Original subtitles

They're paying £1,000 for the best story,

and they'll print it.

- Are you saying you don't want to see me again? - You know I do.

- Wiredata Systems, the technology company, are planning to build

a science park there. - Destroying the local wildlife.

- It's a beautifully designed security system. Impossible to crack.

Checkmate!

- Hector, go home before you say something we both regret.

- I cannot stand seeing you with him.

- Um, Justin?

- The lights blew, so we had to use the candles.

- You should go.

No seriously, we don't want to get caught.

Come on.

THUD

- What was that?

- I don't know.

- Vaughan Fitzgerald? - Yes? - Detective Inspector Murray.

I need you to come with me to Waterloo Road school.

- Why? What's happened?

- We need to examine the school's computers.

- You haven't woken me at six in the morning for an IT problem?

- I'm afraid it's a lot more serious than that.

There's been a cyber attack on the London office of Wiredata Systems.

The company building the science park up the road.

- What's that got to do with us?

- The attack came from a computer at Waterloo Road.

- Mate, no-one's going to believe the police kicked our door in

this morning. - Nobody kicked the door in, Floyd.

Don't make it worse by exaggerating.

- Yeah, but...it's a better story, innit?

- Hurry up and eat your breakfast. We've got to get going.

You all right, Leo? - Yeah, I'm just feeling a bit sick.

- Maybe you've got a bug or something.

You going to be all right staying home on your own?

Your dad's snowed under at school and I've really got to be there.

Tiffany, what are you doing out in the garden in your pyjamas?

- I was just feeling a bit hot and sweaty...

- Oh, don't tell me you're coming down with something as well?

Leo's not good either.

- No, I'm feeling a bit better now.

I think the fresh air really did help.

- I'm going to be OK for school as well, Allie.

- Good. We've got enough on today without that as well.

- Why? What's happened?

- Did you not see the police cars earlier?

They've taken Vaughan to school to open up. Apparently Waterloo Road is

home to a bunch of highly sophisticated cyber-criminals.

- Blimey, what's going on?

- After the weekend we've just had, this is all I need.

It's got to be a joke, hasn't it? - Not as far as she's concerned.

- I have to suspend the Wi-Fi and the internal network.

- Great. Why don't you cut off the water and electricity supply

while you're at it? - I'm sorry. I know it's an inconvenience, but...

- What are supposed to do without our IT systems? It'll be chaos.

You got any idea when it will be back?

- There's a lot of computers to get through.

Your guess is as good as mine. Sorry.

- So this could take forever?

- We can start interviewing the students as soon as I get

a social worker sorted.

- Listen, we can't wait for the police to go through due process.

We are best placed to know who could possibly have done this.

- Yeah, there aren't that many computer geniuses at Waterloo Road.

- Nope.

- Excuse, me, officer.

- Detective Inspector.

- Oh. Can I ask what's going on?

- You can ask your headmaster.

- How rude!

- Have a good day.

Come see me later if you're not feeling any better, yeah? - Yeah.

- Tiffany. Listen.

You might be able to fool Mum with all this fever nonsense you're going

on about, but you can't fool me. - What do you mean?

- You and Justin.

Look, I know you were with him last night.

- No! No, no way! - Tiff, you're my sister. You really think I don't

know when you're lying? All that pizza and candles rubbish.

- Pizza and candles means nothing. We're just friends. - Tiffany, I know.

Just admit it. - You know nothing.

- Ah, there she is. How was your weekend?

- Yeah, it was fabulous. We had a really lovely time.

Thanks for asking.

- Don't be over-doing it, OK?

- No, Mrs B.

- And if your leg hurts, then just sit down and have a rest.

Listen to your body.

- You're the one that told me to be the best that I can.

That's what I'm doing!

- Yes, well, you don't have to achieve it all in one day. - Kevin?

- See you. - Bye.

Hey, what's with the text? - We've got a problem.

- What you on about? - That hack you did? Wiredata systems?

- That was a work of art.

- Yeah, well, the police are looking for the artist.

- Yeah, well, they'll never find him. They won't even know I was in.

- Then why is the entire Greenock police force tearing

the school's computers apart?

They were round my house earlier.

They mentioned Wiredata Systems to my dad. - I broke in, I had a little look

around, but then I made sure that I didn't leave a trace.

They can't trace it back to me. - They might trace it to me.

- You broke in without me? - Yeah.

- And you didn't use a proxy? - No.

