clearing his throat. "I believe Mr Clarkson set you some work, Mr Mulgrew. I do not believe it entails daydreaming, or the world beyond this classroom."
Connor's head snapped up, and with some colour returning to his ghostly face, he lowered his head to carry on with his work, mumbling a "sorry, sir..." as he did so, a few students giggling at the interaction.
Grantley gave a nod and returned to his seat with a glare at the offending students that disturbed such peace.
Lorraine stopped her latest tirade at a knock on the door.
"Come in." Michael called. "Lorraine we're done here for now." He spoke, leaving no room for argument from the headstrong blonde who was bulldozing her way through the school with her ludicrous plans.
Tom opened the door just as Lorraine barged past, almost knocking over the two students behind Tom. "Er, could we have a word?"
Michael looked at Tom, and with a glance at one terrified Dynasty Barry and one confused Imogen Stewart, he nodded them in. "Of course."
Tom looked to the girls, silently asking them if he wanted to talk or if they did.
"I will." Imogen said softly, moving to close the door behind her.
Michael stopped her. "Hold on, Imogen." He said, walking to the door. "Sonya, could you get us a coffee please? Tom?"
The man shook his head. 'No but you'll need something stronger later...' he said to himself.
Sonya nodded and bustled out of the office, knowing well by now it was just a ploy to get her out so she didn't listen in.
"Dynasty's in trouble, sir... and she says he might come after me too." Imogen started. "He's been doing some awful stuff to Connor and Kevin, and trying to pressure Dynasty to go out with him, but she keeps telling him no..."
Michael listened, his hand already twitching, wanting to reach for the phone to call the police.
Dynasty noticed this, and snapped hysterically; "Sir don't! If you call the police on him, they'll let him go, and he'll come after us! Please don't!"
"Alright, alright Dynasty I won't." Michael told her gently, holding his hands up, away from the phone.
Tom kept hold of her, comforting her. "It's okay, Dynasty. He just wants to help. We both do." He said comfortingly, while Imogen just stood, feeling useless.
"I don't want you two going home by yourselves." Michael told them both.
"I already sent a message to my mum... I was gonna tell her what was going on later." Imogen said, though she didn't quite know how she was going to.
Michael nodded. "Okay. Right well could you girls wait outside? I need to talk to Mr Clarkson."
Imogen pulled Dynasty out of the room before she could argue, and Tom shut the door behind them.
"We need to do something Tom." Michael said. "I don't feel comfortable letting those girls go without getting the police involved."
"Maybe we could talk to Carol. I know she's a bit... but I get the feeling if one of her own were in trouble, she'd do anything to protect them." Tom sighed. He too wanted to get the police involved. The students of the school were like his own kids. Hell he wanted to go after the little toerag himself. "We talk to Carol, then we get the police. We can't wait for something to just happen. Because we both know what that something will be, and I'm not prepared to see our girls get violated like that."
