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Oct. 6th, 2015 10:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fry_sandhuIt took a little time to get used to being in Mr Irons' class - but Fry felt the new teacher was somewhat more trustworthy than the old one, and that helped a lot.
Sitting next to George had been difficult. She had apologised the next day for calling him and Noah 'misfits', saying she hadn't meant to be mean, but she had an annoying habit of getting 100% correct in pretty much everything.
Sitting directly behind Bethany had been less problematic than he expected. She had found it difficult to wind him up in class without turning around, and when they pushed the tables together for group work, she didn't manage to get a word in edgeways around George.
"I hate being in this dorky class." she complains one day.
But Fry was near enough to the front and had good enough hearing to know this wasn't quite true. Mr Irons had a habit of calling each student to the front to mark their work, and Fry had heard him praise Bethany in his own quiet way.
"Your maths is much better, Bethany." he'd said. "I think you're someone who works better without too many distractions. If you keep this up, I'll let you take your work into the resources room."
Fry had glanced up at that. Getting to work in the resources room was a privilege. It meant you were trusted. He couldn't imagine Bethany ever working in there; she was usually a class clown, when she'd sat with Ruby and Lucy.
He found himself taking an interest in what Mr Irons said to the others. He managed to find a good or helpful thing to say to everyone. When Tommy came up, Mr Irons had taken his book, and begun pointing stuff out.
"Thomas, you aren't bad at maths." he had said. Tommy had looked bewildered, so Mr Irons had continued. "You're misreading your own writing, because your sixes look similar to your zeros. Actually, your working is good, and if you weren't miscopying, you'd be getting far more right." He'd dug in his pocket and handed Tommy a triangular rubber object. "Put this on your pencil, and tonight I want you to write '60' clearly twenty times."
"Bradley, I think you can do harder sums than these, I'm putting you on book three next week."
"Mohammed you write neatly, I think you're ready to write in ink."
But he'd sighed slightly when he came to George. Which was odd, Fry thought, given she got her usual hundred per cent in what seemed an effortless manner.
"All right as usual, but I've asked you every time to show your working, why don't you?" he'd said. "If you get the answer wrong but you do the working correct, in a test you may get part marks, and you don't get nearly as high marks when we test you."
"I'm not good at tests." George replied. "But I can do it in my head."
Fry had thought this was weird. George was getting maximum marks in everything she did in class, she and Mr Irons should be happy. Bethany was happy, and she'd never liked maths. And Bradley was happy, and Bradley was always annoyed about something. And even Tommy, who Fry considered to be the least bright person he knew, had smiled in maths. George didn't look happy.
He bears this in mind when he catches her at break. George has promised she'd join chess club, and so far, she hasn't.
"It's Tuesday." he announces, going up to her. "Today is chess club, and you promised you would join."
Kasha, Krishna, Amy and Lucy H - who make up the group George has joined - watch in interest. Kasha, who is Fry's friend and holds the leader position within the group, tilts her head curiously at George.
"We won't laugh if you join chess club you know." she says. "They need more girls to play for the school."
"I don't want to join, sorry Fry." George says.
"But you said you would." Fry protests. "And you're the under 8 girls' chess champion for Holby South, so you'd be playing anyway. I want to play you because you're good."
"I'm giving chess up. I'm bored with it." she says. "Sorry Fry."
Fry stares at her, not knowing what to do. She promised, and now she's saying no.
"It's Tuesday." he says, not knowing what else to say, and wanders off.
Kasha watches him go. As unofficial leader of the group, the others look at her. She then turns to George.
"I don't care whether you like chess or not." she says. "But he takes promises seriously, so you shouldn't make them to him if you're not going to keep them."
"I didn't know he was a robot when I promised it." George says.
Kasha glares at her. "Don't call him a robot."
Krishna, Amy and Lucy watch this exchange between their leader and their newcomer. George pauses, suddenly getting the feeling that Kasha might kick her out of the group if she's not careful, and backs down.
"I'm sorry. He's just like a little kid, it's hard."
The group softens slightly, and reassures her that Fry takes a bit of getting used to. Then Kasha goes off to see if Fry is okay, and Krishna and Lucy go off to drama lessons, leaving George with Amy. Amy is the shy one, and George suddenly feels the need to have a safe friend.
"Hey, Amy?" She hesitates, debating the right sort of lie. "I really like you as a friend, you're not nearly as boring as Kasha said."
"Kasha said I'm boring?" Amy asks, wide-eyed.
"Yeah, but don't worry, you're not boring." George says quickly. "Do you want to be my partner in PE today?"
