"When I call your name please sit down in your designated seat," the invigilator calls out to the corridor full of students.

The A-level exams are finally about to start and all around me people are wired with nerves. Laura is stood next to me, biting away on her fingernail even though there is not much left to bite. Adam keeps tapping on his leg while looking around the corridor. Maddie keeps putting her hair up into a ponytail before then taking it down again, only to repeat that process a few moments later. Cory keeps asking me if I am okay, to the point where it has got really annoying.

"Yes I am fine. Now can you shut up so I hear can for my name being called," I snap at him after the one hundredth time of him asking me that question.

Laura is the first one to called in from our little group, followed then by me. I follow on behind Laura, taking my seat at a desk directly behind her. I watch quietly as the others make their way into the exam hall and take their seats a few rows behind me.

The first exam is the theory side of performing arts and tomorrow will be the practical. The nervous energy is practically buzzing around the room while everyone waits until they are instructed to open the exam paper.

The invigilator starts talking about all of the rules and how mobile phones are not permitted in the hall. It's nothing we haven't all heard a million times before but we sit in silence until they have finished.

"You may begin the exam," the invigilator finally says after about five minutes of talking and the hall is suddenly filled with the sound of paper being turned.

For a minute there is silence while everyone reads through the first question but the sounds of pens scribbling away onto the paper soon add more life in the room again. I manage to confidently answer the first few questions before eventually stumbling on some of the middle ones. I leave them for later and carry on making my way through the paper, filling in the answer I know and then going back to the ones I have left. Just in the last minute of exam am I able to finish answering the final question before we are told to put our pens down.

Quickly the exams are then collected from our desks and row by row we are told to leave the exam hall. The corridor outside of the exam hall soon becomes alive with the sound of chatter as people immediately begin to talk about what they've done.

"How did you find it?" Laura asks me once we are out of the room.

"Could've been better but it could have also gone worse," I tell her while keeping a look out for the other three. "What about you?" I ask her.

"I thought it went pretty well. If all the exams go like then I'm going to be happy," she tells me with a small laugh at the end.

A few minutes later the others meet us in the corridor. Nobody looks distraught about the exam so I guess that is a good sign. Maddie has tied her hair up into a bun on the top of her head though.

"How was it?" Laura asks them before I get the chance to.

"It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," Maddie tells us while fiddling with a loose strand of her hair.

"I was happy with it although there was one question which I didn't have time to answer," Cory says as he walks over to stand next to me.

"All I know is that I've aced it," Adam tells us with a smug smile on his face.

"That's my boy," Laura practically cheers before pulling him in for a kiss.

Cory, Maddie and I stand there watching until they eventually pull themselves apart. We stand and chat for a little while longer before finally saying goodbye. Just because we have done one exam doesn't mean there aren't any more to revise for.

For the first time since starting the school year, Cory and I both finish at the same time because I don't have any extra sessions like I normally would (those teachers are needed for revision sessions for the year below us). I walk with Cory in the afternoon sun to Mary-Anne's to pick Erin up.

It feels like one of the warmest days of the year so far as the sun's rays belt down against our skin and actually feeling warm for once. It doesn't take us long to get to the child-minders where we soon find Erin waiting for us in the front garden. She is already sat in her pushchair with her little yellow sun hat on while other children are playing out.

After picking Erin up, it doesn't take us long to get home. The first thing I notice when we do reach my house is my mum's car parked in the driveway.

"Kris is your mum supposed to be home this early?" Cory asks me when he notices it as well.

"I don't think so. She hasn't mentioned anything to me," I tell him while a million thoughts are flying through my head.

While opening the front door I shout out, "Mum are you home?" even though I know that there is a high chance that she is.

"I'm in here sweetie," her voice echoes from the kitchen.

I look over at Cory and shrug my shoulders at him all while Erin is making gargling sounds at herself.

"Why are you home this early?" I ask her once I am in the kitchen with her.

"I booked the afternoon off of work," she says calmly as if I was supposed to know that.

"But why?" I ask and then notice that the oven is already on and that my mum is preparing vegetables on the counter.

"Because I thought it would be nice to get dinner ready before Chris came over,"

"What?" I ask in disbelief. "Do you mean Chris as in Reynolds as in my performing arts teacher?"

