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Aug. 31st, 2017 09:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fry_sandhuIt's a relief to be going back to school, even if Fry is worried about going into a new, potentially chaotic class with a weird teacher.
Mum and Dad have tried to get him to 'get to know' Rowan and Hazel, the new neighbourkids during his last few weeks of the holidays. He might have stood more of a chance with their older brother Flint, who is a much quieter lad keen on gardening and the outdoors, but Flint must be at least fourteen and just isn't interested in getting to know Fry.
Things with Rowan started to go downhill within the first week. Fry was out in the garden, watering his flowers, when he heard Rowan arguing with his mum next door.
"No, I'm not going to go and play with him!" Rowan complained. "He's a big sissy wimp and he's boring, boring, boring!"
Fry glared through the fence. Just because he hadn't wanted to go over the back fence (where there are dangerous holes you can fall in), and because he didn't like it when Rowan laughed at his new phone (and said he was going to wee himself it was so funny) and just because he didn't think it was funny when Hazel soaked him with the hose while he was gardening. It wasn't funny. He got wet.
He's relieved that Rowan isn't going to his school. At least the only new person he's expecting there is Joram, who isn't new to Fry, at least.
He meets Joram at the school gates when Dad drops him off. Joram's aunt waves him goodbye, and Joram stops Fry for a moment.
"Fry? Can I ask a present?"
Fry stops. "A present?"
"No, I mean... to do something for me."
"A favour." Fry says. "Sure."
"If the other children ask, please do not tell them I am from Syria." Joram says.
"Why?" Fry asks.
"At my old school, when they hear I am from Syria, some call me a terrorist." Joram says. "Or they ask many question about the war. I do not want to talk about war, about being a refugee. You understand me?"
Fry nods. Mum had said that Joram might not want to talk about the war. "Where do I say you're from if they ask?"
"Saudi Arabia." Joram says. "Because they speak the same language there and nobody will have anything to ask about it."
Fry doesn't like to lie. But it's a fairly straightforward lie, so he thinks he can do it for Joram.
When they go into the classroom though, Fry is in for a shock. Joram isn't the only new face; there are two other boys he doesn't recognise. The volume of the classroom hits him like a wall, with everyone talking to the new kids at the tops of their voices.
There shouldn't be any new kids here. For new kids to arrive last minute, it means someone has left. Fry looks rapidly around the room to work out who.
The first person he can't spot is Peter. But then he realises Peter has probably gone up into Year 6. Miss Havisham had said at the end of last term that he might, because he was doing so much better. The second person he can't spot is Bradley, who is usually easy to spot in his wheelchair. And nearby, Tommy suddenly gives an alarmed shriek.
"Guys, I just got a text! It says 'Bradley died last week, his spirit will haunt the classroom for eternity'."
Bethany screams. A couple of other people scream. Fry puts his hands over his ears. Mr Magnesium-Fitzgerald, their new teacher, looks startled as he comes into the room.
"Woah, what's all this?" he asks, looking at the now sobbing Tommy.
"Bradley died!" Tommy says, handing the teacher his phone.
Mr Magnesium-Fitzgerald reads the message, then takes the phone to the front of the class, puts it on speaker phone and calls Bradley's number.
"Whooooooooooo!" Bradley answers. Bethany screams again.
"Hi Bradley, this is Mr Magnesium-Fitzgerald, you're on speakerphone live in Year Five." the teacher says. "I heard you moved schools, that's too bad man. I think you're going to be really missed. You shouldn't pretend to be dead though, that's not cool."
"Aww..." Bradley says. "Fine, I'm not dead. I have to go to class now, see you around, losers."
Mr Magnesium-Fitzgerald sends Tommy out to get a tissue, then when Tommy is back takes the register.
"So we have a few new faces." He says at the end. "Joram, Ben and JJ. Bradley as you have gathered just now has moved schools."
Bradley hadn't said anything about leaving, but he'd threatened to 'go to a normal school' as many times as he'd joked that he was going to die. Fry still can't believe that Tommy fell for that. Even he knows dead people don't text.
"We've also lost Peter, who has gone into Year Six, and Georgina has gone to America for a year while her parents take part in a teacher exchange program. Ben has come over from the States with his parents to take George's place this year."
Fry realises suddenly that with Bradley and George gone, that's both his closest rivals out of the picture! He still has Xiao, in Year Six, but she's got entrance exams to work for and probably won't have time to challenge him. Suddenly he feels indignant. How could they leave him without even so much as saying goodbye?
They hand in their 'bean projects' from the summer, where they had to find as many uses as possible for ten bean seeds. Last night at the end of the project, Fry planted all his beans in the garden to grow, rather than wasting them. He hopes he's done enough things to win the prize.
