"Did you have a good night?" William asked as he sat down beside his mother on the couch that evening.
"It was nice." Caroline smiled. "Have you finished your homework?"
"Yes, mum." William rolled his eyes and it made Caroline's smile widened. He would have finished it after school on Friday like he had done since he had been getting homework. "I asked Kate to talk to you."
"What?" Caroline's smile fell.
Unaware of the turmoil he had caused, William settled back into the couch happily. "I asked her to talk to you and cheer you up. I didn't think she would actually take you to a club, though!"
"You asked her to talk to me?"
"Yeah. When I fell asleep in class."
Caroline stared at her son and then at her phone, her heart sinking.
Aside from a brief text conversation seeing if she was okay, Caroline heard nothing from Kate for the rest of the weekend. A weekend full of rugby, recitals, arguing, paperwork, and going through the motions.
By Monday, she was exhausted and nervous of seeing Kate again. Caroline had finally had the courage to open up to someone, and it turned out to be a pity outing. Kate probably went home and called everyone at work so they could laugh at her.
"Hello, stranger." A smiling voice came from behind Caroline as she stood in line waiting to order a coffee as big as her head, the boys surveying the food on offer.
Caroline's heart shot to her throat. She needed her coffee before she could even consider this discussion. She hated John even more than usual for finishing the coffee and not replacing it. "Miss McKenzie. Hello." Caroline offered after glancing over her shoulder briefly.
Kate was silent for a moment, studying the blonde, her heart sinking. Caroline regretted their night out. Perhaps she regretted a night out alone with a lesbian. "…I haven't seen you here before."
"The boys." Caroline gestured to her sons.
When nothing else was forthcoming and Caroline kept her back to Kate, Kate was suddenly mortified to feel tears in her eyes. She swallowed. "..I know we said Friday for another night out-"
"It's fine if-" Caroline began.
Kate was determined. If Caroline didn't appreciate her attempts at friendship, then she could say it aloud to her face like a grown up. "I was wondering if we might do Wednesday instead. Or as well as. Because I got tickets to this show, and-"
"Someone else couldn't go?" Caroline asked with a slight snap in her voice.
"And I thought as soon as I saw it was showing that you would love it. So I booked tickets."
Caroline turned now, surprise written on her face, blue eyes wide.
"..if you don't want to come, I understand, but you'd really be doing me a favour. If you don't, I'll have to go alone and look sad and pathetic." Kate ventured.
The corner of Caroline's mouth twitched, and she found herself reminded of how open Kate had been with her. How friendly she was with other staff. How caring. "I suppose I can be free. If you really don't want to look truly pathetic."
Kate was so relieved, a smile lit her face. "Thank you. I owe you one. You're alright for 46, you are."
"Settle, Kate. This friendship is giving you lofty ideas. I'm still your boss."
When Caroline turned to order her coffee, a wash of warmth spread over Kate. They were friends.
"I hope that's not spaghetti."
Kate glanced at the car that had just pulled up beside her parking space on Wednesday morning. She had barely had the chance to speak to Caroline since Monday morning, but had made an effort to text her despite Caroline's formal replies.
"Salad. I'm not taking any chances today, this is a new top. Why are you parking here?"
"A megatwat has parked in my space in a huge-" Caroline found herself smiling at Kate's surprised laugh. "What?"
"I just never expected to hear you say megatwat, that's all."
"I..well, I don't think I have before, it just came out. Mind you, last week at the supermarket someone rammed me in the back of my legs with a trolley and I called them a twatnozzle, so I suppose twat is my favoured insult." Caroline was grinning as Kate laughed even harder every time she swore. She had been agonising over tonight's night out, and now she felt perfectly relaxed. If only she could just have Kate by her side always, she would probably manage to live a happy, normal life every day.
"Stop!" Kate grabbed Caroline's arm, wiping away her tears with her other hand. "God. I wasn't expecting that at 8am on a Wednesday."
Grinning still, Caroline led the way towards the entrance. "There's the car. In my spot. I wonder whose it is."
