Hey!
So I recently noticed my chapters have suddenly doubled in size, once Iget writing it's just easy to ramble I guess.
This is more of a filler chapter, back to normal length - it's mostly dialoge heavy but hey, Kim's back!
Also if any of you are watching the new WR, I'm so excited that Andrew is back too!
Anyway, I digress, thanks for readying (:
Life ran smoothly for a few months, but, muscles. They were annoying things.
When she'd woken up that morning, Nat had had a very strong reminder of the tough training she'd done the previous day, her calves, quads and hamstrings were super tight and complained at every movement. She'd discovered that her shins had muscles too when she realised they cramped up and time she moved her foot.
Eugh, it was going to be a long day.
If she'd spared a moment the previous day, she should've known this would happen and could have asked her mum for a lift. But it was too late now, her mum had rushed out the house even before she'd gotten out of bed.
Bus then.
She hated getting the bus with all the schoolkids - she lived at the edge of a catchment area for another school so she was always one of the only Waterloo Road students on it - so she always copped some shit for that. The earlier bus was usually quieter, if she left now she could make it. Despite not yet having breakfast she opted for that - she could eat later.
She always liked the school when it was mostly empty, most of the students would never experience the quiet but constant buzz that inhabited the hallways around empty classrooms but she saw it often. It was peaceful but not quiet enough for her thoughts to be too loud. As she walked through the car park, a quick check of the time on her watch told her she was early enough to get the homework she'd neglected the previous day done before the bell rang. She paused at the base of the external stairs, realising a woman she didn't reconise was stood at the top, a child perched on her hip as she just gazed up at the school.
"Hi, can I help you?" She asked eventually, finding her voice.
The woman turned as Nat walked up to her, she had a kind smile.
"Hiya love, you're alright. I was just taking it in - didn't think I'd ever be back here. But life has a way of surprising you I suppose. I'm Miss Campbell, new head of Pastoral and art teacher," she looked to want to shake her hand, bus as well as the child she was carrying a few bags and a pile of folders - it was a wonder she hadn't dropped anything.
"Nat Mason, year 10, would you like help with your things?"
"Thank you Nat, that would be very kind."
She handed over a bag and most of the folders, asking for them to be placed in her office.
…
Rachel was with Eddie in her office when Kim came to introduce herself. Eddie had just been explaining how highly Jack always spoke of her, and Andrew - he'd been the one to strongly recommend her for the job when he'd seen her application.
"Kim!" Rachel welcomed her warmly, "I'm Rachel Mason, head. I've heard great things, I hope you can be a great fit into our team."
Kim nodded, shaking her superiors hands in turn, "I do hope so, and I likewise, have heard great things about what you've done here."
"Yes, well, you join us at a slightly turbulent time. I'm sure you heard about the fire last term, and of course the incident with a couple of our students last term - so it'll be straight into the deep end I'm afraid."
Kim nodded, "yes, I heard about Maxine, awful, she was a lovely girl."
Eddie felt Rachel falter slightly next to him - she still found it all a little tricky to talk about.
"I heard you've brought your daughter," he supplied, "did she settle okay in the creche?"
"Perfectly, thank you. Speaking of daughters, I believe I may have met yours outside Rachel - Nat? Helpful girl, very sweet."
…
By lunch, her muscles were even stiffer - if that was even possible. Her stomach had been growling all morning. She'd thought she had a cereal bar in her bag but it turned out the one she'd had the previous morning instead of breakfast had been her last one. She walked down the hallways bantering with her classmates on the way to lunch. They were discussing the previous night's episode of Eastenders, she'd not seen it, having been out at training but she could get along just fine laughing at all of the silly storylines. She'd never liked watching soaps, but she enjoyed them even less when she was forced to sit on the sofa watching them with her mum when she'd been injured, and again when her mum had been hurt in the fire. It was safe to say she didn't associate them with the happiest of times.
Their group was interrupted by Mr Lawson wanting a word with her. She immediately wondered what maths homework she'd missed, or whatever else it could have been. Instead, it was something else. Something much different.
"-I erm… why- I mean, you're coming to me?" They were in his classroom. Eddie perched on a desk and she spun on his desk chair.
"Nat," he began, "You, your sister and your mum - you're a trio. I get one, I get them all. Sam told me a while ago that all she wanted was for Rachel to be happy. So now I would like your blessing, you don't have to answer now of course, but I'd like to ask your mum to marry me."
She almost fell off the chair.
"I guess, well-" She said after a long pause, "-well I don't see why you're asking me. But you're wrong about Sam, mum and I. Since the fire, you've been part of that too. You've seen me, us, at our worse, and stuck with us. I've never had a dad, but I think you've become that to me… I hope- I hope that's okay."
"Love, that's more than okay-"
Nat released a breath she didn't even realise she was holding in and ran forward to envelop him in a hug.
…
She was never any good at keeping secrets, it made her all bubble and electric inside as if it was going to burst out of her. She needed to run. The muscle pain that she'd been feeling all day was suddenly irrelevant. She always kept her gym kit in her locker and practically ran down the hallway to get it and get changed.
It took her 6 laps of the football field before the bell was ringing for the end of lunch. She wasn't even anywhere near ready to stop - electricity was still coursing in her veins, but she was a little calmer at least.
