Mrs Mulgrew's daughter || Waterloo Road

The cooler

"Hey you." I here someone say and I turn around, it's the tall boy with the dark hair.
"What do you want?" I ask
"I just want to know why you're being such a bitch to everyone." He says
"If your mum ran out on you and then your dad dumped you back on the same mum, then you would understand." I say trying to walk off but he catches up.
"Except I do. My dad ran off to be with someone else, my mum couldn't cope and sent me and Leo to live with dad." He says
"Well that's great." I say ignoring him.

I continue walking until I reach the English classroom and join the back of the line.
"Hi I'm Bonnie." The girl in front of my smiles.
I pass her my bag and she looks confused "oh wait, you're not a tacky air hostess?" I say
"No." She laughs and passes my bag back
"Sorry, you're dressed like one and you look like a cheap beauty store threw up on you." I say
"Whatever." She says and turns around. The teacher comes out and I see it's non other than Mrs Mulgrew! We walk into the class but mum stops me before I can enter.
"Nikki, a word." She smiles
"What?" I say
"I've heard several accounts of bitchy comments." She says
"So what?" I scowl
"You need to make friends." She smiles
"Like you care." I say pushing passed her and going to sit at the empty desk at the back.

After classes it was lunch time and I am sat at my own table when Bonnie comes and sits down.
"Erm, no what do you think you're doing?" I say
"Sitting down." He says
"I can see that." I roll my eyes. Bonnie continues to sit down.
"Not getting the message?" I say
"Oh, fine." She says getting up and walking off.
"No, it's fine, sit down." I smile
"You sure?" She smiles
"Yeah," I say "I need some friends."
"You're Mrs Mulgrew's daughter aren't you." Bonnie says
"Yup, abandoned me 12 years ago." I mutter, tossing my bottle between my hands.
"You're still here?" I look up and see Lisa and two others by our table.
"Yes and by the looks of it I'm staying. So get used to it." I say
"I won't have to, we'll get you kicked out for sure." Lisa smirks
"Not if I get you kicked out first." I say
Lisa and her gang sneer at me and walk off.
"Just ignore them." Bonnie says
"Consider it done," I smile "someone needs to teacher her a lesson."
"Damn right." Bonnie sighs
"Come round to mine later, plan it then." I say
"Is that ok with you mum and Miss Mcfall?" Bonnie says
"Miss Mcfall?" I ask
"They've lived together since Connor left and your mum went a bit off the rails." Bonnie says.
"Off the rails?" I say
"Yeah, drink driving I think crashed her car and harassed a police officer." She says
"Wow," I laugh "I need to go, speak to my mum find out about the living situation, catch up later, yeah?"
"Sure." Bonnie smiles

I walk over to the staff room and knock on the door.
"Oh, it's you. What do you want?" Mr Windsor says
"Mrs Mulgrew there?" I ask
"Sure," he says "Christine, Miss America calls."
"Who?" Me and mum both say
"Nobody." Mr Windsor walks off.
"What is it Nikki?"
"I heard you live with Miss Mcfall." I say
"Yes, where is this going Nikki?" Mum frowns
"Will you even have room for me there?" I ask
"There isn't a spare bed so you'll have to sleep on the sofa." Mum smiles
"What?" A look of horror appears on my face "no I'm not doing that!"
"Nikki, it's time you realised that your life is no longer huge house, roof top pools and sea views." Mum shakes her head
i feel my jaw drop so low it could hit the floor. "I am not sleeping on a sofa."
"I think you'll find that you are!" Mum laughs and walks off. Angrily I stomp off and get out my phone and dial the home phone in America. It rings out several times and then the 'please call back' message, "hi! Alan, Charlotte, Cassidy and Sophia aren't in right now but please do call back or leave a message!" The witches cheery voice rings out. I decide to leave a message: "hi dad, it's Nikki. Did you know mum shares a APARTMENT with another teacher and I'll be sleeping on a couch! Did you know? Call me back ASAP."

I walk along the corridor and to my next class, French I walk in and take a seat next to Bonnie.
"Nikki what a pleasure it is to have you finally embrace us with your presence." Mr Windsor frowns
"I what?" I say
"I was sarcastically telling you that you're late." He says
"I know I'm late and I really don't care." I say
"This to do with the thing with your mother." He says
"That's none of your business." I say
"Whatever, but let's get on with French." He sighs
"What your mum say?" Bonnie asks
"That I will have to sleep on her couch." I sigh
"You could stay at mine." Bonnie offers
"No you're alright I'll see how tonight goes," I smile "you still coming round?"
"Sure." She smiles
"Bonnie, Nikki quiet." Mr Windsor frowns.

Once the bell has finally rung and I'm walking to history with Bonnie, the boy with the dark hair, Justin I think, catches up.
"Good to see you made at least one friend." He says
"Just leave it Justin, you weren't exactly Mr popular last term, hey who was that 15 year old girl and the art teacher you punched?" Bonnie sneers
"You've been Billy No Mates until she showed up," Justin points out "and if it wasn't for your miraculous make over then you still would be."
"Just cut it out will you?" I snap "I don't want you making remarks about me or Bonnie"
"But you can? What did you call her earlier? Oh yeah a tacky air hostess" Justin says
"Cut it out." Bonnie says
"I get it no rules for you rules for everyone else." Justin rolls his eyes
"Exactly so shoo." I say and he continues walking with Darren and Rhiannon I hear them calling me a bitch or whatever but I carry on walking.

I walk into history and see an old woman stood at the front of class.
"My mum lives with this old-" I begin
"Nikki a word." Miss Mcfall says and I follow her out of class
"Yes?" I ask
"I understand you're going to be living with us for a while-" she says
"Not just a while, Dad sent me to Scotland until I can take care for myself and then come back and live wherever as long as it's away from him and his poxy Charlotte." I sigh.
"Well anyway I hope you'll be happy with me and Christine." She smiles
"Mum doesn't give a damn about me!" I shout
"I'm sure that's no true." She replies
"Well it is go and ask her! She didn't even remember I was coming!" I scream
"Your mother didn't know." She says
"Yes she did, daddy called." I frown
"No your father didn't call anyone we've been trying to get him on the phone for hours." She smiles
"Whatever." I say
"Maybe it's best I take you to the cooler." She says and I follow her to a classroom that has single desks and has very few people in it, including Lisa, Shaznay and my oh so precious mother.
"Christine, a word." Miss Mcfall says and they leave the room to talk outside.
"What a pleasure seeing you here." Lisa smirks
"I wish the feeling was mutual." I fake smile
"You're not gonna last two minutes here." Shaznay says
"Yeah, you may have been the queen bee in America but you're not here." Lisa sneers
"Are you telling me you are?" I laugh
"No, just watch yourself." She smirks
"You should be the ones watching your selves." I say.