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Oct. 27th, 2012 10:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fry_sandhuThe aroma of strong perfume wafts across the classroom. Fry sighs as he enters. Mrs Hayes, the new English teacher he had this term, doesn't seem to get how distracting it is to stink like a flower shop. That's before the fact that she wears jumpers that would make Where's Wally look bland.
And that they have a difference of opinion on his most difficult subject.
She certainly looks in a real tizz this morning, as she hands out the practice exam papers they did for homework last lesson.
"What is this?" she demands, coming to Fry last and putting it down on the desk forcefully.
"It's my essay answer to a 2015 mock GCSE English Literature paper from EdExcel." Fry says.
"Are you trying to be deliberately challenging?"
"No. I don't understand the question." Fry says.
"I'm not grading this. You knew perfectly well you were supposed to write your essay on Pride and Prejudice."
"But the paper said I can answer it on any of the books, and I like 1984 better. I did it with Mrs Carter. The essay is an A*, I've done that one before, I recited it word for word and incorporated all of the improvements she suggested at the time." Fry says.
"And in an exam, would you have done the same?" Mrs Hayes asks, sarcastically.
"Of course. Pride and Prejudice is incomprehensible waffle, so I'd score far lower." Fry says.
"Well, that's very silly of you. You will redo the homework properly." Mrs Hayes snaps.
Fry sighs, as she goes to the front and gets them each in turn to read out parts of Pride and Prejudice. He can't bear reading out loud, it's too slow. The perfume is in a cloud where she stood, thick, almost nauseating. Unable to bear it any longer, he gets up and opens a window.
"What are you doing?" Mrs Hayes marches up to him again, a new wave of smell wafting at him. "It's freezing outside, don't be ridiculous."
"I need to open the window, you smell terrible." Fry says.
Across the room, Maurice laughs. The others know he's nervous at the potential conflict, but Mrs Hayes looks at him angrily. Maurice excuses himself to the bathroom.
"I don't know why I bother with you." Mrs Hayes says. "You've earned lunchtime detention for the rest of the week, sit down."
***
"Fry?" Miss Cartwright, his form teacher, pops her head around the door of the classroom. Everyone else has gone to lunch by this point, and she was just passing. "How come you're not at lunch?"
"I got lunchtime detention." Fry says, staring down at the book.
"You're allowed to eat your lunch before a lunchtime detention, you know." Miss Cartwright says. "I'm guessing it's your first. What happened?"
Fry relates his experience in the class. Miss Cartwright frowns slightly.
"I'm going to have a word with her. You weren't trying to be rude were you?"
"No." Fry says. "She really does smell terrible."
"Okay, well if she holds to the punishment, that's her choice, but I'll go talk to her." Miss Cartwright says. "Why don't you go get your lunch so you can come back for your detention?"
"I'm not hungry." Fry says quietly.
***
She didn't like to shout down a more senior teacher in the staff room, but Miss Cartwright tried to corner Mrs Hayes outside for a word.
"I hear there was a problem with Fry in your class?" she asks.
"Oh, that boy is a pest." Mrs Hayes says, irritated. "Smart alek, poor classwork, and behavioural problems. He's got a week of lunchtime detention for cheeking me, saying that I smell."
"Fry's hypersensitive to odours, like many children with Asperger's." Miss Cartwright says. "It's entirely plausible that he actually did feel sick."
"Are you taking a student's side over mine?" Mrs Hayes asks, bristling.
"I'm his form tutor, I have to look out for his personal welfare." Miss Cartwright says. "He's not a bad lad, but he finds English hard, because of it being subjective and having to say things like what the author was feeling. You'll get better results out of him if you're not hyperstimulating him. I bet he's struggling with those red jumpers too."
"He needs to deal with it." Mrs Hayes says.
"He can't just deal with it, that's why he's in special education." Miss Cartwright says. "Look, maybe we could set up a meeting with the three of us, and his psychologist, so the two of you can talk things through."
"Don't undermine my authority." Mrs Hayes says coldly. "I'm more than capable of handling Alexander. If I need your help, I'll ask for it."
