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Jan. 18th, 2016 08:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fry_sandhuFry had worked out what the deal was with the seating arrangement changes at school. Mr Irons was moving them every half term, to a spot that he thought they would work well, but also he was seating everyone with one friend and one person they didn't like. He was also moving Fry very gradually, so that it wasn't too much of a sensory big deal.
This was why he wasn't surprised when he went into the classroom and found that he had been moved back one row to the back row, and that on the desk next to his was the name 'Bradley'.
Fry and Bradley had never got on, ever since Bradley started in his class two years ago. Bradley had cerebral palsy, with a slight stiffness in his left arm and leg, and a slightly muffled voice. But the first thing you would discover about Bradley was that he didn't like to be babied in any way, and he certainly didn't appreciate being grouped up with 'special needs' kids like Fry, with whom he considered he had nothing in common. Fry was in full agreement about this.
Currently the two boys were at a truce, because things between them had got nasty and Mrs Patel had told them to both knock it off. But Fry isn't sure this state of affairs would last them having to sit together five hours a day five days a week.
He scoots around to the row in front, to see who he'll be with for group work. Jamal and Kasha. Well if Kasha is nearby that's not so bad. He wonders whether Jamal has forgiven him for when he accidentally tripped him up and made him break his arm. In any case, Jamal and Bradley are friends, so at least that might distract Bradley.
The rest of the kids are filing in now, and Fry goes to sit at his desk. Bradley comes in last, sees who he's next to, and gives an exaggerated sigh, but doesn't say anything. Fry breathes out, and starts getting his books out.
"Hey!" Fry looks up to see Tommy waving in his direction. He looks back at his books, assuming Tommy is talking to Bradley, since Tommy, Bradley and Jamal have been a group forever. But when he looks back up Tommy is at his desk.
"Hey Fry, wanna hear my new joke? You said you were learning about jokes."
"Oh, okay." Fry smiles slightly.
"What's square and stinky?" Tommy asks.
Fry considers for a moment. "One of those air fresher things you plug in the wall?"
"No, a smellovision." Tommy says, proudly. "I made it up myself."
Fry stares blankly at him.
"I think that would be a cuboid." he begins, before Mr Irons calls the class to attention and Tommy wanders off back to his new seat. He wonders for a moment whether Tommy might almost miss sitting next to him, but why should he? They have only gone from enemies to sort of understanding each other. He glances over at Bradley, who is glaring in Tommy's direction. But he's been doing a lot of glaring this morning, after his mother made him come in with two jumpers on to keep warm.
It soon becomes apparent that Bradley's tactic in regards to the seating arrangement is to ignore Fry completely, which suits him just fine to begin with. But half way through trying to write the usual 'what I did over the holidays', he notices Bradley seems to be texting under the table.
The first time he ignores it. But by the third message he looks over and glares at Bradley.
"You can't do that in class."
"Shut it!" Bradley hisses back at him.
Fry blinks at him. What is he meant to shut? Maybe Bradley needs help to shut the phone case with his left hand? He reaches over to try and shut the case, and Bradley shoves at him with his left hand, smacking him clumsily in the face. Fry shrieks, making the rest of the class jump.
"What's going on?" Mr Irons asks, appearing sternly in front of them. "Bradley, why did you smack Fry in the face?"
"He was trying to take my phone." Bradley complains, since he didn't get a chance to hide the phone.
"He said shut it." Fry says. "I was shutting it."
"Bradley, you shouldn't be using that in class." Mr Irons says. "Hand it over please." He peers at Fry, who doesn't appear to be hurt. "And you should say sorry to Fry for smacking him in the face."
Bradley mumbles a very begrudging apology as his phone is taken away to the 'Phone Crèche', a box at the front of the room where it will stay with anyone else who was foolish enough to bring a phone to school's phone.
At the end of class, Fry half expects Bradley to gather up Jamal and Tommy and have a go at him, but instead he just storms off. Fry watches him go, then looks over at Jamal.
"How come he didn't yell at me?" he asks.