It is now my mum's turn to look confused as her eyebrows furrow together and she places her hand on her hip.

"I thought you said you were alright with the relationship between him and I?" my mum then asks.

"I guess I am but some warning would have been nice. He's still my teacher and him coming to my house is a little bit weird," I mutter that last sentence but still loud enough for her to hear it.

"Cory do you think it's weird?" my mum asks Cory who during all this had hidden in the living room with Erin.

He quickly walks out of the room, balancing Erin on his hip as he does so.

"I don't know," he stutters as both my mum and I are intensely staring at him, hoping that he chooses the right side. "I guess I don't find it that weird because you're not my mum but if it was my mum then I think it would be. Whatever makes you happy in the end is probably the best Ms Mason," he answers while mainly keeping his gaze on Erin.

"Good answer and how many times do I have to tell you to call me Cheryl," my mum tells him while she begins chopping some carrots up. "Make sure to feed Erin in the living room today and not in here. I will be busy getting everything ready. Chris should be coming over at about five," she then goes onto say.

I make my way into the living room and take some of my textbooks out of my bag even though I doubt I will get much time to revise. Cory sits on the floor with Erin and the two of them start playing with some toys. Instead of reading through my revision notes, I decide to join them on the floor. Erin is sat up facing Cory but when she hears me sit down she swivels her head around to look at me. She then gets herself into a position where she is on all fours facing me.

"Come on sweetie," I say, trying to entice her to crawl this way.

I pick up a ball which was next to me and start bouncing it on the spot. This causes Erin to start laughing as if it is the funniest thing in the world. Her arms move forward as she begins to attempt crawling and then for the first time, both legs follow. I glance over at Cory who is beaming down at Erin while she continues to make her way in my direction.

"That's it baby," I coo at her while I continue to bounce the ball.

A few seconds later she is right in front with a big smile on her face as she sits back up with the ball in her hand. I scoop her up so that she is sat on my lap and I plant a big kiss on the side of her forehead.

"I can't believe she finally did it!" I squeal at Cory who has made his way over to us.

"I know. That was amazing," he says before planting a kiss on Erin's forehead as well.

"What's all the screaming about?" I hear my mother's voice draw closer.

She stands in the doorway with a sharp knife in her hand, looking down at the three of us.

"She finally crawled," I get up off of the floor and tell her, bringing Erin with me as I do.

"Why didn't you call me in? I can't believe I missed it," my mum says sounding disappointed but still looking happy. "I need to finish prepping and cooking but let me know if she does it again," she then says as she taps Erin on the head before disappearing back into the kitchen.

For the next half an hour or so Cory and I continue to play with Erin on the floor, encouraging her to crawl again (which she successfully does and my mum catches her doing it just in time) before she eventually starts crying her eyes out.

"Do you want me to get her food ready?" Cory asks even though he is already in the middle of getting up.

I nod my head at stay with Erin in the room. I start sitting her down in her high chair which stops her tears straight away. She knows what's coming now. After a few more minutes of waiting she begins crying again, growing impatient of having to wait for her dinner. Eventually it comes and the tears stop again while she enjoys her food.

Cory feeds her while I reluctantly flick through my revision notes, making a small attempt to revise with little success. Just before I am about to throw my notes across the room, the doorbell rings and the sound of my mum's voice saying 'I'll get it'.

"Do you think this is going to weird?" I ask Cory quietly so that my mum doesn't hear.

"Possibly," he replies, not taking his eyes off Erin. "Maybe the more you tell yourself it will be weird then the more weird it will actually be? If you have a positive mind-set then this might actually be a positive experience," he then goes onto say.

"Yeah you could be right," I reply back to him, not really believing in the words though.

Just as I finish speaking, I hear my mum finally get to the front door and open it. There is a chorus of 'hellos' and 'how are you's' before I finally hear the footsteps get closer to the living room. Nervously I throw Cory a worried glance just as Reynolds walks in with my mum.

The first thing I notice about him is that he is not dressed as a teacher. Gone are the suits and ties but are not replaced with jeans and tee shirt. He almost looks like a completely different man to the one I see in school every day.

"How are you?" Reynolds asks, leaving the question open for either Cory or I to answer.

"I'm good thanks. The exam seemed to go well today," Cory replies straight away even though he is in the middle of feeding Erin.

