Different

Chapter 24

I was sat with the girls at lunch. It was Tuesday so we were eating spaghetti and meatballs, the only semi-decent meal they served all week. I was mostly just pushing my food round my plate, occasionally taking a bite. I wasn’t really hungry and it tasted rubbery anyway. Courtney had barely been speaking all day apart from making nasty comments directed at me or Luke.

I was glad went the bell went to signal the end of lunch. It meant I could spend all afternoon away from Courtney. We had History, so me, Savannah and Tamzin made our way up the stairs. I hated history. Who even cares about people who have been dead for years anyway?

After History I had Chemistry. I wasn’t with any of the girls for chemistry, but I was with Luke. Even though we sat on completely opposite sides of the classroom. I joined the queue outside our classroom since we aren’t allowed in the science labs without a teacher. I sat with Emily in this class, since she was the only girl who was at a kind of decent level of popularity. Luke walked past me to join the back of the queue, he flashed a small smile at me which I returned making sure that no-one else around me noticed.

Eventually Mrs Roberts showed up and let us in the classroom. She was 10 minutes late. Why is it that teachers can turn up whenever they feel like it, yet if we were late we’d be treated as if we’d just been on a school wide killing spree or something? So unfair.

Mrs Roberts was going on about balancing equations or something. Who even cared? When would we actually need to do this in real life? It would help if I even understood any of this. Chemistry was definitely my worst subject. She gave out a list of problems for us to solve and then told us that she’d call us up individually to discuss our test results. Ugh. No thanks.

I was the fourth person to be called up. Having a last name beginning with C has it’s disadvantages sometimes. Mrs Roberts’ face was stony. I sat down on the seat next to her desk. She passed me my test paper with a big F circled at the top of the page in red ink. Why do they try their best to make it obvious that you’ve failed? Couldn’t they use a black pen so that it blends in more?

‘Why do you think you keep getting bad grades in this class, Jenna?’ What the fuck? Maybe because this subject is impossible!

‘I don’t understand it.’ I said.

‘Why do you think that is?’ Because you’re a shit teacher, maybe? Fat bitch.

‘It’s too difficult.’

‘I think you need to study more.’ I rolled my eyes. The subject I study the most for is this and it makes no difference anyway.

‘I’m going to get someone to tutor you, stay behind at the end of class and we’ll sort it out.’ Great. Now I have to be stuck with some chemistry nerd. Ugh.

-

When the bell went everyone packed up their stuff and left. I stayed sat in my seat, staring out of the windows. Mrs Roberts was trying and failing to do something on her laptop. Hurry up, I want to leave now! I absent-mindedly looked around the classroom. A few tables behind me I saw Luke still sat at his desk. Does he need tutoring too?