It has been a few days since Niamh went to stay with Jim and Luca. Niamh is on the basketball court in Jim and Luca's neighbourhood. She's having a one-on-one game with Luca whilst Jim and Charlie are sat on the bench talking. Niamh has just scored another basket brining the score to 10-4 to Niamh. She picks the ball up from the ground.
'I thought you said you were no good at basketball?' Luca laughs.
'I'm not.' Niamh shrugs. 'I used to play netball, so I'm just using some of my techniques from that.' She adds, chucking the ball to Luca.
'Why don't we take a break?' Luca suggests.
'Good idea.' Niamh nods. They both walk over to where Jim and Charlie are sat and sits with them.
'So, who won?' Jim asks.
'I did.' Niamh replies, grinning.
'Atta girl.' He grins back, holding up his hand and Niamh high fives him. Luca just shakes his head.
'We were just talking about arrangements for when the restraining order is served.' Charlie informs Niamh. 'You'll have to go back to the group home but you can stay with Jim and Luca every weekend if you want.'
'I'd like that.' Niamh smiles and nods.
'If you want to stay with them any other time, you have to run it by me and let whatever co-workers are on know, just like you do when you want to stay with William.' Charlie adds.
'Okay.' Niamh nods.
'Then it's settled, we will sort out paperwork tomorrow.' Charlie also nods. He stands up. 'I have to go and check up on some other kids but I will be by tomorrow.' They all say goodbye and he leaves.
.
It has been another few days, Niamh is sat in the guidance counsellor's office doing her English Literature work when there's a knock on the door. The guidance counsellor stands up from her desk and walks over to the door. She opens it and Mr Cartright walks in with Charlie.
'The Shaws have been served the papers and escorted off school premises.' Charlie tells her.
'Thank god.' Niamh sighs with relief.
'Were they really a danger to you?' Mr Cartright questions.
'Yes.' Both Niamh and Charlie say at the same time.
'How were they a danger to you?' Mr Cartright asks.
'That's none of your concern.' Niamh mutters.
'Niamh, the school can't support you if we don't know what's going on?' Mr Cartright states.
'When I was first diagnosed with PTSD and had my first episode in school, you told me that I didn't have to tell you anything, that it was all up to me.' Niamh responds. 'I'm choosing not to tell you.'
'So they're the reason behind your PTSD.' Mr Cartright catches on. 'Look, Niamh,' he sighs, 'I get that, but they deserve an education too. We could have placed them in classes as far away as possible from you.'
'Another school is as far away from me as possible.' Niamh responds. She stands up and packs her stuff into her bag. 'I don't even know why you're trying to defend them, you don't even know what they did.' She barges past the two men and leaves. The guidance counsellor and Mr Cartright go to follow her but Charlie stops them.
'Leave her be.' He tells them. 'You'll only make the situation worse.'
'We want to help her.' The guidance counsellor states. 'But we can't do that if we don't know what triggers her.'
'She'll come to you in her own time.' Charlie assures them. 'I have no doubt she'll be waiting by my car. I'll try and get her to come back in but I can't promise she will.'
'She still has a pass so she can leave whenever she needs to so it's fine.' Mr Cartright states. 'I'll walk you out.' Mr Cartright walks Charlie out and sure enough, Niamh is stood by Charlie's car.
'Niamh,' he sighs, once he reaches her, 'you can't keep doing this.'
'Doing what?' Niamh shrugs.
'Walking out of school at the tiniest inconvenience.' Charlie clarifies.
'Were we even in the same room?!' She exclaims. 'He defended them. He defended rapists.'
'You have to remember he doesn't know that Niamh.' Charlie reminds her. 'You won't tell him.'
'How am I supposed to tell him?!' Niamh shouts. 'Every time I tell someone, I always break down and the look in their eyes is always the same. I know teacher gossip. I don't want to risk it getting out.' There's a moment of silence. 'I'm going to Will's. I'll call the home and let them know.' She turns around and walks off.
.
Half an hour later, Niamh is arriving at William's apartment. She uses the spare key he gave her, unlocks it and walks in. William walks out of the kitchen, drying his hands.
