Thanks again for all your lovely reviews, they mean such a lot! I've left the main bulk of this chapter as one, but the conversation after the fact I've saved for chapter five. As always, any feedback is welcome, and I hope you enjoy!
CHAPTER FOUR
It had been several weeks, and life had carried on for Belle. Her father had been angrier than normal, and his attacks more vicious; but he'd also spent more time than usual locked in his office shouting down the phone. She'd been studiously avoiding her teacher's questions, which had seemed more probing than usual, asking about her wellbeing and home life. She didn't know if something had tipped them off, so she shut off as much communication with all of them as she could, darting out as soon as class ended and dodging them in corridors. She'd found Tom Clarkson to be particularly bothersome, cornering her in the canteen and encouraging her to come to the pastoral care office if she wanted to talk.
Rachel, meanwhile, had been keeping as close an eye on her as she could. She was standing at the window in her office, watching as Belle sitting on the grass, eating lunch with her friends. It was only a day after the situation with Sally Froggatt, and she couldn't deny that it had affected her. Feeling like a hypocrite for judging the mother's parenting skills, she made up her mind to take action: no more arguing, no more trying to compromise. She'd go after school, and she'd take control. That was the way she liked it.
As though the universe had read her mind however, during fourth period the situation was taken out of her hands once more and any sense of control she'd felt at her decision to stop holding out was lost.
"I need to speak to Rachel Mason!"
"Do you have an appointment?"
"My name's Jonathan Munroe and I'm pulling my daughter out of school, I'm sure she can make time for me!"
Bridget opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by the office door opening. "Bridget, is everything al- ah." Rachel stopped at the sight of him, a strangled sort of exclamation leaving her lips.
"This is Mr Munroe, and he says he wants to pull his daughter from school. Do you want me to-?"
"Everything's alright, thanks Bridget," Rachel smiled reassuringly at her secretary before turning to Jonathan, "if you'll step inside, I'm sure we can talk this through."
He strode by her into the office. Rachel shut the door behind her and slid the pane of glass across, giving them total privacy.
"Jonathan."
"Rachel."
She walked round to her side of the desk, where she felt most comfortable and more able to take control of whatever confrontation was about to take place.
"You can't just take Isabelle out of school, it's the middle of the term, she's in the middle of her GCSEs."
"I don't want her here. She can go to another school: Forest Mount's nearby, and doesn't have nearly the reputation that Waterloo Road does!"
"But she's settled here! She's got friends, she's involved with the school musical, she's been achieving high grades-"
"She can make new friends! And of course she's getting high grades, she knows I won't stand for anything less!"
Rachel paused slightly, adding his comment to her mental 'Concern For Isabelle Munroe' folder. "It's extremely disruptive to remove a child in the middle of the term." She said evenly, trying to remain level-headed.
"Was a teacher not murdered last year? I'd say it's this school that's disruptive!"
"Jon, she's happy here! She's an A grade student! Moving her to another school is more likely to lower that grade than increase it!" Rachel was becoming increasingly agitated.
"Yes, but at least another school won't have you as a head teacher!" He roared, slamming his hand down on her desk.
Rachel stood her ground, forcing herself not to flinch, but unable to keep the anger and disdain from leaking into her tone. "And there it is! The real reason behind this! You're willing to sacrifice our daughter's education just to spite me!"
"Our daughter? OUR daughter?!" His eyes flashed dangerously. "She is mine! You lost the right to call her yours when you walked out on her!"
Rachel froze. "I did not walk out and you damn well know it! I had to move away to finish my teacher training, and the moment I was gone you blocked my number, moved house and took away my access to my daughter!"
"I didn't get any phone calls from your lawyer, Rach!"
Several people called her Rach. Her sister was one, last time they'd spoken on the phone (all the months ago that had been). The one friend she'd kept in touch with from university was another. And more recently, Eddie Lawson had been added to that list. She didn't mind it when any of these people used that nickname. In fact, when Eddie used it, she found herself quite liking the way it rolled off his tongue.
The way the man in front of her said it, though, made her shudder on the inside. And what was worse was that she had no comeback for him.
He smirked, knowing this. "Or did I miss those calls, hm? Because if, like you say, you didn't abandon your daughter, when I moved away you surely will have tried to get her back? Tried to find me? My mother must also have missed those calls from you, asking where I was? And the custody lawsuit you will have filed, to get Izzy back...lost in the mail? Or could it be, Rachel, that you did none of those things, because you did walk away from her? You moved away, moved on, and never once tried to get her back! She doesn't even remember what you look like, doesn't know your name!" He sneered, leaning closer to her. "But you know that, don't you? Because you've been at this school for how long, now? You've had conversations with her, even!... And she had no clue that you're her mother."
