Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
‘What a morning! I’ve had to send home four children with this stomach bug. Four!’ Annie placed her mug of hot coffee on the coffee table in the staff room before flopping into one of the chairs.
‘It just seems to be one thing after another at the moment. They seem to get over one bug and then catch another almost straight away.’ Gemma grimaced as she bit into her sandwich.
‘Yep. It was the same last year, though. The cold weather and having the heating on doesn’t help.
’ Annie reached forward and picked up her mug.
‘I’m just hoping my own kids don’t come down with any of it.
We’re going up to Scotland for the weekend to visit the in-laws.
It’s their wedding anniversary, and they’ve put on this big party.
It should be good fun and, boy, do I need a weekend of fun. ’
Gemma picked up a paper napkin and wiped a dribble of mayonnaise from her chin. ‘I don’t suppose you’ve got room for me and a little dog, have you?’
‘Haha, my in-laws would love you! Unfortunately, the car will be completely packed out already, and unless you think Alfie will enjoy the company of four Great Danes, then it might not be as relaxing and fun as you’re expecting.’
‘Ah, fair enough.’ Gemma smiled. A weekend of avoiding Jonathan it was then.
Although she still had the entire week stretching out in front of her, and who knew what could happen between then and now?
One thing she was certain of, though, she’d decided to take matters into her own hands and confront him.
Lucy was right, if she did have feelings towards him, which she did, then she shouldn’t let them pass, even if admitting the truth to him made her want to run out of the village and never look back.
‘I do, however...’ Annie paused and looked towards the open door as Jonathan walked in.
Placing her coffee mug back on the coffee table, Annie stood up.
‘Hang on, I just need to speak to him about the bicycle shed. The catch is so dodgy someone’s going to get trapped inside one of these days if it isn’t fixed. ’
‘Okay.’ Despite trying to focus on her sandwich, she couldn’t help but notice Annie wasn’t the only one who was heading towards Jonathan. Tilting her head, she tried her best to eavesdrop.
‘Will I get an answer on that training request I put in? The course starts next month.’ Adam asked as Jonathan halted to a stop, suddenly looking a little like a deer caught in the headlights as staff members surrounded him.
‘And the bike shed? I sent you an email on Friday.’ Annie questioned as though she hadn’t heard Adam.
Next to her, Lydia patted Gemma’s arm before rising from her chair.
‘If everyone else is asking, I might as well remind him that I’m still waiting for the interactive whiteboard in my room to be fixed.
It hasn’t worked all term and I can’t remember the number of times I’ve mentioned it to Diane.
Hopefully, a new headteacher means things will actually get actioned around here. ’
Gemma gulped as she watched Jonathan trying desperately to answer everyone’s questions without actually committing to anything.
As Lydia approached him, Jonathan held his hands up, palms forward, before turning on his heels and walking away without uttering another word.
‘Huh, talk about rude! He didn’t give me an answer at all. No possible date of the shed lock being fixed, not even an ‘I’ll write it on the list’.’ Sitting back down, Annie grabbed her coffee and took a long sip.
‘At least you got to ask him about it, he left before I could even say anything.’ Lydia rolled her eyes as she sank back into her chair. ‘I’m guessing he’ll be about as helpful as a chocolate teapot in getting anything around here done.’
‘Don’t be so hard on him. He’s only been here just over a week.’ Gemma could feel her cheeks pink as they both stared at her. Maybe she shouldn’t have said anything, but they didn’t have a clue how much pressure he was under, and it wasn’t as though he was here to stick up for himself either.
‘Yes, well, what does he expect? A settling-in period? Us to close the school whilst he gets acclimatised?’ Lydia scoffed. ‘He’s a headteacher. He knew what he was getting himself into when he took the job.’
‘That’s very true.’ Annie placed her coffee mug back on the table before leaning her head back against the chair cushion and closing her eyes. ‘I’m just going to spend the rest of the week reminding myself I have a Scotland trip at the weekend.’
