6.45am. |
CONNOR | At quarter to seven the alarm rings. I take a breath, then it starts. Mum has tea and toast in bed while I make her appointments, put my uniform on and / I pack my bag. |
JADE | I pack my bag and triple check Iāve got my coursework. I look at the clock and decide to skip / breakfast. |
NICOLE | Breakfast this morning is last nightās take-away. I eat it while blasting out Twenty One Pilots. I load the washing machine, do the dishes and turn on the shower. The water isnāt even hot before Mum is banging on the door being like āYou should have left five minutes ago.ā Shit, / Iām gonna be late.ā |
ALL | Iām gonna be late. |
JADE | Growing up with a deaf brother is all Iāve ever known. When I was taught to speak, I was taught to sign. Even though Will is four years older, I grew up looking out for him. |
| Weāve always been a normal family though. Mum worked as a social worker and Dad was a heavy goods driver. I remember when I was little, Dad would sneak into my room and whisper āHow do you fancy a day off school?ā Weād always be scared of waking Mum, so Iād get dressed dead quick and sneak out the front door. In his truck weād go all over. Brighton, London, even Belgium. |
| You name it we drove there. He had this blue fleece which smelt of petrol and cheap aftershave. It was absolutely rancid and Iād never take it off. Until I was eight that was my life. Driving with my Dad. |
CONNOR | In half an hour Iām up, ready and out the house. I check Iāve got my keys. |
ALL | Bus-pass |
NICOLE | Chewing gum |
ALL | Planner |
JADE | Hand sanitizer |
ALL | Phone |
CONNOR | Nintendo 3DS |
ALL | Headphones |
CONNOR | Even if Iām late, I stop before I lock the door. I need a moment to think because I donāt know what will be waiting for me when I come home. |
NICOLE | When I was two, Dad left. I remember it happened in the middle of the night because I was in my pyjamas. I got out of bed, ran straight downstairs and Mum spent the next hour telling me everything was gonna be alright. I used to think Mum and Dad might get back together. But now Iām too old to believe in fairy tales. |
JADE | I sign to Will (she signs) āTea will be later tonight and itās shepherdās pie.ā Before he can complain / Iām out the door. |
NICOLE | Iām out the door and I donāt look back. I canāt deal with another late mark. All teachers keep saying is āYear 9 is an important time. You mustnāt let standards slip.ā Itās frustrating because they donāt realise / thereās a proper reason Iām late. |
ALL | Thereās a proper reason Iām late. |
CONNOR | Ever since she was young Mum looked after her family. Her sister was born without a fully developed heart and then her parents got ill. But it didnāt get in Mumās way. When she got older she got a high-powered job, raised me and kept on caring. |
| Itās strange to think about that now. But why look back? It wonāt change anything, you canāt stop it from happening. Time is short, Iāll reminisce when Iām older. Can we talk about something else? I dunno, anything. Ask me about school. |
7.55am. |
NICOLE | My best mate Brandon is waiting outside. We dump his bike in the back garden and start the journey in. / Mondays are the worst. |
CONNOR | Mondays are the worst now Iām in year 11. Itās maths, English, physics, RE, computer science, German and geography. I turn the corner of my road, run past the old library and see / the number 36. |
ALL | The number 36 is packed, there arenāt any seats. |
JADE | And when year 13 strut on, you can literally taste the air. Itās usually a mix between Lynx Chocolate and Britney Spears Radiance. When they come onto the top-deck I take one last gasp, hold my breath and brace myself for / the journey in. |
NICOLE | The journey into school just goes on and on. It would actually be quicker to walk. I notice Connor on his own at the front of the bus. I think about saying hi but me and Brandon are making a snowstorm with pages of the Metro. I add it to my Snapchat Story. In the end weāre crammed on that bus / for over forty-five minutes. |
CONNOR | For over forty-five minutes my nose is pushed into the arm pit of a year 12. Itās hot, sweaty and difficult to breathe. This bus might have WI-FI, but Iāve already caught every PokĆ©mon on PokĆ©mon Mystery Dungeon. Eventually the doors open and / everyone piles off. |
ALL | Everyone piles off. |
JADE | I sprint over the road and Iām just about to make it through the gates when I get a Facetime from Will. I ask (she signs) āAre you okay?ā I havenāt got time to chat but heās confused about his new medication. |
| When I finally arrive at registration, my form tutor pulls me up in front of the entire class. Iāve told him whatās going on at home, but he doesnāt get it. Heās like āJade, youāre always late, whatās your excuse this time?ā Everyone stares as I get tongue tied. I go boiling hot and try to explain but the words wonāt come out. It feels like the whole classroom is going to swallow me up. |
8.45am. |
NICOLE | At registration itās all kicking off. Basically, Erica accused Chantelle of stealing her pen. Chantelle insists she didnāt so things have hit breaking point. Form is in a science lab, so weāre on these really tall stools and Erica is being like, āIf you keep my pen Iām gonna snatch your weave.ā |
CONNOR | Today we have a supply teacher whose eyes bulge out. If youāre caught with your phone itās a Friday detention, but Iāve found a way to link my phone to my smart watch. I message Mum on the sly. I text her while he reads the register. |
NICOLE | By now the drama has escalated. Itās clear that Chantelle has attached her extensions to her roots, so Erica is actually dragging her off the stool by her scalp. Then thereās this weird pause and Erica stands up, holding a clump of Chantelleās hair like a trophy. |
JADE | Assembly is always first thing for year 13, so while the teachers go into the hall, I hide in the toilets. |
NICOLE | The truth is, I stole Ericaās pen. And Iād do it again. |
JADE | Mr OāSullivan has started doing these cringe assemblies where he talks about the future and Iām just like āNo thanks, I canāt think about that right now.ā I go into one of the cubicles, Facetime Will and ask (she signs) āHave you managed to take your medication okay?ā Then I just sit and wait for assembly to end. |
NICOLE | A teacher comes in and sends Erica to the head. While everyone watches Chantelle fish her weave out the bin, I put my phone in my blazer pocket and wire my earphones through my sleeve so Iām ready for maths. At school if youāre caught doing anything wrong you get a behaviour point. Weāre only three weeks into term and Iāve already got twenty-five. I listen to music in lessons, it takes my mind off things. It makes me feel like Iām somewhere else. |
JADE | Teachers are always on patrol for sixth formers who skive assembly,... |