Welcome to 'School of Prog', where the '70s rock band, Genesis, are all young school children going through primary school with each other! Enjoy!
"Mummy! Don't want to go to school!" a little boy with a cropped brown hair cut stuck out his bottom lip defiantly..
"Now Peter, you will go to school. Tony and Mike will be there too."
"Tony's grumpy..."
"Maybe if you two didn't quarrel so much over the toys, then maybe he wouldn't be so grumpy, hmm?"
"No. Tony was born grumpy."
Peter's mother laughed and bundled her son out of the house.
"Mike, put your sweater on! And get your shoes on, dear!" Annette Rutherford called out to her son as she helped his older sister put on her shoes.
"Mummy, where is my sweater?" Mike called from the lounge.
"In the airing cupboard, dear!"
Mike dashed upstairs and grabbed his school jumper, then dashed back down to put on his shoes, then back up again to grab his schoolbag, then finally back downstairs to grab his coat.
"You're like a yo-yo, dear!" his mother laughed. "Let's go!"
"You can play the piano when you come back home, Tony. Or play on the piano at school."
The brown eyed child clung to the piano stool. "No! They have inadequate instruments there!"
"Why can't you just share with the other children?"
"The piano is mine!"
"Anthony George Banks, you will not do well in life if you do not learn to share!" His father stated firmly.
Tony's eyes narrowed dangerously at the suggestion and he stuck his tongue out defiantly at his father.
"Don't you do that to me, young man! That is not appropriate behaviour!"
Tony sneered at his father and stormed out of the house.
"Hurry up, Mummy, we'll be late for school!" The little blonde boy was jumping up and down excitedly by the door.
"Calm down, honey!" Phil's mother, June, laughed. "We won't be late!"
"Mike said he'd bring me his new ball to play with! He doesn't mind sharing!"
"Well Michael is a very nice boy. You be nice at school to your friends, Phil."
"Of course, Mummy!" The little boy chirped back.
"Are you nervous, Steve?" A young woman was hugging her young son as they stood inside a primary school classroom.
"I'm a bit scared, Mummy. What if no one likes me?"
"You are a lovely boy, Steve. You speak nicely to people and they'll be nice to you."
"Okay, Mummy."
"Everyone, we have a new student with us." The teacher placed her arms around a young boy no older than 4 years. "Say hello to Steve."
"Hello, Steve," the class droned.
"Hullo. I'm Steve Hackett and I just joined your school a week ago."
"Do you have anything to say about yourself, Steve?" The teacher warmly asked.
"I'm gonna be a big brother soon. Sometime in the Spring. I'm hoping it's gonna be a boy."
"How lovely, dear! You must be excited! Now, why don't you go sit in that seat we have for you there."
Steve went and sat down.
"Now class, for this activity we will be working in the drama studio across the hall. You're going to have to go in pairs."
As the class trooped out of the class room and down the hall, Steve felt very self-conscious as he realised that everyone was pairing up without him. As the students sat down on the hall floor in their selected pairs, Steve sat by himself away from the others. He was thinking of lifting up his hand to announce that he had no partner when he felt a tap on his shoulder.
"Hi! I'm Peter! Peter Gabriel! You can go with me and Phil!"
"But they're two of you..."
"No worries! Miss! Can Steve go with us? Please?" Peter begged.
"If he wants to go with you and Phil, then yes, he can." The teacher replied.
"Do you want to go with us?" Peter asked the boy.
"You want me to go with you?" Steve nervously fiddled with the hem of his shirt and bit his lip anxiously.
"Sure!" Pete took his arm and led him over to where another boy sat, who was grinning at them. At the sight of the new student, the 4 year old leapt up and charged at them, wrapping their arms around Steve's waist. Steve jumped in shock and let out a gasp of surprise.
"Hi! Hi! Hi!" The boy chanted endlessly in one breath. "I'm Phil! I'm Phil! I'm Phil! Hi! Hi! Hi!"
Pete pulled the younger boy away. "Not so rough. That's mean."
"Hi..." Steve mumbled, still surprised at the shock contact. "I'm Steve."
"Steve! Steve! Hi! Steve! Hi! Hi!"
"Is he okay?" Steve looked to Peter with a perplexed expression.
