(no subject)
Sep. 11th, 2016 07:52 pmFry was vaguely aware, as he swept the dust out of the cracks in the classroom floor with a paintbrush, that the bell had gone for the end of break. Bethany, who had told him he would get extra credit for doing it, had long since got bored of taking photographs on her phone and laughing at him (which seemed very strange to him, but he ignored her).
It was only when someone tried to stop him that he got flustered. He wasn't finished.
"I have to finish this. Bethany said Miss Havisham's giving me ten credits." he says, not glancing up at Teddy who has crouched next to him.
"I don't think she's going to do that." Teddy says. "I think you've been tricked."
Fry's reaction was to explode into a loud rage. Miss Havisham walked in in the middle, established what was going on from some of the other children, and sent Fry to stand outside the back door to calm down, before taking Bethany into the Resources Room to tell her off.
The three new girls, who haven't seen this sort of display before, stare after him in bewilderment.
"Does he do that a lot?" Maisie asks.
"Yeah." Tommy says. "He's autistic, it means he's got wires in his head going a different way."
"I don't think he has actual wires..." Teddy puts in.
"No no, I read it somewhere, it's definitely wires." Tommy says, turning back to the three new girls. "It's like he has a computer brain and you know like when with a computer you push too many buttons at once and it goes crazy? That's like that thing he just did."
"He's not crazy exactly." Teddy says. "It's called a meltdown. He doesn't have them so often now. When he was little he had them a lot, so he's got a lot better."
"And he used to hit people when they touched him." Tommy says. "Rather than just making that frowny face he does now."
"When he first joined our class in the infants, he didn't talk to most people." Teddy says. "Or if he did he just said weird things about penguins. So he's actually done pretty good."
At this point, Bethany storms back in, slamming the door.
"Miss Havisham will murder you if she sees you doing that." Kasha says. "Hope she already gave you a good punishment."
Bethany glares at Kasha. "It was just a joke."
"No it wasn't." Teddy says. "That was a horrible thing to do."
Bethany looks around the room. Half the class are giving her dirty looks. Even her own mates aren't making much eye contact.
"Miss Havisham says my punishment is to sweep the rest of the floor cracks with the paintbrush tomorrow." she says sulkily, hoping for a little sympathy. But that gets a ripple of laughter from the other kids.
***
At the end of the day, Bethany get collared by her older sister, who drags her over to one side of the playground.
"What?" Bethany snaps.
"Is it true?" her sister demands. "After everything Mum said, you went for one of the Sandhu kids?"
"It was just a joke." Bethany protests.
"Mum told you you had to stop getting in trouble in school." her sister hisses. "And you especially can't mess with them. They know about Dad being in prison. His Dad was the one who caught our Dad at the hospital. The only reason the whole school doesn't know is because you and Fry were only little and his parents haven't reminded their kids. But they KNOW about us, Beth."
"Bethany?" Miss Havisham comes up behind them. "Can I see your homework diary, please?"
The two girls stop fighting. Bethany opens her book bag, but the diary isn't in it.
"As I thought." Miss Havisham hands her a book. "This has no name in it, I assume it's yours?"
Bethany checks it. "Er, yeah. Thanks Miss Havisham."
"Perhaps before you go home you ought to check that you have tomorrow's spelling test words written down." Miss Havisham says, but not unkindly. "Since they aren't in that homework diary. Not really doing yourself justice in the test, if you don't take the words home. They're all still on the board."
She turns and heads back towards the school. Bethany, after a moment of consideration, follows. Miss Havisham hasn't turned around, but is holding the door for her.
"Tomorrow is a new day, Bethany." she says, sweeping off towards the staff room.
It was only when someone tried to stop him that he got flustered. He wasn't finished.
"I have to finish this. Bethany said Miss Havisham's giving me ten credits." he says, not glancing up at Teddy who has crouched next to him.
"I don't think she's going to do that." Teddy says. "I think you've been tricked."
Fry's reaction was to explode into a loud rage. Miss Havisham walked in in the middle, established what was going on from some of the other children, and sent Fry to stand outside the back door to calm down, before taking Bethany into the Resources Room to tell her off.
The three new girls, who haven't seen this sort of display before, stare after him in bewilderment.
"Does he do that a lot?" Maisie asks.
"Yeah." Tommy says. "He's autistic, it means he's got wires in his head going a different way."
"I don't think he has actual wires..." Teddy puts in.
"No no, I read it somewhere, it's definitely wires." Tommy says, turning back to the three new girls. "It's like he has a computer brain and you know like when with a computer you push too many buttons at once and it goes crazy? That's like that thing he just did."
"He's not crazy exactly." Teddy says. "It's called a meltdown. He doesn't have them so often now. When he was little he had them a lot, so he's got a lot better."
"And he used to hit people when they touched him." Tommy says. "Rather than just making that frowny face he does now."
"When he first joined our class in the infants, he didn't talk to most people." Teddy says. "Or if he did he just said weird things about penguins. So he's actually done pretty good."
At this point, Bethany storms back in, slamming the door.
"Miss Havisham will murder you if she sees you doing that." Kasha says. "Hope she already gave you a good punishment."
Bethany glares at Kasha. "It was just a joke."
"No it wasn't." Teddy says. "That was a horrible thing to do."
Bethany looks around the room. Half the class are giving her dirty looks. Even her own mates aren't making much eye contact.
"Miss Havisham says my punishment is to sweep the rest of the floor cracks with the paintbrush tomorrow." she says sulkily, hoping for a little sympathy. But that gets a ripple of laughter from the other kids.
***
At the end of the day, Bethany get collared by her older sister, who drags her over to one side of the playground.
"What?" Bethany snaps.
"Is it true?" her sister demands. "After everything Mum said, you went for one of the Sandhu kids?"
"It was just a joke." Bethany protests.
"Mum told you you had to stop getting in trouble in school." her sister hisses. "And you especially can't mess with them. They know about Dad being in prison. His Dad was the one who caught our Dad at the hospital. The only reason the whole school doesn't know is because you and Fry were only little and his parents haven't reminded their kids. But they KNOW about us, Beth."
"Bethany?" Miss Havisham comes up behind them. "Can I see your homework diary, please?"
The two girls stop fighting. Bethany opens her book bag, but the diary isn't in it.
"As I thought." Miss Havisham hands her a book. "This has no name in it, I assume it's yours?"
Bethany checks it. "Er, yeah. Thanks Miss Havisham."
"Perhaps before you go home you ought to check that you have tomorrow's spelling test words written down." Miss Havisham says, but not unkindly. "Since they aren't in that homework diary. Not really doing yourself justice in the test, if you don't take the words home. They're all still on the board."
She turns and heads back towards the school. Bethany, after a moment of consideration, follows. Miss Havisham hasn't turned around, but is holding the door for her.
"Tomorrow is a new day, Bethany." she says, sweeping off towards the staff room.