"They must have pretty lofty ideas of themselves to park there."
"I'll get them towed. Look, the number plate is MTF. Stands for-"
"Caroline! An MP is here for a talk?! He said his people contacted us but.." Beverley looked helplessly at her boss, men in suits exiting the building behind her.
"Mega Twat features." Caroline whispered to Kate, before a smile lit her lips and she went to greet the guests as though she had been expecting them.
Kate had to breathe deeply for several moments to suppress her amusement before she could face going inside.
..
When the bell rang that afternoon, Caroline put her head back against her chair and let out a long breath. Home. Bath. Wine. Bed.
"Caroline, Kate asked me to pass on to you that she will be ready in about half an hour." Beverley called.
Half an-oh. Shit. Caroline realised she hadn't even asked what they were going to see, where it was, how they would get there. Would her clothes be appropriate? Kate had said she had a new shirt. Should she change? Should she go home?
The door suddenly shut and Caroline's eyes opened to find Kate, her finger pointed sternly at the blonde. "You."
Caroline had a brief flash of being taken against the wall of her office by an aroused Kate, and her cheeks went bright red with mortification. She hadn't had thoughts like that in years.
"I had to sit next to that man for Half an hour in that meeting, and I got there too late for introductions so I almost referred to him as right honourable megatwat features."
Caroline couldn't help her smile. "Oops."
Kate flopped down in the chair opposite Caroline and gave a moan that did nothing to help the blonde. "I'm exhausted."
"We don't have to-"
"We do, Caroline Elliot. Because I promised you happiness, and this is going to make you very happy."
"Sitting just talking to you would make me very happy." It came out without thinking, but Caroline was glad when she saw the warm blush of happiness her words brought to Kate's face.
"We can sit another time. Come on, Elliot. Up."
…
Caroline's stomach muscles ached from laughing. She couldn't remember that ever happening before. The play Kate had found was well worth the hour drive, and the bag of sweets and a glass of wine they'd been forced to have for dinner. "I haven't seen a play in-" Caroline glanced at Kate, words dying on her lips. Kate was fast asleep in the Jeep's passenger seat, her face completely relaxed. She's beautiful.
No. She's a friend. A kind friend. Nothing more.
..
"Sorry I fell asleep." Kate stretched as Caroline pulled up next to her car.
"It's fine."
Kate could feel Caroline's walls up again. She seemed to run so hot and cold, and never predictably. But the glimpses of the woman she believed was the real Caroline were enough to spur her on. "I had a lovely time. Thanks for coming with me." She reached out and squeezed Caroline's hand where it still clenched the steering wheel, then opened the door.
"Thank you for thinking of me." Stilted, even to Caroline's ears. "Kate?"
Kate turned around.
"..thank you. It means a lot."
Kate smiled now. "You're welcome. I'll see you tomorrow."
"See you."
Kate was just pulling into her own driveway that night when she got a text from Caroline, the first one she had ever initiated. "I don't think it's being out somewhere different that makes me happy. I think it's being there with you. Thank you, Kate McKenzie, for being my friend when I didn't think anyone ever could be."
So touched, it took Kate several minutes to formulate a reply that felt even remotely worthy. "I know 4 languages fluently, and in none of them is there a word that describes you, Caroline. I hope I can be worthy of being called your friend. Sleep well x."
Caroline felt confident and happy the next morning. Her friendship, just friendship, with Kate was cemented now. A proper friend, not one her son had sent to try and help his useless mother. "Morning, Beverley!"
"Morning, Caroline! You're early today!"
"Am I?" Caroline glanced at her watch. "I suppose I am. I might nip to the staffroom and make a coffee. Can I get you one?"
Beverley stared after her boss who hadn't even waited for a reply.
..
"She's completely not my type. At all. She's too old, for one. Secondly, she is way too serious. I love to laugh, and I don't think I've heard her laugh once."
Kate sighed and turned the page of the book she was reading, wishing Michael would shut up and let her daydream.
