Wings

The Sleepover

Franny and I were walking down the corridor slowly to English, she had her head down so she wouldn't have seen it. But I did. I pulled it off the wall and read it aloud "year 8 sleep in. Bring £3 for dinner and a spot on the floor, bring your own sleeping bag. November 2nd. Ooh they're having another one!" Franny snatched it off of me, and read it for herself. She looked up briefly then back down at the flyer. "Another one?" I nodded "Yeah, they did a sleep in last year for the year 8s too. Apparently it was really fun, we should go, it's only 3 quid." Franny looked unsure, and readjusted her bag. "I don't know, I'm never really much fun at sleepovers. They never were my 'thing' if you know what I'm saying." I nodded sadly and sighed "I get it, but I just thought, I could help you with that?" Franny smiled. "I guess I could try it out, it's not like it's a lock in." I nodded eagerly. "The money has to be in... Today! Do you have any change?" Franny pulled out her wallet again and opened it up. "£5 in coins what about you?" I pushed my hand into my pocket and forraged around a bit. "£2 can you lend me 1, I'll pay you back?" She handed me one gold coin, and the bell rang, a group of boys pushed passed, knocking Franny's bag off of her shoulder and homework and textbooks flew everywhere. "Watch where you're going MORONS!" One of them turned round and looked at me. I had that feeling, you know, the feeling you get when you recognise someone but you can't put a finger on where they're from. That feeling. He turned back round, I must have seemed slightly stunned because Franny put a hand on my shoulder and asked "you ok? You seem a little twitchy?" I leant over and started helping her pick up her books and papers. "Yeah, yeah, I just- I think I know that guy, but I'm not entirely sure how." We picked up the last of Franny's books and started off on the way to class. "I'm sure you'll figure it out soon."

English, creative writing assesment, surprise! Fifteen minutes through the lesson and I coupldn't think of anything to write about, I started to write something, about a girl and a boy, and they were friends, and the boy fell in love with the girl and he didn't know whether she liked him back. But that seemed a little typical, but I could only think about  best friends falling in love, I have no idea why though? I finally finished a little something, but Ihad no idea we had to read them aloud. Franny wouldn't be happy about that, I wrote down 'Stand up, read aloud, don't be afraid.'  On a small bit of paper and passed it back two rows to where Franny was sitting. I saw her unfold it and read it, she looked at me, slightly scared, but I wanted her to, otherwise people wouldn't see her in her true light. She stood up after Alex, like the reading on the first day back, Mrs McKormick nodded at her and ticked her name on the register of marks. "There was a couple" she paused "they met on holiday on a small quiet island in the mauldeves." She swallowed and clutched my note in her hand. "They fell in love, typically, and got married and had a baby born on September 30th, at 3:55 a.m, second room to the left on the third floor of the local hospital, she was named Elizabeth-May and weighed up at about 7.5lbs, they both loved her very much. But then the stress became a little to much, the husband he- he- I'm sorry..." She sounded like she was about to cry, and it was going all so well! Mrs McKormick was about to get out of her seat but I stood up before she could walk anywhere, "let me," I walked over to Franny-Ruth and held her hand. A single tear ran down her cheek. I turned around to look at Mrs McKormick. She smiled "do you want a minute outside." I nodded and took Franny by the hand, she dropped her work on the floor as we went into the hallway outside the classroom, I closed the door behind me and clutched both of Franny's hands. "What's all this about! Hey? You were doing so well." She wiped the tear from her cheek and bit her lip. She took and breath "it's not that, I just I just can't-" I lifted her chin, she looked very, I mean, genuinely upset. "What? What is it? I thought you were enjoying talk in front of everybody, it seemed that way." She took a deep breath again. "Well, that story, it was about my family, I didn't want to read the next part," she lowered her voice "it was very personal, nobody but my family knows that part of the story."  There was someone coming down the hallway, I heard them, I looked around, it was the boy again this time he was carrying his schoolbag which was hanging open, an exercise book convieniently fell out at my feet, he didn't even notice! I picked it up, Hayden Tennant 8GRD, I knew that name! I did! But I didn't know who, I'd have to search him on facebook. I turned my attention back to Franny-Ruth "I want to help to! I really, really do. The bell rung, the lesson was up, I pulled Franny down to the end of the corridoor as everyone in class burst out the door, Mrs McKormick was at the doorway ushering people out and collecting books in, we walked back in to collect our bags, Franny fell to the floor when she saw her story, it was in pieces on the floor, Mrs McKormick saw and looked shocked. "Francesca, did someone do that to your story?" Franny-Ruth wiped the tears away and picked up the piece with the title on. "It's ok, it was trash anyways, nothing I couldn't re-write." Mrs McKormick walked over and bent over and rubbed Franny on the back. "No writing is trash to me, now, I'm going to find out who did this. Willy, can I speak with you a minute, Francesca, we'll just be a second if you want to wait outside." She nodded, and I walked over to Mrs McKormick who was collecting up the pieces of Franny's story. "What did you want to talk about?" Mrs McKormick was fairly young, and recently married. She always wore silky blue or grey shirts with either a pencil skirt or tight business-like trousers, she had golden hair and wore a lot of natural make-up. "I wanted to talk to you about Francesca-Ruth. I want you to take good care of her, I know you'll stand up to any bullies for her, you're a very high performing student and a very high performing friend. I've seen people like this before, very, very low self-esteem I trust you're trying to help her." I nodded enthusiastically. "Absoloutely! I want to help her be confident and not shy anymore!" Mrs McKormick nodded and smiled, but not one of those smiles teachers do to keep you happy, it seemed like finally, somebody understood me. "You know what I see when I look at you William?" I shook my head vigorously. "N-no, I don't, what do you see Mrs McKormick." She put the lid back on her pen and looked me in the eyes. "I see a very driven young man who is destined for greatness. And you'll remember what I've said if you know what's good for you. I see good things in your eyes. Don't mess that up."