"He's not talking to me, so I don't know." Jamal says, going off to join Tommy.
Fry files the information, but doesn't spend too long wondering about Bradley, instead going off to check that the white lines in the playground are still in the right place.
This was why he wasn't surprised when he went into the classroom and found that he had been moved back one row to the back row, and that on the desk next to his was the name 'Bradley'.
Fry and Bradley had never got on, ever since Bradley started in his class two years ago. Bradley had cerebral palsy, with a slight stiffness in his left arm and leg, and a slightly muffled voice. But the first thing you would discover about Bradley was that he didn't like to be babied in any way, and he certainly didn't appreciate being grouped up with 'special needs' kids like Fry, with whom he considered he had nothing in common. Fry was in full agreement about this.
Currently the two boys were at a truce, because things between them had got nasty and Mrs Patel had told them to both knock it off. But Fry isn't sure this state of affairs would last them having to sit together five hours a day five days a week.
He scoots around to the row in front, to see who he'll be with for group work. Jamal and Kasha. Well if Kasha is nearby that's not so bad. He wonders whether Jamal has forgiven him for when he accidentally tripped him up and made him break his arm. In any case, Jamal and Bradley are friends, so at least that might distract Bradley.
The rest of the kids are filing in now, and Fry goes to sit at his desk. Bradley comes in last, sees who he's next to, and gives an exaggerated sigh, but doesn't say anything. Fry breathes out, and starts getting his books out.
"Hey!" Fry looks up to see Tommy waving in his direction. He looks back at his books, assuming Tommy is talking to Bradley, since Tommy, Bradley and Jamal have been a group forever. But when he looks back up Tommy is at his desk.
"Hey Fry, wanna hear my new joke? You said you were learning about jokes."
"Oh, okay." Fry smiles slightly.
"What's square and stinky?" Tommy asks.
Fry considers for a moment. "One of those air fresher things you plug in the wall?"
"No, a smellovision." Tommy says, proudly. "I made it up myself."
Fry stares blankly at him.
"I think that would be a cuboid." he begins, before Mr Irons calls the class to attention and Tommy wanders off back to his new seat. He wonders for a moment whether Tommy might almost miss sitting next to him, but why should he? They have only gone from enemies to sort of understanding each other. He glances over at Bradley, who is glaring in Tommy's direction. But he's been doing a lot of glaring this morning, after his mother made him come in with two jumpers on to keep warm.
It soon becomes apparent that Bradley's tactic in regards to the seating arrangement is to ignore Fry completely, which suits him just fine to begin with. But half way through trying to write the usual 'what I did over the holidays', he notices Bradley seems to be texting under the table.
The first time he ignores it. But by the third message he looks over and glares at Bradley.
"You can't do that in class."
"Shut it!" Bradley hisses back at him.
Fry blinks at him. What is he meant to shut? Maybe Bradley needs help to shut the phone case with his left hand? He reaches over to try and shut the case, and Bradley shoves at him with his left hand, smacking him clumsily in the face. Fry shrieks, making the rest of the class jump.
"What's going on?" Mr Irons asks, appearing sternly in front of them. "Bradley, why did you smack Fry in the face?"
"He was trying to take my phone." Bradley complains, since he didn't get a chance to hide the phone.
"He said shut it." Fry says. "I was shutting it."
"Bradley, you shouldn't be using that in class." Mr Irons says. "Hand it over please." He peers at Fry, who doesn't appear to be hurt. "And you should say sorry to Fry for smacking him in the face."
Bradley mumbles a very begrudging apology as his phone is taken away to the 'Phone Crèche', a box at the front of the room where it will stay with anyone else who was foolish enough to bring a phone to school's phone.
At the end of class, Fry half expects Bradley to gather up Jamal and Tommy and have a go at him, but instead he just storms off. Fry watches him go, then looks over at Jamal.
"How come he didn't yell at me?" he asks.
"He's not talking to me, so I don't know." Jamal says, going off to join Tommy.
Fry files the information, but doesn't spend too long wondering about Bradley, instead going off to check that the white lines in the playground are still in the right place.
