‘Blame him.’ He pointed at Eddie.
‘Me?’ Eddie pulled a completely angelic face.
‘They’re impossible to work with,’ Mirren added, sitting down with a mug of coffee.
‘I resent that.’ Kerr folded his arms, then started laughing again.
Mirren’s cheeks went a little pink, and Sam adjusted his blazer. Kerr had what the kids called ‘the rizz’. He was tall, dark, handsome, fun, smiley, kind, and basically everyone’s ideal man it seemed. He certainly attracted a lot of attention, though he never seemed to notice, or maybe he was just so used to it he didn’t care.
The door swung open, and Clara swept in with Polly, cheeks flushed as though she’d been running. She closed the door with that usual bright smile of hers and cast him a little wave as she glanced around looking for an empty seat.
‘I thought I was late,’ she said to the room at large.
‘Not as late as our overlord.’ Kerr checked his phone, then glanced at the empty seat on his left. Clara gave him a tiny smile and blinked before edging in and sitting next to him. Polly took the one on her other side.
‘Why are we here?’ Lissa mumbled. ‘And no sign of Gil or Adele.’
‘Adele was on the phone to a parent.’ Sam’s eyes trailed across to Clara and Kerr. He noticed the way her gaze flicked briefly toward Kerr, and she blinked.Yep. She was another one under his spell.
‘Who was the parent?’ Lissa frowned. ‘Not that poor Isabella girl? She’s not in my class, but that was such a sad thing to happen.’
‘Oh, absolutely. Just dreadful.’ The girl’s father had died just after Christmas, and she hadn’t been back to school since. Sam understood the pain only too well. He’d been in his early twenties when his dad died, and although it was more than twenty years ago now, not a day went by when he didn’t think about him or remember him. ‘But it wasn’t her. It was Max Lyndell.’
‘Oh, him.’ Lissa let out a low groan. ‘If anyone’s heading directly from school and into a cell, it’s Max.’
‘He’s definitely not the easiest.’ Thankfully Sam didn’t have him in his class this year, though as principal teacher of English, he had to deal with many complaints.
His gaze settled on Clara again, taking in the way her irises burned when she looked at Kerr, then she smiled a little over brightly. She blinked, and her eyes met Sam’s. He gave her a halfsmile, and she returned it, looking almost shy, or perhaps feeling she’d been caught doing something she shouldn’t.
‘I do apologise.’ Adele stormed in. ‘Clara, we need to talk tomorrow about a certain pupil.’ She rolled her eyes.
‘Sure.’
Clara was the principal guidance teacher, and really, there couldn’t be anyone better suited to that role. She was so smiley and warm that Sam couldn’t imagine any of the pupils not liking her.
‘Gil’s been held up talking to the council’s head of education,’ Adele went on. ‘And he’d like me to speak to you. I’m really so sorry about keeping you waiting, but you’re all going to want to hear this.’ She made a pained expression and brushed something from her slick black trousers. She’d teamed them with heels and a sharp white jacket that wouldn’t have looked out of place on the catwalk. Her black curls were loosely pinned back to the side with a clip, and her lips were crimson. She had a commanding presence, but she looked unusually edgy.
Clara frowned at her, clutching a thick notebook stuffed with papers and a green pen with a bendy end and something that looked a bit like a koala bear hanging from it. Sam grinned. That was so her. She crossed her legs and adjusted the skirt of her blue dress. It had tiny white flowers on it and looked like a spring garden.
‘Unfortunately, in two weeks’ time, we’re getting a visit from His Majesty’s Inspectors.’
Everyone groaned.
‘Indeed.’ Adele let out a sigh. ‘Gil is going to give you a proper briefing tomorrow, but just so that you’re all aware, they’ll be here for the first week in March.’
‘Dang it,’ Eddie said. ‘I was hoping I’d be retired before they showed face again.’
‘I hope they don’t come to my class when I’ve got Max,’ Mirren said.
‘Same,’ Isaac muttered.
‘Try not to worry about that,’ Adele said. ‘We’re doing what we can to figure out what’s best for everyone.’ She glanced at the clock. ‘Now, I know you’re all keen to get away, so I’ll let you go.’
Getting two weeks’ warning was different from the English system, which Sam was used to, and he wasn’t sure it was a good thing.
Eddie pinged a teaspoon on the side of his mug and cleared his throat. ‘Before you go, can I have your attention, please? Just before you all leave, there’s one more thing, and this will definitely cheer you all up.’
Kerr hid his face in his hands and shook his head.
