One hour later...
It was lunchtime. Rachel was in her office, filling out some paperwork. The grumbling of her empty stomach was getting harder to ignore.
Bar the kids fussing and being excited over Sarah-Leanne's dramatic entrance, the first day back was going well. The peacefulness had allowed her to get on with her mountain of paperwork with no distractions. That was a first! Usually, there was always some kind of problem to distract her and keep her on her toes and away from her paperwork.
She had wandered round the school during the second lesson of the day, making her way to Eddie's classroom on autopilot. She'd leaned against the windowsill for a few minutes, watching him teach. The kids had been hanging onto his every word, entranced by maths in a way she had never seen before.
When Eddie had seen her stood in the corridor, he'd smiled, causing her to blush and smile back before moving along.
The careers event was going well. Rachel had watched from a distance as the kids got involved with discussions and asked questions to the former students of Waterloo Road who were now in successful jobs. Kim seemed to be running the day perfectly. She couldn't deny it, she was impressed.
She sighed in relief when Eddie entered the office, lunch from the canteen for the two of them in his hand. She would have smiled at him, but the angry expression on his face as he passed her a chicken wrap made her refrain.
"Who has done what to you?" she asked
Eddie sighed. He should have known she'd sense his bad mood. She could read him like a book.
"Kim had a massive go at me at break time" he grumbled
"About what?" Rachel questioned, opening her wrap carefully
"I went to supervise her at the careers event this morning. She went off on one at me because of that, saying she didn't need a 'supervisor'" he ranted, rolling his eyes
It was Rachel's turn to sigh. She couldn't deny it; she didn't have a lot of sympathy for Eddie in this situation. In her view, he had, had it coming.
"I thought Kim said she didn't want you to oversee her?"
"Well, someone had to be in there with her! There were hundreds of kids in that hall, Rach. She couldn't run it all on her own! Especially with the uproar Sarah-Leanne caused. And besides, I'm glad I went. She was asking the kids unrealistic questions like: 'what are your plans for the rest of your lives?'" he explained as he opened his sandwich
"Well, they do need to be thinking about that kind of stuff" Rachel pointed out as she nibbled on her wrap
"Yes, they do. But, Rach, no one really knows what they want to do with the rest of their lives! No one has everything perfectly mapped out! Things change and people change! Why couldn't she have asked a more realistic question, like 'What do you want to do after you leave here?'. That's what's most important right now, doing their exams or NVQ's and working out whether they want to step into the world of work, or to go to University"
"Eddie, most of Year 11, 12 and 13 has that next step planned. I don't think Kim was wrong in her approach, whatever the circumstances. The kids do need to be thinking further ahead than their next steps" she argued
Eddie chewed angrily on his sandwich.
"I don't think that's the most important concern, Rach. They need to be focussed on their exams before they do anything else"
Rachel sighed. This was less about his concern for the kids, and more to do with his scepticism towards Kim. It seemed that, in Eddie's view, everything she did was wrong.
"Eddie, I think you and Kim need to start again. I don't blame her for snapping at you. I'm sorry, but you're not making her feel very welcome. Being stuck in the middle of it is making me feel uncomfortable. I can't have a good management team if the Deputy Head and the Head of Pastoral Care are at each other's throats!"
"Rach, I'm not saying she isn't up for the job. But, she has a child, who seems to have separation anxiety! Before she snapped at me at break, I saw her leaving the crèche and she looked like she was about to break down! Grace was screaming because she'd left, I could hear her from down the corridor! She needs someone to help her run this event!"
"Eddie, it's her first day back. Put yourself in their shoes for a minute and imagine how difficult it must be. Grace has probably never been away from Kim for long. She's in an unfamiliar environment, in a new routine and is surrounded by strangers that she doesn't know! They will find their feet and Grace will settle, ok?" Rachel reasoned
"If you say so" he grumbled
Rachel stood up, grabbing his hand and placing it on her stomach.
"Have some empathy. We have all of this to come" she pointed out
Eddie smiled.
"Are you really planning on coming back from maternity leave after four months?" he asked, changing the subject
"Yes" she replied firmly, sitting back down at her desk
"Full time, with a newborn?" he questioned sceptically
She nodded confidently.
"Rach,"
"Eddie, a lot of women do it. I won't be leaving the baby. They'll be here with me in my office where I can keep my eye on them and do my work at the same time" she reasoned
"I know, I just... you'll be exhausted. I don't want you to burn yourself out" he sighed, sitting down in the chair opposite her
"And I don't want to be sat at home all day doing nothing when I could be here helping and looking after the baby at the same time"
"But what if you have to go to a meeting or deal with something important? You can't leave the baby alone in your office!" he argued
"That's what we have the crèche for"
"And you trust a bunch of strangers to look after our baby, do you?" he challenged
"Eddie, they are trained childcare workers!!! They're not brainless amateurs! If you're worried about leaving them in a place we know is safe, I dread to think what you'll be like when they start school or nursery!"
