i never meant to let you down.

chapter one

Michael Byrne sighs, leaning back in his chair in his office - a brief moment of peace before chaos descends on a new school year at Waterloo Road.

His eyes flit across his desk, looking at the papers neatly stacked to one side. He lingers for a moment on the photo behind them - it's him with a little girl of around 5, with bright blue eyes just like his, and long blonde hair like her mother's. It's his daughter, Hattie, who he hasn't seen for 10 years.

Michael pinches the bridge of his nose, thinking about Hattie, about how much he's missed of her life, her growing up - she'd be a teenager now. He chuckles to himself slightly, wondering how her mother, Lorraine - the new school benefactor - was coping with her - Hattie had always been a wild one.

Michael's too busy reminiscing to notice Sian walking into his office, quietly closing the door behind her.

"Are you alright?" Sian asks calmly, knowing the stress of the first day back.

Michael looks up, unaware Sian had walked in seconds earlier. "Hm?" He asks, distracted. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you." Michael smiles quickly, hoping to reassure Sian. Sian smiles back and goes to speak, but is interrupted by the first bell, indicating students would be arriving soon.

"Shall we?" Michael asks, standing up and opening the door for Sian and they both leave to welcome the students back to school.

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Michael is standing at the bottom of the entrance steps talking to Lorraine, silently wondering why Hattie wasn't with her, seeing as Hattie had lived with Lorraine for the past 10 years. He realises in this moment that Lorraine has obviously enrolled Hattie in a different school elsewhere.

'Probably for the best.' Michael thinks to himself.

Lorraine walks back into the school and Michael spots a blonde haired woman and what appears to be her son walking up through the gates and he walks down to greet them. It's Christine Mulgrew, the new English teacher, and her son, Connor.

The second bell goes, signalling the start of registration and the students file in, a few running up through the gates, just making it in time. Michael shakes his head, chuckling slightly.

He's about to head back inside to prepare for the assembly, when he spots a teenage girl leaning against the gatepost to the entrance to the school at the bottom of the hill. Michael does a double take, thinking he's imagining things, but the girl is still there, looking at him with those bright blue eyes he remembers from the picture earlier.

He'd recognise those eyes anywhere.

Michael walks down to the girl, taking in her appearance as he gets closer. She's medium height, with dark brown hair that's clearly been dyed, wearing a white shirt with the Waterloo Road tie carelessly tied loose round her neck, skirt a little too high up her legs for Michael's liking, tights with white socks rolled overtop, black ankle boots and a leather jacket chucked over her uniform. She has a suede bag slouched on one shoulder, clearly with nothing in it.

"Are you coming in?" Michael asks Hattie, unsure of what her response will be. Hattie stubs her boot on the ground, thinking.

"Do you want me to?" She retorts sarcastically, the hint of a smile appearing on her face.

Michael glares at his daughter, not expecting that answer. "Cut the attitude." He says angrily. Hattie sucks her teeth, fighting the urge not to roll her eyes at her father. "You didn't tell me you were starting here?" Michael says, his tone slightly calmer.

"Yeah, and you tell me everything." Hattie scoffs, walking up towards the school before her father can say another word.

Michael watches Hattie walk into school and sighs heavily. Sian walks up beside him, having watched that whole interaction from across the playground.

"She looks like trouble." Sian comments, knowing not to make assumptions based on looks, but she's hit the nail on the head with this one.

"Yes, she is," Michael sighs again. He quickly corrects himself, seeing Sian look at him questioningly, "That's Hattie, my daughter."

Sian smiles slightly, remembering the photo Michael had on his desk from last year back in Rochdale. "She's changed." Sian says quietly.

"Mhm," was all Michael could muster, before turning away to look at the ground and walking up towards the school, ready to deliver the start of term assembly.

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A/N

been a fat minute but i am back!!

hope you enjoy this story & i'll try & post consistently - i know i always say that 😭 but i'm rewatching wr & actually have motivation with this one..