- You hacked into a massive multi-national company

and you didn't cover your tracks?!

That's like the most important part of hacking - leaving no trace.

It was perfect and you went and ruined everything.

You have got us into some serious trouble.

- Justin? Justin, listen.

Tiffany's told me everything about you and her. - You're a liar.

- Ah, see now, that's where you're wrong because she just told me then

and I saw her sneaking back in this morning. I mean, I knew anyway.

- So what? It's none of your business.

- That's where you're wrong, OK? It is my business. If it happens

again, it's going to be everyone else's business.

- What are you going to do? Are you going to tell everyone?

That's cool. I expect that from a little tool like you.

So go ahead. You can throw a grenade into the lovely family.

But just remember, as soon as it all blows up, it will all be your fault.

- No, Justin!

You stay away from her now, OK?

Stay away from my sister.

- Your sister can't keep her hands off me, mate.

KNOCK ON DOOR

Yep? - Vaughan, I know that you're mad

busy,

but I was wondering if I could have a word about Kevin. - What?

- I am worried about him. He's so frustrated about his condition.

I was wondering, can you have a word with his teachers,

ask them to go easy on him? He needs a lot of support.

- Yeah, I don't know whether you've noticed, but we have a crisis on.

There are police swarming all over the school.

- Yes, and we're talking about a boy who was our star pupil last

year, OK? Until he had his stroke,

and he's not coping.

- I should tell my dad.

He's going to kill me. - I'll kill you!

Leo, this is massive, OK?

It's much more serious than anything your dad's going to do.

Look, Wiredata, they're going to want to prosecute.

We could go to prison.

- Hey, Kevin. Everything OK?

- Yep. - I just wanted to say, don't get too downhearted

about your mock results. We all know you did your best.

- Yes, sir. - We're all impressed by your progress and your guts,

but it takes a long time and a lot of patience to get over a stroke.

- Yeah, tell me about it.

- If there's anything we can do, any extra help you need,

you only have to ask, OK?

- Some of the kids can barely spell their own name, let alone

write complicated computer code.

- That's a bit harsh. - It could be someone who's not even in the school.

We have opened our door to every Tom, Dick and Harry. - Come on, Sue.

The Community Initiative is the best thing that's happened to Waterloo Road.

- I don't know about anybody else, but I rely on technology for my classes.

- You could try more conventional methods of teaching.

You know - pens, paper. - Oh, lucky for you, Allie.

We'd all love to be able to daub a bit of paint on an easel

and call it a lesson. Unfortunately, my students demand more from science.

- Sue! That's totally out of order.

- Stop having a go at me, Simon. I'm sick of it.

- Look, I know we're all feeling the strain,

but this is going to be a very testing day, so...

- What was all that about?

- Our weekend away - total disaster.

Arguments, silences, more arguments.

I think this school's really getting to her.

- Maybe it's just you.

- Look, mate, I'm sorry, OK?

I just... You can't just...

- It's cool. I get it.

You can't stand the thought of me and Tiffany being together

and that's fine.

But...

you'd better get used to it.

Because it ain't going to change.

Yeah, he said that you told him about us.

- As if I'd do a stupid thing like that.

- He's such a liar. Don't worry, Tiff,

he's not getting away with this.

- Yeah, but what are we going to do if he tells Mum?

She'll go crazy and they'll try to stop us from seeing each other.

- How can she do that? We live in the same house! - I don't know...

- Listen! - I'm... - Listen, all right?

Nothing and no-one is going to stop us being together.

I promise.

- I've been on the Wiredata picket line

and it's perfectly obvious whose side the police are on. Look.

Look, they are bulldozing ancient trees as we speak.

Turning beautiful forest into their research laboratories and car parks.

And you're all sitting there doing nothing about it!

- Yes, thank you, Audrey, I think we all know...

- Do none of you care about the crested tit?

It could become the dodo of its day!

- Right...

We need to help the police.

I want you all to make a list of the pupils you think might be capable

of hacking into the systems

of a world-class global technology company.

- Do we have any?

- Rhiannon Salt?

- You know, once upon a time,

I would have said Kevin Chalk, but not since his stroke.

- Kevin wouldn't do anything like that, whether he's had a stroke or not.

He's not stupid.

- Has anyone else noticed we're into period one

and we haven't heard a bell?

- Please...think. One of our kids could be up on criminal charges.

- Ha! No bell - no class!