'Hey, what's up?' He asks, clearly concerned.
'The Shaws were handed their restraining orders at school.' Niamh tells him.
'That's good!' William smiles. 'Then why are you here?'
'Geez, nice to see you too.' Niamh laughs slightly. They both walk through to the lounge and sit on the couch. 'I just had to get out of there before I lost it at Cartright. He started defending them. I only had one lesson left anyways.'
'Does Charlie and the home know you're here?' William asks.
'Yeah.' Niamh nods. 'Wouldn't want to get you into trouble.' She adds with a grin.
'I'm actually glad you're here.' William states. 'I wanted to talk to you about something.' He adds. 'I've been kinda seeing someone, casually. We've only been on a few dates, but I think we could become something more.'
'Oh.'
'I just wanted to let you know so that you're not like taken aback if she's here and you're here.' He tells her.
'Will, it's your life and your apartment. You don't need to tell me this.' Niamh laughs. 'What's her name?'
'Victoria.' William replies. 'We met through the care leavers support group.'
'When are you meeting her next?' Niamh asks.
'Tomorrow night.' William responds.
'Good, cuz I need a distraction right about now.' Niamh sighs.
An hour later, Niamh has fallen asleep on the couch with her head rested on William's shoulder. Her phone starts ringing. When William sees that she doesn't stir, he takes her phone from the coffee table and answers it.
'Hey Charlie,' William starts, 'Niamh's here, she's fallen asleep.'
'Yeah she told me she was heading to yours.' Charlie responds. 'I just wanted to check on her.'
'She's fine.' William nods.
'She needs to be back at Jim's for 7. She's going back to the home tonight.' Charlie informs him.
'I'll make sure she's there.' William replies.
A few hours later, Niamh is being woken up by Niamh. After hanging up the phone, William had moved Niamh so she was lying down and placed a blanket over her.
'Hey, you need to get going.' He tells her softly once her eyes are open. 'You have to pack.'
'Charlie called, huh?' Niamh laughs quietly. 'I was hoping I'd get away with not having to go back tonight.'
'You have to go back.' William raises an eyebrow.
'I know.' Niamh sighs, sitting up. Se rubs her head. 'How long was I out?'
'A few hours.' William responds. 'You were completely out, how much sleep did you get last night?'
'Like an hour.' Niamh replies, not being able to lie to him. 'I haven't really slept since I got that message.'
'You need to sleep.'
'Don't you think I've tried?!' Niamh snaps. 'Sorry.' She apologises after a moment. 'I didn't mean to snap at you.'
'It's okay.' He smiles slightly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. 'C'mon, let's go.'
.
An hour and a half later, Niamh is back at Jim's house. William had accompanied here to make sure she got there safe. As she's packing, William talks to Jim and Charlie.
'When she was at mine, she told me that she's barely slept.' William informs them. 'On top of not taking her meds and everything that's happened in the past week - I'm worried.' Jim and Charlie look at each other. 'What?'
'We were talking about this earlier.' Jim looks back at William. 'She hasn't been sleeping much here. I don't think she knows I've realised. I've heard her moving about in the early hours of the mornings.'
'I've spoken to her psychiatrist and they've agreed to put her on a 72 hour hold to start her back on some medication and to help her sleep.' Charlie says.
'She's not going to like that.' William laughs nervously as he rubs an eyebrow.
'It's what's best for her.' Charlie shrugs. 'If her psychiatrist thinks she needs more time, she'll be admitted to a facility'
'She'll hate you if that happens.' William says. 'You know her history with psychiatric facilities.'
'What history.' Jim asks confused.
'Niamh doesn't cope well being cooped up. The last time she has to stay at a facility she refused medication that many times that they used physical force. The time before that, they ignored her request for female staff only to deal with her and the time before that, the Shaws found a way to get to her through another patient.' William explains. 'The list goes on.' What they don't realise is that Niamh has been listening in on the conversation from the doorway of her room. She turns back into the room, walks over to the window, opens it and climbs out.
~~~~~~~~~~~
It seems I kinda have a thing for making my characters run away in some form, haha.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Let me know what you think!
Much love