"It would be different then" he shrugged
"How would it?" she questioned
Eddie sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"Let's discuss this at home, yeah?" Rachel suggested calmly, having a feeling that this would blow up into an argument that she wasn't in the mood for today
"Fine. But I'm not dropping it, Rach" he said firmly
Rachel nodded, eating the rest of her chicken wrap. Eddie moved onto the sofa, finishing off the rest of his lunch.
"So, how is your first day back?" he asked, breaking the silence
"It's been... quiet" she answered
"I never thought you'd say that about a day in this place!" he chuckled
"Me neither!" she laughed
"So quiet, but good?" he checked
She nodded.
It was at that moment that Kim stormed angrily into the office, causing both Eddie and Rachel to look up from their lunches. They were a little taken aback when they saw a nervous looking Philip cowering behind her. Rachel looked to Kim, waiting for an explanation.
"This boy has just sexually assaulted one of our guests. He grabbed Sarah- Leanne's breasts" Kim announced
Rachel froze in her chair, unsure of what to say or how to react to such an accusation. She was sure if it was any other student, she would have reacted differently. That made her feel guilty. Philip was her Nephew, yes. But he was also a student at Waterloo Road. Sometimes the two merged together and blurred the lines. On this occasion, they needed to be separated.
Eddie's reaction was the opposite of Rachel's. As soon as the words had left Kim's mouth, he'd shot up from his seat, anger bubbling inside of him instantly.
"You'd better not have, lad!" he snarled, glaring at Philip
"I told you, I was pushed!" Philip mumbled, looking to Kim as he rubbed and clawed at his chest
"Oh, really? By whom?" Kim questioned angrily
"I... I don't..." Philip stammered, fighting for his breath
"Yeah, exactly. I saw what happened with my own eyes!" Kim huffed
Rachel still hadn't said a word. She had heard what Kim had said, but it hadn't quite registered in her brain that it was Philip that Kim was accusing. Philip wouldn't do something like this, would he?
She could feel Kim's and Eddie's eyes on her, waiting for a response. She swallowed the lump in her throat.
"Sorry... uhm... I'm a bit shocked because... Philip is my Nephew"
Kim paused. No one had given her this information, not that she would have expected someone to provide her with it. It wasn't like she would have guessed Philip was the nephew of the Head Teacher. They didn't have the same surname for a start.
But what did that mean for his punishment? Kim knew it could go one of two ways. Rachel would either let him off or not punish him as severely as she would another pupil who had done this. Or she would treat him like every other pupil who had done this. She hoped for the second one.
"And don't expect to be treated any differently because of that, Philip" Rachel added firmly
"I didn't do it, ok? What she said... I was just going to... they said I wouldn't..." Philip rambled, his breathing becoming more and more rapid
"Who said?" Eddie questioned
Rachel had experienced enough panic attacks in the last few months to know that Philip was on the brink of one. He was fighting for his breath, shaking and sweating as he rubbed his hand across his chest. Rachel was certain he would collapse on the floor at any minute. Despite what he'd done, he needed to calm down before they'd have to call an ambulance.
"Could you take him to the cooler, Eddie, please? Get him to calm down a bit?" she requested
Eddie nodded, ushering Philip out of the office. He couldn't stop himself from glaring at Kim. What Philip had done was wrong and disgusting, yes, but it probably wouldn't have happened if she had let him help out. He knew how unreliable Steph was and knew Kim would need the extra support because of that. But she had refused him. And now the day had ended in disaster.
"Quite an eventful morning, Miss Campbell" he muttered as he made his way out of the office
The door closed, leaving the two women in an awkward silence. Rachel stood up, a heavy sigh escaping her lips. She couldn't deny it, she was embarrassed and disgusted by Philip's actions. She had expected this from another pupil maybe, but not Philip, her own Nephew. What had given him the impression that it was ok to put his hands on a woman like that?
She was trying her hardest to push the memories of Stuart's attack to the back of her mind. Situations like this triggered the memories of that night.
Little did she know that Kim was battling with something similar. Lewis Seddon had popped into her mind the second she had laid eyes on the scene of Philip and Sarah-Leanne. She was subconsciously trying to stop her mind travelling back to the past and being backed into the corner of the cooler all those years ago.
"Look, I didn't realise that he was family. But even if I had, I would have reacted in exactly the same way" Kim explained
"No, of course you would. I'm sorry about this, Kim. I didn't think your first day back would be a day like this" Rachel sighed
Kim smiled politely.
"It's fine. I can cope. But you do realise we will have to pursue Philip if Sarah-Leanne presses charges?"
Rachel nodded quietly. She knew the process all too well.
"Yes. I'm well aware of that, thank you"
"How is Grace settling in?" she added
"Uhm... not great. She's been crying most of the morning. I went to see her at break and she calmed down. But then when I left, she started screaming and crying again" Kim sighed
"It can't be easy for either of you. You're both settling into a new routine, it's bound to be tough" Rachel sympathised
Kim nodded.
