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Oct. 14th, 2015 08:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fry_sandhuIt was hard being normal to George that afternoon, after he and Noah found out that she was cheating and had all the teacher's editions in her desk. Eventually, Fry decided that ignoring her was the only way not to get cross at her or say something he shouldn't. In fact, ignoring everyone seems like a pretty good idea right now.
After speaking directly to him a few times and being ignored, and not getting much conversation from Noah on her other side either, George started to look a little hurt. Fry is starting to find it a little difficult to resist her attempts to make him talk to her, when he finds himself unexpectedly rescued by the girl sitting behind him.
"George?" Sophie leans over. "Sometimes he likes to be left alone. You shouldn't hassle him."
Fry doesn't look round, but silently thanks Sophie, a girl he has had relatively little to do with over the years. Apparently, the other kids pay more attention to him than he does to them...
But George isn't having any of it. At afternoon break, she collars Fry as he stands at the fence at the back of the playground, running his finger down the wood grain.
"Why are you ignoring me?" she asks.
"I don't know what to say to you." Fry says, running his finger over the knot in the wood.
"Why?" George asks. "Come on Fry, I thought we were friends."
"Leave him alone, George." Noah says, coming over to join them, and watching Fry nervously. If Fry kicks off, this isn't going to be secret for long.
"You're not my friend." Fry swings round. "You're a cheat, and you made me think you beat me at everything when you didn't."
"We found your books." Noah admits, as the colour drains from George's face. "We haven't told anyone yet but we think you should own up. Things are much better when you tell the truth."
George's lip wobbles slightly, and she turns to the angry Fry.
"Please don't tell! I had to get out of my old school, they were so mean to me there!" she says. "Because my name reads 'G Runt', they made pig noises every time they saw me. Every day, every lesson. I won a prize and I went on stage and the whole school did it and the teachers didn't do anything."
"That's awful. But what's that got to do with cheating?" Noah asks.
"I pretended to be really clever so I could come here." George says, starting to cry. "I mean, I'm quite clever, but I thought I might not be clever enough. But when I got here I thought they'd be really suspicious if I suddenly got less clever so I had to carry on and I got more and more scared that someone would find out."
"But you've got loads of clever trophies and certificates!" Fry says, turning back around to her. "You're the chess champion for Holby South."
"I'm not. They're my big sister's trophies." George says, wiping her eyes. "She's called Gemma, we share a room. I don't even know how to play chess."
Somehow, this lie is far more upsetting than anything else she has said. For weeks, Fry has been thinking of getting the chance to play chess at chess club against someone actually good at it.
And that, he reflects later, is probably why he screams and punches the fence.
***
By the time Mr Irons has finished interviewing George, Fry has just about calmed down in the school nurse's room, though he is still sitting under her desk when his teacher sits on the floor next to him.
"George has told me everything." Mr Irons says.
"Is she getting kicked out?" Fry asks, looking up.
"Of course not!" Mr Irons shakes his head. "Everyone makes mistakes." He hesitates and then adds. "Fry, you know she didn't lie to you to be mean, don't you? Everyone around you has their own story going on, and they go through as much of a journey of learning and uncertainty as you do."
Fry listens, considering this.
"Why did she have to lie at all?" he asks.
"She was scared. People do all sorts of things when they're scared." Mr Irons says. "It was a complete waste of time anyway, you don't have to be super clever to come here."
Fry nearly points out that several members of his class aren't at all clever, but decides that might be a bit unkind.
"Fry, I'm going to ask you to do something very grown up." Mr Irons says. "I want you to give George another chance, and not tell all the other children about her cheating. Do you think you can do that?"
"What if they ask?" Fry asks.
"Well then you can just say you can't say." Mr Irons says. "It's a not-lie that works for lots of things." He pauses, then adds. "Do you think you're ready to come back to class now? Your friends were worried."
