(no subject)
Oct. 8th, 2017 05:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fry_sandhuAfter the desk incident, Ben appears to back off Fry a little bit. For one thing, the desk no longer bangs when he shuts it, on account of the fact that it's still caked with glue. For another, given that each table now gets Points for quietness, Ben finds he's under pressure from his own table not to keep losing them points.
But as the weeks pass, his original reason for discontent returns, in the form of his jealousy of JJ.
JJ started the same day as him, and for a glorious few moments, Ben was the centre of attention, being new and American and reasonably cool. But moments later that was snatched away by the arrival of JJ, who was also new and cool but also happened to be the son of a Holby City Footballer, which meant he could bribe anyone with free tickets that he wanted.
At the end of the first week, JJ was already in the running for class president, largely as a result of said bribery. Ben, who hadn't been nominated, had felt particularly cross. It was bad enough having to move away from all his friends and be in a weird foreign country where all the rules were different and the candy tasted wrong and he was stuck in a stuffy private school - though he would have liked Mr Mags had Mr Mags not poorly disguised the fact that he found him so irritating. And when he was upset, he poured his annoyance into his diary, and took it out on anyone he thought was an easy target.
Mr Mags spoke a few words to the class before the election, saying that the purpose was to pick someone who would be a good leader. In the running were Zack, JJ, Bethany and Anna. Fry had wanted to nominate one of his friends, but Teddy didn't want the job, Joram felt he was too new, Noah and Tommy had both had turns last year and said it was someone else's turn, and Kasha said the whole election campaign had got very silly. He didn't ask Pixie, for which she was very grateful.
As he listens to the one minute speech of each candidate, Fry considers his vote with great care. On one hand, Zack can still be a bit obnoxious, but out of the four he's the one who has worked most to try and be president. JJ is out of the question - Fry isn't remotely interested in football. Bethany, he has never got on with, though there's no doubt that she can order people around. Which leaves Anna, who Fry quite likes, although she's not in his immediate group of friends. Anna has a birthmark on her face, and battled the whole of last year with her mother about whether or not she had to cover it. This year, judging by the presence of the birthmark, Anna has won said battle.
In the end he votes for Anna. The results come out very close, and JJ wins with only six votes.
There is a rumbling of discontent among other members of the class who feel that bribing a mere six of their classmates is a rubbish way to win an election, with only just over a quarter of the votes. When Tommy, an ardent Holby United supporter who couldn't give a stuff about Holby City, brings it up with Mr Mags, the teacher only laughs.
"Welcome to politics, kid."
JJ shows off in the playground. Ben, who still wishes he could have run for president, turns his attention back to Fry and his friends.
It hasn't escaped Ben's notice that Fry isn't the only one of his group who jumps at loud noises, Joram does too, and Joram was apparently involved in the desk gluing incident. So one afternoon, just before the end of lunch, Ben constructs an origami paper banger, then waits quietly behind the classroom door.
When the class file in, he waits for Joram, then jumps out and bangs the paper loudly. He then laughs when Joram dives for cover under the nearest table.
Ben had no idea that Joram is a refugee, or that he escaped from a war, because Joram hasn't told the others, and has asked Fry to do the same. If he had, he might not have done it. As it is, Fry, observing the whole thing, grabs Joram's outstretched arm and very neatly puts him on the floor without hitting or hurting him, just quick enough to give him a scare.
"Apologise." he growls. "Now."
"I'm sorry." Ben says, looking actually frightened. "It was just a joke."
"All right, break it up, you two." Mr Mags says, casually, entering the room. Fry lets Ben go, and tells Mr Mags why he pinned him. Mr Mags makes a disgusted noise.
"Right, you stop being a pain." he points at Ben. "You stop being a ninja." he points at Fry.
This does not satisfy Ben. Why isn't Fry getting punished for 'violently pushing him onto the floor'? And in front of a teacher too!
As he quietly seethes, he notices a little hole in his jumper sleeve, around his thumb. It's been there for a while, because he tends to fiddle with it. Just before the end of school, he has an idea, goes to the bathroom, and pulls at the hole as hard as he can, making a much bigger hole in the sleeve, before going out to find his mother.
Fry is just gathering up his siblings when he hears an angry American voice.
"THAT BOY AGAIN? I'M NOT STANDING FOR THIS. YOU TELL ME WHICH ONE HE IS RIGHT NOW!"
