Sherlock: The Next Generation

Chapter 29

Author's Note

I am so sorry for not posting for over a week! I was in Iceland then very busy with essays and homework and family and new rats and everything. I sincerely apologise. Up until November (when I take a month long break for NaNoWriMo) I should be updating every day/ every second day. 

I also apologise in advance if I got everything wrong when it comes to GSCEs. They're surprisingly different from SQAs (the Scottish exams).

Anyway, thank you for being about to read this! Here is another chapter. Enjoy...

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Chapter 29

Hamish missed Martin. He had missed his twin since he had left for boarding school. It was strange not having Martin's familiar presence in the bed next to his while he slept. Strange not being able to talk to him. Now, walking to school for his first day with only Molly, Hamish only missed Martin all the more. It was strange to think for the next few years he would only see Martin during the holidays. He felt like... he was losing part of himself.

And he wasn't looking forward to school. He had been doing the senior school work already for two years and was now working towards doing his GSCEs in about two years. At this rate he would leave school with his A levels at the age of sixteen. To tell the truth he couldn't wait. Maybe university would have harder work. He was planning to go to either Cambridge or Oxford. He wasn't sure which. Not that it mattered yet. He would be in University two years before Martin finished school... How strange. Maybe it would give Hamish the flexibility to go up to Scotland and visit Martin if he wanted to. How long was it until the next holiday when Martin came home? Christmas. Only... Just under half a year away. Hamish wasn't sure that he could survive.

"Goodbye Hamish!" Molly chirped up, interrupting Hamish's thought stream. He glanced down at his younger sister with a light smile.

"Goodbye." She ran off to her friends with a quick wave to Hamish, who sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets before continuing to the senior school. It was on the same campus as the primary school so it only took him about five minutes to walk there, going past a few of the sports pitches. Upon entering the senior school he went on a search for his locker. Last year there had been one day when they had all came up to the senior school, been given their locker keys and met their registration class. Luckily he was in the same class as Mortimer... They had completely different timetables from everything in their year (year 8). Of course, that was because they were doing their GSCE course.

The irritating thing was that the school would only let them take at most eleven GSCEs. He could easily do more. He had to take English (which was two GSCEs, strangely enough), Maths and Science (he took all three).  On top of that he had decided to take Drama, Geography,  Physical Education, History, German and Russian (he already spoke French fluently and almost spoke Spanish fluently). To tell the truth the choices he had had been pretty terrible... It had taken a lot of phone calls and some blackmail (at least Hamish thought that had been involved) to get the school to let him take Russian instead of some other commonplace language. He had chosen those that he thought would be the most useful. With the help of his dad.

Hamish quite easily remembered where his locker was and quickly dumped the books he wouldn't need until for the first few periods in it. He had so much more books than last year... and folders. He doubted he would even need them. The next two years (no, make that four years) were going to be so easy. A skive.

"Hamish!" Hamish slammed his locker shut and turned slightly. A wide grin spread across his pale face at the sight of Mortimer walking down the corridor towards him.

"Mortimer," Hamish nodded to his friend. "How was your holiday?"

Mortimer shrugged slightly, leaning against a locker and watching Hamish with incredibly dark blue eyes. "It was okay. We didn't go anywhere outside England because my dad's... job requires him to stay in England. But it could have been worse. My little brother, Sam, got a prize in karate and taekwondo. I didn't bother entering any competitions." Mortimer shrugged with a light smile.

"Didn't go anywhere. That sucks, Mori. I went all around Europe, which was cool. Papa wouldn't let us take a case in France, though." Hamish pouted slightly. "Dad and Papa made us take martial arts when Marti got beaten up... I'm doing okay at them, I guess. And Marti's gone to boarding school. I miss him."

"Don't dwell on it," Mortimer patted him on the shoulder in an almost comforting manner, if awkward. "He'll be having a great time."

"Hey," Hamish murmured, running a hand through his dark curls. "How about we go to the library? I would like to check it out."

"If you want to," Mortimer shrugged. He read much less than Hamish. Claimed that he didn't like reading and didn't have time because he helped his dad with his 'work.' He was yet to tell Hamish what his dad's actual job was. He said it wasn't important. His Papa (Mortimer had two dads like Hamish) worked as a bodyguard, though. He had once been in the army... Just like Hamish's Papa.

"Yeh, I do," Hamish smiled, shifted his bag on his shoulders before heading down the corridor. He already knew how to get around the place due to taking lesson in the senior school for two years. He had never been to the senior school library, though.

A light gasp escaped from Hamish's lips as they entered the library. So many books... And in the school where he went every day. Their local library was pretty terrible and a whole fifteen minute walk away. But this... He couldn't believe it. He was in heaven. Mortimer rolled his eyes at his friend's expression, dragging him over to a table in the corner.

"Let's compare timetables." Mortimer was already pulling his out of his pocket.

"Oh, yeh, good idea," Hamish shook himself out of his dream state and pulled out his own. It didn't take long for him to compare the two. They had pretty much taken the same subjects, there only being a few notable differences. Mortimer had taken ICT where Hamish had taken Drama and had taken Mandarin Chinese and Spanish as his languages (he was also fluent in French). But they were pretty much the same. "We've got the same teachers for every subject apart from Geography and English. Could be worse."

"Yeh," Mortimer grinned in reply. He went to say something else but was cut off by the ringing of the bell. "I guess we'd better go to registration."

"Yay. Let the day of boredom begin."