Throughout his long, brutal tirade, Rachel didn't move an inch. She was right, he knew; she was a failure of a mother. But, she thought as she straightened her back and met his eyes with her own steely gaze, that did not mean that she would be a failure of a headmistress.
"I've made my mistakes- plenty of them. I have let that girl down in a way I can never forgive myself for." She moved around the desk to stand directly in front of him. "But I will not let you take her out of this school. I won't let you ruin her education like this."
Jonathan opened his mouth angrily, but before he could respond, there was a knock and the door opened, Eddie stepping into the room with a blissful unawareness of the heated argument it's two occupants had just had.
"Sorry, didn't mean to intrude!" He said lightly, eyes drifting over the other man with his dark suit and imposing stature.
"You didn't!" Rachel painted on a smile that was just a little bit genuine, relieved he had arrived when he did. "Eddie, this is Mr Munroe, Isabelle's father." She then turned to the taller of the two. "This is Eddie Lawson, my deputy head and Isabelle's maths teacher."
The two men shook hands.
"Belle's not in any trouble is she?" Eddie asked, shooting a concerned glance to Rachel.
"No! But Mr Munroe here seems set on removing her from school. I've been trying to tell him that it's in Belle's best interests to stay here and avoid the disruption."
"Well yeah, at least until the end of term! It'll be incredibly hard for her to handle an upheaval like that in the middle of her GCSE studies."
"Sadly, Mr Lawson, I've made my mind up. She leaves- today!" He stalked out of the office, stopping in the outer suite to ask Bridget for the necessary forms.
Back inside, Rachel pulled Eddie by the arm so she could whisper to him.
"Eddie, there's something I should have told you about Belle."
"Are you still thinking that she's unsafe at home?" He muttered. "Because now even I've got to admit, I can see your cause for concern. And the others have all said she's been evasive when asked, and remarkably skittish recently."
"There is that, but there's something else too-!" She was desperately trying to rush the words out before Jonathan finished signing the papers.
"Right! Now that's all sorted, I'll be collecting my daughter and leaving." His voice came from the other room.
Eddie and Rachel shared an identical look of horror before dashing after him, all thoughts of clueing him in put to the side.
Belle was in English, sat next to Danielle with Bolton and Paul behind them. They were in a group of four, told by Mr Clarkson to brainstorm points of analysis for their upcoming essay on Othello. Of course, they most certainly were not discussing that.
"Aw, come on Belle, me and Aleesha are going! You can sleep round mine after if it's easier?" Danielle was imploring.
"It's gonna be a right laugh! Janeece's parties are always fun, and what with having the house to ourselves, it's gonna be mint!" Paul laughed, slapping his fingers together. "Plus, everyone's gonna be there!"
"He's right! All of year ten, eleven, and twelve are going!" Danielle shoved her good naturedly, and Belle had to hold her breath to keep from crying out as her friend accidentally knocked one of her worst bruises.
"Plus," Bolton said as he leaned closer, "I'm gonna be there. That's reason enough, innit?"
Belle let out a genuine laugh. "I can try. Might have to sneak out though."
Bolton let out a victory whoop before apologising to their teacher.
Belle knew that if she got caught sneaking out to a party, things at home would only get worse, but looking at Bolton and her friends grinning at her, decided it was worth it. "It's ages away yet though, innit? Janeece's birthday isn't till November!"
"Yeah but we gotta plan ahead like! Yous can all meet at mine before, I'm only round the corner." Bolton said.
"Hey, if Belle went round yours straight from school, she won't need to sneak out!" Danielle said, looking quite proud to have found a loophole.
Both Bolton and Belle flushed red as they met each other's eyes.
"I mean, ya can if it's easier. Me mum won't mind, she likes ya."
"I guess that could work?"
Paul had started talking about booze and where best to buy it without ID but Belle had now stopped following the conversation, something outside the window catching her attention and causing her to freeze.
Her headteacher and deputy were clearly having a heated argument with her father as they walked to the classroom door. Her father. Her father who was in her school. She could feel her heart in her throat. Her hand had been resting on Bolton's arm and for a brief second she thought his temperature had skyrocketed- until she realised it was her hands that had just dropped several degrees. All she could hear was white noise and her head was spinning.
"Belle," Bolton's voice had reached through her veil of panic, "Belle, are you alright? Who's that with Mason and Lawson?"
