Sian's Point Of View

Beep-beep-beep-beep... The alarm went off, and as usual, it was a harsh, annoying and sometimes unwelcome start to the day. Not only did it drag you out of a nice sleep or a good dream, but most days it also meant that you had to get up and teach at Waterloo Road.

I sat up in bed, still half-asleep, turning off the alarm with one hand and rubbing my eyes with the other. It wasn't a particularly early start- it was 7am, which is still quite early but not as early as it would have been if we'd had a staff meeting...

30 minutes later, and I'm showered and dressed. All I have to do is eat breakfast and sort out lunch for Jez and I (Madi and Zach get school dinners), and I'm ready to go. There's just one thing I have to do first, and that is wake up the kids...

"Zach?" I call from the hallway, deciding to tackle the easier one first. "Are you up?"
"Yep, just coming!" He replies. He's probably been up since seven as well. As I've mentioned before, he's an early bird.
"Madi?!" I call, standing outside of her door now. "It's time to wake up."
"God, go away, Sian."
I flinch. I know it's just Madi's usual morning attitude- i.e grumpy to everyone and everything- but it still gets me when she tells me to go away, almost as if it's because it's ME. "Madi, you need to get up, you'll be late."
"Don't care. Leave me alone!"
"Madi..." I plead, unsure of what else to say or do, even though this is something we go through every day.
"Alright, Sian?" Jez asks, coming out of our bedroom.
"Yeah, Madi's not getting up, as usual." I groan. "Every single day..."
"Don't let it get to you- Madi would test the patience of a saint in the mornings." Jez turns and bangs loudly on Madi's door. "Madeline! Get up, now! You will be downstairs in five minutes, or else!" We can hear various complaints from Madi's room, but we leave her to it, and go downstairs for breakfast with Zach.

Finally, Madi is awake. Grumpy, but awake. We all eat and get our stuff ready, and then we get into the car. After Madi got mugged a few months ago, Jez persuaded them to come in the car with us. I think that Madi is secretly glad not to have to walk to school any more.
"Dad, can you put Radio 1 on, please?" Madi asks.
"Yeah, course." Jez changes the radio channel and Nicki Minaj's 'Super Bass' blares out of the speakers. Madi immediately starts singing, very loudly. Jez covers his ears.
"Jez, you're driving!" I squeal, and he immediately puts his hands back on the wheel.
"We were going about 5mph down a back street, Sian, calm down!"
"Oh well! Please concentrate on driving."
"I would, if my daughter would shut up!"
"But Dad, this is my favourite song!"
"Doesn't mean you have to sing to it. If I sung along to my favourite songs, you would be complaining."
"Yes, but I am good at singing, and you are not. That is why I can sing, and you can't."
"Nothing like a compliment from your eldest daughter." Jez grins.

"Morning, Michael." I say, walking into the office.
"Ah, morning Sian." He says, looking up from the paperwork that is in front of him.
"Budgets?" I ask.
"Yep, you got it. Nicki and Tom finally gave me the English one this morning, but I need the Geography and PE ones. You wouldn't mind getting them, would you?"
"Of course not, that's my job." I say. I head to the staffroom, and find the Geography budgets immediately. Of course, now I have to go and find Jez to get the PE budgets.

"Hey honey." Jez says as I walk into his classroom.
"Hello. You know what I'm here for, right?"
"Department budgets?" Jez sighs.
"Spot on. Is it ready?"
"Well, I'm trying to do them now, but... I'm not doing very well."
"Want some help?"
"Yes please!" He grins, pulling me onto his lap. I squeal but grab the pen and start doing the budgets with him.

After about 20 minutes, Michael walks in, looking slightly irritated. "Sian, I asked you to get the budgets." He says.
"That's what I'm doing..."
"Jez should have done them before, not left them until this morning."
"Jez can do them whenever he wants, the deadline is this lunchtime and we will have finished them before then. I don't see you telling Nicki this, she and Tom always do their budgets late. Is it just because it's Jez, Michael?"
"Of course not. Well, get them done. And Sian, I would suggest getting a chair of your own." He says, storming out of the classroom.
"Someone got out of the wrong side of bed this morning." Jez remarks, rolling his eyes.
"Yes, he did." I say, wondering if Michael will ever leave our relationship alone.