After lunch, Tom Clarkson was walking though the corridors of Waterloo Road when he thought he could smell burning. Following the scent, he came to the school hall and ran to the nearest fire bell. "The school's on fire! Everybody out!"
Pupils from all over the school filled out of the doors and outside onto the pavement. Florence was one of the last out of the building and she thought it was just a drill. It was only when she was outside that the smell of smoke hit her and the firemen ran past her and into the school. It was real. It was all real and her beloved brother and sisters were still inside. "Is everybody out?" one of the firemen asked.
"Yes, I think so," replied Michael.
Florence turned around, only to be stopped by Sian and Lorraine. "Florence, turn around and get over there," Sian commanded.
"No, Miss, wait!"
"What is it now?"
"Harper and Ethan… they're under the stage!"
"What? I thought you said they were on a trip!"
"No, they're under the stage!"
"Not everyone's out! There's two kids under the stage in the hall!" Sian called.
"I need to get to them, I need to save them!" Florence called.
"You're not going anywhere, young lady," Lorraine said as she took Florence away from the scene. "Let the firemen do their job and tell me why you're here. From the beginning"
Florence tried to tell Lorraine and Sian why she had done what she'd done. "I had to get them away. It was safe here, they weren't safe there. They weren't safe." Florence kept repeating the words "they weren't safe" as she watched the firemen intently. Two ambulances turned up to the school, ready for Harper and Ethan to come out, but no one came.