As the English teacher walks away, Miss Cartwright bites her lip to avoid saying something that would get her into trouble. But she makes up her mind to keep a sharp eye on that situation.
And that they have a difference of opinion on his most difficult subject.
She certainly looks in a real tizz this morning, as she hands out the practice exam papers they did for homework last lesson.
"What is this?" she demands, coming to Fry last and putting it down on the desk forcefully.
"It's my essay answer to a 2015 mock GCSE English Literature paper from EdExcel." Fry says.
"Are you trying to be deliberately challenging?"
"No. I don't understand the question." Fry says.
"I'm not grading this. You knew perfectly well you were supposed to write your essay on Pride and Prejudice."
"But the paper said I can answer it on any of the books, and I like 1984 better. I did it with Mrs Carter. The essay is an A*, I've done that one before, I recited it word for word and incorporated all of the improvements she suggested at the time." Fry says.
"And in an exam, would you have done the same?" Mrs Hayes asks, sarcastically.
"Of course. Pride and Prejudice is incomprehensible waffle, so I'd score far lower." Fry says.
"Well, that's very silly of you. You will redo the homework properly." Mrs Hayes snaps.
Fry sighs, as she goes to the front and gets them each in turn to read out parts of Pride and Prejudice. He can't bear reading out loud, it's too slow. The perfume is in a cloud where she stood, thick, almost nauseating. Unable to bear it any longer, he gets up and opens a window.
"What are you doing?" Mrs Hayes marches up to him again, a new wave of smell wafting at him. "It's freezing outside, don't be ridiculous."
"I need to open the window, you smell terrible." Fry says.
Across the room, Maurice laughs. The others know he's nervous at the potential conflict, but Mrs Hayes looks at him angrily. Maurice excuses himself to the bathroom.
"I don't know why I bother with you." Mrs Hayes says. "You've earned lunchtime detention for the rest of the week, sit down."
***
"Fry?" Miss Cartwright, his form teacher, pops her head around the door of the classroom. Everyone else has gone to lunch by this point, and she was just passing. "How come you're not at lunch?"
"I got lunchtime detention." Fry says, staring down at the book.
"You're allowed to eat your lunch before a lunchtime detention, you know." Miss Cartwright says. "I'm guessing it's your first. What happened?"
Fry relates his experience in the class. Miss Cartwright frowns slightly.
"I'm going to have a word with her. You weren't trying to be rude were you?"
"No." Fry says. "She really does smell terrible."
"Okay, well if she holds to the punishment, that's her choice, but I'll go talk to her." Miss Cartwright says. "Why don't you go get your lunch so you can come back for your detention?"
"I'm not hungry." Fry says quietly.
***
She didn't like to shout down a more senior teacher in the staff room, but Miss Cartwright tried to corner Mrs Hayes outside for a word.
"I hear there was a problem with Fry in your class?" she asks.
"Oh, that boy is a pest." Mrs Hayes says, irritated. "Smart alek, poor classwork, and behavioural problems. He's got a week of lunchtime detention for cheeking me, saying that I smell."
"Fry's hypersensitive to odours, like many children with Asperger's." Miss Cartwright says. "It's entirely plausible that he actually did feel sick."
"Are you taking a student's side over mine?" Mrs Hayes asks, bristling.
"I'm his form tutor, I have to look out for his personal welfare." Miss Cartwright says. "He's not a bad lad, but he finds English hard, because of it being subjective and having to say things like what the author was feeling. You'll get better results out of him if you're not hyperstimulating him. I bet he's struggling with those red jumpers too."
"He needs to deal with it." Mrs Hayes says.
"He can't just deal with it, that's why he's in special education." Miss Cartwright says. "Look, maybe we could set up a meeting with the three of us, and his psychologist, so the two of you can talk things through."
"Don't undermine my authority." Mrs Hayes says coldly. "I'm more than capable of handling Alexander. If I need your help, I'll ask for it."
As the English teacher walks away, Miss Cartwright bites her lip to avoid saying something that would get her into trouble. But she makes up her mind to keep a sharp eye on that situation.