- And who's to say we're not off sick?

Registration's all computerised, isn't it?

BELL RINGS

- Classes, everyone!

- 'And so if the perpetrator comes forward now, the police...'

- Hang on, per-pi... Per-pe...

- E. Per-pee... Look it up in a dictionary later.

Life without a spellcheck is not going to be easy for you, is it?

'And so if the "perp-ee-trator" comes forward now,

'the police will look more favourably on him.

'If not, the consequences could be drastic,

'both for the individual and for this school.'

Thank you. And you'll also have to photocopy

the literacy target bumf from the LA and distribute it by hand.

After you've done that...

- I'll have to write this memo out neat before I copy it.

It's going to take me ages.

- Yes, well, we're all having to go the extra mile today, Sonya.

Preferably without complaining.

- 'I ended up chucking my voddie, as I called it, into a policeman's face.'

- Sonya, I need 15 of these, 30 of these

and I would like a hundred of these.

I'll pick them up next period.

- "Please" would have been nice.

- Justin, what happened?

- I fell. - Floyd, did you do this?

- Yeah. And he deserved it, as well. - Stand outside.

- I'm getting sick of him... - Floyd, stand outside!

All right, Justin, do you need to go to the medical room?

- What do you care?

- Just get on with your work, please, everybody.

It's not enough to admit you did it.

I want to know why.

- He just really bugs me, Mum.

- You're going to have to apologise.

- No way, that is not going to happen.

- Then you'll spend all day in the cooler.

- Fine, send me to the cooler.

- You've never done anything like this in your life.

You must have been provoked.

- Yeah, you could say that.

- "Oh dream how sweet too sweet, too bitter-sweet

"Whose wakening should have been in Paradise

"Where souls brim-full of love abide and meet

"Where thirsting..."

Leo?

What's up with you today? - Nothing, Miss. Honest.

- "Where thirsting longing eyes

"Watch the slow door

"That opening, letting in lets out..."

- Can I help? - I'm looking for...

an Audrey McFall.

- Audrey? Why?

- Let's just say her name's been made known to us.

- Is it to do with her crested tits?

- Yes. - This way.

Miss McFall? - Yes?

- Detective Inspector Murray would like a word.

- No way!

- Why am I being treated like a criminal

for exercising my democratic right to protest?

- Is it true you had to be physically removed from the site?

- They're intent on destroying beautiful woodland

for their own greedy ends. It is capitalism gone mad.

- I don't think we want to add slander to the charge sheet.

- Well, for two pins, I would've hacked into their offices.

Good on whoever did it.

- Look, Audrey can be a little outspoken,

but we're looking for a computer hacker here.

She struggles to switch her mobile on. Well, you do.

- She could be an accomplice.

She may be encouraging a pupil to do it.

- I can assure you I am in no way responsible.

- Though you wish you were.

- Most definitely.

- You can go...

for now.

- Miss, are we not doing chemistry today?

- Shh, just get on with your worksheets.

- So I take it we're not doing chemistry today, then?

- All my lesson plans were on my laptop.

I'm not going to re-do them all from memory.

So until this school gets its act together...

ALARM BELL RINGS

All right, everybody, leave all your belongings where they are

and make your way out quietly.

STUDENTS TALK LOUDLY

I said quietly!

Why weren't you two in my class?

I assumed you were sick.

- Miss, Shaznay fainted.

- Oh, you two are in big trouble. Move.

You're going the wrong way!

- Yes, I know. Floyd, have you told Mum about me and Justin?

- No. Not yet, anyway.

- No, don't, please.

- Whatever, Tiff.

- Floyd?

- Right, the alarm has gone off

because of the disruption to our IT systems

and there's no guarantees that it won't go off again.

- God's sake.

- But, of course, we can't just ignore a fire alarm.

So just make sure you do a head count

at your allocated assembly points in the playground.

Thank you.

- We can't go on like this. We've got to find this idiot fast.

- Come on, hurry up. You've still got lessons.

- Simon told me about your romantic weekend away.

Said it was a nightmare.

- I have to go.

- Hey! Was it cos you were thinking of me?

Is that why you're avoiding me?

- Yes, because of you!

But I'm trying to do the right thing.

I'm trying to save my marriage. It's what I want.

So help me out here, Hector.

If you care about me, leave me alone.

- The team at the station are going over the log files

on your computers now.

I'll be back tomorrow morning with a social worker.

