Maddox Academy: Grievous Beginnings - Wattys 2022 Shortlister

Chapter Thirty-Five - Always Something Wrong

Over the next week, Katie and I tried to steal little moments together.

Between her studying, and me trying to finish my project, those moments were few and far between, but we embraced them when we could. They may have been sitting together whilst we worked or holding each other's gaze a little too long over the supper table. Whatever it may have been or how minor it may have seemed; we took every opportunity we could whilst we worked and whilst other people were around. We had to be careful not to get caught. Jo said we were being too obvious.

The fifth-year O-Level exams started, and I had to return to my old timetable and spend my history and sewing lessons with the other fourth years. Even with Victoria still on my back, staring at me, I managed to ignore her. I had something else to put my attention into and she just happened to be a blip on the radar that meant nothing. She knew I was trying to salvage my project, but not what I had already done or the edition that was still being stored in the cupboard. Victoria thought she had won, but she was going to be greatly disappointed when the presentations came around.

Thursday came around with the last of the O-Level exams and a day before the presentations. With every fourth year working on their project, I had taken to hiding in the fifth-year dormitory whilst they took their final exam. Newspaper was spread across the floor and I sat adding a few extra paint touch-ups to what I hoped would be the show-stopping element of my presentation. If it worked the way I had planned it. If it didn't work, I didn't know what else I would do.

I laid on my stomach on the dormitory floor, a paintbrush between my teeth. I battled with a small piece of cardboard that refused to fold more than once. Outside, the noise of the students on the grounds travelled through the window with a fair amount of cheering and screaming. The fifth years had finished their last exams. I listened out for the sound of footsteps, hearing the light knocking of the shoes on the wooden floor in the hallway outside.

The door burst open and Katie walked in with her arms spread wide and her head back. Jo trailed behind her, shaking her head a little but still smiling.

"That's it! We're done! Finally!" Katie dropped her bag on the floor and collapsed back against her bed, dangling over it.

"How did it go?" I asked Jo.

"Not too badly. I think I got the Greek Gods mixed up with the Romans, but other than that, it went well."

"Diogenes was mentioned in the paper and I almost screamed," Katie added.

"How are you doing?"

"Almost there, I hope. Just need to get these miniature houses to stay put and for the paint to dry and that'll be the prop sorted."

"Do you need any help?"

"No, I'm fine. You just finished your exams so you should relax."

Katie gave me a pointed look but said nothing. For the past few days, she had been pushing for me to take a break and relax. Although I had stopped staying up long into the night and managed to stay in bed for longer than three hours, the project wasn't going to finish itself. Once it was finished, I had promised to spend the weekend doing absolutely nothing, but I still had one full day to go so the break would have to wait as well.

I continued with the construction of the small houses and buildings that dotted around the main structure. Katie and Jo dug out their hidden contraband and sat on their beds and watched me work, struggling to put the little buildings together. Perhaps I had taken things a little too far when I went beyond the main project and decided it needed some little extra pieces like buildings and small people. I needed it to be good if I want to beat out Victoria.