Page 76 of The Allotment on Willow Tree Lane

Seeing Portia and her sidekick with their heads still bent over their phones, she almost yelled at them, but she managed to hold herself in check. It would be unprofessional to take her heartache out on them, even if they were being royal pains in the backside.

That said, she didn’t know how she was going to get through today without breaking down, and when she noticed an email in her college inbox asking her to call into the principal’s office this morning, it felt like the last straw. It probably wasn’t anything to worry about – she knew Mrs Nash had been catching up with the staff for an end-of-year chat – but she could do without it.

Nevertheless, she plastered a smile on her face when the principal’s secretary showed her into the office, and hoped it looked more natural than it felt.

‘Ceri, take a seat.’ Mrs Nash was a tall, painfully thin woman, who wore designer dresses with matching jackets and tortoiseshell spectacles. Today she was in a red and white dress, with the accompanying jacket hanging on the back of her chair.

After she’d waited for Ceri to sit down, she rested her elbows on the desk and folded her hands under her chin before she spoke. ‘A matter has come to my attention that I need to discuss with you.’ Her glance dropped to a sheet of paper in front of her, before returning to Ceri.

Ceri swallowed nervously. Whatever this was, it appeared to be serious.

Mrs Nash unfolded her fingers and picked up the sheet of paper. ‘The college has received a letter of complaint.’ She paused and took a breath. ‘About you.’

Blast! Portiahadfilmed her and Damon kissing after all, and now the girl’s mother had written to the principal.

‘That’s not fair,’ Ceri protested. ‘What I do in my own time is my own business. Yes, I invited the students to come to the allotment opening ceremony, but it was on the weekend, and it was only a peck.’

‘Pardon?’

‘The kiss, it was only a quick peck.’ She pressed her lips together and ignored the sting in her eyes, determined not to cry.

‘I’m sorry, I think we might be at cross purposes. What do you think this is about?’ Mrs Nash shook the letter.

‘A couple of the students on my first year BTEC course came to the opening ceremony of an allotment they’ve been working on. They saw my… someone kiss me. But as I said, it was a peck, nothing more.’

‘This isn’t about a kiss, but it is about the allotment. The letter claims that your students have been used as – and I quote – “free labour”.’

‘That’s a lie!’

‘I have to ask… do you have any commercial interest in this allotment?’

‘Absolutely not! It’s a community space, owned by the church. I admit to having a plot there, but so do fifteen other people.’ Ceri gulped and her eyes filled with tears. ‘I took those students there as part of their assignment.’

Mrs Nash reached behind her, took a box of tissues off a shelf and slid it towards Ceri, who took one and dabbed at her wet cheeks.

‘I guessed it was something like that, but please understand, I had to check. I’m sorry you’re upset; that wasn’t my intention.’

‘Is that all?’ Ceri asked, trying not to bawl.

‘Yes, and please accept my apologies,’ the principal repeated.

Ceri fled the room before Mrs Nash had finished speaking. She had to get away.

Blindly she headed for the ladies’ loos, not wanting anyone to see her like this, least of all her students.

Letting out a sob, she hurried along the corridor, wondering how people could be so nasty. What had she ever done to Mrs Drake?

‘Ceri, what on earth is wrong?’ Mark was coming the other way and Ceri’s heart sank.

‘Nothing. I’m fine.’

‘You’re not fine.’ He glanced up and down the corridor, then took hold of her elbow and guided her into an empty classroom. ‘Can I do anything to help?’ he asked, closing the door behind them.

‘There’s been another complaint. I’ve just come from Mrs Nash’s office.’

‘A complaint about what?’

‘Me taking my BTEC group to the allotment.’

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