THE HEADMASTER FROM HELL

Part 75 - LIFE WITHOUT SEAN

Stephen, Matthew, Owen and Nigel had all returned to Grange Road after their releases from prison or hospital. Matthew was not the same as he once was. He was too traumatized and hardened now by his time in prison. He was also mourning his mother's death. But one good thing was that he was reunited with his Nan who he hadn't seem for a long time. She hadn't visited him much in prison. Not because she didn't want to but because it was difficult for her to get there often. But now he was free he went to live with her and she was happy to have her grandson with her

Liam also returned to Grange Road. Although he had been happy at Waterloo Hill now that Sean was gone there was no reason not to return to Grange Road. All his friends were there and now that his foster mother was the headmistress it was even better to return. Liam was very happy living with Sandra and Alan and baby Jamie

Stephen and Abigail were still in care and both feeling down in the dumps. They were happy to finally see the back of Sean and Stephen being free again but it was not much fun in care

''You're very lucky to have a caring foster mother like Sandra'' Stephen told Liam while they were hanging out one afternoon

''Yes its very cool'' Liam said ''I know i am lucky''

''Abi and me are still stuck in care'' Stephen said ''But its still better than living with our parents''

''I've been thinking'' Sandra told Alan ''I feel so sorry for Stephen and Abigail still stuck in care after all this time''

''Yes its dreadful'' Alan agreed

''That is why i want to foster them as well'' Sandra said and Alan was surprised

''Are you really sure about this?'' he asked ''You already have 4 sons of your own, one of which is a baby, to care for plus Liam. Plus now you're headmistress here. Do you really want to  take on more children?''

''yes i do indeed. But i want to know if you're ok with it before i do it''

''Well sure. If you really want to do it then i'll support you. But do we even have the space?''

''No not yet. But we will as soon as i buy a bigger house for us all with extra bedrooms. Maybe we can foster even more kids and not just Liam, Stephen and Abigail!''

Sandra was so excited and enthusiastic by this idea that Alan couldn't say anything bad about it. He knew he would support her even though it was a surprise for him and he hadn't really expected it at all. But Sandra was a great parent to her real sons and a great foster parent to Liam so he was quite sure she would be a great foster parent to Stephen. Abi and others too and plenty of kids were stuck in care and needed a home. It was a very worthwhile and admirable thing to do to be a foster parent   

Sandra was also doing very well as the headteacher and with brilliant support from Alan as the deputy. Together they were repairing the damage Sean, and some of his helpers like Agatha and Graham, had done

The boys had needed time to recover. So Sandra and Alan had been easy on them for a while and let them have a disco and let them have some fun. However Sandra and Alan both knew that they still had to run the school properly. The boys had been through a lot with Sean and they deserved a rest and some fun but after a few weeks they began to settle down and get back into proper classes and proper discipline. Sandra and Alan would be strict but not in the way Sean had been. Strict but firm but fair and sane and sensible was the way they would do it. That was the way Ted had been    

''Now we know you boys went through a lot of hell with Sean'' Sandra had told them during an assembly ''But we all have to settle down and get back to running this school as a normal school with proper lessons and really just return to how it used to be before Sean came here''