Peaky Blinders. One shot and imagines

School teacher - Part 8 - Tommy x Reader

(Y/n) opened the door to the house, it was still dark outside; but she had to get to the train station before the first train of the day left. Already there were men making their way to work, the lapels of their jackets pulled up around their necks to help shield them from the cool of the morning.

She had been awake all night, going over and over what had happened. Wondering why the oldest Shelby had asked her to the Garrison in the first place if he had every intention of the night ending as it had. It was true to say that she had thought too much about it. That she had twisted Arthur's motives until they were warped and broken. Coming to the conclusion that for some reason he had done it to mock her. That he could have done it to win a bet or a dare that some other man that had made with him. That she had ridiculously created some kind of romantic illusion around the older man, and given him exactly what he wanted; sure that she had never felt so much like a fool in her life. But not anymore. She had no intention of having to come face to face with Arthur Shelby again. Of, in fact, even having to think about him again. The school teacher telling herself that she was happy to be getting away from the dark, smoggy town. Her grandparents farm in Cumbria calling her name. The thought of people that actually loved her, and good clean air, the only things that had put a smile on her face.

Slowly, she closed the door behind her before making her way over to the beat up old metal rubbish bin and taking off the lid. For a moment, she looked at the dress in her hand, when she had put it on, she had felt like a princess; she had done her best to look like one of those movie stars. Now though.........now she wouldn't even us it to wipe the mud from the children's shoes. The dress being tossed into the bin before she picked up her case and made her way down the street.

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Tommy sat at the breakfast table. Normally he would be reading his paper, opening the days mail; but this morning, he just sat looking over the table. He had been angry the night before, and that anger was yet to dissipate. What Arthur had done, was cruel. He had seen the look on (Y/n)'s face as she had turned from the scene; it appearing as though all colour had been drained from her face.

After Polly and Ada had taken the school teacher from the pub, Tommy had marched into the room, telling the two women to get out and not come back before confronting his brother as Arthur had pulled his trousers back up. A smile, which Tommy had very much wanted to slap off, spreading across his brother's face. He had slammed the door to the room, shutting out the prying eyes. Tommy noticing the residue of white powder over the table. He had asked Arthur what he thought he was doing, if he had forgotten that he had come to the party with a beautiful, sweet woman. Arthur just shrugging as if he didn't care, as if he didn't know what Tommy was talking about. Tommy throwing back open the door and ordering some of the boys to take his brother home, before something happened to him.

Tommy had thought about following after the three women. About going to (Y/n) and apologising for what his brother had done. But when his aunt and sister had returned, and Polly had told him about how the school teacher had appeared; that the last thing that she would need was to see a male face, he had thought better of it, though he had promised himself that he would talk to her after he had dropped Charlie off at the school.

"Good morning............" Polly said, as she made her way into the room. Tommy just nodding, as he pushed his cigarette into the ashtray.

"Is he up yet.................?" She continued, Tommy this time shaking his head.

"(Y/n) asked me to give you this last night, before we left her." Polly added, as she handed her nephew the letter, before taking a seat. Tommy furrowing his brows, as he looked at it for a moment before reaching for a knife and opening it. The head of the family firm quickly jumping to his feet and pulling his jacket from the back of his chair.

"What's wrong.............?" Polly asked, as Tommy made his way to the door.

"She's leaving..............." Was the only thing that came in reply, as Tommy disappeared from the room. Polly getting to her feet and picking up the letter. The older woman shaking her head, as she read the words.

"Oh, (Y/n). You stupid girl..................."

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The car sped down the street. Tommy had had the intention of going to make his way to his brother's room. He was going to wake Arthur and shove the letter under his nose. He was going to make him see what his stupidity had done; but he had thought better of it. He had thought that perhaps if he could get to her house, he might be able to stop her before she left.

In the letter, the school teacher had apologised. Apologised for leaving town, for leaving the children like this. She had thanked him, thanked Polly and the others for what they had done for the school. Told him that she knew that it was the cowards way out, but she could not face the ridicule that was sure to follow; the shame and pity that might come. Nor could she face Arthur again. Tommy hoping to get there before she could go; hoping that he could persuade her to stay. To promise that he wouldn't allow Arthur to come back to the school. But that all depended on whether he could get there in time.

With a squeal, the brakes of the car brought the vehicle to a halt, as Tommy got to the home of the school teacher. Quickly he jumped out and made his way to the door, banging on the wooden ingress.

"She's gone.............." A voice came, Tommy looking over to see a woman poking her head out of the front window of the house next door.

"Gone................?"

"Yeah, first thing. She was carrying a suitcase. She threw something in the bin and then left..............." The woman continued. Watching as Tommy made his way over to the bin, taking off the lid and reaching inside, retrieving the dress that (Y/n) had worn the night before.

"Did she say where she was going.............?"

"I only saw her. I didn't talk to her.............." The woman replied, as Tommy pushed the dress under his coat. Nodding his thanks to the woman before making his way back to the car.