Let's Put the Past Behind Us (Prequel to Forbidden Love)

I knew he was having the same nightmare again; he had it every single night, the same dream, the same events. I couldn’t do anything but worry, he didn’t talk to me about what happened and he wouldn’t let me look after him. I knew not to wake him up since it could make him aggressive so I just walked away from his room and went down the stairs into the kitchen putting on some toast. After a couple of minutes I heard him awaken from upstairs but didn’t move from my position at the breakfast table “Kaitlin!” my dad shouted down, I finished texting my friend and shoved the piece of toast in my mouth before going to the bottom of the stairs “Yeah?” I shouted up, he looked down at me, his pyjama bottom’s pulled up a little too high and his bare chest pale from his nightmare “Put the kettle on for me?” he said, I nodded and went back to the kitchen and texting my friend.

There was always one thing I hated about being the daughter of the head teacher and that was the fact that I had to go in early or walk in the cold later, of course I always went for the earlier one. There was nobody around for now so I just stayed in dad’s office and helped him get his things out and organised, he loved me for that, my organisation. It was these time’s when my OCD came in handy. After about an hour or so just with my dad I noticed people starting to come in through the gates “Why don’t you go outside? Go make some friends?” my dad suggested, I looked at him before grabbing my bag and adjusting my skirt to make it a little shorter, I saw him shake his head a little but he didn’t say a word about it as I walked out his office and down the stairs. I walked through the corridors, getting lost once before walking out the front doors. Everyone who was already there turned around and watched me; they obviously knew who I was since there had been a stupid documentary about my dad being stabbed and I’d been in it, I walked down the steps trying to ignore all the stares and whispering. I wasn’t even paying attention, just looking at the floor and walking forwards going nowhere in particular but suddenly stopped when I saw someone’s feet in front of me. I looked up to see a tallish boy with dark, short hair and brown eyes before me, “Alright? I’m Finn” he said politely, holding out his hand. I looked at him cautiously, I had to admit he was pretty fit “Kai-“ I started and went to grab his hand “I know exactly who you are, I saw you on that TV programme ‘bout ya dad” Finn said, I looked at him then huffed out in annoyance “Oh right” I said, he was about to say something but was interrupted by a car driving towards us, I quickly jumped back and so did Finn but I smiled when I realised who’s car it was. After a couple minutes looking at the car, the owners of the vehicle got out “Oh hi Kaitlin” my old Science teacher said, I smiled “Hey miss” I said then smiled again when her now husband got out the other side “Hi sir” I said and he nodded curtly to me. I was about to say something when I heard the door’s open and moved when my dad walked out “Hey hey hey, where’d you think you’re going?” Finn asked, he pushed his arm round my shoulders and pulled me over to his friends “This is Lauren, Josh, Ronan and Vicki” he said pointing at them individually like I was a small child, I again huffed in annoyance at his babying since I didn’t even know him “And this is Kaitlin” Finn said, I was still rather annoyed at the fact that he still had his arm round my shoulders but I didn’t say anything. I watched my dad carefully as he spoke to Mr and Mrs Diamond, I looked at Finn and saw him watching my dad too but again I didn’t say a thing about it. When I noticed my dad walk towards us, I pushed Finn’s arm off my shoulders and he actually looked quite disappointed which I smirked at since I’d never had much attention from boys like him before. “I’m Mr Byrne, your head teacher. And this belongs to?” my dad asked, pointing at the car, I had to admit it was a pretty awful car. “Mine sir” the ginger boy who Finn had said was Ronan answered, “Come on move it outside, you can’t park here” my dad said, I looked down at the floor feeling a little nervous and embarrassed at what was happening “Sir I can’t park it out there, it’ll get nicked” Ronan said, he did have a point, we did live in Rochdale my dad knew of the crime around here as well as anyone. “Well then I’ll have to charge you” I laughed a little at my dad’s comment and he looked behind at me and smiled “How much?” Ronan asked, almost at a whisper. I didn’t actually hear what my dad said but I guessed it had something to do with helping the other students out in some way “And while we’re at it, we’ll have top button’s and ties done up, I expect years 12 and 13 to set the standards” my dad said, I was only in year 11 so I wasn’t listening to what he was saying at all. “He seems alright” Ronan said once he’d left, “Least if we befriend Kaitlin we can get outta trouble if need to” Lauren said, I smiled a little at the fact that they were considering becoming my friend. “Well that ain’t gone be the only reason now is it?” Ronan said he came over to me and suddenly engulfed me in a hug; I was shocked but then smiled and hugged him back. When the bell went, I walked with the others into the building and thanked Lauren as she showed me where my form room was, “Ah you must be Kaitlin, yes? I’m Mr Clarkson and I’ll be your form tutor and also your English teacher this year. If you take a seat next to erm Jason” Mr Clarkson said, pointing to the empty seat next to a boy of obviously my age and my height. Form was pretty boring and I walked with Mr Clarkson to English since I had no clue where I was going. Once we arrived he let everyone inside and they all sat down, “Scout, can you move to the empty table at the front and Kaitlin you sit next to Scout if that’s okay?” Mr Clarkson said, pointing to a girl with blonde hair. The girl nodded and smiled at me as I sat down in the chair next to her “You’re the new head teacher’s daughter aren’t you?” she asked in a hushed tone and I just nodded, I hated it when the first thing people asked was about my dad. I watched as Mr Clarkson handed out some books but then was called out the room by another teacher “Just read through chapter 1 and I mean properly” Mr Clarkson said and walked out, I looked to my right and suddenly Scout was gone and sitting next to a boy with curly hair, for the third time in about half an hour I huffed in annoyance and opened up the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, we’d read it at my old school and it was my all-time favourite book so I was happy to sit there quietly and read ahead of everyone else. When Mr Clarkson came back in, Scout quickly sat back down next to me which again annoyed me since I was just a way she wouldn’t get into trouble “Aw sir I feel sick” the boy with the curly hair shouted out “You were fine a minute ago” Mr Clarkson said casually as he got some things out his case “Yeah but I feel like I’m gonna throw up” the boy said, Mr Clarkson looked at the boy carefully before nodding and allowing him to leave. Scout got up and eventually convinced Mr Clarkson to let her go with him.