A Drunken Mistake?
Disclaimer – I do not own Waterloo Road or any of the characters – although I wish I did!
Oh and I have not abandoned my other fic, will update that soon as
Ok, so as it did a lot of you, the end of series 5 eppy 10 got me thinking – a little too hard to be honest and the only way I could channel my unknown feelings was writing this…
It hasn't been Beta(ed) but I hope you enjoy it all the same, I was desperate to post it. Now, I just wanna say before you start reading, I am a Reddie person and love them to bits, but I do find Rachel and Chris sweet, saying this though, Things may not happen as they seem if I carry on… Enjoy!
Sunlight penetrated through the gap in the curtains, the light falling onto Rachel's face, warming her blushing cheeks. She slowly opened her eyes, blinking several times before her eyesight adjusted to the new light. She sat up, and pushed the covers off her. As she looked to her side, the events of the previous night came rushing back. As she gasped unbelievably she suddenly registered the unfamiliar room that she was in and the faint smell of alcohol.
She put her hand through her honeycomb hair as she weighed up her choices as her next move. It seemed pretty limited with her point of view.
Option 1) Quickly leave and ignore him forever
Option 2) Leave now and talk about it at school, face the facts
Option 3) Stay and discuss
As she thought through her options, the effect of last night's alcohol made her slightly dizzy and she leant back on the headrest of the bed. She glanced over at the sleeping form of her deputy and sighed. Chris was so sweet. She smiled, faintly remembering the activities of last night as they'd left the pub. And he had stuck up for her when Max tried to provoke her about her past that she'd tried so hard to move on from. But it also reminded her of someone, something else. That someone was Eddie -when he punched Stuart Hordley, for her, just as Chris had.
She needed time to think about it, her head was swimming with possibilities – she didn't want to loose her strong friendship with Chris - but she didn't know if she wanted to take it any further. Chris was sweet and he obviously fancied her, but he was almost 9 years her junior and her deputy head – even though that hadn't stopped her last time. She'd always have memories of Eddie too, she'd probably start comparing Chris with him, and that wouldn't be fair on Chris.
She pulled the covers off her and started to collect her clothes that had been thrown all over the room, obviously in the heat of last night. She found her way to the bathroom and quickly got dressed; she'd have a shower when she got home. She just needed to get her head straight.
She grabbed her bag and slowly made her way down the stairs, trying not to make too much noise as she took her phone out and dialled the number for a taxi.
"Yes, hello I'd like a taxi, just one person. Yeah picked up from Cranford Road please… Thanks" She opened the front door and she tried to pull it shut. It got stuck and as she struggled to close it something caught her eye, on a shelf in his living room.
Kerplunk
She let out a small giggle as she remembered their conversation yesterday morning. She suddenly felt guilty though. How could she just walk out and not tell him why? She pushed the door open again, dropping her bag on the floor.
She knelt down and scrabbled around in her bag for her notepad and a pen. She ripped a piece of the paper out and scribbled a note to Chris in her neat, looping hand writing.
Chris,
Sorry for leaving so promptly, I had to dash off.
Thank you for last night – you showed Max where he stands!
Hope your hand feels better today, it looked sore last night.
Shall see you at school – Monday 4th January!
Rachel x
She added the kiss as an after thought; she couldn't leave him not knowing that they could still be friends. She quickly tip-toed up the stairs and opened the door to the bedroom, placing the note on the bedside table, making a quick and quiet escape down the stairs again, not wanting to wake Chris. She grabbed her bag and started trying to close the door again – there was obviously a special way of doing it, but Rachel just didn't know how.
As the taxi pulled up next to the house Rachel heard a voice from inside.
"You don't do it like that. You have pull the handle up at the same time." Chris pulled the door fully open and gave Rachel a heart wrenching smile.
"You didn't think I was gonna let you leave, with only a note until the 4th of January did you?"
Her heart skipped a beat and she half-heartedly pointed to the taxi.
"I've, got to go and… errr… pick my car up from the pub." She said feebly. Chris smiled,
"Two minutes and I'll be with you." Before Rachel had a chance to say anything or even try to stop him, Chris had bounded up the stairs, two at a time and a few minutes later re-emerged in a jumper and jeans. He put a pair of black converse on and when the Taxi driver peeped the horn in frustration, Rachel and Chris left the house- Chris shutting the door firmly behind them- and got into the taxi.
They both caught each other's gaze and smiled, unsure what the other was thinking. They both sat back and as the taxi pulled out of Cranford road, towards the Castle Inn, Chris took Rachel's hand in his and squeezed it tight.
"Rach? Come back to mine afterwards?"
"Well errr…"
She had a choice now.
Chris and an assured relationship – but it wouldn't be easy, not for her, not with what she'd had with Eddie. Or the memories of being with Eddie but the chance of wrecking a perfect friendship.
"We could play Kerplunk?"
Please tell me what you think, should I leave it there? xx