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Aug. 10th, 2018 07:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fry_sandhuOn the last day of term, it was time to say goodbye to Ben, who was going back to America. Ben cried, which was ridiculous in Fry's opinion, given Ben had spent the entire year whining about how he acted out because he missed America. Jamal cried too, probably because he realised that siding with Ben was a bad idea now that Ben was leaving again.
They'd spent the previous day in Mrs Patel's classroom. Mrs Patel, the headmistress, took year six, and she had made clear that she meant business.
"You will be in the top class, the role models of the school." She said. "Most if not all of you will be taking exams for secondary school, so we will be doing plenty of practice. They are nothing to worry about, but I expect you all to do your very best."
At break, they get to talking about the future.
"What exams will you all be taking?" Tommy asks, idly tossing a tennis ball at the wall.
"West and Gates." Kasha says.
"The Gates is awful." Pixie says. "I couldn't get away from there fast enough."
"I know." Kasha says. "But my parents want me to try for it. I'm really hoping for West. Where are you trying, Pix?"
"I don't know yet." Pixie says. "I don't have to decide for a few months at least."
"Come and try for Oaking, with me and Fry." Tommy says.
"I'm not clever enough for Oaking." Pixie says.
"Course you are." Tommy says, loyally. "I'm trying to get sports scholarships so I'll be taking the exam for Oaking, West and Holby High and hoping I can get enough points. What about you, Teddy?"
"We're moving this summer." Teddy says. "It'll be a long drive here in the mornings but I'll be in the catchment area for a grammar and a really good comp, so I'll take the grammar exam. You should come and see our new house, it's epic."
Fry looks around at them all. For the first time, it really hits him that after next year, they will all be going their separate ways. Is it really only Tommy that's taking the Oaking exam with him?
"Noah, what are you taking?" he asks.
"I'm not taking any either." Noah says. "My parents are going back to Africa next year, and I'll be sent to boarding school." He doesn't look very happy about it.
"Oh." Fry says, flatly. He likes Tommy enough now, but he had rather hoped to be with some of his other friends.
___
"What do you mean you want to take all the exams?" Dad asks, when Fry gets home.
"Oaking, High, West and Gates." Fry says. "And the grammar and the good comp."
"We're not in the catchment area for the grammar or the good comp, Fry, I've checked." Mum says. "You'd need to get two buses. And you're not going to The Gates, it's very expensive and I'm not having you come home thinking you own the place."
"But Mum, what if I get a scholarship?"
"No. Final word." Mum says, giving Dad a look to dare him to say otherwise.
"Why do you want to take all the exams, Fry?" Dad asks.
Fry hesitates.
"Because I think I'm going to lose all my friends." he says. "And it took such a long time to make them."
Mum and Dad exchange another look, one he can't read.
"It would help if he got a scholarship." Dad says to Mum. "And he won't actually have to do any more work to take the exam for all four schools than he would for one school."
"He's not going to The Gates!" Mum says to Dad. "It'd be nothing but trouble and he'd more than likely have a fight with Patrick Witherspoon in the first week."
Mum has a point. Patrick is his arch-nemesis and it probably would be annoying having to deal with him every day.
"That's a point." He says. "Mum, can you Whatsapp the other parents and find out where all my other enemies are trying for please?"
They'd spent the previous day in Mrs Patel's classroom. Mrs Patel, the headmistress, took year six, and she had made clear that she meant business.
"You will be in the top class, the role models of the school." She said. "Most if not all of you will be taking exams for secondary school, so we will be doing plenty of practice. They are nothing to worry about, but I expect you all to do your very best."
At break, they get to talking about the future.
"What exams will you all be taking?" Tommy asks, idly tossing a tennis ball at the wall.
"West and Gates." Kasha says.
"The Gates is awful." Pixie says. "I couldn't get away from there fast enough."
"I know." Kasha says. "But my parents want me to try for it. I'm really hoping for West. Where are you trying, Pix?"
"I don't know yet." Pixie says. "I don't have to decide for a few months at least."
"Come and try for Oaking, with me and Fry." Tommy says.
"I'm not clever enough for Oaking." Pixie says.
"Course you are." Tommy says, loyally. "I'm trying to get sports scholarships so I'll be taking the exam for Oaking, West and Holby High and hoping I can get enough points. What about you, Teddy?"
"We're moving this summer." Teddy says. "It'll be a long drive here in the mornings but I'll be in the catchment area for a grammar and a really good comp, so I'll take the grammar exam. You should come and see our new house, it's epic."
Fry looks around at them all. For the first time, it really hits him that after next year, they will all be going their separate ways. Is it really only Tommy that's taking the Oaking exam with him?
"Noah, what are you taking?" he asks.
"I'm not taking any either." Noah says. "My parents are going back to Africa next year, and I'll be sent to boarding school." He doesn't look very happy about it.
"Oh." Fry says, flatly. He likes Tommy enough now, but he had rather hoped to be with some of his other friends.
___
"What do you mean you want to take all the exams?" Dad asks, when Fry gets home.
"Oaking, High, West and Gates." Fry says. "And the grammar and the good comp."
"We're not in the catchment area for the grammar or the good comp, Fry, I've checked." Mum says. "You'd need to get two buses. And you're not going to The Gates, it's very expensive and I'm not having you come home thinking you own the place."
"But Mum, what if I get a scholarship?"
"No. Final word." Mum says, giving Dad a look to dare him to say otherwise.
"Why do you want to take all the exams, Fry?" Dad asks.
Fry hesitates.
"Because I think I'm going to lose all my friends." he says. "And it took such a long time to make them."
Mum and Dad exchange another look, one he can't read.
"It would help if he got a scholarship." Dad says to Mum. "And he won't actually have to do any more work to take the exam for all four schools than he would for one school."
"He's not going to The Gates!" Mum says to Dad. "It'd be nothing but trouble and he'd more than likely have a fight with Patrick Witherspoon in the first week."
Mum has a point. Patrick is his arch-nemesis and it probably would be annoying having to deal with him every day.
"That's a point." He says. "Mum, can you Whatsapp the other parents and find out where all my other enemies are trying for please?"
