Valmoor

Chapter One:

Chapter One:

ZACK MURPHY P.O.V

‘Ring!’

I wacked my head down into the table as the bell startled me awake from my afternoon nap. ‘Ugh, what time is it?’ I asked myself in a groggy, tired voice from inside my head. Looking up at the clock that stands tall at the front of the class, overlooking the students like a second headmaster, the hands point towards it being 3:00. Nearly home time.

Standing from my battered wooden chair I start to pack all my belongings that had spread out on the desk, into my black rucksack that was resting on the floor. From my standing position, I caught the eye of my best friend –Kim- from across the room and smile that one smile that only you and your friend know the meaning too. You, see we have planned to go out, and well... try and get into a club, but we probably won’t get in. I started making my way out the door with my rucksack thrown across one shoulder when Kim jumped to my side and looped her arm through mine and slowing dragging me towards Tutorial.

“Aren’t you excited Murphy?” her voice filled with deep excitement as she bumped the other students out of our way. She may have thought that rushing to Tutorial would make it go any faster, but in fact we will just be struck in that room for longer and who wants that!

“Yeah... I erm suppose so...” not really sure what to say or really do.

She stopped just outside our Form Room, and huffed. “Zack... You promised me you would come!”

“I didn’t promise, we made a deal,”

“Yes, we did,” in her smart ass tone. That tone that parents use on their children when they are right and the kids apologies. She continues stating that “You’ll come with me to this club night, and I’ll help you with your homework,”

A blush flushed across my checks when she brought up ‘helping’ me with my homework. You see, I’m dyslexic, and have been unable to read and write properly for my whole life now. I have been given statement and so the sixth form is forced to help me during class, and after school if needed but the person who really helps me is, Kim. When we became friends back in year 10, she noticed straight away my problem, and agreed to teach me reading and writing, and new words because I forget them a lot of the time. Since then we’ve been best friends, forever.

“You know full well I won’t stop giving you lessons, but I had to force you somehow, you complete numpty!” said Kim.

Once we had sat through the Tutorial and listened to all the notices, Kim and I went our separate ways, me to the foster home, and Kim to her loving household. We agreed to meet up at around 9:30 and in that time she instructed me to get washed, dress and ready waiting in town. I of course did this.

When I got home I was greeted by Julia. She is the mother of the house and controls almost everything me and the other kids do, but you can help but love her. She is a short, stumpy woman around 36 years old with a warm loving heart.
“Zack, honey is that you?” her voice echoed from the downstairs kitchen.

“Y-y-yeah Julia, I’m just going to start getting ready!” I bellowed back.

“OK, honey!”

Once nestled in my room I start to wonder through my school books trying to make the words come together, but I could only join a number of letters to make words. They all seem like some unknown language, like something I’ve never seen before. It’s like setting down to do an exam in Latin, when you don’t even know what the word ‘Latin’ is or what it stands for, or anything for that matter. You should sit down and try it some time. You won’t like it. Then try a math exam, when you’ve never taken a maths test. Maths is in fact slightly easier, because it has no words. I can do some of that.