"Right, so, I like to have you guys as much in control of your own learning as possible, in this classroom." Mr Magnesium-Fitzgerald says. "And the way we usually do that is to make this classroom like a little country. We'll give it a name and a flag, and you'll all help decide the rules and laws. But first things first: can anyone tell me the difference between a democracy and a dictatorship?"
There is hesitation, and then Joram raises his hand.
"Democracy is where people have the vote."
Fry glances across the table at Joram, marvelling. Last year that kid didn't speak a word of English, and now he's beating Fry to answer difficult vocabulary questions! But then he remembers the war. Maybe voting is something that comes up a lot when your home country is in a war.
"Very good." Mr Magnesium-Fitzgerald says. "We're going to run this class as a democracy, that means you get to vote on things rather than me telling you what to do all the time. That said, I'm like the judge, and I will step in if things get out of hand." He holds up a miniature gavel. "So if I bang this on the table listen up."
He shows them the blank sheets covering the notice boards right now. One big board he says is for 'expressing yourself' and that anyone can draw on it, but to try not to draw over other people's stuff. One sheet on the front board he says will be for the class rules, when they decide them together. Then he sets them off designing a flag and thinking of a name for their country.
"We'll vote on the designs at the end." he says. "But try and come up with something that others in your class can replicate later."
As they get started, Joram goes up to the front to ask what 'replicate' means, but try as he might he can't quite pronounce 'Magnesium-Fitzgerald'. After explaining the word, and thinking for a few moments, Mr Magnesium-Fitzgerald bangs his gavel.
"Before I forget, if anyone wants to, you can call me 'Mr Mags' in here, just try and use my full name in front of other teachers." He shoots a grin at Ben and JJ. "It's actually less of a mouthful than the name I was born with."
"Then why don't you change your name again to Mr Mags?" JJ asks.
"Because then I'd have to change all my mail and bank cards and stuff." Mr Mags says. He shrugs. "Seemed like a good idea when I did it. Learn from me, kiddos."
The classroom is uncomfortably noisy for Fry, even though he understands the idea of designing a flag. He makes a plain green square and stares at it for a bit.
On the table behind, the two new kids are having a loud discussion. Ben's American accent stands out, not least because Ben is sitting right behind Fry at the table, facing the other way. Ben is speaking extra loudly to compete with JJ who, by the sounds of the conversation, has a father who used to play for Holby City Football Team. Fry isn't remotely interested in this, but the rest of the table behind him apparently are, since JJ is talking about being able to get them free tickets and stuff.
After about twenty minutes, he turns around to Ben.
"Do you have to make so much noise?"
Ben turns and stares at him. Then goes 'oooooh!' and makes a mocking face.
"What's his problem?" He asks Zack, as Fry turns back around.
"Oh, he's not big on noise." Zack says.
After what happens next, it occurs to Zack that this was probably the time to tell Ben 'Oh, by the way, he's autistic and he doesn't like to be touched'. Unfortunately, it doesn't occur to Zack until Ben licks his finger and leans over to give Fry a 'Wet willy'.
He doesn't get far. As Ben's wet finger touches Fry's ear, it startles him. He doesn't even think; five years of martial arts training kicks in. He shrieks, grabs the wrist, twists it, and swings around with a punch which lands hard on Ben's face. And then he clutches his ear and carries on screaming.
Mr Mags descends upon them, looking somewhat bewildered as to what just happened. And then Noah suggests he take Fry to look at the fish tank, which Fry decides is a good idea, and by the time he calms down it's break time.
"Fry, come back in please." Mr Mags says. Fry goes back into the classroom, beginning to worry now he's starting to calm down. He's just hit someone. He's bound to get sent to the head for that. Ben is sitting with a cold pack on his face, and the rest of the class have gone out to break.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." Fry says. "He scared me."
"It was just a wet willy, we did them all the time at my last school." Ben says, glaring at him. He looks back at the teacher. "How was I meant to know he's autistic?"
Mr Mags shrugs.
"What rule could we put in place to prevent this happening again?" he asks.
Fry and Ben look at him blankly. Mr Mags continues.
"How about from now on, you keep your hands to yourself?" he says to Ben. "You heard him. He didn't mean to hurt you, you scared him."
Ben looks bewildered.
"He punched me." he protests.
Mr Mags shrugs expansively. "Well I guess accidents happen when you do something in class you're not supposed to do." He gets up to write 'Keep your hands to yourself' on the Rules Board.
"See that it doesn't happen again, either of you, or I'll have to send you to the head, which will be boring and annoying for all of us. You can go out to break now."
Fry and Ben head out to the playground. Ben glares at him.
"Freak." he mutters.
Fry glances back at him.