Amy, who had been going to be Kasha's partner, agrees, before mumbling something about wanting the toilet and going inside.
Sitting next to George had been difficult. She had apologised the next day for calling him and Noah 'misfits', saying she hadn't meant to be mean, but she had an annoying habit of getting 100% correct in pretty much everything.
Sitting directly behind Bethany had been less problematic than he expected. She had found it difficult to wind him up in class without turning around, and when they pushed the tables together for group work, she didn't manage to get a word in edgeways around George.
"I hate being in this dorky class." she complains one day.
But Fry was near enough to the front and had good enough hearing to know this wasn't quite true. Mr Irons had a habit of calling each student to the front to mark their work, and Fry had heard him praise Bethany in his own quiet way.
"Your maths is much better, Bethany." he'd said. "I think you're someone who works better without too many distractions. If you keep this up, I'll let you take your work into the resources room."
Fry had glanced up at that. Getting to work in the resources room was a privilege. It meant you were trusted. He couldn't imagine Bethany ever working in there; she was usually a class clown, when she'd sat with Ruby and Lucy.
He found himself taking an interest in what Mr Irons said to the others. He managed to find a good or helpful thing to say to everyone. When Tommy came up, Mr Irons had taken his book, and begun pointing stuff out.
"Thomas, you aren't bad at maths." he had said. Tommy had looked bewildered, so Mr Irons had continued. "You're misreading your own writing, because your sixes look similar to your zeros. Actually, your working is good, and if you weren't miscopying, you'd be getting far more right." He'd dug in his pocket and handed Tommy a triangular rubber object. "Put this on your pencil, and tonight I want you to write '60' clearly twenty times."
"Bradley, I think you can do harder sums than these, I'm putting you on book three next week."
"Mohammed you write neatly, I think you're ready to write in ink."
But he'd sighed slightly when he came to George. Which was odd, Fry thought, given she got her usual hundred per cent in what seemed an effortless manner.
"All right as usual, but I've asked you every time to show your working, why don't you?" he'd said. "If you get the answer wrong but you do the working correct, in a test you may get part marks, and you don't get nearly as high marks when we test you."
"I'm not good at tests." George replied. "But I can do it in my head."
Fry had thought this was weird. George was getting maximum marks in everything she did in class, she and Mr Irons should be happy. Bethany was happy, and she'd never liked maths. And Bradley was happy, and Bradley was always annoyed about something. And even Tommy, who Fry considered to be the least bright person he knew, had smiled in maths. George didn't look happy.
He bears this in mind when he catches her at break. George has promised she'd join chess club, and so far, she hasn't.
"It's Tuesday." he announces, going up to her. "Today is chess club, and you promised you would join."
Kasha, Krishna, Amy and Lucy H - who make up the group George has joined - watch in interest. Kasha, who is Fry's friend and holds the leader position within the group, tilts her head curiously at George.
"We won't laugh if you join chess club you know." she says. "They need more girls to play for the school."
"I don't want to join, sorry Fry." George says.
"But you said you would." Fry protests. "And you're the under 8 girls' chess champion for Holby South, so you'd be playing anyway. I want to play you because you're good."
"I'm giving chess up. I'm bored with it." she says. "Sorry Fry."
Fry stares at her, not knowing what to do. She promised, and now she's saying no.
"It's Tuesday." he says, not knowing what else to say, and wanders off.
Kasha watches him go. As unofficial leader of the group, the others look at her. She then turns to George.
"I don't care whether you like chess or not." she says. "But he takes promises seriously, so you shouldn't make them to him if you're not going to keep them."
"I didn't know he was a robot when I promised it." George says.
Kasha glares at her. "Don't call him a robot."
Krishna, Amy and Lucy watch this exchange between their leader and their newcomer. George pauses, suddenly getting the feeling that Kasha might kick her out of the group if she's not careful, and backs down.
"I'm sorry. He's just like a little kid, it's hard."
The group softens slightly, and reassures her that Fry takes a bit of getting used to. Then Kasha goes off to see if Fry is okay, and Krishna and Lucy go off to drama lessons, leaving George with Amy. Amy is the shy one, and George suddenly feels the need to have a safe friend.
"Hey, Amy?" She hesitates, debating the right sort of lie. "I really like you as a friend, you're not nearly as boring as Kasha said."
"Kasha said I'm boring?" Amy asks, wide-eyed.
"Yeah, but don't worry, you're not boring." George says quickly. "Do you want to be my partner in PE today?"
Amy, who had been going to be Kasha's partner, agrees, before mumbling something about wanting the toilet and going inside.
