A Rift Between Us

Chapter 3 - Crunch Time

Mr Dodge tossed the register aside. He slurped the last of his coffee and slid the mug away.

"Okay, everybody here is aware of what's happening. Final exams are coming up. Revision, extra work, GCSEs, and whatnot," his head rotated as he spoke, scoping different faces around the room. "You'll need to focus since it's only two months away."

A murmur spread through the class. Some students' spirits sank at the thought of what lay ahead. Alfie scratched his head, sensing something off in Mr Dodge's words. Alara cleared her throat before speaking.

"Good morning, sir. I wanted to inform you that our exams are scheduled to commence in approximately four weeks. Not two months. May I remind you that time is of the essence, and I implore you to make the most of it."

The murmur morphed into a unanimous sigh as several people criticised her commentary.

"It's always Alara to say something like that," said one student.

"For real, every time," said another.

A cacophony of voices mingled like a couple dancing a tango. Mr Dodge collapsed into his seat, rubbing his exhausted eyes. The lump of Blue Tack rolled like a wheel in his palms, its once radiant nature now sullied and brown from the dust and gunk on his desk. His half-open eyes gazed towards the last row, an unfocused stare cutting through the chaos. The Blue Tack rolled faster, gathering more filth, eventually flattening into a sausage-like shape. His palm slammed on the desk, the brown mass flattened to a disk.

"That's enough!"

Silence fell over the room as everyone glanced at him. The draft from the corridor whistled through the gap under the door. He covered his face with his hands, holding them there for a few seconds.

These kids don't take anything seriously these days.

He reached for his mug, remembering he had finished his coffee minutes ago. Tilting it, he noticed a few drops forming a semicircle at the bottom. He downed it like a shot, then took a deep breath.

"Listen, I don't have time or energy for everyone's nonsense. This is exactly why I don't believe any of you will pass your finals, you keep mucking about."

Faint whispers stirred within the class once again. Alfie glanced around, noting the irritation and discontent on everyone's faces. Mr Dodge's words hadn't sat well, as evidenced by the boorish remarks muttered under students' breaths. Alfie caught some of them, missing others. He pressed his fingers onto the zipper of his backpack, pulling out the revision notes and arranging the important ones in front of him.

Keiko's eyes studied the papers. Lines of neat handwriting filled the pages, interspersed by smaller sub notes.

He writes well. I wonder if this is the norm for him.

"If I just knock these lessons out, I can make it. I can get into college and study that course..."

His eyes were as focused as a laser. His finger glided beneath the words on his summaries, his voice faint as he spoke to himself. A familiar snicker jolted him from his concentration.

"You aren't gonna pass the final exams you nerd, so stop looking over those stupid notes."

Alfie's head sank deep into his shoulders. He grabbed the papers and stuffed them into his bag.

Stupid notes? I always thought they weren't up to speed. Maybe I need more? Perhaps I'm the one who's not capable?