"I've been doing martial arts since I was four." He says. "You're lucky I didn't accidentally break your arm."
Mum and Dad have tried to get him to 'get to know' Rowan and Hazel, the new neighbourkids during his last few weeks of the holidays. He might have stood more of a chance with their older brother Flint, who is a much quieter lad keen on gardening and the outdoors, but Flint must be at least fourteen and just isn't interested in getting to know Fry.
Things with Rowan started to go downhill within the first week. Fry was out in the garden, watering his flowers, when he heard Rowan arguing with his mum next door.
"No, I'm not going to go and play with him!" Rowan complained. "He's a big sissy wimp and he's boring, boring, boring!"
Fry glared through the fence. Just because he hadn't wanted to go over the back fence (where there are dangerous holes you can fall in), and because he didn't like it when Rowan laughed at his new phone (and said he was going to wee himself it was so funny) and just because he didn't think it was funny when Hazel soaked him with the hose while he was gardening. It wasn't funny. He got wet.
He's relieved that Rowan isn't going to his school. At least the only new person he's expecting there is Joram, who isn't new to Fry, at least.
He meets Joram at the school gates when Dad drops him off. Joram's aunt waves him goodbye, and Joram stops Fry for a moment.
"Fry? Can I ask a present?"
Fry stops. "A present?"
"No, I mean... to do something for me."
"A favour." Fry says. "Sure."
"If the other children ask, please do not tell them I am from Syria." Joram says.
"Why?" Fry asks.
"At my old school, when they hear I am from Syria, some call me a terrorist." Joram says. "Or they ask many question about the war. I do not want to talk about war, about being a refugee. You understand me?"
Fry nods. Mum had said that Joram might not want to talk about the war. "Where do I say you're from if they ask?"
"Saudi Arabia." Joram says. "Because they speak the same language there and nobody will have anything to ask about it."
Fry doesn't like to lie. But it's a fairly straightforward lie, so he thinks he can do it for Joram.
When they go into the classroom though, Fry is in for a shock. Joram isn't the only new face; there are two other boys he doesn't recognise. The volume of the classroom hits him like a wall, with everyone talking to the new kids at the tops of their voices.
There shouldn't be any new kids here. For new kids to arrive last minute, it means someone has left. Fry looks rapidly around the room to work out who.
The first person he can't spot is Peter. But then he realises Peter has probably gone up into Year 6. Miss Havisham had said at the end of last term that he might, because he was doing so much better. The second person he can't spot is Bradley, who is usually easy to spot in his wheelchair. And nearby, Tommy suddenly gives an alarmed shriek.
"Guys, I just got a text! It says 'Bradley died last week, his spirit will haunt the classroom for eternity'."
Bethany screams. A couple of other people scream. Fry puts his hands over his ears. Mr Magnesium-Fitzgerald, their new teacher, looks startled as he comes into the room.
"Woah, what's all this?" he asks, looking at the now sobbing Tommy.
"Bradley died!" Tommy says, handing the teacher his phone.
Mr Magnesium-Fitzgerald reads the message, then takes the phone to the front of the class, puts it on speaker phone and calls Bradley's number.
"Whooooooooooo!" Bradley answers. Bethany screams again.
"Hi Bradley, this is Mr Magnesium-Fitzgerald, you're on speakerphone live in Year Five." the teacher says. "I heard you moved schools, that's too bad man. I think you're going to be really missed. You shouldn't pretend to be dead though, that's not cool."
"Aww..." Bradley says. "Fine, I'm not dead. I have to go to class now, see you around, losers."
Mr Magnesium-Fitzgerald sends Tommy out to get a tissue, then when Tommy is back takes the register.
"So we have a few new faces." He says at the end. "Joram, Ben and JJ. Bradley as you have gathered just now has moved schools."
Bradley hadn't said anything about leaving, but he'd threatened to 'go to a normal school' as many times as he'd joked that he was going to die. Fry still can't believe that Tommy fell for that. Even he knows dead people don't text.
"We've also lost Peter, who has gone into Year Six, and Georgina has gone to America for a year while her parents take part in a teacher exchange program. Ben has come over from the States with his parents to take George's place this year."
Fry realises suddenly that with Bradley and George gone, that's both his closest rivals out of the picture! He still has Xiao, in Year Six, but she's got entrance exams to work for and probably won't have time to challenge him. Suddenly he feels indignant. How could they leave him without even so much as saying goodbye?
They hand in their 'bean projects' from the summer, where they had to find as many uses as possible for ten bean seeds. Last night at the end of the project, Fry planted all his beans in the garden to grow, rather than wasting them. He hopes he's done enough things to win the prize.