"Don't worry, he's just excited; he'll calm down soon. Phil! Calm down!"
Phil looked to Peter and his eyes narrowed. "Don't yell! No yell!" He snarled.
"Hey, uh, Phil?" Steve asked, and Phil looked over to him, "can you sit down with me now? It's time for the teacher to speak."
Phil sat down. Peter looked amazed. "How did you do that?"
"I asked." Steve sat down next to the younger boy. "Maybe he won't get angry if you ask politely."
Phil had grabbed Steve's arm and tugged on it eagerly. "Friend? Will you be my friend, Steve?"
"Sure."
"Friend." Phil had grabbed Steve's hand and held it against his own. "Friend."
"He likes to be affectionate." Peter explained.
Steve smiled. "Friend." He replied.
The three boys were sat outside, juice box and piece of fruit in hand. It was break-time; which meant that the infants got to go to break 10 minutes early than the other year groups, and also meant it was time for milk and fruit provided by the school. Peter was chewing at his piece of fruit noisily when Mike and Tony came over.
"Steve," Peter began, "this is Mike," and he gestured to the taller boy. "That's Tony," he gestured to the smaller boy. "This is Steve," he said to the two boys, then proudly added, "our new friend."
"Hi!" Mike grinned. "I like your shoes!"
"Hi..." Tony mumbled. "Nice to meet you, Steve."
"Tony! Hug!" Phil, with milk dripping down his chin, opened up his arms (which had a milk carton in one hand and a piece of mangled banana in another) and made a beeline towards the mumbling boy.
"Not now, Phil. You're eating - see?"
"Ok, Tony." Phil sat back down. "You want my fruit, Steve?" He held out the piece of mangled banana to the boy next to him.
"No thanks, Phil. I've got my own." Steve replied.
"So, Steve, where did you come from?" Mike asked.
"Oh, London."
"You have any siblings?" Mike pulled a face. "I've got an older sister. She won't let me in her room."
"She's a girl. All girls are stupid," Pete made a face. "I have a younger sister."
"My mummy's got a baby inside her right now." Steve said.
"Cool! If it's a boy, we could teach it to play football!" Mike clamoured excitedly.
"I'm hoping it's a boy," Steve nodded his head in agreement.
"I have an older brother and three older sisters." Tony replied.
"My parents are thinking of calling a boy John," Steve said, sipping his milk.
"My brother is called John," Tony said.
"I have a brother called Clive," Phil piped up out of nowhere. "And a sister called Carole."
"That's right, Phil!" Peter smiled.
"Siblings are annoying..." Mike sighed.
"No, I'm going to be a good sibling when the baby arrives," Steve had puffed out his tiny chest in pride. "I'm going to look after them."
"Good luck with never getting any sleep then!" Tony rolled his eyes.
"I wonder what it's like, being a big brother..." Steve's eyes were wide with imagination.
Phil tapped him on the back. "Can I see the baby too?" He asked.
"Don't be silly, Phil!" Mike laughed. "It's not been born yet."
"When it comes, can I see it too?" The youngest boy replied fiercely.
"Yes, you can, Phil," Steve smiled. "You can all come and see it when it's born in May."
"That's months and months away!" Phil dramatically cried in response. He counted on his small, chubby fingers. "8 months!"
"So, you're part of our group, then?" Tony asked.
Everyone looked at each other.
"I want him to be here," Peter insisted. "He worked with me and Phil in class and had break with us. He's in."
"I don't see why not," Mike nodded. "It'll be nice to have another tag along."
"Can you play an instrument?" Tony asked.
"Uh...I play the harmonica at the moment, but the guitar looks like a good instrument to play."
"Bass or electric or acoustic?" Mike eagerly asked.
"I like the electric and acoustic guitars..."
"Cool! I like them all too! You're definitely in! Say yes too, Tony!" Mike insisted.
"Okay. You can hang around with us." Tony sighed. "Just stay away from the piano! It's mine!"
"No fair!" Peter protested. "You fat hog! You have to share!"
"Fat hog?! You're a tub of lard compared to me!" Tony snarled back.
"You're grumpy and stupid! No one likes you!"
"Then why do you hang around with me?!"
"I just feel sorry for you!"
"Oh, well-"
"GUYS!" Mike yelled over the squabbling. "STOP IT!"