Fry looks around. Ben is pointing at him.
"What did you do?" Brooke asks Fry.
"I think I'm about to find out." Fry replies.
But as the weeks pass, his original reason for discontent returns, in the form of his jealousy of JJ.
JJ started the same day as him, and for a glorious few moments, Ben was the centre of attention, being new and American and reasonably cool. But moments later that was snatched away by the arrival of JJ, who was also new and cool but also happened to be the son of a Holby City Footballer, which meant he could bribe anyone with free tickets that he wanted.
At the end of the first week, JJ was already in the running for class president, largely as a result of said bribery. Ben, who hadn't been nominated, had felt particularly cross. It was bad enough having to move away from all his friends and be in a weird foreign country where all the rules were different and the candy tasted wrong and he was stuck in a stuffy private school - though he would have liked Mr Mags had Mr Mags not poorly disguised the fact that he found him so irritating. And when he was upset, he poured his annoyance into his diary, and took it out on anyone he thought was an easy target.
Mr Mags spoke a few words to the class before the election, saying that the purpose was to pick someone who would be a good leader. In the running were Zack, JJ, Bethany and Anna. Fry had wanted to nominate one of his friends, but Teddy didn't want the job, Joram felt he was too new, Noah and Tommy had both had turns last year and said it was someone else's turn, and Kasha said the whole election campaign had got very silly. He didn't ask Pixie, for which she was very grateful.
As he listens to the one minute speech of each candidate, Fry considers his vote with great care. On one hand, Zack can still be a bit obnoxious, but out of the four he's the one who has worked most to try and be president. JJ is out of the question - Fry isn't remotely interested in football. Bethany, he has never got on with, though there's no doubt that she can order people around. Which leaves Anna, who Fry quite likes, although she's not in his immediate group of friends. Anna has a birthmark on her face, and battled the whole of last year with her mother about whether or not she had to cover it. This year, judging by the presence of the birthmark, Anna has won said battle.
In the end he votes for Anna. The results come out very close, and JJ wins with only six votes.
There is a rumbling of discontent among other members of the class who feel that bribing a mere six of their classmates is a rubbish way to win an election, with only just over a quarter of the votes. When Tommy, an ardent Holby United supporter who couldn't give a stuff about Holby City, brings it up with Mr Mags, the teacher only laughs.
"Welcome to politics, kid."
JJ shows off in the playground. Ben, who still wishes he could have run for president, turns his attention back to Fry and his friends.
It hasn't escaped Ben's notice that Fry isn't the only one of his group who jumps at loud noises, Joram does too, and Joram was apparently involved in the desk gluing incident. So one afternoon, just before the end of lunch, Ben constructs an origami paper banger, then waits quietly behind the classroom door.
When the class file in, he waits for Joram, then jumps out and bangs the paper loudly. He then laughs when Joram dives for cover under the nearest table.
Ben had no idea that Joram is a refugee, or that he escaped from a war, because Joram hasn't told the others, and has asked Fry to do the same. If he had, he might not have done it. As it is, Fry, observing the whole thing, grabs Joram's outstretched arm and very neatly puts him on the floor without hitting or hurting him, just quick enough to give him a scare.
"Apologise." he growls. "Now."
"I'm sorry." Ben says, looking actually frightened. "It was just a joke."
"All right, break it up, you two." Mr Mags says, casually, entering the room. Fry lets Ben go, and tells Mr Mags why he pinned him. Mr Mags makes a disgusted noise.
"Right, you stop being a pain." he points at Ben. "You stop being a ninja." he points at Fry.
This does not satisfy Ben. Why isn't Fry getting punished for 'violently pushing him onto the floor'? And in front of a teacher too!
As he quietly seethes, he notices a little hole in his jumper sleeve, around his thumb. It's been there for a while, because he tends to fiddle with it. Just before the end of school, he has an idea, goes to the bathroom, and pulls at the hole as hard as he can, making a much bigger hole in the sleeve, before going out to find his mother.
Fry is just gathering up his siblings when he hears an angry American voice.
"THAT BOY AGAIN? I'M NOT STANDING FOR THIS. YOU TELL ME WHICH ONE HE IS RIGHT NOW!"
Fry looks around. Ben is pointing at him.
"What did you do?" Brooke asks Fry.
"I think I'm about to find out." Fry replies.
