The Revolt | Amanda's POV

Chapter 2

The woman's hair was in a tight brown bun at the top of her head. She seemed really strong. All of the big kids, including Hortensia, gathered inside the gate and tried to scare us. Saying things like, "Your life as you know it is ancient history", or "Unless you want to suffer, listen up and I will teach you a thing or two." 

Alice and I gripped each other tightly. Something wasn't right about this school. Everyone seemed scared of the lady. Things that the big kids said made this place sound horrid. The Trunchbull approached all of the little kids.

"Everyone in the bottom class, come stand over here."

A bunch of kids crowded around us. I closed my eyes tightly. 

"Hello, Thripp," the Trunchbull said.

I opened my eyes.

"Are you scared? Scared children make the best noises when they go to chokey!"

"What's cho-"

"Get to your classrooms."

Alice and I entered the building. There were so many doors. A beautiful lady with orangey brown hair stood outside of a door. She had a pretty dress on, and had a pink jacket sweater thing on. 

"Hello!" the woman said in a kind tone. "You must be Amanda. I'm your teacher, Miss Honey. Hello Alice!" 

Alice and I entered the classroom. I was sitting next to an empty desk and the wall. 

"Lavender, Matilda, inside quick!" Miss Honey said.

The girl with long brown hair, who I saw on the bus sat at the empty desk beside me. Alice sat behind me. I was in the front row. 

"Now children," Miss Honey began. "Who can read this?"

Miss Honey wrote something on the board. The words wiggled and swapped places. A bunch of kids raised their hands, so naturally, I raised mine too. 

"Amanda?" Miss Honey called on me.

"Um, Miss Honey, you see, I uh, um, well"

"Yes Amanda?"

"The words are wiggling and swapping places. I can't read it."

The little brown haired girl raised her hand. 

"Yes Matilda?" Miss Honey said. 

Matilda I thought.

"Amanda probably suffers from Dyslexia," Matilda said. "Dyslexia makes words appear the way they do in Amanda's eyes. Dyslexia sufferers can learn to read through tutors and other teachers."

Miss Honey looked at Matilda with awe in her eyes. I thought about it. I might be important and different!

"Anyways," Miss Honey said. "Can anyone read this?"

I slumped on my desk and hid my head. All of the kids raised their hands except for one little boy in the back. 

"OH MEMEMEME OH CHOOSE ME MISS!" a boy in the front row shouted.

"Okay, Nigel" Miss Honey said, pointing at the boy. "What does it say?"

The boy opened his mouth and...

"..."

"Okay, we'd better leave it there, Nigel," Miss Honey said. "Can anyone else read this?"

This time, only Alice, Matilda, and another girl with space buns raised their hands.

"Lavender?" Miss Honey said, pointing at the space buns girl.

"Is the first word... tomato?" Lavender asked.

"Um, well no..." Miss Honey said. "But I can assure you that tomato is a super close guess."

"Yess!" Lavender chanted.

Finally, only Matilda had her hand raised. 

"Matilda, do you know what it says?"

"Yes," Matilda said. "It says 'I can now read sentences with complex words, and I can identify if the sentence is complex or simple'".

"Wow." Miss Honey said, astonished.

I looked at the girl. She smiled at me, but then returned her focus to the teacher.

"So Matilda," Miss Honey asked. "Is this sentence simple or complex?"

"Well," Matilda said. "For the lowest class, it is probably complex, but for me, it is actually quite simple."

Miss Honey stood, to frozen to blink.

"Well, um" Miss Honey stuttered. "How is this sentence so simple for you?"

"I've read so many books," Matilda said. "They have highly complex sentences, but all sentences aren't very complex for me. I've read quite a few today actually"

"What books have you read today?" Miss Honey asked, deeply drawn to this girl's insane knowledge.

"Nicholas Nickleby, Jane Eyre, Crime and Punishment, Les Miserables, War and Peace, To Kill a Mockingbird, and-"

The bell suddenly rang, and cut Matilda off.

"The Cat in the Hat!" Matilda finally shouted. 

"I've read that too!" Lavender called. 

"Same!" Alice screamed.

Soon, all of the students had said that they've read that book. Everyone except me.

It was time for recess. Alice and I were see-sawing together when Matilda approached us.

"Hello Amanda! Hello Alice!" she said. "Amanda, I'd like to speak with you specifically."

My heart skipped a beat. And then another. And soon I felt light headed until my heart started beating again.

"Come with me," Matilda said, signalling me to follow her.

I got off of the See-saw, and Alice's end hit the ground abruptly. Matilda took me behind a tree. 

"I'd like to help you with your dyslexia," she whispered. "With enough help, you'll be reading by the end of the year! Today is Friday, so let's see..."

Matilda grabbed a small note pad out of her pocket. 

"Are you open on Tuesdays?" Matilda asked.

"Yes ma'am," I replied.

"You can call me Matilda. Matilda Wormwood."

I nodded. Matilda hugged me and ran off with Lavender.

"Amanda Thripp,"

I turned around and realized I was face to face with the Trunchbull.