"Mummy!" Phil was wailing from the noise. "Mummy!"
"You're making Phil cry!" Peter shouted.
"Oh yes, we must be quiet for the dumb little baby!" Tony jeered. "Don't you ever stop wailing and crying for attention, you little wimp?!" He snarled at Phil's screeches.
"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Mike grabbed Tony and Peter and bopped their heads together. "You do not insult Phil! Tony, you apologise right now, you selfish little brat!"
Tony was stunned into silence. "Sorry, Phil... You're not a baby...or a wimp."
Phil snuffled, sobbing instead, but nodded his head.
"I want Steve to join." Peter then said.
"Me too." Mike said.
"Me too." Tony mumbled.
"Phil?" Peter looked hopefully to the youngest member. "Do you want Steve to join us?"
Phil looked up in surprise. He pointed to himself. "You want baby to speak too?"
"You're not a baby, Phil..." Mike placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're our friend too."
Phil glanced around. He then ran off towards the hillside not that far away and started to bend over to pick something up. He ran around till he had decided to stop and then came running back.
He thrust a hand out to Steve. A tiny 'bouquet' of wilted flowers was clenched tightly in his tiny sticky hands.
"Friend! Steve Hackett is my friend! Best friend?" He added hopefully.
The other lads were shocked.
Steve took the bouquet and then shook Phil's sticky and gummy hand that had held the flowers.
"Best friends." He replied.
Phil grinned at his flowers being liked and hugged the taller boy tightly. "Friend!"
Steve then felt Peter hug him from behind, followed by Tony, followed by Mike.
"Let's all be best friends." Mike announced. "From this day, we shall all be best friends to each other. Okay?"
"Cool!" Peter yelled. Tony held his hands over his ears but was smiling.
"Friends." He said. "Cool."
"Hey, Steve!"
Steve turned round as a football came bouncing down the playground in his direction. He knelt and picked it up, noticing that Peter was waving in his direction. "Come on!" he yelled from the top of the hill where he was stood. "We're gonna go play football!"
Steve ran to catch up with the lad, and followed him down the hill across the grass to where the others were stood waiting.
The boy then threw the ball to Mike, who caught it, and the boys began a small game of tackling and avoiding with each other.
Phil was trying to intercept the ball from Mike, but the other boy was too fast for him to grab the ball from. He tried to tackle again, but failed as Mike spun round him and kicked the ball to Peter. He huffed in annoyance, and tried to run to catch up with the others on the other side of the 'pitch' that they had made, when he tripped over something and went sprawling into the mud.
He heard laughter and saw a group of three older boys jeering down at him. "Well, look here!" one of them sneered, grinning. "It's the kid who was so smart that he went up a grade halfway between Reception year! What ya doing', smartass? Playing with your older, brainier friends? I bet he's a cheat; he never passed early, he cheated!"
The boy kicked his foot against Phil's leg gently, as if contemplating how hard he ought to hit the four year old.
"You're just jealous of me!" Phil sounded more confident than he felt. "Because you've never skipped a grade! You have to compensate your tiny brain with your stupid words!" he remembered that's what his father had always said about bullies; they compensate for their failures with their loud egos or actions - whatever egos were...
"You little bastard!" the boy had picked Phil up by his foot and jangled him upside down angrily in the air. "You little shit!"
He jostled Phil angrily again. Phil felt sick at the sudden motion of being in the air so suddenly and no longer on the floor.
The boy pulled back his fist to punch him in the gut when:
"HEY! YOU LEAVE MY FRIEND ALONE!"
A blur of motion whizzed past and the shape of a boy launched themselves at the attacker. Phi went sprawling to the floor, dazed. He felt arms pick him up and he wrapped his arms around the saviour's neck, sobbing.
"YEAH!" Phil heard Peter shout. "SAVE PHIL, TONY!"
Tony! Tony hated being involved in any action but here he was: saving him from a bully!
Another blur launched themselves at one of the attacker's friends, followed by another blur.
Peter and Steve were holding the assailants down while Tony was holding down the boy who had been holding Phil by his foot.
"Mike..." Phil whimpered. "Mummy..."
"Are you hurt?" Mike softly asked him as he held him close. Phil was smaller then them, so it wasn't a challenge to hold him.
