Hi guys,

This is my first fanfic and it's been a long time coming! It has a lot of stuff going on. I tried to keep the characters right but i think you can be the judge of that lol
Unfortunately i don't own Waterloo Road or any of the characters, i just love them! Reviews are welcomed ") Thanks

Beccy x

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As Rachel drove into her usual parking spot in the deserted car park of Waterloo Road, her phone quietly buzzed in her pocket. She pulled up,reached for her bag and stepped out of the car. She grabbed her laptop and a pile of paperwork and started, slowly walking up the steps to the school. Another year. She glanced at the space next to her Audi and sighed, only one car would look right in that place. Taking her phone from her pocket, Rachel stepped into the school. Not much had changed really, apart from the newly built entrance, but that still looked almost identical to the original. She looked down the clear corridors, soon to be full of kids and their chatter from the summer holidays. She slid her phone up and read the latest message she had received.

YOU HAVE 23 VOICEMAIL MESSAGES

Another text. Almost the same to all the others she had over the holidays, the amount of messages slowly increasing as the holiday passed. There were no prizes to guess who they were off. Only one person would want to speak to her. That person was Eddie. She couldn't do it though, it only made her cry, even thinking of his name made her go weak at the knees. Luckily though, the sound of another car brought Rachel back to where she was. A smart red mini pulled up next to Rachel's car. A tall, middle aged man, grinning like a cheshire cat stepped out of the car bumping his head on the door frame. His face turned almost as red as his car. Rachel giggled. The man waved at Rachel and bounded up the steps.

"Hi, I'm James Turner and I'm the new deputy head of Waterloo Road. You must be....err...Rachel Mason, yes the one and only" James put his hand out and Rachel took it. James shook if quite hard. Rachel smiled, he was certainly enthusiastic and at least he had turned up on time so they could get things sorted.

"Yes, that's me, Rachel Mason, Head teacher. Nice to meet you James. Are you ready to start on the job?" James nodded his head confidently.

Rachel lead James up to her office. There was so much work to do and it was only 7.30 on the first day of term. This was going to be a long day for everyone, especially Rachel.

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The bell for assembly rung through the school and the hall started to fill with the kids of Waterloo Road. Rachel stood on the stage and listed the things she had to say. She had to welcome all the older years back, introduce and welcome the year sevens and new members of staff. As she looked over the sea of kids flooding in to the hall, Rachel started to relax, this is where she belonged, even if Eddie wasn't standing at the back, watching her.

"Can i have year sevens at the front, year eights behind, and so on. 6th form at the back. Bolton! 6th Form at the back!"

The fresh faces of year sevens, with their uniforms in an immaculate state, blazers buttoned and nervous smiles. Then there at the back was Bolton and Paul, now in 6th Form! Of course there was Sambuka Kelly and her friends, in year ten, starting GCSE courses. Seeing the pupils in front of her made Rachel smile, they held so much respect for her. When the hall had quietened, Rachel started talking.

"Welcome back Waterloo Road! I hope you had a great holidays.. unfortuneatly Another summer holidays gone but another great academic year ahead." The pupils erupted into applause. "Now... i'd just like to introduce you... to the new Deputy Head teacher of Waterloo Road. " Rachel was saddened at the fact that Eddie didn't suddenly burst through the doors, or that he wasn't still there. James walked up to Rachel and took the microphone. Rachel looked at him, watching the way he gestured with his hands so much. It wouldn't be too long before the kids started to take the mick.

"Hi everyone...ermmm... I'm James Turner and as you know I'm now the Deputy Head at this here, school. ermmmm... i don't think there's much else to say so ermm. Have a good day! Oh and if you see me down the corridors i would appreciate a smile. "

Rachel took the microphone back and as James walked off the stage, he tripped and fell. The poor man. If he always acted like that, he wouldn't last long at Waterloo Road. The whole crowd laughed hysterically and once again, James' face turned bright red and he forced a smile to hide his embarrassment. Rachel felt sorry for him, she honestly did, but she just couldn't help a small giggle.

"errm well thank you Mr Turner. Now, you are all spending first period in your forms, so that you can have your timetables and any notices. This is to the older pupils... can you please help the new year sevens. You were one of them once and there's nothing worse than being lost on your first day, in a big school. So please help them. Now i need year sevens to stay behind, you'll be spending half of first period in here. Right, the rest of you, back to form rooms." Rachel looked to the seat in which Eddie normally sat, and to the back of the hall, where he loved to stand, secretly watching her. She really missed him but i had been her choice and she had to stick to it. When the rest of the pupils were gone Rachel started her Year seven introduction, desperately trying not to bore them.

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The bell for break time rang alerting Rachel to the fact that she had been talking to James after the Assembly for half an hour. Oh how that time had dragged on. The atmosphere in her office was quite warm and unpleasant. Rachel slowly stood up, stretching her legs as she walked over to the window. She pushed the window open and breathed in the fresh air and the smell of honeysuckle, carried in the air from the Eco garden. James gathered his paper together and stood. Rachel moved her laptop over onto the other side of her desk and sat.

"That's about it James, now i know that you have a meeting with..." honestly woman, you can't keep yourself together when you even say his name. Pull yourself together!"with Eddie Lawson in period 2, which is in 5 minutes, he'll meet you at the entrance it's errm just to discuss a few things with you, the LEA want to give you as much help a possible. then, do you have any lessons?"Luckily, the LEA had found a deputy that taught maths meaning that no extra staff were required and it was an easy swap from Eddie Lawson.

"I have year 11's period four. But that's it for today, i should have had year sevens period 1 too."

"Ok then that's sorted. How about if you come up to my office at lunch. We'll see how you've found your first morning." She seemed so organised, and James knew they would get on well.

"Thats brill, can't wait, see you then. I'm off to find errrm... Eddie. thanks Rach." James smiled and left. It hadn't seemed right, Eddie was the only one that called her Rach. She opened her Laptop and went onto her email account. She'd only been at school 2 and a half hours and already she had hundreds of emails from both the governors and the LEA. As she scrolled through them in the quiet of her office, she was rudely interrupted by Bridgett, the secretary.

"Sorry to disturb you Rachel, but your sister, Melissa, is here. She wants to talk to you... personal matters." The bell rang for 2nd lesson.

"Ok, thanks Bridgett... why don't you go and get a coffee. Honestly it won't take long." Bridgett knew better than to argue but still stood and looked concerned. Rachel slumped into her chair, half wishing that it would open up and swallow her whole. What did Mel want?

"Tell her i'll be 5 minutes... i'm in the middle of something at the moment. " It was such a bad lie but Bridgett nodded, knowingly and closed the door behind her. Rachel stared at the wall for a while but was suddenly brought back to reality when the door swung open and her younger stood before her. Putting her hand to her head Rachel let out a small sigh.

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Should i carry on? Please review. ") x