Someone will have left a muddy footprint somewhere.

- Great.

- I take it no-one's owned up yet? - No.

- Here's that long list of suspects for you.

- Sonya?

Sonya?

Could you assemble these students in the lecture theatre after break?

- Yeah.

- SUE: All right, keep the noise down.

Quietly!

STUDENTS TALK LOUDLY

I said quietly!

ALARM BELL RINGS

All right, just make your way out quietly and calmly!

Again.

- This is impossible.

Vaughan, why don't you just send us all home?

- Because Waterloo Road doesn't close.

Now let's get these kids organised.

- Stephen Carruthers.

Justin Fitzgerald.

Floyd Westbrook.

Gabriella Wark.

Frazer O'Neil and Patricia Lucas.

Can you go to the lecture theatre now, please?

- What about me?

- Your name weren't called, was it?

- Why not?

- I don't know. Perhaps it's cos you ain't been well.

- It's cos Mr Fitzgerald thinks I'm not up to it.

- FLOYD: See you later.

- Thanks, Ronnie.

- 'Scuse me, sir.

We'll mind your car for you for a tenner.

- That's what Ronnie, the chauffeur, is for

and £10 wouldn't actually cover his hourly rate

so you've sold yourself a bit short.

Nice try, though.

- May I help you?

- Yeah, you can you take me to your headmaster, please.

- Do we know you?

- No. But I think you're about to.

- I don't appreciate being rounded up like a petty criminal.

- Oh, just shut up, will you?

- Are you OK?

- Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me, all right?

- Tiff.

End it. - Do one. It's nothing to do with you, yeah?

- We'll see.

- I don't like this. I feel sick.

- KNOCK AT DOOR

Yes?

- Mr Fitzgerald, there's a gentleman to see you.

- Jackson Whittaker. I own Wiredata Systems.

- "Chapter Two in the Inebriated Adventures of Cresta Meldrew.

"As I staggered for freedom, the cops grabbed me."

Grabbed.

Grabbed?

Manhandled me!

- "One day, I drove to school drunk as a skunk.

"I smashed into someone's car and had to leg it.

- SONYA'S VOICE: "As if that wasn't bad enough,

"I ended up chucking me voddie, as I called it, into a policeman's face.

"I got slammed in the nick for that."

Hiya. I hope you're not needing any photocopying doing,

because everyone's wanting worksheets today and I am pooped.

- Well, you're going to be a lot more than "pooped" if this gets out.

Stapled to the back of my local authority notes.

And if it's on the back of mine...

- Oh, no!

- "Written by Cresta Meldrew."

I.E. you!

It's not going to take a genius to work out that this...

well, story, as you like to put it, is about Christine Mulgrew.

Away, man. Honest to God, what were you thinking?

- May I make a request?

- Go ahead.

- Would it be possible for me to talk to the students on this list?

I'll tell you what, you let me talk to the culprit,

I won't press charges.

You'll have the police out of your hair and your school back to normal.

- I'm not sure that's within your gift.

Not now there's a full-blown police investigation going on.

- Whoever hacked our system, I would really like to meet them.

Well, they're obviously incredibly bright.

I spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on IT experts.

Now, they told me our systems were robust.

They weren't. - Obviously.

- That's embarrassing for my company...

My technology company.

It's bad for the customers and bad for the shareholders.

Mr Fitzgerald, put yourself in my shoes.

I've lost advertising revenue,

but much worse than that, if I don't resolve the situation quickly,

I lose my reputation.

- I'm sorry this has caused you so many problems.

- I've got to make sure that doesn't happen again.

And your young genius is best placed to tell me how.

- Mum? Have you got a minute?

- Of course I have.

What's up?

- Right, OK. You've got to promise me,

whatever I tell you, you're not going to get mad.

- You can tell me anything.

What's wrong?

- It's me and Justin...

..we've been seeing each other.

- Seeing each other?

- Well, yeah, I wanted to be the one to tell you, because...

- Oh, love.

I know you two get on, but he's not your boyfriend, is he?

He's practically your step brother.

- Yeah, I know, but it's not like that, it's more serious than that.

We've...

We've been sleeping together.

- Dickens had a very strong sense of injustice.

It's woven into A Tale of Two Cities

as well as most, if not all, of his other novels.

So, for your essay, I want you to put yourself in the position

of someone in prison, wrongly accused of a terrible crime...

- Sorry to interrupt, Mrs Mulgrew.