"Uhuh. Just scared. I want my mummy!"
"I'm here, Phil."
"You can be my mummy, right Mike?" Phil had tears his eyes; he was so scared.
"Yeah."
Just then, a teacher came thundering down the hill toward them; a student had seen the boys attack Phil and had run to the get a teacher as fast as they could. Other students stood watching nearby.
"Boys! Get off of them!" the teacher called.
Tony, Steve and Peter reluctantly withdrew from their positions on top of the older boys and stood glaring at them.
"What happened here?!" the teacher asked as they caught up with the young boys.
"These boys attacked Phil when we were all playing football!" Mike yelled from where he stood with Phil clinging onto him. "They had hold of him by his foot in midair!
"Mummy!" Phil was wailing. "I want my mummy!"
"It's true, sir!" several Year 6 students came up next to the teacher. "We saw the whole thing! These boys, particularly that one," they pointed to the boy Tony had pinned down, "knocked this little boy over and then picked him up by his foot! They were about to punch him in the stomach when his friends came and knocked them down. They only knocked them down, sir. They didn't hit them, honest! They just wanted to get them off their friend!"
The teacher nodded. "What year are they in?"
"The attackers are in Year 5 - they're particularly known for bullying the little ones. The little boy and his friends are in Year 1."
"Shame on you for attacking these little ones!" the teacher shouted. He grabbed the boy who had hurt Phil by the arm off the floor and motioned for the Year 6 students to keep an eye on the Year 5 attackers. Another teacher - the Year 1 teacher - came running up and scooped Phil up into her arms.
"Come along, dears! Phil will be just fine!"
Phil sat in the quiet room with a lollipop in his mouth. The teachers had called up his mother and explained what had happened, and he was deemed okay to stay in school till the end of the day.
"Phil?" the Year 1 teacher came in. "Do you feel okay for nap time?"
Phil loved nap time. He would get so tired running around with his friends, he liked sleeping after lunch.
The boy nodded and followed the teacher out of the quiet room.
Snuggled upon the floor in individual blankets, the children were all lying on the floor in the Year 1 room on mats. Sleep time would last for an hour and a half before a quick game of heads, shoulders, knees and toes and some other fun outside activities before home-time.
Peter was wedged between Tony and Mike. Steve lay on Tony's otherside between him and Phil. The boys' eyes were drooping as the blinds were pulled to and the lights turned off, submerging the room in darkness. Phil had a thumb in his mouth and was subconsciously sucking on it, while he held Steve's hand with his other. Tony was pressed up against Pete's back while Pete had his arms wrapped around Mike's waist. Steve's legs were spread across Tony's, and while one hand was held tightly in Phil's, his other hand was clutching onto Tony's school shirt.
They were all pressed up together like a can of tinned sardines. Phil took his thumb out of his mouth and wrapped his arm across Steve's chest. Mike yawned, Peter shuffled slightly, Tony sniffled, Steve gave a content hum as he fell asleep, and Phil pressed himself against Steve as best as he could for warmth and wriggled appreciatively like a cat when he found it.
"Do you like it here, Steve?" the little blonde boy whispered quietly to his friend.
"I never expected to get into a fight on my first day, but it's fun." Steve gave a small smile with his eyes still closed.
"Thank you for helping Tony and Peter in saving me."
"You're welcome."
"You're my hero."
"Really? I've never been somebody's hero before..."
"You can be mine." Phil snuggled up closer and yawned. His arm held Steve close to his side and he squeezed his hand with his other hand tightly.
"If you say so." Steve yawned and leaned his head to the side slightly to get more comfortable and he and Phil lay there head to head as they slept.
"Told you you are nice, Tony," Peter grinned as he was pressed up against Mike.
"Shut up," Tony replied, but he was smiling. He snuggled closer into Peter's back and yawned. "Sorry for calling you a tub of lard."
"Sorry for calling you a fat hog," Peter replied. "Friends?"
"Of course we are, you dummy." Tony replied, sighing.
"Love you too, Tony." Peter grinned back.
"The piano's still mine. And the keyboards."
"Hog."
"Lard."
"Shut up," Mike hissed, kicking Peter with the back of his foot in the leg. Peter responded by kicking him back. "I want to sleep. Shut up."