"My dad." She managed to choke out. She stood from her seat and left the room, leaving her bag and books behind and ignoring the shouts of her friends and teacher.
Tom looked to Eddie as she left, who gave him a nod to let him know it was alright for her to leave. Still, he couldn't help worry: he'd seen the look on her face when she saw the man who could only be her father and it hadn't been comforting. The concerns raised about the girl over the last few weeks came back to nag at his mind, but there was nothing he could do. He reassured himself that she was with Rachel and Eddie, neither of whom would let anything happen to her; and turned back to his class.
"Izzy! There you are."
"Dad, what are you doing here?" She positioned herself to the left of and partially behind Rachel, something Jonathan didn't miss and was none too pleased about.
"Fetching you. We're leaving this school, and we're leaving now!"
Eddie stepped forwards. "Mr Munroe, I really think you should reconsider-"
Jonathan ignored him, placing a hand possessively on his daughter's back and guiding her down the corridor. He'd calculated exactly where to place pressure- right on top of the most recent bruise, so that when he pushed her forward it was a painful reminder to her of what would happen should she disobey him.
Belle shot a panicked look over her shoulder at her two teachers, who wasted no time in following as they rushed through the school.
"You're making a mistake!" Rachel pleaded, anger bleeding into her voice.
"Dad, please! I like it here!"
"And you can like it elsewhere, too!"
"But my friends-"
"You'll make more!"
Belle turned to Rachel desperately. "Miss-!"
Before she could answer the girl, Jonathan had stopped and turned to his daughter.
"Don't go looking to her for help! She's never helped you before, and she won't start now!"
They were stood in the wide entrance corridor. Jonathan had a bruising grip on Belle's upper arm, and they were borderline shouting.
"What do you mean?" Belle asked heatedly, scrunching her face up in confusion.
Eddie, too, was thrown by the comment. "Rach?" He turned to her. "Do you two know each other?"
Rachel was stricken, looking between her deputy, her daughter, and her former boyfriend.
The loud trill of the bell cut through the tension as students began to swarm the corridors.
Jonathan pulled Belle through the doors that were already being opened by several students as they made their way out.
"Dad, stop!"
Rachel muttered a hasty apology to Eddie before following.
"Jonathan! Stop this!"
People were staring. Eddie stood at the top of the steps outside, watching with narrowed eyes. Bolton had rushed out of the building with Belle's bag in his hand, closely followed by Danielle and Paul, clearly having followed her straight from class.
"What's going on?" Belle shouted, looking from her father to Rachel, then back again.
"Belle-" Rachel took a step towards her.
"In the car now, Izzy." Jonathan began to forcibly drag her away.
"OI!" Bolton rushed forwards.
"NO!" Belle wrenched her arm from his grip, face contorting in pain with the effort. She stepped backwards, towards the school. "I'm not leaving."
Her mind was racing, she knew that such open defiance was bound to have dire repercussions at home, but the only thing she could think was that this place was her safe haven, and she wouldn't allow him to take it from her.
Rachel came up to stand beside her. "She doesn't want this," she said softly, almost pleadingly, to the man before her.
Jonathan was becoming increasingly manic, visibly shaking in anger. "You don't get a say in this, Rachel! Not anymore!"
"This isn't about me-"
"No, this is about my daughter, and what's best for her!"
"Staying at the school she loves is what's best for her!"
"This isn't your decision! You lost the right to have an opinion about Isabelle 10 years ago, when you left her!"
Silence. The crowd that had accumulated stopped dead, Rachel froze in place, Jonathan shut his mouth abruptly when he realised what he'd just let slip in his fury.
Belle thought for a moment she'd misheard. "Dad… what?"
"Izzy…"
It hit her. She looked from her father to the woman she now realised was her mother with wide eyes, as if begging one of them to correct her assumption. Neither did.
"Isabelle," Rachel said, reaching out for the girl. Belle jerkily stepped back, out of her reach. Written all over her face was shock, anger, hurt, betrayal… Rachel wanted to cry at the painful cocktail of emotions in her daughter's eyes. Belle stood stock still, seemingly unable to act. Her eyes darted from Rachel, still with her hand reaching out to her; to her father, who had turned his back and was running a hand through his hair. She took in her friends, murmuring in shock, and Bolton, who hadn't taken his eyes off of her. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Eddie, whose face was unreadable but who was staring a hole through the back of Rachel's head. Then she took one last look at her mother, who looked like she was about to say something else.
Isabelle turned and fled back into the building.