‘Ooh, Scotland! What are you going there for?’ Lydia grinned as she picked up her Tupperware tub of salad and stabbed a baby tomato with her fork.
‘It’s my....’
Gemma zoned out as Annie recounted the reason why she was heading to Scotland.
She couldn’t imagine how Jonathan must be feeling right now.
Yes, Annie was right, he had appeared rude by leaving their questions unanswered, but he had good reason.
Leaning forward, she tucked her sandwich back into her lunch bag and stood up, mumbling, ‘I just need to...’
When she reached his office, she was relieved to see that Joanne wasn’t at her desk, and she walked straight through and rapped her knuckles against his door.
‘One moment.’ His voice wafted through the thin door, and a few moments later, the door opened an inch. ‘Gemma.’
‘Can I have a word?’ She waved her hand towards the door, waiting until he’d stepped back and opened it fully before she walked inside.
The state of the office closely resembled the way his living room had looked when she’d gone round to help with the budgeting.
Although, at least the files and paperwork were stacked on the desk this time, rather than when she’d walked into the office during the spring fete.
Jonathan glanced around the room before closing the door quietly behind her and shoving his hands in his pockets. ‘How can I help you?’
Gemma frowned. Was that it? Was that all he was going to say, to ask her how he could help her as though she was unaware of the impossible situation he was in?
As though they hadn’t almost kissed a few nights ago?
His indifference catching her off guard, she stuttered as she spoke, ‘I... umm... I was just checking if you were okay after what happened in the staff room.’
Pulling one hand from his pocket, he ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head slightly. ‘It’s not their fault. They’ve got every right to ask and every right to be angry I’m not acting on their requests.’
So, this was how they were going to play it then?
Just not mention what had almost happened?
Gemma glanced down at her shoes. Fine. If that’s what he wanted, then she’d play along.
At least she had her answer. But just because he was so clearly admitting it had all been a mistake, it didn’t stop her from feeling the way she was, and it didn’t stop her from wanting to help him.
She looked up at him, catching his gaze and holding it.
‘I think you need to tell people. As I said before, it’s better that they understand what’s going on and that jobs are on the line.
It’s better for them and for the school.
If we all pull together, you never know, there might be a solution. ’
Jonathan shook his head slightly. ‘I’ve thought about it, but...’
Gemma bit down on her lower lip. He didn’t get it, did he?
The teachers, teaching assistants, lunchtime supervisors, and everyone who worked at the school didn’t do it just for a job, the school meant so much more to them.
‘Look, I’m sorry if I’m talking out of turn, but Woodland Primary isn’t just a school, it’s a family.
The people who work here have connections with the school or the village.
They either live in Nettleford-on-the-Wold, went to school here themselves, or their own children do or have.
They care. They care so much about this place, and that’s why people are angry, that’s why they’re confused.
They don’t know why Diane has left and you’ve taken her place. They’re looking to you to fix it all.’
‘But I can’t. My hands are tied.’ Walking across to his desk, he perched on the edge of it.
Gemma clasped her hands in front of her, stopping herself from pushing back that strand of hair which had settled against his forehead.
He looked so tired, the dark circles beneath his eyes looked darker than they had the last time she’d seen him, and she couldn’t bear to watch all this stress taking such a toll on him when if he’d just be honest with everyone, things would be so much easier.
‘But they don’t know that. At least if you were open and honest with them, then they’d know.
They’d understand. Yes, we might not be able to fix it.
Yes, jobs might still be lost, but at least they’d know you were working on trying to prevent that, that you’d tried your best, that they’d tried their best too. ’
‘I just...’
Stepping forward, Gemma closed the gap between them and reached out, automatically laying her hand on his before pulling it back quickly, her face reddening. ‘Please. Give people a chance.’
With his eyes fixed on the spot on his hand she’d touched, he nodded slowly. ‘I’ll give it some more thought.’
Sighing, Gemma walked back towards the door, closing it quietly behind her. She couldn’t do anything else. She couldn’t make him tell everyone, and she was certainly in no position to herself. She simply wouldn’t. It wasn’t her place.