You haven't got the copy of the literacy target report

on you, have you? - What?

- It's just there's some wrong figures on it and I need it back.

Please.

I can have a look for it if you want.

I know what it looks like.

- Sonya, a silly LA report is not my priority right now.

We've had more than enough interruptions today.

So if I find it - if...

I'll make sure you get it back.

- Thanks.

- You've done the right thing, coming to tell me.

I'm very proud that you've been so mature.

- I didn't want you to go and find out from Floyd or anything.

- I'm just still trying to get my head round it.

So this has been going on under our roof?

- Well, in the garage.

- Please tell me that you've used contraception. - Yeah, of course.

- It's still wrong, though, Tiffany.

He's your step-brother. - It's not like I grew up with him.

- And he's 17 and you're 15. Technically, he's committed a crime.

- No, that's just stupid.

- And what if you were 13? Would it be a crime?

- Well, yeah, of course it would, but... - 14?

Why do you think there is a statutory age of consent?

- Mum, I don't need a lecture. - To protect young girls from men.

- I don't need to be protected from Justin! - And what about me?

If I don't tell the police, then I'm committing a crime.

- You're not seriously going to do that, are you?

I'm 16 in two months and we love each other.

- If you love each other, then why couldn't you wait two months?

- Stop treating me like I'm a child.

I know exactly what I want.

And so does Justin. - I'll bet he does!

- He's right.

You do hate him.

- I...

I'm going to have to go and talk to him. - No, don't.

I feel the same about Justin as you do about Vaughan.

- Vaughan and I are adults.

(Come here.)

I love you, Tiffany.

You've got to trust me.

- Look, I promise you,

all I want to do is chat to our clever little hacker.

See if they can help me identify the flaws in our systems.

- The police will find out who did this in the end.

I would advise whoever is responsible to step forward now.

- Well, that's it, I suppose.

- That's it?

Look, perhaps I could talk to them in smaller groups?

In pairs, perhaps? - I'm sorry. Thank you.

Look, I was prepared to let you make the appeal,

but that sounds like intimidation.

I think we're stuck with a forensic police examination.

So if it wasn't any of them...

- Surely it can't be a member of staff?

- Every computer geek in the school, except for me.

- That's good, isn't it? Means no-one thinks it's us.

- No, don't you get it? Your dad thinks I'm stupid,

just because I've had this stroke.

That's prejudice.

- My dad's not prejudiced.

- Well, why aren't I on the list, then?

- You're cool with going to jail,

as long as everyone knows you're this ace computer hacker?

This whole thing's my fault.

I'm going to tell the truth.

- I didn't see any guilty faces out there.

- Look, how about I offer a reward?

Let's set the ball rolling at £5,000.

- Yeah, let's make it £10,000(!)

- All right, £10,000.

- No, that is not how we do things here, Mr Whittaker.

I am not going to set a precedent.

- Even if someone out there has some suspicion of who it might be?

- You'd have a queue of students a mile long,

all giving false evidence. - It'd be a complete waste of time.

- Yes!

- Are you really satisfied just to wait

for the police investigation to end?

- I'm afraid we'll have to, and God knows how long that's going to take.

- And you honestly believe that I'll accept that

without comeback of any kind?

- I'm sorry we couldn't be more helpful.

- Dad?

It was me. I'm the hacker.

- The most serious breach of our network security ever...

and it's down to you?

What protocol is used in a network ping request?

ICMP?

UDP?

- You don't have a clue, do you?

- I can't leave you alone, Sue, so don't ask me to.

What you said before... it's staring you in the face.

- What is?

- You had a horrible time with Simon...

..because you're in love with me.

Sue, you've got to stop pretending.

You don't love him any more.

- Yes, I do.

- Listen to you, trying to convince yourself.

We could be amazing together, I know we could.

- He's my husband!

- People split up.

Marriages end.

I know you love me.

So tell him about us.

- I can't.

His mate and his wife?

It would kill him.

- Leo, why did you lie? - I didn't!

- Just tell me what is going on.

- You don't really think he's your hacker, do you?

- This is Kevin. He had a stroke a few weeks ago.

He's been under a lot of strain since then.

- When's everyone going to stop treating me like an invalid?

Look, I'll prove to you it was me.

Watch this.

This is how I got in.

And this is how I got out.

- Oh, that really is genius.

So how come you screwed up?

- He didn't. That was me.

