Wizened by Age (Student/Teacher)

Chapter One - EW who is that man???

I gazed into the distance. Maths was such a drag.

Funny thing was, it hadn't started yet. It was our first lesson and our new teacher had yet to arrive. We were just sitting here, bored out of our wits with absoloutly nothing to do. It was ridiculous.

I started humming, one of my fave things to do, when the class went silent and I turned to see our new teacher, his eyebrows raised, staring across the class in horror. He glared straight at me.

"Why aren't you standing up?" he asked the class, running a hand over his stubble coated chin. "This isn't breaktime. This is maths, the most passionate subject."

Passionate. That he was.

"My name's Mr Terry and you'd do well to remember it. I care for my pupils - if they're good at maths... otherwise, well, I'm just not sure if we're going to see eye to eye. And considering you're all Set 4, we probably won't get on." he said sternly.

I turned and pulled a face at my ever cute boyfriend. Larry. He smirked a little, his blonde hair cut short and his forehead glistening with perspiration. Cute.

"You!" Mr Terry cried, pointing a stubby finger at my shocked face. "You're not paying an ounce of attention to me, are you? Not a gram."

I shook my head, my brown hair bouncing at my shoulders, "No, Mr Terry, I heard every word I swear upon it. I don't lie, I never did once tell a porker," I insist.

"That in itself is a 'porker'. I'm a rash man, and you've annoyed me, so I'm moving you to the front just like that, because I can, and in fact, I will. Chip-chop," he said, his eyes alight and jeering. Despite his wrinkles and mulitple chins, somehow he managed to look young. In a way.

Growling as I rose, my rolled up skirt piled around my waist, I strutted forward to the alloacted seat directly in front of his desk, next to Marjorie Harper, the 'good' girl. Ugh.

"He-he-hello," she stammered, wiping a layer of drool from her puckered lips.

"Don't talk to me," I snapped, turning to see Mr Terry, his eyes raised in amusement.

"If you talk there, I'll just move you again and you ought remember that." he said firmly, before turning back to the sums.

And that was my first maths lesson of year nine. I was moved, shouted at and mocked, but somehow I left the room feeling like an acheiver. Don't ask how.

Larry approached me when lunch came, his eyes wide and longingful as he scooped me into his weedy arms. Larry's never been strong, but he is my man. I pecked him joyfully on the cheek.

"What do you think of Mr Terry?" he asked, his words caressing my eardrums.

I shrugged, pulling a nonchalent face. "He was an idiot, and that was my true honest first impression. I doubt I'll learn a thing this year."

Larry laughed, a chunk of sandwhich flying from his mouth. Catching it in the palm of my hand, I promptly scooped it into my own, laughing all the while.

"Eww," Larry rolled his eyes, looking shocked to say the least.

"What?" I giggled, crunching down on his half eaten lettuce. "Waste not want not."

Anyway, that was all fine, I didn't end up with a headache or anything, eating Larry's chewed sandwhich made no difference at all. I strolled home jubilant, after a delightful day, only to see my mother glaring straight at me.

"Why arent' you like Jean?" she wailed.

"Because I'm Cody," I shrugged, stepping past her.

She placed a bony hand on me, stopping my tracks. "I'm serious, Cody. I had a phone call from a Mr Terry today saying he wasn't impressed with your lack of enthusiasm in maths. In fact, he says it's early days, but you may need tutoring."

My eyebrows shot to the ceiling. "Mum, that loser doesn't even know me! One lesson I was hyped up - first lesson back, you know. Next thing, I'm moved seats and a disgrace. Mum, Mr Terry is an idiot."

Mum scowled at me, her blue eyes hissing. "Don't call your teachers idiots. They're highly trained, and most of the time they actually know what they're doing. I don't want you mocking them."

"Sorry," I said sarcastically, sitting down next to my goody-sister Jean, who was completing some maths homework by the looks of things.

"You'll be the death of me, Cody Jane Simonhew, you really will. But for now, how was the rest of your day?" she asked, putting on a somewhat false smile.

I raised my shoulders and pulled a face. "Pretty standard. Larry got a haircut. Amelia got a dog. Josie became a vegetarian. Anything else?"

"I guess not," mum shrugged, handing me a wad of paper. "But I printed some recommended maths papers for you. Mr Terry said it would help."

I gasped, flicking through the pile of dull text.

"What?"

"It's homework. Extra homework, just for you. Chip-chop," mum replied.

I shuddered.

Kill.

Me.

Now,