CHAPTER TEN

The pair stayed on the bench for a while, still gripping each other's hand. Rachel didn't push her to talk about anything else, although she desperately wanted to. She knew that today had been a huge breakthrough, and was reluctant to push her any further, knowing the girl's tendency to lash out.

Belle was mostly silent on the drive back, answering the few questions sent her way shortly and evasively. At one point, though, Rachel reached over to place a hand on her knee, and Belle grabbed it and clung on tightly, like it was a lifeline. She only let go when they pulled into the school's carpark.

The silence persisted all the way to Rachel's office, and Rachel observed that she barely seemed to notice what was happening, just following her blindly.

"Wait out here for one moment, I just need to speak to Mr Lawson." Rachel said, touching her arm gently to draw attention. Again, she didn't flinch away; a good sign.

Belle merely nodded, and Rachel could practically see the thoughts racing through her head as her eyes darted about, but she took a seat without question.

Eddie looked up as Rachel entered the office and raised an eyebrow in question. He let out a relieved sigh at her answering nod, the pair somehow managing to have a full conversation with no words passing their lips.

He stood from her chair and crossed the room to stand in front of her.

"Tom spoke to Michaela."

"And?" Rachel asked.

"Took a bit of compelling, but she eventually admitted that Belle already had the black eye when she got to school- she'd asked Michaela to fight so nobody would know."

"Christ."

"That was our reaction, yeah. Tom's putting together a full report; all the incidents, comments, observations. He's got a statement from Michaela, too. But if we want to contact social services with our suspicions, we really need Belle to talk, because everything else can be dismissed as circumstantial if Jonathan contests it."

The crease between Rachel's brows deepened as she nodded in understanding.

Eddie grimaced slightly as he glanced at the closed door that concealed the girl in question from them. "Do you think she'll-?"

"Honestly? No clue. She opened up today in a way she's never done before, I'd go so far as to say we had a breakthrough. But since, she's closed down again, barely spoken, won't look at me… if I had to guess, I'd say she's second guessing it already. I don't know if we should try to talk to her now, before she can shut herself off again completely, or give her some time to breathe before approaching her."

Eddie let out a breath, contemplating. "In my experience, putting a conversation like this off never did any good. And she knows it's going to happen, so she will be building that wall up in anticipation of that. But, well, we all know she's prone to being volatile when agitated. Your call, Rach."

"I'll approach the subject cautiously, see how she reacts. At any rate, we can't leave her sitting out there much longer."

"Alright, I've got a class to teach anyway. Let me know how it goes later?"

"Will do. And thanks...for everything."

He reached out and gave her arm a comforting squeeze. "Any time." The words seemed to hold more weight that perhaps intended, but he couldn't bring himself to lighten them with another comment. He just moved around her to leave the room, neither acknowledging the slight pang of disappointment felt when physical contact was lost.

"You can go in now, kid." He said with what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

Belle barely even acknowledged him, and if she hadn't followed his instructions he'd have thought she didn't hear him at all.

He couldn't help but think that Rachel had a hard challenge on her hands as he watched the door close behind the teen.

"How are you feeling?" Rachel asked, leading her daughter over to the sofa.

She was met with a non-committal shrug.

"Belle, I need you to work with me here." She practically pleaded.

"I have! Are you not done interrogating me today?"

"I'm not interrogating you, we're all just… a little bit concerned. You said before that you needed someone?"

Belle made a low noise of affirmation.

"Let us help," Rachel implored, "let me help."

Belle's brow furrowed and her mouth tightened into a thin line. "And how are you gonna do that?"

Rachel was taken aback somewhat by the question. "Well, you tell me. I can't do anything until you talk to me." As her daughter's frown deepened and her body language closed off more still, she tried again. "Or if not me, one of your other teachers? Mr Clarkson, or Mr Wilding? We're all here for you, Belle."

"None of you can do anything, don't you get it?!" She stood up, full of anxious energy, and began to pace.

"No, I don't get it! Explain it to me, please!" Rachel stayed sitting, hoping it would allow Belle to feel more in control.

"I… I can't!" Belle seemed to struggle with her words for a few moments, wringing her hands together. "You don't understand, it'll just make it worse."

"I promise you, it won't. I won't let anything happen to you-"

Belle scoffed, effectively cutting her mother off. "And I'm supposed to believe that?! You already have!" She hurled the words out like knives, before clamping her mouth shut abruptly, eyes wide and fearful.

"Belle." Rachel said gently, standing up and making her way slowly and carefully towards her daughter, much in the way one might edge towards a potentially active landmine to disarm it. "Belle, please. I'm sorry; I am so, so sorry I haven't been there for you, but you have to let me help you now." Rachel took her daughter's shaking hands in her own and waited until her darting eyes finally settled on her own. She lowered her voice to barely more than a pleading whisper: "Tell me."

Belle took a shuddering breath in and closed her eyes tightly, the action forcing a few tears that had been swimming in her eyes to fall onto her cheeks. "Ok."

Sorry for the long gap, I went through some trauma and lost my will to live, let alone write for some time. Building myself up again slowly though. I know this chapter is very short, but I thought just writing something would be better than nothing at all. Thanks to anybody who's stuck with me this far. x