I copied what Kev did as sort of a challenge, I guess, to set myself.

I botched it.

Evidently.

- Which is why we were able to trace it back to the school.

Well...

we will, of course, be prosecuting.

- No, no, no!

- Yes, yes, yes.

This is unauthorised computer access with intent

to commit other offences.

- What other offences?

There was no malicious damage.

I could've released a virus or built a worm but I didn't.

I just wanted to prove to myself that I could break into your system.

Because nobody else thought I could.

- But it's still a crime.

Now give me one good reason why I should let this go unpunished.

- Because you said you would leave the police out of it

if you got to talk to the hacker.

- Should have got that in writing.

- You can't be serious.

He's a schoolboy.

- A schoolboy who needs to learn to take responsibility for his actions.

Thank you.

My company's been hit again...

by a worm.

- A what?

- Someone is corrupting our data.

- Kevin?

Are you responsible for this... This what?

- Worm. - Worm.

- Yeah.

It's slow for the next hour.

But then it speeds up exponentially in...

exactly an hour's time.

- Are you absolutely suicidal?

- Well, I needed some kind of an insurance, you know,

if I was to admit to the hack.

Guess I was right.

- So.

School full of girls and you have to pick my daughter.

- Well, we've kind of been thrown together, haven't we?

It's not really our fault.

Come to think of it, Allie, it's your fault.

- You do realise that you're committing a crime, don't you?

- Oh, come on. - Oh, yeah.

She's 15.

She's a kid.

And if you hurt her, I swear it'll be the last thing you do.

- But I'm just a kid.

Are you threatening me? Are you threatening a school kid?

- This is not happening.

This ends now, do you understand me?

This is over.

- No.

It's just begun.

- Everything OK?

- Does anyone want anything from the canteen? No?

- Christine...

..I'm only showing you this as a dear friend.

- PHONE RINGS

- This is a nice skive. Wouldn't mind a job like this, me.

- PHONE RINGS

- Are you aware that the phone is ringing?

- Mhmm. I can't answer it while I'm drinking this, can I?

I'll get the next one.

- You said that the last time and the three times before that.

- Come on, babe, just take one for the team.

- PHONE RINGS

- I guess that's finished. You can answer the phone.

- PHONE RINGS

- Hello, Helping Hands Hotline.

- Kevin, stop the worm now.

This is malicious damage.

You are making things worse.

- Five minutes...

- In five minutes, you will be excluded from this...

- All right, what's your price?

- You don't prosecute.

- You ever heard of the word "blackmail"?

- Four minutes 30...

- Kevin! - OK.

I'll do it. I'll call the police.

I won't prosecute.

- I want that in writing.

- Course you do.

- She wants me to go down at dinner and get a chippy for her

so she can keep her rollers in her hair.

Cheeky.

- Well, listen to these.

Some guy rung up asking if we've got any dead mice

to feed his pet python.

A little kid wants us to check for monsters under his bed.

And a woman's lost her wedding ring down the toilet

and has asked if one of us could fish it out.

- Well, it's better than history, innit?

- PHONE RINGS

- Hello. Helping Hands Hotline.

Yeah.

Er...

I'm just wearing my school uniform.

- Simon? Have you got a few minutes?

- Yeah, I've got a few minutes.

You're not hungry?

- No.

- What is it, love?

You've not been yourself for weeks.

- I really don't know where to begin.

It's taken me a really long time to admit this to myself, Simon...

..but I really hate teaching.

I'm no good at it. I still can't control my class.

And this morning, being without my computer,

I was terrified stood in front of a class

without all my technology bits and bobs.

I mean, you've always known I was rubbish at it.

So I've decided.

I'm going to leave Waterloo Road.

I want to use my science qualifications.

Maybe get a job in research for a pharmaceuticals company or something?

There are loads of jobs in London right now. It's where it's at.

- But Waterloo Road is where I'm at.

- And that's the other problem, Simon.

This school, it is killing you.

You should have a headship by now. You're an ideas man.

You should be running your own school. - Look, Sue...

..fine, if you don't want to teach, but...

I'm loving it here.

- And I'm hating every minute of it.

Why don't you care about how I feel for once?

SONYA'S VOICE: - "I will never forget very near dying of embarrassment

"when a pupil pointed to my feet

"and there, on them, were too different shoes!"

- I hope I did the right thing.

- Of course you did, Audrey.

The last thing I want is people laughing at me behind my back.

