I'll keep you safe

Chapter 44

Steph Haydock was the first of the Teachers to have Earl Kelly in her lesson that morning. And she had to admit, she could smell his bad attitude from a mile off.

The minute he'd walked into the classroom and Eddie had introduced him, she wasn't keen. He'd looked her up and down with disdain, stalking passed her to one of the desks. Yet another miscreant to deal with on top of the others! She could feel it in her water that Earl Kelly was going to be worse than others though. There was something about him that made her feel uneasy.

They were halfway into the lesson. The class were completing their work in silence, allowing Steph to sit and do some marking. She hated marking, but it was better than teaching.

A few of the students had started sniggering.

Steph looked up from her marking, about to tell them off, when she noticed what- or who, they were sniggering at.

Earl Kelly had fallen asleep at his desk and was snoring lightly. Steph rolled her eyes. For a new student, he wasn't making a good first impression.

To Steph, Earl seemed to be the type who thought he could do and behave as he pleased, with no consequences. That kind of behaviour wasn't acceptable in her classroom.

It was time to show him who was boss.

She silenced the giggling class, grabbing the French Dictionary on her desk. She tiptoed over to Earl's desk, standing in front of him for less than a second, before slamming the book down on his desk.

"WAKEY, WAKEY!" She yelled smugly

The class laughed out loud as Earl shot up from his chair, alert and angry. He stared at Steph, furiously.

"What the hell are you playing at?" He sneered

Steph stood up taller, locking eyes with him.

"I beg your pardon?" She responded, folding her arms

Earl suddenly became falsely apologetic.

"Sorry Miss, I thought I was at home" he smirked

"Well evidently" Steph huffed, rolling her eyes

"Well, I'll have another ten minutes, but you carry on. Don't let me bother you" He smiled, patronisingly

Steph couldn't stand his attitude. The way he smirked at her, how he put his feet up on his desk like he owned the place. And how the class laughed with him. Even the naughtiest kids at Waterloo Road had more respect than Earl Kelly!

"Listen, matey, you can sleep in your own time. Get your pen out and get some work done!" Steph ordered

She pushed his feet off the desk, walking away from him. The class erupted into fits of laughter again. Judging by Earl's reaction, he liked people to laugh with him, not at him.

He glared at her. Miss Haydock had made him look like an idiot. Not that she cared.

She sat back down at her desk, satisfied she'd put him in his place, something he clearly wasn't used to.

"Alright everyone, show over!" Steph announced

Whilst Steph was trying to calm the class down, Earl grabbed his backpack, placing it on his knee as he unzipped it. He looked at the silver gun hidden in there, its barrel partially loaded. Earl thought there were a few people in here that needed putting in their place. Miss Haydock was one of them. She'd soon be sorry when she found out he had a gun, as would anyone else who got in his way.

When the bell finally rang for lunch, Earl stormed out into the corridor. His brother, Marley, walked passed him as though he was invisible, distracted by the blonde walking beside him. This is how it went at every school they went to. Marley, Sam and Denzil always settled in easily, forgetting about Earl immediately. He was always the odd one out, the one everyone laughed at and never took any notice of.