Welcome! Or welcome back, perhaps.
I'm reposting ICC because losing all of the comments on the old board made me incredibly depressed. So shall we all read through it again together? Feel free to save posts to your own computer along the way if you wish to keep your own copy of this! Just - if I see anyone reposting it anywhere, I will harm you quite seriously.

For those of you new to ICC - it is set in an alternate universe in which the Corrs have all chosen professions different to the ones we know them for.
Andrea is a teacher, for example. Sharon is the only Corr who remains with her real-life partner, Gavin. None of the real-life Corr children appear.

Let's watch my writing improve - this early stuff is a bit terrible.


This story contains swearing and occasional adult themes.



Andrea:

Andrea surveyed her class while sitting on the edge of her desk. They all stared blankly back at her.
“So,” she sighed finally, “am I to understand that nobody has read the assigned chapter over the weekend?”
A few people shifted uneasily and a couple of people nodded their heads lightly.
“Guys...” She jumped off her desk and began to pace down past the students. “You can’t keep doing this - you’re going to fail unless you put some effort in. I honestly can’t believe that not one person read the measly chapter. What are we going to do in class now?”
“Can we go play football?” Jonathon asked. His friends sniggered.
Andrea sighed and walked back to her desk without replying. She took out the novel the class was supposed to be reading.
“All of you take out your writing pads and a pen. I’m going to dictate the chapter to you. I’ll then collect your books at the end of the lesson and check every single one of them to make sure you’ve copied my voice down word for word.” She glared at them as they groaned collectively and took out paper and pens.
She began to read aloud, watching them every now and again to make sure they were writing.
“Miss Corr can you slow down a bit?”
“If you’d read the chapter, Jemma, I wouldn’t need to be reading at all.” She continued at the same pace until the bell rang, and ordered the students to leave their work on her desk.
A few shifty glances were exchanged – clearly they hadn’t thought she was serious.
Andrea smiled to herself. She wasn’t stupid enough to check all of the books, but she wanted her students frightened enough to think she might.

Finally it was the end of the day. She checked her classroom to make sure it was empty of students and school-bags, and locked it before walking up the corridor to her office.
“Hi honey, how was your day?” Elliot - her best friend - asked, swinging around in his chair with a grin. She threw a balled-up piece of paper at him and sat behind her desk.
“That bad, hey?” He threw it in the bin and leaned back, putting his feet up on his own desk.
“I don’t think any of them even want to pass anymore,” she sighed miserably.
“Which is not your fault,” he said, suddenly concerned. “They’re all little snot-rags and refuse simply because they’ve been asked to do something.”
“Yeah great, my whole teaching standard is going downhill because of it,” she said wryly, taking the first exercise-book off the top of the pile. It was Jonathon’s, and she was damn sure she’d find an excuse to give him detention.
“What are you doing this weekend?” Elliot asked, stretching and looking up at the clock.
“Nothing, trying to finish my book,” she said absently, scanning through Jonathon’s messy scrawl. “What about you?”
“Going to Mam and Dad’s tonight so they can abuse my occupation and living-style, before lazing in front of the television for two solid days watching the football."
Andrea smiled up at him. “Your parents don’t still abuse you, do they?”
“Oh,” he groaned dramatically, rolling his eyes, “they beat me something shocking.”
Andrea couldn’t help but laugh – no matter how terrible her day was, Elliot was always on hand to make her feel better.

Hehe I love reading it for a second time
Great job

(Ooooh now I see all the 'extras' in Quick Reply! Yay!)

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S.P.E.W. supporter

Thank you, Sopofee! My updates used to be a lot shorter as well, didn't they?

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We love you Liiiisaaaaa We doooo
Will definitely re-read it!

This will be really interesting, to follow the fic again, bit by bit. This way I can read it in without rush and reminisce in daily (I suppose so?) updates! I was wondering if you are going to post each part exactly as they were in the old forum (content, for as you said the length of each is not the same right?)...

I am glad to read it for the third time! And Andrea looks so cute as a teacher!

Can't wait to re-read the whole fic!
Well done Lisa !

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*Follow your heart don't be afraid...*

~Kelly

Will of course follow as breathlessly as last time Lisa, just feed it to me

I'm sorry to hear losing all your comments was so depressing for you , i understand its sad for you Lisa but i remember those comments all were very very positive ICC is a great story and i´m glad your story itself is not lost.

I'm glad your reposting so i can read along again from the beginning now


I loved to read pt 1 again, its a classic!

I cannot believe that it is back so soon. YAH!

P.S. I passed my final exam today.

Glenda

Thanks, you guys I'd thank you all individually but I'm feeling very lazy at the moment. Oh, and well done Glenda!



Caroline:

“Jesus…” Caroline breathed in relief as she rushed into the chemist. She’d just made it – the clerk behind the counter was eyeing her in annoyance – he had been ready to shut the store and go home.
“Up yours too…” Caroline murmured to herself, still trying to get her breath back. She disappeared behind a shelf nervously, her eyes scanning packets of tampons, bandages, tubes of cream, until…
She hopped from foot-to-foot, eyeing the different brands, until finally picking up a box that looked expensive (and therefore reliable.)
She looked back towards the door, suddenly terrified that somebody she knew would walk in. She saw the pharmacist looking at her and then looking pointedly at the clock on the wall. She felt compelled to give him the finger, but restrained herself and hurried to the counter.
She saw him smirk when she handed the box over. As soon as he’d scanned it she slammed her money on the bench angrily, grabbed the bag and hurried back out into the rain.

“Did you get it?” Ryan was chain-smoking in the kitchen.
“Put that out, idiot!” she snapped. “You’ll set the bloody sprinkler system off.” She took the box into the bathroom with her and ripped it open. She heard him behind her, but ignored him.
“You have to pee on it,” he said.
“I know.” She looked up at him. “So get out.”
He rolled his eyes at her but closed the door behind him, only to return when he heard the toilet flush. “What does it say?”
“It takes ten minutes to work.” Caroline washed her hands, which were shaking. “We’ll know in ten minutes.”
Ryan took his cigarettes out again, but Caroline grabbed them and threw them into the toilet before storming back into the bedroom.
“That was nearly a full pack!” he exclaimed incredulously, before noticing she had burst into tears.
“Caroline, it won’t be the end of the world,” he sighed, crossing to the bed and sitting beside her.
“I know,” she sobbed, wiping her eyes, “I’m just a bit bloody emotional about it, that’s all.”
“Well don’t be, we need to keep our heads on,” he said in exasperation. “It’ll be negative, trust me.”
“Trust you?” She scoffed. “I’ve heard that before.”
“Meaning what?” he said angrily.
“Nothing…” She got up and paced the room, watching the clock tick by anxiously.
It was the longest ten minutes of Caroline’s life, and she didn’t even make all of it – she ran into the bathroom at the 8 minute mark.
“It’s a blue dot,” she said blankly.
“What does that mean?” Ryan was smoking again but she didn’t ask where he’d got the cigarette from.
“I don’t know! I didn’t check!” She started crying again but rummaged through the box until she found the slip of instructions.
“This test… blah blah… can only be an indication… see a doctor…blah…” She scanned through it breathlessly.
“Down the bottom there,” Ryan said from over her shoulder, “what does it say?”
Caroline leaned back against the bathroom counter. “A blue dot indicates that you may be pregnant.”



Dun dun dun...

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