- Quite.

- I'm going to have to have words with Miss Donnegan.

- Christine, Sonya's, not...

- I'll tell you what Sonya is, Audrey.

Sonja's a treacherous little madam.

- So I've just spoken to your mum. - Yeah, and?

- She's telling me to break up with you. - But what did you say?

- Obviously I told her that there's no way we're breaking up.

- What if she goes to the police? - There's no way she'll do that.

- She will. She's deadly serious.

Why don't we just wait a couple of months?

- Because I don't want to. Do you?

- No, of course not.

But we'd still see each other every day.

Justin, I'm scared.

I don't want anything bad to happen.

- "The staff were laughing behind my back but I was too sloshed to see."

- I don't know how them papers got in there.

If I ever find out... - Oh, come on, Sonya.

You've made a complete fool of me. Why would you do that?

- The competition.

It was for the prize money.

- After I helped you?

- I'm...

I'm so sorry, Christine.

I couldn't think of anything to write about from me own life.

They wanted something really tragic, you know, something really sad.

- So you thought of me?

Just when I was getting my life back together,

just when I thought I'd put all my bugbears behind me, you do this?

I never want to see your stupid face again.

- I've just found out that Justin and Tiffany...

are having sex.

- Oh, Je...

- We're supposed to be a family.

They're not boyfriend and girlfriend.

- How long? - A while.

How could we not have seen this, right under our noses?

- Contraception? - Yeah.

She's too young.

- Well, she might be your little girl but she's 16 in a couple of months.

- She's vulnerable and naive.

I've been so wrapped up with making a go of things here, with you...

- Look, there is no point in blaming yourself.

All right.

What is the best way to handle this?

- I can't believe it.

Her first proper boyfriend and it's got to be him.

- He's my son. - I don't trust him an inch.

You didn't hear how he just spoke to me.

He's loving every second of this. He's doing this to get at us.

- You don't seriously believe that?

- He's never happier than when we're at each other's throats.

- He's just a young guy, he's full of hormones...

- You'll be saying "boys will be boys" next.

He doesn't care about her. He's just using her! - All right, all right.

Let's talk about this later. - Yeah, we're going to talk about it later.

You're going to tell him it's got to stop.

- The best way to make sure it continues is to tell them to stop.

- Thanks for your support, Vaughan.

- Look, Sue, I always care about your feelings, you know that.

It's just...

you've stopped talking to me about stuff.

- You have been so busy after school with all your community projects.

It's like you've forgotten about me.

And even at the weekend, all you spoke about

was the school and your plans...

- That's because you were acting like you weren't there.

I was trying to get your attention.

- So it's all my fault, then. - No. Wait...

You know I get carried away with work

but I love you very much.

If I've been taking you for granted, then I'm sorry.

- You don't have to apologise for being a brilliant teacher.

- Just not a great husband, eh?

I will make it up to you.

I promise.

- Oh, well...

don't sit on your own, Gracie. Come to the community caff.

That's what it's there for.

Yeah, I'll have a cuppa with you.

I'm very tall with blond hair.

I'm good looking, so you'll see me. - SHE CLEARS HER THROAT

- I'll see you in a bit then.

Bye.

- Hiya.

Can I have a word, please, everyone?

I worked under Christine Mulgrew when she was Head Teacher

here at Waterloo Road

and it was the best experience I've ever had.

She was an absolutely brilliant boss.

And I can't even begin think to how much

I must've hurt her with my stupid magazine story.

- I'm sure Christine is strong enough to survive it.

- Even so...

..I was out of order.

And I wanted to apologise in public...

..and say cheerio to everybody.

Cos after what I done...

..you ain't going to see my stupid face round here no more,

because I'm too ashamed to show it.

Today is going to be my last day here at Waterloo Road.

Thank you.

- Sonya, stop.

What you said there about me....

I'm very touched.

- It's all true, Christine.

- What's nice to know is that, even in my darkest days,

which you've written so graphically about,

I still managed to do a few things right.

So I thank you for that.

And as for your story...

- I've shredded them all.

- Well, good, because it's a load of rubbish.

You need to start with some grammar fundamentals

before you even think about earning money from your writing.

Maybe I could stretch to some after-hours tutoring.

Free of charge.

- There you go. Your turn.

- How old are you?

- Er...

18.

- I'm 47 and no-one's got the better of me in 25 years.

I don't know if I should be angry or impressed.