"That's good to hear. What did you think of it Kristen?" Reynolds asks me and to my horror, I realise I have to reply.

"I was happy with how it went," I tell him without much emotion in my voice.

No one says anything for a few seconds causing the atmosphere in the room to slightly colder. I keep swapping glances between Cory and Erin, hoping that one of them will break the silence. Instead it is Reynolds.

"So this is her?" he says as his eyes lock onto to Erin.

I hold back numerous sarcastic replies in my head while Cory tells him, "Yeah this is her."

"What did you call her again?" Reynolds then asks as if he doesn't already know.

"Erin," at the sound of her dad saying her name, Erin lifts her head in the direction of Cory and starts squealing at him.

"Aww she's adorable," he then comments while bending down so he can have a better look at her, causing Cory to have to move out of the way.

"Why don't we get a drink in the kitchen?" my mum then asks him which he, thankfully, agrees to.

Sitting back against the sofa, I look at Cory and roll my eyes at him which leads to him raising his eyebrows at me.

"It wasn't that bad," he whispers as he sits next to me on the floor with Erin on his lap.

Wiping food away from her face, I ask Cory, "Did you not think it was really awkward?"

"I guess it's bound to be when your teacher is in your house. I'm sure the night will get better from her," he reassure, taking my hand into his as he does so.

Ten minutes later my mum calls us in for dinner. For the first time in ages, the dinner table is actually set. There is even a candle lit in the middle of it although I am not sure how safe that is with a baby nearby. I take a seat in the middle of table so that I am between Cory and Erin who is sat in her high chair again. My mum takes a seat next to Erin, leaving Reynolds to sit next Cory.

Our plates are filled with so much food. Another thing my mum has done for the first time in ages is cook an actually roast dinner. She has even gone to the trouble of cooking two meats, chicken and pork which makes me hope that Reynolds isn't a vegetarian.

"Chris was telling me that over Christmas he went to Australia, wasn't you?" my mum pipes up while everyone is tucking into their food.

"Yeah I was. I have a cousin who lives over there so I try and visit when I can," he tells us.

"What was the weather like?" I hear Cory ask him.

"Boiling hot. I think the strangest part was the Christmas dinner being a barbeque," he says which catches my attention.

"Really? Is that a tradition over there?" I ask him, the words slipping out of my mouth.

"I'm not sure if everyone does it or whether it's just my cousin. I did miss having turkey and pigs in blankets though," he tells while he lifts a forkful of food to his mouth.

I cut up some of the meat on my own plate into tiny pieces before handing them over to Erin. Immediately she picks the food up, covering her hands in gravy, before shoving it into her little mouth. Her whole face soon becomes covered in gravy but the mean soon disappears.

"Do you plan on going to Australia again any time soon?" my mum asks and I wonder if this is her way of trying to get a free ticket.

"Hopefully next summer. I can't afford to go again this year which is a shame. Do you have any holidays planned?" he asks my mum but I get the impression that anyone can answer.

"No, I haven't really been away since Kristen was born and that was seventeen years ago now,"

"You went to London for a week over Christmas," I remind my mum.

"Yeah there's not much difference between London and Australia. One is grey and miserable and the other is sunny and full of koala bears, no offence Cory," she adds in at the end when she realises that she is dissing his hometown.

"None taken. I'd rather go to Australia over London any day of the year," he replies while laughing.

After that, conversation flows around the table quite easily. My mum ends up sharing stories about some of the holidays she went on when she was younger while Reynolds tells us about how he tried to make it on the West End but failed miserably. Cory even shares stories about his life back in London and how his parents use to take him to France every year until they had Missy and could no longer afford to.

Before any of us even know it, it is time for Reynolds to go as night has fallen outside everyone has to be up early for work and exams. Erin has already fallen fast asleep in her high chair, leaving sticky, gravy handprints on her table.

"Right I'll see you soon," Reynolds tells my mum as he pulls her in for an awkward hug and kiss on the cheek.

I'm guessing if Cory and I hadn't been there then it would have been something more.

"I'll see you two tomorrow," he tells us and the two of us politely say bye.

When he is safely out of earshot, my mum turns around to face me and says, "That wasn't so hard was it?"

I smile at her before replying, "Nope, it was actually alright."