"Right, so, I like to have you guys as much in control of your own learning as possible, in this classroom." Mr Magnesium-Fitzgerald says. "And the way we usually do that is to make this classroom like a little country. We'll give it a name and a flag, and you'll all help decide the rules and laws. But first things first: can anyone tell me the difference between a democracy and a dictatorship?"
There is hesitation, and then Joram raises his hand.
"Democracy is where people have the vote."
Fry glances across the table at Joram, marvelling. Last year that kid didn't speak a word of English, and now he's beating Fry to answer difficult vocabulary questions! But then he remembers the war. Maybe voting is something that comes up a lot when your home country is in a war.
"Very good." Mr Magnesium-Fitzgerald says. "We're going to run this class as a democracy, that means you get to vote on things rather than me telling you what to do all the time. That said, I'm like the judge, and I will step in if things get out of hand." He holds up a miniature gavel. "So if I bang this on the table listen up."
He shows them the blank sheets covering the notice boards right now. One big board he says is for 'expressing yourself' and that anyone can draw on it, but to try not to draw over other people's stuff. One sheet on the front board he says will be for the class rules, when they decide them together. Then he sets them off designing a flag and thinking of a name for their country.
"We'll vote on the designs at the end." he says. "But try and come up with something that others in your class can replicate later."
As they get started, Joram goes up to the front to ask what 'replicate' means, but try as he might he can't quite pronounce 'Magnesium-Fitzgerald'. After explaining the word, and thinking for a few moments, Mr Magnesium-Fitzgerald bangs his gavel.
"Before I forget, if anyone wants to, you can call me 'Mr Mags' in here, just try and use my full name in front of other teachers." He shoots a grin at Ben and JJ. "It's actually less of a mouthful than the name I was born with."
"Then why don't you change your name again to Mr Mags?" JJ asks.
"Because then I'd have to change all my mail and bank cards and stuff." Mr Mags says. He shrugs. "Seemed like a good idea when I did it. Learn from me, kiddos."
The classroom is uncomfortably noisy for Fry, even though he understands the idea of designing a flag. He makes a plain green square and stares at it for a bit.
On the table behind, the two new kids are having a loud discussion. Ben's American accent stands out, not least because Ben is sitting right behind Fry at the table, facing the other way. Ben is speaking extra loudly to compete with JJ who, by the sounds of the conversation, has a father who used to play for Holby City Football Team. Fry isn't remotely interested in this, but the rest of the table behind him apparently are, since JJ is talking about being able to get them free tickets and stuff.
After about twenty minutes, he turns around to Ben.
"Do you have to make so much noise?"
Ben turns and stares at him. Then goes 'oooooh!' and makes a mocking face.
"What's his problem?" He asks Zack, as Fry turns back around.
"Oh, he's not big on noise." Zack says.
After what happens next, it occurs to Zack that this was probably the time to tell Ben 'Oh, by the way, he's autistic and he doesn't like to be touched'. Unfortunately, it doesn't occur to Zack until Ben licks his finger and leans over to give Fry a 'Wet willy'.
He doesn't get far. As Ben's wet finger touches Fry's ear, it startles him. He doesn't even think; five years of martial arts training kicks in. He shrieks, grabs the wrist, twists it, and swings around with a punch which lands hard on Ben's face. And then he clutches his ear and carries on screaming.
Mr Mags descends upon them, looking somewhat bewildered as to what just happened. And then Noah suggests he take Fry to look at the fish tank, which Fry decides is a good idea, and by the time he calms down it's break time.
"Fry, come back in please." Mr Mags says. Fry goes back into the classroom, beginning to worry now he's starting to calm down. He's just hit someone. He's bound to get sent to the head for that. Ben is sitting with a cold pack on his face, and the rest of the class have gone out to break.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." Fry says. "He scared me."
"It was just a wet willy, we did them all the time at my last school." Ben says, glaring at him. He looks back at the teacher. "How was I meant to know he's autistic?"
Mr Mags shrugs.
"What rule could we put in place to prevent this happening again?" he asks.
Fry and Ben look at him blankly. Mr Mags continues.
"How about from now on, you keep your hands to yourself?" he says to Ben. "You heard him. He didn't mean to hurt you, you scared him."
Ben looks bewildered.
"He punched me." he protests.
Mr Mags shrugs expansively. "Well I guess accidents happen when you do something in class you're not supposed to do." He gets up to write 'Keep your hands to yourself' on the Rules Board.
"See that it doesn't happen again, either of you, or I'll have to send you to the head, which will be boring and annoying for all of us. You can go out to break now."
Fry and Ben head out to the playground. Ben glares at him.
"Freak." he mutters.
Fry glances back at him.
"I've been doing martial arts since I was four." He says. "You're lucky I didn't accidentally break your arm."