"You can't tell me to shut up. That's mean." The 5 year old replied.
"I can: shut up, stupid."
"You're stupid, Mike."
"So's your sister."
"Mean!" Peter spat back, and Tony hissed back angrily for the two to knock it off.
"Be quiet, guys," Steve quietly piped up. "Me and Phil are trying to sleep."
"Whatever, you're all stupid anyway," Peter sniffled.
"Stupid is as stupid does!" Phil mimicked as best as he could in an American accent.
"Phil's right. We're all stupid." Peter smiled.
"You're stupider-" Tony began.
"Knock it off!" Mike hissed. "The teacher will tell us off if you all don't shut up!"
"You're still stupid..." Tony sulked.
"So are you." Peter shot back. "Goodnight!"
"It's not 'goodnight', you moron!"
"Shut up!" Steve hissed, annoyed. "I wanna sleep!"
"SHUT UP!" Phil screamed, and the whole room fell into deathly silence. "There!" the young boy grinned happily. "Sleep!"
"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" Pete shook Tony awake. "Wake up! Wake up!"
"Go away!" Tony scowled, pushing Peter away angrily. "Shut up, you idiot!"
"But Tony, it's time to get up! It's snack time!"
"Yay!" Phil was bouncing around happily. "Snack! Snack! Snack! Snack! Snack!"
"Shut up, Phil!" Tony yelled. "You're too loud!"
"Come on, Phil," Steve took the excited boy's arm to slow him down, "let's go with the other students outside and get our snack."
"Snack! Yay!" Phil was practically pulling the taller boy towards the door faster than Steve could cope with.
"Phil! No pulling! Phil! Stop it!" Steve yanked his hand away from the tighter grip of the younger boy. "I will not go with you if you hurt me like that! Has no one taught you not to be so rough?"
Phil lowered his head to the floor in shame. His eyes filled up with tears. "I'm sorry. I don't notice when I get too rough. Mummy says I need to be more careful but I get so excited that I can't help it. I didn't mean to hurt you, Steve..."
Steve shook his head in wonder. What an extraordinary lad Phil was...
He reached out and patted the smaller boy on the shoulder. "It's okay. I'm not hurt too badly."
Phil shook his own head, still looking at the floor. Steve wrapped an arm around his friend and hugged him to calm him down.
"You're a nice person, Phil. Just remember to be a bit more gentle next time."
"Okay. Snack time now?"
"Yeah." Steve led his friend out and left Peter to get his own friend out of the room.
"Tony," he said, "can we please go to snack time now?"
"Yeah, sure, let's go." The boy climbed to his feet and when he was on his feet, Peter grinned and grabbed Tony's hand.
"Race ya!" He laughed and then sped out of the room.
"I don't think that's necessary! Everyone knows I'm faster than you!" Tony laughed and sped past him with ease.
"No fair!" Peter wailed.
"Yes fair!" Tony stuck his tongue out at him and then burst through the door leading to the playground triumphantly.
"No!" Peter pouted, stomping a foot on the floor in anger. "No fair!"
"Boys!" The teacher called them over. "Settle down and have a snack. We're going to do some games soon."
"Excuse me, Miss," Phil tugged on the teacher's jumper. "Can I get snack now?"
"Yes, Phil, they're over there," the teacher pointed to where another teacher was handing out a carton of black current juice and small chocolate chip cookies to a queue of small children. Phil darted off towards them, Peter and Tony following.
"Hey, Mike!" Peter sat down next to his friend on a nearby bench. "I didn't see you when we all woke up! Where were you?"
"I went to the bathroom and then came out here." Mike replied, taking a bite out of his cookie appreciatively.
Peter nodded and took a sip of his juice quietly, a thoughtful look on his little face.
Tony settled down next to Mike on his other side and mentioned towards the other lad to budge up.
"I was wondering where you'd got off to," Mike grinned at him. "Sleepyhead!"
Tony grinned back at him and punched his shoulder lightly. "I can sleep through anything!" He confidently exclaimed.
"You'd sleep through the world ending!" Mike laughed good heartedly.
"He'd sleep through his graduation." Peter stuck his tongue out at Tony, and Tony responded in kind.
