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Apr. 19th, 2016 09:14 pmThree things happened when Mum and Dad agreed to let Fry get into mathletics seriously.
The first was that he got to take home Book 2 of his school maths for Easter (which he completed in the first week). The second was that although his parents still limited to an hour of training a day, Dad actively trained him for some of it, and once a week Dad recruited a tutor who actually knew what they were talking about.
The third was that he made a new friend. Xiao had apparently realised that she had a common interest in Fry that she didn't have with any of her own class, and in the second week of Easter invited him over to her house.
Fry found it an interesting place. It reminded him of the time he'd gone to George's house and seen all the trophies - which later turned out to be her older sister Gemma's - except that Xiao's were definitely hers.
"I thought you might want a few tips." Xiao says. "Because you're new to mathletics and I'm not. Just don't tell Dad I told you, he's very competitive."
"Thanks." Fry says, looking at the shiny trophies.
"So first." Xiao says. "There's not just one competition. There's the Inter-Schools Nationals which we're already in. Then there's the Junior Maths Challenge which is open to anyone under year 8, that's got a national round. Oh, and Child Genius, but that's not just maths and you're too young. Internationally, there's the Maths World Cup - that one's just online but it's quite fun, and some others but they're really for much older kids."
Fry nods, taking it all in. Xiao continues.
"There's local and small ones too - Holby University Mathmagicians runs in the summer, and GreenSTEMs magazine does a weekly one."
"What's GreenSTEMs?" Fry asks, looking back at her.
"Oh, it's a magazine for kids who like science, technology, engineering or maths." Xiao says. "You know, STEM? Here..." she gets out a box from under her bed. "You can read my old copies if you like. Don't enter the competitions though, they finished because these are old. You can find the answer in the next issue."
"Thanks." Fry looks through them. "Why are you helping me? Aren't we rivals?"
"Well yes." Xiao says. "But it's been fun being rivals with you. I thought maybe we could be friends. I don't have many friends. It would be nice to hang out at competitions."
Fry looks at her curiously. It never occurred to him, not really, that it might be hard for other people to make friends.
"Thanks." he says again. "I think we can be friends."
They lie on Xiao's rug and look through some of the old magazines. The puzzles are fun. After a while, Xiao sits up and looks at him.
"Hey, Fry?" she says. "George in your class is going to the Nationals too, isn't she?"
"Yes." Fry says. "We're going to show her."
"You should watch out for her." Xiao says. "She makes trouble."
"How?" Fry asks.
"She spreads gossip through the girls." Xiao says. "She was the one who told everyone you put a curse on Ruby."
"Why would she do that?" Fry asks.
"Because you called her a cheat, and other girls in your class heard, and they talked about her behind her back, and now the whole school knows." Xiao says.
"Oh." Fry says, wincing slightly. "What should I do?"
"You should say sorry." Xiao says. "And be careful round her. Don't trust her, okay? She's not nice to you. And don't tell her I said that."
Fry looks back at the magazines. Friends can be complicated. But maybe it doesn't hurt to have one more ally.
The first was that he got to take home Book 2 of his school maths for Easter (which he completed in the first week). The second was that although his parents still limited to an hour of training a day, Dad actively trained him for some of it, and once a week Dad recruited a tutor who actually knew what they were talking about.
The third was that he made a new friend. Xiao had apparently realised that she had a common interest in Fry that she didn't have with any of her own class, and in the second week of Easter invited him over to her house.
Fry found it an interesting place. It reminded him of the time he'd gone to George's house and seen all the trophies - which later turned out to be her older sister Gemma's - except that Xiao's were definitely hers.
"I thought you might want a few tips." Xiao says. "Because you're new to mathletics and I'm not. Just don't tell Dad I told you, he's very competitive."
"Thanks." Fry says, looking at the shiny trophies.
"So first." Xiao says. "There's not just one competition. There's the Inter-Schools Nationals which we're already in. Then there's the Junior Maths Challenge which is open to anyone under year 8, that's got a national round. Oh, and Child Genius, but that's not just maths and you're too young. Internationally, there's the Maths World Cup - that one's just online but it's quite fun, and some others but they're really for much older kids."
Fry nods, taking it all in. Xiao continues.
"There's local and small ones too - Holby University Mathmagicians runs in the summer, and GreenSTEMs magazine does a weekly one."
"What's GreenSTEMs?" Fry asks, looking back at her.
"Oh, it's a magazine for kids who like science, technology, engineering or maths." Xiao says. "You know, STEM? Here..." she gets out a box from under her bed. "You can read my old copies if you like. Don't enter the competitions though, they finished because these are old. You can find the answer in the next issue."
"Thanks." Fry looks through them. "Why are you helping me? Aren't we rivals?"
"Well yes." Xiao says. "But it's been fun being rivals with you. I thought maybe we could be friends. I don't have many friends. It would be nice to hang out at competitions."
Fry looks at her curiously. It never occurred to him, not really, that it might be hard for other people to make friends.
"Thanks." he says again. "I think we can be friends."
They lie on Xiao's rug and look through some of the old magazines. The puzzles are fun. After a while, Xiao sits up and looks at him.
"Hey, Fry?" she says. "George in your class is going to the Nationals too, isn't she?"
"Yes." Fry says. "We're going to show her."
"You should watch out for her." Xiao says. "She makes trouble."
"How?" Fry asks.
"She spreads gossip through the girls." Xiao says. "She was the one who told everyone you put a curse on Ruby."
"Why would she do that?" Fry asks.
"Because you called her a cheat, and other girls in your class heard, and they talked about her behind her back, and now the whole school knows." Xiao says.
"Oh." Fry says, wincing slightly. "What should I do?"
"You should say sorry." Xiao says. "And be careful round her. Don't trust her, okay? She's not nice to you. And don't tell her I said that."
Fry looks back at the magazines. Friends can be complicated. But maybe it doesn't hurt to have one more ally.
