It was Monday the 1st December - two days right after Brett's accident with the motorbike - and Anna was sat in the staff room before school was about to start.

She was sat in her usual arm chair with Tom - her now boyfriend -, Jasmine and Matt - and closest friends, drinking the coffee she couldn't start the working day without.

Eddie approached the group.

'Morning all,' he said, greeting the four youngest members of the staff team.

'Hey Eddie,' they chorused.

'There's a note from Rachel here for you,' he said, passing a piece of paper to Matt.

Matt thanked the older man as the older man nodded and walked back to where he usually sat, with one of the History teachers.

'So what does Rachel want?' Tom asked brightly.

Matt glanced over the note that the deputy head mistress had given him.

'Rachel wants me to go and talk to her about dates for the christmas musical. Jasmine, she wants you to come too.' - Matt, as drama and music teacher, was the head of the drama club, and as Jasmine was one of the few teachers not to hold or help out with extra - curricular activities - she helped out with the drama club. (Tom was the girl's football team coach. Anna was the leader of the scholostic decatholan club - aka the maths club)

After Jasmine and Matt left, Tom looked at Anna deeply.

'What?' she asked, noticing him watching her.

'Can't a guy look at his beautiful girlfriend without being asked a load of question?' he joked.

She smiled at the way he was such a charmer and always had a comment for her.

'But seriously,' she said tapping his arm lightly, ' What's wrong?'

'Nothing's wrong,' he said to her, ' but you seem quiet. You're never quiet. Why are you so quiet today?' he quizzed.

Anna glanced around making sure that no one was close enough to hear.

'I think I'm going to tell him today.'

'Brett?' Tom asked.

She frowned, 'No! Santa Claus!,' she said sarcastically

He gave her a bemused look and looked at her wordlessly.

She shook her head and rolled her eyes, 'Of course Brett. Who else am I going to confess is secretly my son?'

He opened his mouth to speak, his trademark cheeky grin dying on his lips when he saw the stern glare she gave him.

Instead, he looked at her kindly, ' So when are you going to tell him?'

'After work, I guess. I'll invite him around for dinner and take the chance to talk to him properly.'

'Aw damn,' smiled Tom softly, 'and I was going to cook you a romantic dinner.'

Anna laughed - a sound that was music to his ears - and said, ' There's always tomorrow, eh?'

'If you want,' was the willing reply.

'I'll hold you to that Mr Clarkson,' Anna smirked playfully, tracing his jawline gently with her index finger.

The couple, it was clear to everyone, were getting on extremely well and were a fantastic match.

Their collegues saw the way they interacted during breaks and staff meeting, and were pleased for their friends.

The students also knew thay were dating since Janeece had caught them kissing in the football changing rooms before a match, and not being one to keep things to herself, had told everyone else.

Some of the students had seen it coming anyway from the lingering looks across the halls, and they way they laughed and joked whilst on duty together and the way one would go into the other's classroom during their free period on the pretence of handing them a note or something, whilst really taking the chance to whisper in the other's ear.

Brett was happy for his 'aunt' and he knew that his consent meant a lot to her.

Mika and Chlo were especially pleased, as they deemed Annamore than worty of their step - dad and could see how happy she made him.

So all was going well for the two teachers, who had been dating since Tom's birthday in October - so for about 2 months now.

From across the staff room, Grantly watched as Anna ran one of her fingers down Tom's strong finely chiselled face and gazed into his dark brown eyes.

'Oh get a room!' he called over at them, causing Anna to simply glare at him and ignore him.

The bell rang.

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRING

Anna leant up and kissed Tom quickly on the his cheek.

'Gotta go,' she said mock dramatically, 'Hard work to do.'

Tom laughed, 'Yeah,' he scoffed, ' As if you work hard.'

'Shut up, Idiot,' she said, amusement evident in her voice as she spun on her heel and began to walk off.

He smirked at the names she had caled him, knowing full well that she was not annoyed in the slightest.

'But I'm your idiot, right?' he yelled at her retreating back.

She stopped at the door to her classroom and turned back to beam at him.

'And don't forget it,' she called before giving him a quick wave and entering her classroom.

--

Anna sat behind her desk after taking the class register and looked around at her students.

'So has anyone seen Brett today?' asked the teacher.

There was a resounding silence as no one had an answer to give the teacher.

'No one's seen him at all?' she quizzed.

It was Donte who spoke up, ' I think I saw him outside this morning. I'm sure that he's here today,'

'Thanks Donte, and has anyone seen Mika?' continued Anna.

Again, she was greeted by silence.

'OK, I'm going to talk check this so just turn to page 114 in your textbooks and work through the excersices there until I get back,' she commanded before turning away and leaving the classroom.

Bolton smirked at Paul, 'What's the betting she's gone to see Clarkson?'

--

'Come in!' Tom called out, in answer to the knock on his class room door.

His face lit up as he saw who had walked into the room.

'Anna,' he said softly, before correcting himself with, 'I mean - Miss Aspinall. How can I help you?' his tone slipping into a more formal take.

His formal tone wasn't fooling the students, who knew perfectly well that Anna and Tom were together, although the two teachers tried to maintain a professional front in front of the students.

'Is Mika in school today?' Anna asked.

Tom looked confused, 'Yes, why?'

'She should be in my lesson right now but she's not.'

Tom excused himself from the class after setting the pupils some work. He and Anna went to Rachel's office.

They explained that the two young students weren't in their class as they ought to be and after checking the office's CCTV footage, they saw that the people in question were behind the bike sheds.

Tom went to the grounds and sent Mika and Brett inside, to Rachel's office.

Rachel was sat behind her desk, Anna stood in front of the desk, leaning back against it. Tom stood leaning up against the door whilst Mika and Brett stood in the middle of the room.

What Anna hadn't realised was that as she leant back against Rachel's desk, she had accidentley leant on the tannoy system. She had ended up knocking the button on so that the whole school was going to hear the converations going on in the office. Unfortunately no one had noticed this and no one what was about to come.

'What the hell are you playing at Brett?' snapped Anna in annoyance.

Brett made no answer.

Anna continued, 'How could you? You can't go around skipping classes! What possessed you to do that?'

'I don't know,' muttered Brett.

'My lesson Brett! How do you think that makes me feel? Can you really not stand my lessons?' she demanded.

'Aunt Anna it's not like that,' he insisted,' It's nothing to do with your lessons, I just needed someone to talk to.'

'And you had to do that during a lesson? You couldn't wait?'

'I'm sorry,' he muttered.

'And you could have spoken to me! What's wrong with you?' she asked, her vioce softening as she asked him what was wrong.

'Nothing,' Brett insisted.

Anna narrowed her eyes, 'Come on what's wrong? Is it something at home?'

'Leave me alone!' Brett finally snapped, 'It's nothing to do with you! You're not my mother!'

Something inside her broke and she couldn't control her emotions.

Tom saw the look on her face as her eyes welled up with tears and knew what she was about to do. He tried to catch her attention and give her a sigh not to do it, as he didn't think she should tell him by yelling it out during an argument.

Anna didn't think about it, she just blurted it out.

'Yes I am!'