Fry comes out from under the desk. His hand hurts where he punched the fence, but he tucks it in his pocket, because adults have a habit of prodding and poking things that hurt.
"I think I can do that." he says.
"Good, thank you Fry. Come on then."
After speaking directly to him a few times and being ignored, and not getting much conversation from Noah on her other side either, George started to look a little hurt. Fry is starting to find it a little difficult to resist her attempts to make him talk to her, when he finds himself unexpectedly rescued by the girl sitting behind him.
"George?" Sophie leans over. "Sometimes he likes to be left alone. You shouldn't hassle him."
Fry doesn't look round, but silently thanks Sophie, a girl he has had relatively little to do with over the years. Apparently, the other kids pay more attention to him than he does to them...
But George isn't having any of it. At afternoon break, she collars Fry as he stands at the fence at the back of the playground, running his finger down the wood grain.
"Why are you ignoring me?" she asks.
"I don't know what to say to you." Fry says, running his finger over the knot in the wood.
"Why?" George asks. "Come on Fry, I thought we were friends."
"Leave him alone, George." Noah says, coming over to join them, and watching Fry nervously. If Fry kicks off, this isn't going to be secret for long.
"You're not my friend." Fry swings round. "You're a cheat, and you made me think you beat me at everything when you didn't."
"We found your books." Noah admits, as the colour drains from George's face. "We haven't told anyone yet but we think you should own up. Things are much better when you tell the truth."
George's lip wobbles slightly, and she turns to the angry Fry.
"Please don't tell! I had to get out of my old school, they were so mean to me there!" she says. "Because my name reads 'G Runt', they made pig noises every time they saw me. Every day, every lesson. I won a prize and I went on stage and the whole school did it and the teachers didn't do anything."
"That's awful. But what's that got to do with cheating?" Noah asks.
"I pretended to be really clever so I could come here." George says, starting to cry. "I mean, I'm quite clever, but I thought I might not be clever enough. But when I got here I thought they'd be really suspicious if I suddenly got less clever so I had to carry on and I got more and more scared that someone would find out."
"But you've got loads of clever trophies and certificates!" Fry says, turning back around to her. "You're the chess champion for Holby South."
"I'm not. They're my big sister's trophies." George says, wiping her eyes. "She's called Gemma, we share a room. I don't even know how to play chess."
Somehow, this lie is far more upsetting than anything else she has said. For weeks, Fry has been thinking of getting the chance to play chess at chess club against someone actually good at it.
And that, he reflects later, is probably why he screams and punches the fence.
***
By the time Mr Irons has finished interviewing George, Fry has just about calmed down in the school nurse's room, though he is still sitting under her desk when his teacher sits on the floor next to him.
"George has told me everything." Mr Irons says.
"Is she getting kicked out?" Fry asks, looking up.
"Of course not!" Mr Irons shakes his head. "Everyone makes mistakes." He hesitates and then adds. "Fry, you know she didn't lie to you to be mean, don't you? Everyone around you has their own story going on, and they go through as much of a journey of learning and uncertainty as you do."
Fry listens, considering this.
"Why did she have to lie at all?" he asks.
"She was scared. People do all sorts of things when they're scared." Mr Irons says. "It was a complete waste of time anyway, you don't have to be super clever to come here."
Fry nearly points out that several members of his class aren't at all clever, but decides that might be a bit unkind.
"Fry, I'm going to ask you to do something very grown up." Mr Irons says. "I want you to give George another chance, and not tell all the other children about her cheating. Do you think you can do that?"
"What if they ask?" Fry asks.
"Well then you can just say you can't say." Mr Irons says. "It's a not-lie that works for lots of things." He pauses, then adds. "Do you think you're ready to come back to class now? Your friends were worried."
Fry comes out from under the desk. His hand hurts where he punched the fence, but he tucks it in his pocket, because adults have a habit of prodding and poking things that hurt.
"I think I can do that." he says.
"Good, thank you Fry. Come on then."
