Cassandra Watson (Sherlock BBC fanfiction)

Chapter Five

•September 15th, 2026•

The next day passed with ease. Nobody had said anything to Cassandra all day. She was hopeful that maybe the bullies had grown up or maybe moved on to some other poor soul. Or maybe she had just gotten better at staying hidden.

Cassandra watched the clock anxiously. John had told her that he would be picking her up from school, so she couldn't run to Sherlock's the moment the bell rang, much to her disappointment. But at the same time, she was glad her dad was picking her up. Maybe the bullies wouldn't try to trip her and push her in front of him.

"Hi there Cassandra."

Cassandra's eyes shut in dread and terror as she turned to look at the leader of her torture; a boy named Austin.

"Hello Austin," she said, trying her best to give him a smile.

"You keep looking at the clock there. What's wrong? Waiting till you can run to your Uncle Sherlly's?"

Cassandra cringed at the name. She used to called Sherlock "Sherlly" when she was little, but once her bullies started using it as an insult, she made sure to call him "Uncle Sherlock".

"No," Cassandra replied, trying to keep her composure. "My daddy is picking me up today, actually."

"Well, maybe that's a good thing," Austin said. Cassandra realized he was holding something in his hand; a piece of paper. "You see, wouldn't want your Uncle Sherlly to see this bad grade that his 'little genius' got."

Austin put the paper down on Cassandra's desk. It was a math test from the day before. Cassandra's score was a 40%, a fail. The usual notes were written on the sides of the questions she got wrong; "You are a very smart girl, Cassandra, but you have to stick to the material and what you have been taught when writing these tests. Please show this to your parents and get them to sign it."

Cassandra swallowed the tears threatening to form. She couldn't be weak. Not now. It was almost the end of the day. She would not give Austin the satisfaction of knowing he was breaking her.

"Well, obviously Mrs. Jenkins isn't the smart one here," she said. "All these answers and workings are correct, she just doesn't believe that they are. Stupid mistakes, I'm sure mummy and daddy will talk to her about it."

Austin ripped the paper from Cassandra's hands. "Your mummy and daddy must be so disappointed that they have an idiot for a daughter."

Austin's nearby friends snickered as Austin smiled proudly. Cassandra bit her lip. She hated that word. She was not an idiot, she was very smart. Smarter than any other kid her age. At least, that's what her parents and Sherlock told her, and they wouldn't lie. Would they?

Cassandra wasn't sure what to say. She wasn't sure of a snappy comeback right away, not like Sherlock who could come up with one in a heartbeat. She'd have to start using some of his.

"How do your parents feel about having an imbecile for a son?" she finally asked. Everyone near by stopped and Austin's friends "ooh"d. Cassandra smiled proudly this time, but her smile slowly faded as she noticed Austin's face slowly become enraged.

Austin ripped Cassandra's test in half, then once again, then once more until it was in unrecognizable pieces. He dumped the pieces onto Cassandra's desk. He then smirked and turned to call, "Mrs. Jenkins!"

The teacher, Mrs. Jenkins, a woman in her mid-40s with kind eyes and a very motherly personality, stood from her desk and walked over to the group of children. Now everyone was silent and watching the scene about to unfold intently. Cassandra wasn't sure what Austin's plan was, but she knew it was going to be bad for her.

"Is everything okay?" Mrs. Jenkins asked.

"Mrs. Jenkins, I gave Cassandra her test like you asked and she ripped it up!" Austin exclaimed. Cassandra stared at him in disbelief. "She said she wouldn't let her parents see it and she ripped it up. See?!"

That's when Cassandra realized why he put her ripped up test back on her desk, right in front of her. It made her look very guilty, but when Cassandra told Mrs. Jenkins the real story she knew that the teacher would believe her. She would never believe Austin.

"Cassandra," Mrs. Jenkins said. "Is this true?"

"Of course not!" Cassandra said. "He's trying to get me in trouble. He took my test and ripped it up!"

"I did not!" Austin argued. "She called me a bad word then ripped up her test!"

Mrs. Jenkins looked at Cassandra in disbelief. "Cassandra Watson!"

"Mrs. Jenkins, I didn't call him a bad word!" Cassandra said. "I called him an imbecile because he called me an idiot and he was mocking me. He has been for months now, and he won't stop! He took my test and ripped it up because he was mad - "

"She's lying!" Austin cut in. "I've been nothing but kind to her, haven't I?"

Austin's friends quickly nodded and agreed. Cassandra could feel the tears welling up in her eyes as Mrs. Jenkins looked at her in disapproval and Austin was giving her his smug smirk, the one he used when he knew he had won.

Cassandra was ready to run out of the room and probably run straight to Sherlock's without even waiting for John when a voice at the door said, "This boy is the liar."

Cassandra turned and couldn't help but smile through the tears that were falling as she saw her godfather, the Sherlock Holmes, standing at the door.

"I'm sorry," Mrs. Jenkins said. "May I help you?"

"No, but I can help you," Sherlock said, entering the room. "I've witnessed this boy here taunting my goddaughter because of her bad mark then proceeded to rip it up and try to frame her for it because she stood up to him. Classic case of insecurities over something, probably the fact that he has a crush on young Cassandra but doesn't know how to express it."

Cassandra smiled widely, but didn't notice the deep red blush creeping up on Austin's cheeks.

"Th-that's not true!" Austin tried to argue. "She's been lying to him too!"

"I'm sure you are already aware of who I am as you've been telling my goddaughter that she will never live up to my intelligence, but for the sake of this delusion you seem to be still playing on, I'll introduce myself. My name is Sherlock Holmes, I'm a famous consulting detective, that means I can figure out things about people without them needing to tell me. Cassandra never told me with her mouth that she was being bullied, she told me with her actions; meaning I deduced her and figured it all out, but even if she didn't I could tell just from what I've just witnessed and from what I've been deducing from you now."

The class was shocked into silence, even Mrs. Jenkins wasn't sure what to say. Sherlock nodded to Cassandra, in a way that told her that they were leaving. She grabbed her things, leaving the ripped up test on her desk, and hurried to Sherlock's side, eager to leave.

"I am to take Cassandra home, I believe John sent a note," Sherlock said, looking down at the young girl.

"Oh, right," Cassandra said. She fumbled with the zip of her book bag and pulled out the note she was supposed to give Mrs. Jenkins. John hadn't told her what was written on it, so she assumed it was too boring to read. "I forgot, sorry Mrs. Jenkins."

Mrs. Jenkins, still stunned, took the note from Cassandra.

"Oh, and I've told John about this," Sherlock told Mrs. Jenkins and Austin. "He and Mary would like to speak to Austin's parents."

Cassandra smiled proudly at her godfather and took Sherlock's hand as the two of them left the shocked class.

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This was poop BUUUUUUUUUUUUT it's gonna get juicy soon.