Reach out for me - TNN Story

Chapter 3 - Meeting the Staff

The next day rolls around so fast, Charlotte's 6:15am alarm fills the house earning a groan from Charlotte as she rolls out of bed. As she rolls out of bed she gets a savoury whiff of bacon and toast? Charlotte wonders for a while, quickly grabbing her satin dressing gown and walking across her cosy landing to the guest bedroom where Maeve was sleeping. The door was open, the bed was neatly made and her clothes were folded away, no sight of Maeve. "Aw... Maeve decided to cook breakfast" she said as she closed Maeve's door and headed downstairs.

Charlotte lazily looks at her phone for the time, 6:30am, she'd spent 15mins wondering about Maeve she hadn't even seen the time go by. Charlotte hadn't even noticed Maeve calling her own name, until Maeve decided to throw a piece of bread at her. "Char? Char, Charlotte...Lottie??" Maeve giggled, playfully smiling at Charlotte, she loved their friendship they had with each other. "Ow! hey that's not not fair Eve" Charlotte giggled and threw the bread back at Maeve. Charlotte loved Maeve's nickname for her, it's one they had used over many years.

After they had ate their breakfast, they went to neaten themselves up for work. Charlotte had gotten herself dressed in her usual black dress with white flowers on. Whereas Maeve couldn't decide what to wear, she wanted to make a good impression on the staff. "Lottie? Can you help me?" Maeve calls out to Charlotte, she'd always admire charlottes fashion sense. "Yeah?" She walks into Maeve's room and looks at her lovingly. "I can't decide..." Maeve pouts, childishly thrashing out both arms with a dress in either hand. "The dark blue dress" both nod at each other and smile and get ready to get into the car, ready for their morning. It was a lot sunnier than it was yesterday, much more sunnier.

"Shit.., It's 6:45am.." Charlotte grumbles as she looks at Maeve in her dress, smiling at her as they drove to the nursery.

———— At the Knight Nursery ————

Charlotte and Maeve had eventually arrived at the nursery and it rolled to 7am, Charlotte and Maeve got off the car and Charlotte sighed at the sight of some parents being 30 minutes early as always again. "What's wrong Lottie?" Maeve rubs her right arm to get Charlottes attention. "Oh it just.. annoys me when these parents come early and they know they haven't booked an early session" she says as they both walk into the nursery, opening the door as both Marjorie and Autumn were already in there.

Charlotte shows Maeve a brief tour of the nursery and they then take their personal belongings to their lockers in the staff room. "You'll work with me in the toddler rooms, we'll be going outside to play some sports today so we'll have to check they have sunscreen on and reapplied"

The morning handovers seemed to get better as the parents keep coming, they're amazed to see how well Maeve has settled into the nursery and the rooms. There were the odd creepy dads or judgemental mums who would try to criticise Maeve but she had paid no attention to them. In the rooms today was Charlotte, Maeve and Carly, "Hiyaa!! I'm Carly!!! You must be Maeve, char told me ALL about you!!" The young 17 year old girl giggles and smiles between Maeve and Charlotte. "Carly.. get back to work, you can talk to Maeve later on break" Charlotte chuckles and turns her attention back to the toddlers. This carried on throughout the day and then they take the toddlers out to the garden to play.

By the end of the day Charlotte had introduced Maeve to all the staff members, now it was just time for Maeve to reunite with Marjorie and Autumn. Handover came around the corner again and a parent has been so fucking rude to Maeve, to the point she had to settle ground rules. "Right can you listen here, I'm here for looking out for your child in Our childcare setting, from a person who's worked with kids for years.." Maeve starts to state when she gets interrupted by Sandra, Mabel's mother "No you listen here, I don't want my daughter to hang around with that retar.." "You best not finish that sentence Sandra, you've been here longer than me and you SHOULD DEFINITELY KNOW that this behaviour isn't tolerated here. You have no right to force your child and other children to not play with that girl and spread false misinformation." Maeve pauses before finishing "Now you will leave.., right now"
Sandra chimes up as she looks up embarrassed "Expect a strongly worded email". "And expect it'll be replied in 4 - 7 working days.." Maeve says bluntly before turning back around to see Charlotte and a sneaky Carly peering over charlottes shoulder.

"Oh...my.. GODD!!!!! You totally destroyed that mum!!" Carly squeals which makes Charlotte jump "Carly!! You're supposed to be going home now" "See you tomorrow Carly, I would have loved that Kenough jumper at your age" Maeve smiles at Carly and Carly walks out as Charlotte turns to Maeve.
"I have to go and talk to Marjorie in the office you coming with me?" Charlotte taps Maeve's shoulder and looks her in the eye. Charlotte could see the hint of worry glaze over Maeve's eyes, part of Charlotte's heart sank she couldn't help but wonder if Maeve blames herself for her relationship dying with Marjorie. Maeve smiles back at Charlotte and grabs Charlotte's hand - to find a sense of comfort from her best friend.

As both Maeve and Charlotte walk to the office, they exchange silly jokes and start to laugh with each other giggling like young children.

Marjorie's POV:
Me and Autumn had been sat in the office all day, there's been so much paperwork and enrolment forms; I had lost count of how many forms we've both signed together, it's been a long day.

I look over to autumn and see her deadpan face look straight forward, typing away at her computer. She looks quite pissed at the moment.
I kept glancing and exchanging looks at Autumn until she gets visibly pissed and snaps.
"Marjorie! What are you doing???"  Autumn grumbles at me and I can tell she's not in the mood, "I just wanted to check you were alright, are you alright my love?" I look up from my computer screen. "I'm fine.." autumn mutters under her breath.

I could hear almost childlike giggles, I could recognise one of the voices. Charlotte, then she'd remembered that Charlotte wanted to see me after her shift. The second voice however, didn't sound as familiar as Charlotte's voice.

Charlotte entered mine and Autumn's office, "Marjorie can I have a word with you?" Charlotte smiles and I look up at her briefly, "Of course my love, what can I do for you?" I look back down to my computer and I hear the door open, thinking it was nothing.
Silence filled the room, followed by taps of key boards.

"Marj?.." the now familiar voice rings in my ears.
I slowly look up from my computer, in sync with Autumn. "Maeve? Is that you?" I reply softly, as Autumn looks up and smiles at Maeve.

A/N - This was quite the chapter to write, I really loved writing the funny dialogue between Charlotte and Maeve. The cute nicknames between them all just warms my heart.