"Perhaps she doesn't find much to laugh at in your presence, Michael."
Michael shot to his feet as the headmistress entered the room and Kate had to bite back a smile at his stuttered apology before he mumbled something about marking and rushed from the room.
"..I'd find it quite offensive, people running from the room as soon as I enter, if I didn't appreciate it so much." Caroline offered as Kate put her book down and smiled up at her.
"I've never left a room as soon you entered."
"You have. Once. Third week working here. I walked into the stationary cupboard, you were in there holding a stapler. You stared at me and then left with the empty stapler in hand and didn't say a word through the whole thing."
"How do you even remember that?!"
"I remember a lot." Where you're concerned Caroline realised. Dropping her eyes from Kates, she went to make a coffee.
Kate considered the turned back. The legs that she had been fantasizing about when Michael Dobson entered the room. "…Jennifer."
"Hmm?"
"Remember that French teacher Jennifer who came as an exchange for 6 months."
"Vaguely. What about her?"
"I didn't leave the room because of you as such. I left the room because the head mistress came in as I was kissing the French exchange teacher."
Caroline turned to stare at her, coffee container and spoon still in her hands. "You…I didn't…there was no one else in there."
"She was behind the door."
"Oh."
"…sorry. Maybe our friendship hasn't progressed far enough for me to admit that yet."
"No. It's..it's..what happened? With Jennifer?"
"Aside from that? We went on one date, realised we were way too similar and were better off friends."
Caroline physically hurt from the swell of jealousy that hit her then, but was saved from dealing with it by a sudden influx of staff into the room. Turning, she focused on making her coffee. Once she was ready to leave the room, she saw Kate was worrying at her fingernails, a frown on her face.
Without trying to think too much about it, Caroline squeezed Kate's shoulder on her way past. That her fingers left a trail of goosebumps in their wake went unnoticed.
…
Kate seemed to have noticed the walls Caroline put up were worse the longer that went between them talking, so suddenly Kate was around every corner Caroline turned. And to her surprise, the blonde found herself pleased. It was like having someone she knew would be in her corner nearby at all times.
When she saw from her office window that Kate was on lunch duty that lunch time, she gave Beverley a mumbled excuse and rushed outside to join her.
"Contraband. Want to share?" Caroline appeared suddenly at Kates elbow with a chocolate bar in hand.
"Allergic to nuts, I'm afraid."
"Are you? I don't remember seeing that on your file."
"Not everything about people is in a file, Caroline."
She slipped the chocolate back into her pocket. "I know, but you'd think something like that would be. Does the school nurse know?"
"Yes, she does."
"Good." Caroline gazed at the cricket match being formed. "..I won't have to worry about you leaving the nurses office in a hurry when I enter will I?"
"Jean?! She's got to be almost 80!"
"She's 62, Kate."
"She's not is she? Blimey."
"How allergic are we talking? Within breathing distance? Kissing? Traces of in food? If Jean had eaten a chocolate bar and then kissed you-"
"I've not, and do not wish to kiss Jean, so it's irrelevant."
"…well, if Miss Parks, the new geography teacher was to eat a chocolate bar-"
"If this is your subtle way of asking if I am kissing or wanting to kiss anyone at this school, the answer is no, Caroline Elliot. I think I prefer you when you're in your office at lunch time."
"…if the woman at that cafe were to eat a chocolate bar-"
"No one! No one has to not eat a chocolate bar in case I kiss them! I am not interested in kissing anyone at all."
"…but for arguments sake.."
"If you were to eat that chocolate bar and then give me a mind bendingly perfect kiss on the cricket pitch, I would definitely be at least breathless. Then my throat would swell up. Then I would probably die a slow agonising death while you panicked and sent someone to get Jean to administer an epipen."
"I don't panic."
"You do. You're having one now, inside your head, feeling guilty about almost killing me with a chocolate bar in an imaginary scenario."
"I think I'll go back to my office."
"See you later." Kate laughed.
"…no one at all?"
"No one at all."
Except you.
