'My name is Jasmine Clarke-Masood and my family is the best family ever. I have two dads, but daddy said it would be easier if I call them different things to... er.' Jasmine looked down at her piece of paper sounding out the difficult word as Mrs. Jenkins smiled at her encouragingly. 'Diff-ere-ntiate!' Jasmine said, triumphantly. 'My dad is called Christian and my daddy is called Syed. Every father's day I make them both a card and they give me a big cuddle and it makes me feel safe and warm. Then we go to the park. Dad gives the best swings ever, he pushes the swing so hard you feel like you're about to fly because the sky's so close to you, you can almost touch it. I know some people think it's wrong to have two daddies but I don't understand why. They're the best daddies in the world! I used to have a mummy but she died. Sometimes I used to feel sad because I could remember her hair, it was long and curly and I remember the way she smelled- all soft and sweet smelling, like apple pie. But then daddy or dad would come and give me a hug and ruffle my hair and everything would be ok. I don't know what I'd do without my daddies and it makes me sad when people say mean things about them. Daddy told me he had an argument with Grandma Zainab and Grandma Zainab didn't talk to him for years but then they had me and she made friends with him and now I can see Grandma Zainab whenever I want. She's teaching me how to cook!' Jasmine said happily. 'And Granddad Masood is helping me with my reading. He doesn't really have to because dad reads to me every night and daddy reads with me if dad is out training. My dad's a personal trainer! He says when I get older he'll teach me how to exercise so I don't get big and fat like Grandma Zainab.' Jasmine covered her mouth and giggled. 'Oops, he told me not to repeat that. But I have two uncles, Tamwar and Kamil and I have loads of aunties and cousins I haven't ever met but my best friends are Amy and my daddies.' Jasmine finished with a breathless gasp.
'Thank you Jasmine, I think that was a brilliant end to our presentations about families, don't you class?' The applause filling the air was all the reply Mrs. Jenkins needed. She smiled to herself as Jasmine skipped to her seat, being patted on the back and hugged on the way. She was a very intelligent and popular little girl. Mrs. Jenkins clapped to gain the attention of the class. 'You can all go to lunch now! After lunch we'll be doing 10 times tables.' The class filed out with groans.
'I really liked your speech.' Jasmine turned away from her friend Katrina, to see a small black girl glancing at her tentatively. Jasmine had noticed her in lessons, but had never got the chance to speak to her because she'd always been dragged away by Michelle or Katrina or Amy. Jasmine couldn't remember her name- she had only arrived in their classes a few days ago, so she smiled kindly and said 'Thank you' just like her dad had taught her. Theo, who sat next to Katrina in lessons made a rude noise that sounded like a fart. Katrina snorted and Jasmine glared at her, shutting her up.
'It's rude to listen to other people's conversations.' Jasmine recited, glaring at that horrible Theo. He'd been mean to her ever since she'd got the best mark in the maths test last month. Theo made the rude noise again and smirked. 'Your speech was rubbish!'
Jasmine felt tears prick her eyes and she was about to retort when she was interrupted. 'That's not true! Jasmine had the best speech in the class.' It was the new girl again, who had moved closer to Jasmine and was matching Jasmine's glare, staring at Theo bravely. Jasmine smiled and squeezed the other girl's hand in thanks. Theo laughed. 'Haha! Jasmine and Kia are lezzers!' A group of year 5s looked across and seeing it was the boring year 2s, looked away again. The year 2s weren't so bored and gathered around, their childhood senses telling them a fight was brewing. 'What?' Jasmine said, who had let go of Kia's hand almost as soon as she had squeezed it. 'Kia's my friend.' She said, grateful that she now knew her name. Kia's face lit up and she smiled gratefully at Jasmine. Theo grinned, showing his two missing front teeth. 'You're gonna end up like your dads, you are Jazzy! A poofter!' Jasmine didn't know what the word meant but she knew it didn't sound nice, especially said in that tone and she wouldn't have anyone talking about her dads! Before she knew what she was doing, she had launched herself on top of Theo, punching and kicking and scratching every bit of him she could reach with all her strength. 'Don't... you... say ANYTHING about my dads!'
'Arrgh, she's a psycho!'
'Someone get a teacher!'
'She's going to kill him-'
The school-children watched, unmoving as Jasmine fought Theo.
Jasmine suddenly found herself pulled to her feet, face to face with a now stern looking Mrs. Jenkins.
'What is this?' She said, in a dangerously low tone.
Jasmine gulped. 'Miss, he-'
Theo got there first. 'She tried to kill me miss! All I said was that she should have used bigger words in her speech and she assaulted me!'
'It's true, miss.'
'Yeah, it's true.' Theo's friends agreed with his story.
'Miss, that didn't happen!' Kia blurted. 'He was horrible and-'
'Stop!' Mrs. Jenkins was full of the no-nonsense strictness she was famed for at Walford Primary. Jasmine and the rest of her students loved her because she was a good teacher but when she was strict there was no arguing with her. 'Whatever happened- I don't want to hear it-' Theo's friends had tried to stick up for him again. 'Fighting is simply inexcusable. Especially from you Jasmine, you're usually so docile. Now. I want both of you to go the headmaster's office.'
'-But.' Jasmine tried to interrupt.
'Now! Your parents will be called and both of you will have to explain why you've been sent home for bad behaviour.'
'Noooo!' Jasmine wailed. She'd only been trying to defend them but she didn't think her parents would be pleased by her fighting. Especially not daddy, he'd been trying to teach her principles from The Qu'ran. One thing stuck out... 'Non violence.' Jasmine murmured as she was frogmarched alongside the horrid, horrid Theo to the headmaster's office. She was going to be killed for fighting and then she was going to be double-killed for making her parents take time off work! And all because of his stupid... what was that new word she'd learned? Infantile! Yes, that summed him up. All because of his stupid infantile joke. At least she'd made his nose bleed. She smirked at him as he held his nose with a tissue. Her smirk faded as she thought of her daddies feeling disappointed with her. This just wasn't fair!