- Well, I did it for myself.

It wasn't personal, not until you made it personal.

- All right, I'll do my level best to make sure that

the police drop the investigation.

And I won't dispute this "contract"...

Provided...

..you help me to find the weakness in my firewall.

- Yeah. Deal.

- Thank you. - Cool.

- You know, it really is quite hard to believe you've had a stroke.

- You hear that, sir? HAD a stroke.

- I would say that your brain is in mint condition.

- Yes, unused.

- I'll be in touch.

- Pleasure.

- Kevin Chalk, I think I am guilty of seriously underestimating you.

- It's OK, sir.

It's a bit of a wind-up sometimes when everyone thinks I'm an idiot.

- Not sure anyone takes you for an idiot.

After everything you've been through,

we all think of you as a bit of a hero.

But heroes do not go round proving themselves by committing crimes.

You're not out of the woods yet.

You may have won Whittaker round,

but the police might still want your head on a plate.

We'll deal with that tomorrow.

- Thank you, sir...

for everything.

This school's been great to me.

- Then you will understand why I'm sentencing you to detention.

Every lunchtime until the end of term.

You and Leo.

And you will both be writing personal letters of apology to Mr Whittaker.

- Here we go.

You sit down, Gracie.

I'll get you a nice cuppa.

This is Rhiannon.

Sugar?

- No, thanks.

Have you two been going together long?

- Well, we're not really official.

I mean, we argue and that, but I've got no family and neither has he.

So we've got lots in common.

- Two sons, five grandchildren.

Never see them.

Family. Sometimes I think you're better off without.

- There you go. - Thanks, love.

I thought this place would be full of rough lads and teenagers.

I thought twice about bringing me best bag.

- Your bag won't be in any danger here.

- I think I might try some of that soup.

It beats a tray in front of the telly.

I do miss having somebody to cook for.

- Well, you can cook for us, if you want?

- Or we could cook for you.

I can make beans on toast.

- Oh, what about steak?

Now you're talking.

A nice bit of fillet, with some horseradish on the side.

- Fillet steak it is, then.

With...

chips and peas.

- How are you fixed next week?

There's nothing on the telly Wednesdays.

Is there any chance you could bring a pair of nail scissors with you?

- Nail scissors? - I haven't had me toenails cut in yonks.

They're putting holes in my tights something awful.

- Well, at least I know why you've been so up and down recently.

Thought you'd gone off me or something.

Even wondered if you might be pregnant.

- Well, maybe I might be soon.

You know, once I get rid of all this stress.

Look, there are loads of Acting Head jobs.

- But what about Vaughan, Sue? I hate to do this to him.

- Simon, you're a great teacher, but no-one's indispensable.

- You know what? You're right.

And look, there are loads of cracking opportunities out there.

All right if we do this, and it's a big if...

- We will do.

- ..I quite fancy the idea of somewhere quieter, more rural.

Not London, somewhere good to bring up a family.

I've been thinking about that a lot recently.

Think I'm ready to take the next step.

- Well, you can't stop us being together, so...

- Oh, really? Watch us.

- Mum, I told you, we love each other.

- Right, well, this is getting us nowhere.

I want both of you to go to your separate rooms.

I don't want any sneaking around later on.

Do I have your word? - Yes. - No!

- Right, well, we're just going to have to police the situation.

- Go on.

Well, that's not going to work, is it?

We can't watch over them 24 hours a day.

- So what do you suggest? - He needs to leave.

- He's 17 - where's he going to go?

- I don't know! What about your mate at Brockelhurst?

- Brockelhurst is a boarding school.

Firstly, that's against everything I stand for.

Secondly, I've already abandoned him once when I left his mother.

I'm not going to abandon him again.

- If he wasn't targeting my daughter for sex,

then we wouldn't be in this situation.

- He has started a relationship...

- Sort it out, Vaughan!

This is my house as well as yours and I will protect my daughter.

- I can't stop thinking about you, Sue.

Please don't push me away.

- They are sending me off to some school in Aberdeen.

- They can't do that!

- You are really quite interesting. - Me?

- Justin said this boarding school thing is your idea.

- You brought it on yourself.

- I honestly thought you were going to stand up to her, Dad.

- I've been toying with the idea of a plus-size range for a while now.

- We're going away. - Where?

London.

- So we'll go for good? - Yeah.

- You had a job interview?

- New start, new challenges, the B word.

Babies, Hector. Babies.