Chapter Three
Clara
‘Morning, my lovely.’ Clara opened the staffroom door to see Sam. He’d already switched on the urn and had his cup out. If anyone was worse than her for morning coffee, it was him.
‘Hey.’ He looked around, a small smile tugging his lips. ‘How are you this morning?’ He lifted the Little Miss Sunshine mug from the shelf and put it next to his. A pupil had given that mug to her, and it reminded her how important positivity was.
‘I’m a bit better, thanks.’ The ongoing health issues and the impending inspection still unsettled her, but the fact that Sam had somehow unearthed her secret was perhaps even more disturbing. He was such a nice guy, however, and she trusted him not to say anything. Having someone she could turn to if she needed was undeniably pleasant. She had so many friends and close family, but no one she’d ever dared confide in about her feelings for Kerr.
‘Glad to hear it.’ Sam filled up her mug and handed it to her. ‘I hope I didn’t overstep yesterday. I just didn’t want you to beupset… or not even that, because it’s ok to be upset. I just didn’t want you to feel like you had to face it all alone.’
‘That’s because you’re the sweetest man.’ She took her mug and cradled it. ‘And I had a little cry last night, I’m not going to lie. I’ve got a lot on my mind, but that’s it now as far as Kerr’s concerned.’
If she kept telling herself that, she could make it real.
‘Good for you.’ He sipped his coffee and checked his watch. ‘I’m meeting with Isaac in ten minutes about Max Lyndell. Poor Isaac’s at his wit’s end.’
‘Aw, Isaac’s such a sweet darling.’ Being four or five years younger than her, Clara looked on him like a baby brother. He had big puppy dog eyes and the look of a studious pupil more than a teacher sometimes. ‘He really doesn’t like conflict, does he?’
Sam sighed. ‘No, and I can understand that. I don’t either, but you get better at dealing with it as you get older.’
Clara took a sip of coffee to cover her grin. Sam didn’t need to worry too much about conflict in his classes. He had such a commanding voice that it drew people in. Lissa often joked about how he could hypnotise people with it, and she wasn’t wrong. His classes always seemed well organised but fun, and he rarely complained about discipline issues, which was pretty unheard of.
‘And Max is a particularly difficult student.’ Clara pulled a side pout. ‘Adele wants to talk to me about him today. He’s already on my caseload, but none of the interventions we’ve put in have worked for him. I’m not sure where to go next. I’d hate to think that if he plays up at the inspection, they’ll blame me for not putting the right support in place. It’s not for lack of trying.’
‘No one will blame you for his behaviour. He’s a bright kid, but not in a bookish way, and he’s got so much attitude.’ Sam shook his head. ‘I think there are things going on at home.’
‘His parents are divorced, and I think that causes a lot of tension.’
‘No doubt. Speaking as a divorcee, I know it’s not easy.’
Clara exhaled softly. ‘He’s not one for opening up about it either.’ She glanced at the clock. ‘I’ve got Isabella Denby and her mum coming in to talk about getting her back to class. Poor thing’s been out for nearly two months now, and her mum’s understandably anxious.’
Sam sighed, crossing his arms. ‘I feel for her, honestly. Losing a parent at a young age… well, I know what that’s like.’
‘Oh, Sam… Did you lose someone?’
‘Yeah.’ He put his cup down and ran his fingers through his salt and pepper hair. ‘My dad. When I was in my twenties. Poor Isabella, she’ll be so lost. It’s an impossible feeling to describe. Kind of like losing your anchor and not knowing where to go. I had a pretty hard time after that. I think she’s so brave coming back so soon.’
‘Aw, bless you, my lovely.’ She put her hand on the arm of his jacket. ‘I didn’t realise.’
‘In some ways, it seems like a very long time ago. In other ways, it feels like yesterday.’
She gently squeezed his arm. ‘It’s going to be so hard for both Isabella and her mum, but Isabella’s apparently been in touch with some friends already – small steps.’
‘That’s a good start.’ He moved to the sink and rinsed out his cup. ‘I should go and see if I can find Isaac. Catch you later. Hope you have a good day.’
‘Thanks, Sam. And you too.’ She watched him leave, frowning a little. He was kind of handsome in a strange way… Or not strange as such, just inexplicable. She’d never really thought about it before and wasn’t sure why that thought had popped into her head, or from where.
She rinsed out her mug as the door opened again. Animated voices made her smile.
‘Hey, Polly, and Mirren.’ She turned and waved.
‘Morning.’ Mirren shook off her jacket. ‘Have you ever had an inspection before?’
‘Only once,’ Clara said. ‘When I was a probationer. I’ve kind of blanked it out.’
‘Was it that bad?’ Polly hung up her bag and started tying her long dark hair into a ponytail.
