When You Know Read online

  “Un momento, my inexperienced little line manager.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Everyone makes mistakes. It’s human nature. No one will blame you. You can rectify this very quickly.”

  A couple of members of staff started to mutter.

  Ellen barked. “Sit down, Professor.”

  “Not even willing to address her own error.” He looked at the room. “I think that speaks volumes about our new principal.”

  “Wrap it up, Ramsbottom,” shouted Mel Copeland from the back of the room.

  “Please, everyone. I’ve got two more introductions to make. Jenna, take a seat, and thank you very much, you’ll be a wonderful addition to the school. Marcus, this is the last time I’ll ask you. Take a seat, please.”

  Marcus Ramsbottom pushed the blue stick into the laptop, quickly clicking on play. “Our new arrival,” he shouted, sticking his thumb up to the screen behind him. “What a perfect appointment!”

  ****

  Susan released her grip on the handle and let the door close, turning around and crouching down against the cold corridor wall. She couldn’t watch it. She couldn’t bear to see their dreams shattered. She took a deep breath and sighed at her own stupidity. If only she’d listened. If only she’d done what he wanted.

  ****

  The room fell silent.

  “Thank you VERY much!” he wailed, bursting with glee. “Do we really want someone like this teaching our children? Do we really want the reputation of St Wilfred’s tarnished by titillation?”

  “Turn it off,” gasped Ellen.

  Marcus continued to address the room. “Oh no, no, no, there’s more to come. You wait till you see our very own Madam—” Marcus stopped as the sniggers got louder. “You think this is funny? You think we should allow this kind of behaviour in our school?”

  “Flex ‘em, cowboy!” shouted Mel Copeland.

  Afia from accommodation giggled loudly. “Tense that torso!”

  “Ha! The ginger giant!” shouted Danielle Watts. “I’ve seen bigger biceps on my budgie!”

  Marcus span around. His face was filling the screen. He was flexing his muscles and pulling a pout. “Wait! What? No!”

  “Mel, a hand please,” said Ellen to the tall PE teacher who was laughing loudly at the back of the room.

  Mel Copeland stood up and pounded her way to the front. “You want him out?”

  Marcus was foaming at the mouth. “This isn’t right! I’ve been set up!”

  Ellen looked once more at the newly appointed vice principal. “I’m terribly sorry, there’s a tribunal tonight. It’s an ongoing issue which I assure you will be resolved by September.”

  Dorothy Brown stood up and punched her fist into the air. “My final triumph! I knew I was right! I can retire now with relish!”

  ****

  Susan tilted her head at the cheering. What on earth was going on? She opened her eyes and stood back up, ready to push through the door, stopped by the gentle tugging on her sleeve.

  “This is for you, Madam Quinn.” Daisy Button held up the small St Wilfred’s memory stick.

  Susan looked down at the wide eyes. “Daisy, what’s this?”

  “A thank you.”

  Susan spotted a trace of colour in the little girl’s cheeks. “For what?”

  “For everything.” Her smile was wide. “You’ve been my hero; now I hope I’ll be yours.”

  ****

  Ellen watched the kerfuffle at the back of the room. Marcus wasn’t going quietly. “I really am sorry,” she said to her staff. “Right, who am I doing next?” She fumbled with the laptop, trying to find the right screen.

  “I’ve been set up!” came the final shout from Marcus, as Mel Copeland opted for the fireman’s lift.

  Ellen was stuttering and stammering. “Who was I doing next? Umm, let me see, shall we go to history? Yes, history and Freya, no.” She quickly clicked through more screens. “Sorry, no, we’re doing the vice principal next. Right,” she said, standing up taller as the correct face finally flashed up. “Let’s show a warm welcome the new vice principal of St Wilfred’s.”

  “SET UP I TELL YOU!” shouted Marcus, managing to barge his way back into the room.

  Ellen flared up with colour, shouting over the noise. “Miss Katherine Spicer.”

  Kat took a slow breath and twisted in her seat, whispering to her girlfriend with worry. “What sort of place is this?”

  Freya’s green eyes twinkled. “I don’t know, but it sure looks like fun to me.”

  THE END

  About the author:

  Kiki Archer is a UK-based lesbian fiction novelist and winner of the Ultimate Planet’s Independent Author of the Year Award 2013.

  Her debut novel, the best-selling “But She is My Student,” won the UK’s 2012 SoSoGay Best Book Award.

  Its sequel, “Instigations,” took just 12 hours from its release to reach the top of the UK lesbian fiction chart.

  Kiki also topped the lesbian fiction charts in 2013 with her best-selling third novel, “Binding Devotion,” which was a 2013 Rainbow Awards finalist.

  “One Foot Onto The Ice” has been her most successful novel to date, breaking into the American contemporary fiction top 100 as well as achieving the US and UK lesbian fiction number one.

  Kiki received an honourable mention in the 2014 Author of the Year category at the Lesbian Oscars.

  Novels by Kiki Archer:

  BUT SHE IS MY STUDENT - March 2012

  INSTIGATIONS - August 2012

  BINDING DEVOTION - February 2013

  ONE FOOT ONTO THE ICE - September 2013

  WHEN YOU KNOW - April 2014

  TOO LATE… I LOVE YOU - June 2015

  Connect with Kiki:

  www.kikiarcher.com

  www.twitter.com/kikiarcherbooks

  www.facebook.com/kiki.archer

  www.youtube.com/kikiarcherbooks

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty One

  Chapter Twenty Two

  Chapter Twenty Three

  Chapter Twenty Four

  Chapter Twenty Five

  Chapter Twenty Six

  Chapter Twenty Seven

  Chapter Twenty Eight

  Chapter Twenty Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty One

  About The Author