By the time she'd changed and stopped at the water fountain briefly she was late for class. It was PSHE with the new art teacher she'd met that morning but luckily she hadn't arrived yet. Rumours were flying around the classroom, something to do with Philip and something inappropriate. She rolled her eyes, he'd been increasingly making inappropriate jokes at home that'd been getting on her and her mum's nerves. Eddie had brushed it off as "teenage boyness" but he'd obviously taken it too far now.
She tuned out the rest of the gossip and turned her mind back to her conversation to Eddie, in the back of her mind, she had this niggling feeling - Mason luck. The part of her that'd made her life so difficult up to now, if Eddie arrived her mum, would that affect him too? Would he end up nearly dying in a fire or.. or…
She realised the classroom had gone silent, Miss Campbell had finally made an appearance, just beginning to address the class, introducing who she was.
Nat took a steadying breath, she was beginning to spiral, but she could recognise that now. One deep, steady breath brought her easily back as she counted to ten, just like her counsellor had taught her.
Charlie, her friend, was looking at her - he had learnt to read her like a book, but she smiled back at him. It was okay. She was okay. Everyone was okay.
…
By the end of the incredibly boring PSHE lesson, she realised she was hungry. But not just a little hungry, a gnawing hunger that left her with a headache and lightheadedness. Eating was a bit of a problem she thought, it was difficult, and she maybe needed to feed herself a little more often. At least it was the end of the day and she could get some food now. Then Miss Campbell called her back as she was leaving.
"I asked the old head of pastoral for some notes, people who-" The new teacher began, once Nat had settled on an art stool. The girl could tell she was trying to choose the right words, but she was hungry, and being hungry made her grumpy.
"People who what?"
The comment didn't seem to phase the teacher, "-People who maybe need a bit of extra support," she continued. 'How would you feel about us having a chat sometime, just so I know how to best support you?"
"Wow, I can't wait, might as well do it right now," She couldn't help the sarcasm sipping out. She was sure this was partly instigated by her mum. Due to patient doctor confidentiality her counsellor couldn't tell her mum about her sessions, and neither did she really. But her mum hated to not be in the know about everything.
"Yes, okay, I have a free 30 minutes, why don't we take this to my office?"
Nat reluctantly agreed, trying to look at least a little enthusiastic.
…
The conversation didn't end up taking too long, Miss Campbell began by asking what support she needed for her dyslexia - she held back from saying that in a school the size of Waterloo Road, there was no possible way she could speak to every dyslexic kid. She didn't know her struggles with her mental health were documented in the school system, but evidently they were, as she cut right to the chase. It didn't seem as though she knew specifics but it was bad enough that teachers could look up all what was wrong with her. Though she supposed, despite seeing a shrink, the possibility that she might freak out and 'catastrophise' - as her councellor called it, was still just that, a possibility; and she supposed that was something people should be aware of. She should really be glad that this teacher was going out of her way to see how she could possibly help.
That said, the wounds were still raw, and every time she spoke about them it hurt. Sure, it was a little less painful each time, but it still hurt.
She was glad the conversation was over, but it did feel a little nice to have another person in her corner.
It was when she stood up that she realised she may have a bit of a problem.
The room was spinning and suddenly she didn't feel too good.
Hands guided her back into her chair, and she was instructed to get her head between her knees and to breathe slowly.
When she'd mostly recovered, Miss Campbell offered her a glass of water and a kindly smile.
"Are you okay?"
She nodded, "Sorry, I guess I kind of forgot to eat today."
Her teacher shook her head, "That's not good, food is important. You should know that, your mum tells me you're an aspiring pro footballer? Speaking of, do you want me to go and get her?"
"Yeah, I am, I guess, and no, no of course not." She said, all the words falling out of her mouth in one breath before adding "-please."
Kim held up her hands placatingly, "that's okay, I just thought she would want to know that you weren't feeling well is all."
"I don't want her to worry, please don't mention it to her, I just need to eat something, and get home."
Kim picked up her bag, "well food I might be able to help with, when you have a toddler, you always try to be prepared. How about a couple of rice cakes?"
Nat accepted them gratefully, 'Thank you, and I usually am prepared - with cereal bars rather than rice cakes though. But I guess I ran out. I suppose I am my own toddler."
Kim laughed, "So do you often forget to eat then?" She asked as Nat nibbled away at the offered food. "If you feel the need to stock up on reserves?"
Nat shrugged, "It's not- I don't-" she shook her head to clear her thoughts, "I don't always eat breakfast, that's why, sometimes I'm just busy, and late in the mornings."
Kim nodded knowingly, "And that's common with lots of people, but you didn't have lunch okay either right? How come?"
"Well that was Edd- Mr Lawson's fault. He distracted me and then, I just needed to run, I guess. I didn't actually mean to not eat, it just happened. This was the first time I swear, I-" She stopped, taking another bite of the rice cake "I'm not-" She took another bite, "You don't need to worry about this, I just need to get my priorities sorted."
Kim nodded and smiled, "Noted, but if, and I'm not saying it will be, if you find it does become a problem, or something else is, then you know where I am."
Nat nodded, "Thank you Miss."