"Snack! Snack! Snack!" Phil's voice was heard echoing endlessly as he bounced towards them, juice carton and cookie in hand.
"Won't he shut it up?" Tony rolled his eyes. "Doesn't he have an off switch?"
"Come here you!" Mike reached out and grabbed hold of Phil by the collar as he bounded past, pulling him to a standstill. He motioned to Tony to budge up and pulled down Phil next to him. He ruffled his friend's hair. "What are you like, eh? You're a bleedin' monkey, you are, Phil Collins!"
"Don't shock the monkey!" Peter yelled.
"What?!" Tony spat. "What the hell does that mean?!"
"Tony! You are 5 years old, don't swear!" Mike admonished.
"So are you, Mommy!" Tony sneered back at him.
"I'm a monkey!" Phil cheered. "Monkey! Monkey! Monkey! Monkey! Monkey!..."
"Oh, now you've done it, Mike! He won't shut up for a week!" Tony exclaimed.
"Hey, don't blame me! Phil's just very..."
"Annoying!" Tony threw his arms in the air. "He's not cute or adorable, he's annoying! He's very, very annoying!"
"Sounds like someone's jealous of a smart 4 year old!" Peter grinned.
"That's rich coming from the tub of lard!" Tony jeered back.
"Right, that's it!" Peter stood up and grabbed Tony by his collar. "I hate you, Tony! Why do you have to be so horrible to everyone all the time?! Why can't you be nice for once?!
"Guys..." Mike sighed.
"I hate you, you, you..." Tears welled up in Peter's eyes and he pushed Tony to the floor and then stormed off in a rush, crying loudly.
"Are you okay?" Mike knelt down to put a hand on Tony's shoulder. "Hey... Tony?"
Tony's lower lip was wobbling and tears were threatening to spill down his face. "I'm fine." His voice cracked.
"Oh, Tony..." Mike pulled his closest friend close for a hug. "You silly, silly boy."
"Shut up..." Tony sniffled, but he clutched onto his friend's school jumper tightly.
It was silent between the two for a minute or so when Tony felt someone poke him again and again on the back.
He turned around to see Phil knelt before him with his juice box and cookie in hand. He offered it to the crying boy.
"Here. Tony. Here." He insisted.
Tony smiled and shook his head. "Thank you, Phil. I'm okay. You have your food and drink. I've had mine."
Mike smiled. "That's nice of Phil to do that considering you're always rude about him."
"I know. I'm sorry, Phil."
"You always say you're sorry but then you go and do it again." Mike frowned. "Don't do it again, Tony. You have a nice smile. Why don't you smile more often?"
Phil jumped up suddenly and sped off across the playground.
Tony and Mike watched him go in amazement. "There are many Phils out there, but there's only one Phil Collins." Mike said.
"I concur." Tony replied.
"Hey, Peter, you've been in there an awful long time. Are you going to come out?"
Peter was pressed up against the bathroom stall door, sobbing.
"Peter," Steve's voice was concerned. "Are you ill? Do you need me to get the teacher? Games will start soon."
"Go away," the boy inside the stall cried. "Go away!"
"Do you want me to get Mike? What about Tony-"
"No! Tell that git to sod off!"
"Peter! You can't swear!"
"Tell him to go away!"
"I just saw Tony, Peter. He was crying."
"Well, then maybe he'll learn to care about other people and not just himself!" Peter shot back from inside the cubicle.
"Peter, please, he looked really upset."
"No!"
"What about Phil? He's looking for you."
"...Tell him he's not to blame. Can you look after him, Steve? He's such a ball of movement, he's hard to control and he really likes you."
"Sure, but you are coming out of that cubicle stall on the count of 3 or I will break the door down."
"No!"
"1."
"No!"
"2."
"You can't make me!"
"3!"
"Okay! Okay! I'm coming out!"
The door opened to reveal a red-eyed little boy sniffling with a runny nose.
"Come on, Peter," Steve handed him a bunch of tissue paper. "It's odd not to see you smile."
Peter gave a smile and stepped out of the cubicle.
"Thanks, Steve," Peter hugged him tightly. "I'm glad that you came to our school today."
Steve felt himself go red with embarrassment, but hugged the other boy back all the same.
"Now, let's go," Peter said, "I have some apologising to do!"