Rachel placed the last of her things on her desk into the plastic box, closing the lid carefully.
That was it. Her first term at Waterloo Road was done. She smiled at the thought.
When she'd first arrived at Waterloo road, she had to admit, she had been nervous. Rachel loved a challenge, but she wondered if a Headship role at one of the most challenging schools in the country would be too much for her. Challenging was one word to describe the year she'd had at the school.
However, despite all the stress she'd faced with Stuart Hordley, she felt she had done well and had made significant improvements and progress within the school. She was proud of what she, the staff, and the pupils had achieved.
The end of term had ended in a lot of drama. Rachel had paid for the mistakes of her past, thanks to Stuart Hordley. He had burst into the school Hall at the end of the Spelling Bee, revealing Rachel's past as a prostitute to the entire school, as well as their visitors.
If you'd asked the students and staff, they'd have all said she handled the situation gracefully, choosing not to run from the truth, and instead was honest and upfront with everyone. Both the pupils and the staff respected her for that. Despite the initial shock and gossip, they knew it was in the past, and who were they to judge?
Even so, Rachel had never felt so embarrassed or humiliated in her entire life. She really thought it was over with Stuart after her and Eddie's little conversation with him a few weeks ago. They both thought he'd backed off and that it was over. But he'd taken his chance to stick the knife in one last time.
The LEA were now aware of Rachel's past, and, thanks to Eddie's persuasion and the students protesting to stop Rachel from being fired, they had agreed that the past was the past, and she could stay.
So, her past was out in the open, and the repercussions hadn't been as bad as she'd thought. It was a weight lifted off her shoulders. But she still had a lot of work to do to prove to everyone that she was worthy of the job and that the LEA had made the right decision in keeping her at Waterloo Road. And she was determined to work even harder than before in September.
Now that the term was over, Rachel was looking forward to relaxing for the evening. She had made plans to go out for drinks with the staff, followed by a drink with Eddie, just the two of them, alone, to celebrate. Despite the poker face she had showed Eddie when he'd asked her that morning, she couldn't wait to spend more time with him outside of work. Over the last few months, she had gotten to know Eddie and had grown extremely fond of him. He had stood by her, despite her past; he'd stood up for her against Stuart. Throughout the whole year, he'd had her back regardless, no questions asked. She owed him a lot more than just a drink really, but it was a start.
Eddie knocked on the office door, grinning at Rachel as he watched her tidy away. He was looking forward to this drink just as much as she was.
Rachel smiled back at him when she saw him standing in the doorway.
"You ready to go for that drink? I thought we could go for one with the staff and then sneak off to somewhere a bit quieter" He asked
"Sure. Why don't I meet you there? I just have a few more things to do" Rachel suggested, continuing to tidy her desk
"I can wait while you finish, it's no problem" Eddie offered
"No Eddie really, go and have a drink with the others and I'll join you once I'm done" she insisted
"You're not going to bail on me, are you Miss Mason?" He teased, winking at her, a massive grin spreading across his face
She chuckled. She couldn't resist his goofy smile.
"I wouldn't dream of it, Mr Lawson!" she reassured
"I'm holding you to that, Rach!" he replied, turning away, stepping out of the office and out of sight
She smiled, shaking her head. How he made her feel so giddy, she didn't know!
As she packed her laptop away, she heard the office door open again. Rachel thought nothing of it, assuming Eddie had changed his mind and had decided to wait for her after all.
"Did you forget something?" she asked as she heard the footsteps growing nearer
The footsteps became a shadow, and as the shadowy figure stepped into the light, her blood ran cold.
It wasn't Eddie.
It was Stuart.
YOU ARE READING
I'll keep you safe
FanfictionWhen Rachel goes through a horrific trauma at the end of the school term, will Eddie be there for her? (Set at the end of series three of Waterloo Road)