"We'll manage"
Rachel smiled softly.
"I'm happy to cover your classes if you want an hour with her?" she offered
"No, no, it's fine. She's just not used to being around other children and babies. If it was just her one-on-one with someone, she'd be fine. But she'll get used to it"
"Why don't I take her for an hour, then? She can sit in here with me while I do my paperwork" Rachel suggested
"I couldn't ask you to do that"
"I want to, Kim. If you think it'll help and if it'll make it easier for you. Once she's calmed down I'll take her back to the crèche" Rachel reasoned
Kim thought for a moment. Rachel's offer was sincere. She hadn't known her long at all, but she had already found herself trusting her and getting along with her. She knew that Grace would be safe with Rachel, even if it was just for an hour. But, she also felt like she was burdening Rachel, even if she had offered.
"Are you- are you sure?" she checked
"Of course. It'll be good practice for me. Go and get her and bring her in here" Rachel nodded
Kim smiled gratefully.
"Thank you so much, Rachel" she said as she left, closing the door behind her
Rachel sighed as she took a sip of her water. Her mind was reeling. On the outside, she was calm, but inside, a storm of fury, disgust and embarrassment was brewing because of Philip's actions.
She had thought about going over to the cooler to see how Philip was, but she thought it best to stay out of it until she had calmed down. She trusted Eddie to have a strong word with him, and knew he would do a better job than she could in this situation, which seemed to be a little too close to home for her.
Her first day back had taken a dramatic turn. The peace had been bliss while it lasted. But, as usual, all good things had to come to an end.
...
Eddie had escorted Philip into the cooler, instructing him to sit down whilst he got him a glass of water. He had to resist the urge to throw it over him in an attempt to knock some sense into him. He was furious with him for what he'd done, and he knew Rachel was too.
Who had taught him or given him the impression that it was acceptable to treat women like that? It certainly hadn't been him or Rachel. Melissa maybe, but he didn't think even she had such low standards.
He was disappointed in Philip. The boy had seen firsthand what Stuart's actions had done to Rachel. He knew about the physical and mental scars it had left her with. Why would he do this, knowing how vile behaviour like this affected women?
Philip knew Eddie was angry with him. He was angry with himself. He felt sick to his stomach. He hadn't meant to do what he did, but he had done it.
He had been pushed, he was adamant about that. He'd felt a strong pair of hands pressing on the top of his back just before it happened. But it didn't matter. He didn't know who had pushed him, so he couldn't prove it. He knew how it looked and he had to take his punishment.
"Eddie, I'm sorry"
Eddie scoffed in disbelief.
"Sorry? You're sorry? Do you have any idea what you've done? 'Sorry' doesn't even cut it, mate!" he snapped
Philip's gaze dropped to the table in shame.
"You know what happened to Rachel last year. You know how it's affected her, and you go and do this? It's disgusting!" Eddie continued
"I didn't do anything! I was pushed, I swear!" Philip argued
"I don't believe you. Do you realise how serious this is? If Sarah-Leanne presses charges against you, there's nothing me or Rachel can do to help you! And even if we could, we wouldn't!" Eddie shot back
"But I didn't do it! I was pushed, Eddie! Please, I know how it looks, but I didn't do it intentionally! Someone pushed me!"
"And you didn't see who it was?" Eddie questioned
"No!"
"That's quite convenient, don't you think?" Eddie challenged
"Eddie, please. You have to believe me! I wouldn't do something like this... I was just..."
"Just what? Having a bit of fun? Yeah, well, your version of 'fun' has just potentially traumatised a woman for the rest of her life!"
"I DIDN'T DO IT!!!" Philip yelled, slamming his fist on the desk
Eddie watched as Philip placed his head in his hands, his fingers pulling at his hair.
"Fine. Tell me what happened then" Eddie suggested
Philip sighed, lifting his head up.
"I... I was showing off to Bolton and Paul at break. They were going on and on about Sarah-Leanne and how hot she was. I just... I wanted to fit in, so I was saying all these things to try and impress them. And then Bolton suggested I ask her out. I didn't want to, but Paul and Bolton were adamant that I'd be a wuss if I didn't. That's what I was about to do in the corridor, before I was pushed" he explained
Before Eddie could respond, the bell rang out. He sighed in relief. He didn't know if Philip was telling the truth or not, but it didn't matter. He couldn't deal with this right now, he was too angry. Thankfully, he had a class to go and teach, which would hopefully give him the chance to calm down and come back to the cooler in an hour's time in a better mindset. He doubted that of course. He'd probably be angry about this forever.
"I'll be back in an hour, Philip. Stay here and don't move. Maybe have a think about the trouble you've caused" Eddie grumbled, exiting the cooler
Philip ran a hand through his hair as he watched Eddie leave. His heart was still beating rapidly against his chest. He had really messed up.