‘So true,’ Clara agreed. ‘Though I assume this one is because the official inspection report is in.’
‘I guess so,’ Mirren said.
‘Morning, everyone,’ Gil’s authoritative voice cut through the chatter. Clara hadn’t even noticed him. ‘This won’t take long.’
The staff shuffled towards their seats. Clara took her seat next to Sam, Brenna on her other side and Isaac on Sam’s other side.
As Clara opened her notebook, Adele burst into the room, looking as utterly stunning as always. Her warm brown skin glowed, and her black hair was pulled up in an elaborate updo. She had on a gorgeous red dress, but with her current expression, it made her look kind of terrifying and very fiery. ‘Unbelievable.’ She stormed up to Gil and, without troubling to lower her voice, she went on. ‘That was Max Lyndell’s father on the phoneagain. That man is driving me mad. I think if I have to see him before the end of term, I will actually kill him. So just a quick heads up, that you might be a deputy down next year. I’ll be rotting in a prison cell after being charged with homicide.’
Gil was smirking as he nodded. ‘Ok, we’ll get this sorted.’
Clara exchanged a glance with Brenna.
‘Poor Adele,’ Clara said, watching her as she took her seat.
‘Yeah, nightmare.’ Brenna raised an eyebrow.
Clara didn’t get a chance to comment as the staffroom door opened, admitting a flurry of familiar faces, including Polly, Finlay and Matthew Gilchrist, the physics teacher.
‘Morning, all.’ Matthew’s voice carried across the room. ‘Sorry we’re a bit late.’
‘Take a seat,’ Gil said.
The door swung open yet again. This time, Kerr and Eddie came in joined at the hip, as always. There had been a time Clara was almost jealous of that friendship, but not now. As Kerr looked for a seat, his eyes swept the room, and for a moment they settled on Clara.
For a heartbeat, her breath caught in her throat. She braced herself for the familiar flutter in her chest, the quickening of her pulse that had always accompanied Kerr’s presence. But as hiseyes moved on and she watched him chat easily with Eddie, she realised that… nothing happened. Kerr was still handsome, but he was really nothing to her.
The man who was everything was sitting right beside her.
Slowly, almost experimentally, she leaned closer to Sam. She felt the solid warmth of his arm against hers, the subtle scent of his cologne wrapping around her like a comforting blanket. He glanced down at her, his lips tugging into a gentle smile.
‘You ok?’ he murmured, his voice low enough that only she could hear.
Clara nodded. ‘Never better,’ she whispered back, and she meant it.
Across the room, Kerr caught her eye again and offered a friendly wave. Clara returned it easily, then waved to Eddie.
Sam’s phone buzzed, and Clara watched as he pulled it out. He frowned, his thumb swiping the screen, and she was certain it was Kaleb with more bad news.
A smile cracked his face, and his eyes sparkled. He passed the phone to Clara, and she read.
KALEB: So, you won’t believe this. Mum just had a call. The job she applied for was with a local theatre company. She didn’t think she’d get it, which was why she didn’t want to tell us where it was. She wasn’t thrilled about me saying I didn’t want to move again, but I don’t think she really does either. Now we won’t have to. Yayyy!!! It’s a different job than she usually does, but it’s a permanent contract!!! Thank F**k (I never swear *angel emoji*) Better head into school. Have a good day.
‘Oh my god.’ Clara beamed at Sam. She wanted to grab him and hug him, laugh and cry, but she was all too aware of where they were, so she just kept smiling as she handed the phone back to him. ‘But that’s amazing.’
‘I know.’ His eyes were shining, and Clara had to resist hugging him so hard. ‘I mean, she could try to stop me seeing them, but I don’t think they’ll allow that.’
‘They won’t.’ She patted his arm. ‘They love you too much.’ And without saying it aloud, she let her eyes tell him that she did too.
‘Right, let’s get this show on the road,’ Gil called out, clapping his hands to bring the room to order, and Sam winked at Clara before looking at the headteacher. ‘Just a very quick chat to let you all know that the official inspection report is here. It’s all as we expected from the verbal feedback. I’d even go so far as to say, it’s better. Many of you are mentioned for the wonderful work you do, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the stellar job you all did both during the inspection and every day.’
A ripple of chatter made its way around the room.
‘You’ll all receive email copies of the report today,’ Gil continued. ‘And we’ll also be sending it out to parents. There are a few areas that have been identified for development, and I’ll discuss these with the department heads during the week.’
Sam shifted beside Clara, his knee brushing against hers. A little thrill burst through her at the contact, even as she fought to keep her expression neutral. From the corner of her eye, she glanced at him, catching the slight quirk of his lips. Nothing would stop them smiling today after that message from Olive.
‘Right, that’s all for now.’ Gil clapped his hands together. ‘Any other business anyone wants to discuss before you go to class?’
