Laughing

Gwen returned from her break and groaned at the thought of Math. No matter how hard she tried she just couldn't understand it and she was embarrassed by the fact that she still didn't know her times tables. She could do up to her sixes and she knew her nines and tens but she struggled with her sevens, eights and twelves.

Mr. Morgan began doing the times table drills where he would ask a question and then point at a student for them to answer. Gwen broke out in a cold sweat please don't ask me please don't ask me. Then the worst thing happened.

8 times 8 and he pointed at Gwen. Gwen froze for a moment and thought in her head. Then she answered 66. Arthur laughed and Gwen felt her cheeks burning he must think she was an idiot.

'Arthur Pendragon!' shouted Mr. Morgan, 'I will not have someone laughing at another student-get out of my class!'

Arthur stood up and threw a hateful look at Gwen she was after all responsible for him being kicked out of class.

'Where do you want me to go?' he questioned in a quiet tone.

'You can go to Mrs. Palmer's class and explain to her why you have been kicked out of class!'

The rest of the class just gaped at what was going on the girls felt for Gwen and couldn't understand how Arthur could be so hateful towards her. Gwen was a quiet lovely girl and Arthur had never been so nasty to anyone before. Merlin couldn't believe what had come over Arthur and he knew that if Arthur's father found out what he had done to poor Gwen he would be punished for a very long time.

At the end of the lesson Arthur came back with Mrs. Palmer in tow, 'Arthur isn't there something you need to say to Gwen.'

'I'm sorry I laughed at you,' he said with his words but his eyes gave him away they showed that he wasn't sorry and was proud of what he'd done.

Gwen looked down and didn't respond to him at all and left the classroom to go for lunch. She quickly caught up with her friend Elaine.

'I can't believe Arthur would be so horrible!' she expressed with sympathy.

'He hates me Elaine all because of one silly test he's going to make my life hell.' Gwen responded despondently.

'I've been in class with him since reception and I've never seen him act so horribly especially towards a girl!'

'I must just bring out the hatred in him when he apologized I could tell he didn't mean it he said the words but his eyes showed me that he regretted nothing.'

'Gwen, Gwen..' shouted Merlin down the hallway and ran to catch up with them.

'I can't believe what he did to you and I'm going to make sure his father finds out and then he'll be in for it.'

'No Merlin that will just make him worse he'll think that I've told his father and he'll find some other way to make me pay.'

'Look out Gwen don't let him bully you you've got to learn to stand up to him and give it back to him,' suggested Merlin who then walked past her to join Arthur at a table in the dinner hall.

Gwen made sure she sat at the furthest table away from him and she ate her lunch in peace when they went outside he still left her alone and Gwen was able to breathe easier now she just had to get through the rest of the afternoon.

The afternoon passed without any dramatics through History and Art. History was her favourite subject and she enjoyed the lesson on Queen Elizabeth I and when any questions were asked she was the first to answer them. She felt Arthur looking at her but this time not with hatred but with a grudging admiration for how well she did in this subject.

Gwen was glad when the day ended and she trudged through the school grounds to her home which was just behind the school. She thought back to the day's events and hoped that tomorrow would be better.