First lesson of the day and it just so happened to be English. Sitting in the seat next to the window (which I chose because it is above a radiator so it is warm in the winter and cool in the summer), I attempt to deceiver the task on the board: something about a book which is over complicated for anyone to read let alone a dyslexic. At the back I see a young teacher with long black hair, possibly Hispanic. She also had quite nice glasses and dressed presentably. Obvious student teacher.
"Morning class. I hope you did you assignments." Mr Slater said entering the classroom. I could sum up Mr Slater in about four words: middle-aged and boring. Honestly I have never heard a person drone on more about the most tedious book ever. I've probably fell asleep more times in this lesson than I have ever done as an infant. "How many of you haven't?"
A few people- namely the usual suspects- raised their hands and I just roll my eyes. How many detentions do they have to receive to get the message of doing homework?
"Ok, may I introduce Miss Suarez? She's going to be helping out in class for a while." Mr Slater pointed to the teacher at the back.
"Hi everybody." Miss Suarez said waving to the class and me.
"Hi." the class responds.
"She is here to help with some of you who are a little behind." Mr Slater said. He obviously means me. "Right on with today's tasks."
The entire lesson just went on and on and on. The words on the page were too small to even read and Mr Slater's voice was droning in the background was not helping.
"Hey." a voice came from beside me. It was Miss Suarez. "Do you need help?"
"If you could change the reading stimulus it would help." I respond. She laughs at my quip.
"Unfortunately, I do not have the power to do that. You do look as though you are struggling."
"I am. I don't understand what the book is saying."
"What is your name?"
"Harry."
"Harry Booth?" I nod. "I have to agree this is a little overcomplicated for a 7th grader anyway even if the grader has dyslexia. I assume you were taught the techniques about how to break a sentence down."
"A little. Mainly it was my parents that helped me out with my work."
"Well, this is why I'm here. I supposed to help you out in class just to get you up to the level you should be at."
"I can do it myself."
"Sometimes even the most independent people need help." she has a point. Darn it. "I know that it isn't ideal to what you want but you just need that extra push"
"Ok. If I need help I'll ask for you." she gave another smile. and left to see to another student.
bxbxbxbxbxb
The day passed quicker following English. Lunchtime a food fight broke out but that is just typical in this school.
Aunt Angela was supposed to pick Allie and I from school to keep an eye on us for an hour or two (Damon and Kathy-who are in the same year as my sister Izzie- get a lift with Michael and Katy) so when I saw the family carrier my Uncle Jack bought last year- his Mini went to his son Michael but then Katy crashed it into a tree (not at her own fault; she was feeling extremely sick and that is how my niece was born. It got fixed) - I immediately ran to the back seat.
"Hey Harry, what's the rush?" Aunt Angela asks as soon as I buckle up.
"Nothing, I just wanted to get out of school." I reply looking out for Allie. Typical. She's talking to Ash Walden, one of the football team. I never really liked football. I prefer hockey- Dad used to be a player but his tendon in his leg pulled when I was about five so he took retirement but still helps the team out every so often. I'm not sure why but I think it was the influence from an early age. Like Dad I'm a fan of the Philadelphia Flyers.
Anyway back to the point. I'm sure my Uncle Lance would love to hear that a near enough fourteen year old is chatting up his twelve year old daughter. I won't tell him. I'm not a snitch hence when there is a scheme and I'm involved I get into trouble as well. Friends stick together.
Finally the car door opens and Allie climbs in. "Hey Aunt Angela."
"Hey Allie, did you have fun today?" Aunt Angela said before pulling out of the drive and onto the road.
"It's school; what fun is there to be had?" Allie replies. Yeah the thing is about our group is that we answer in rhetorical questions. My mom and Angela blame my Uncle Jack for this. He's taken over the teaching thing at the Jeffersonian and whenever we asked a question that he didn't like he'd respond with a rhetorical question. Mind you Molly's may have been inherited. Her mom has a tendency to do the same thing but that's the British for you.
"I don't know. Boys, gossiping, you know what normal teenage girls do at school." Aunt Angela responds trying to counteract the question Allie had asked her.
"Well unless you count Harry going gooey eyed over the new teacher helper lady in English then no." Allie answered.
"Hey." I said sounding insulted.
"Come on, Harry. Your tongue was falling out of your mouth." Allie said.
"Really how pretty is this teacher?" Aunt Angela asked. I'm not sure whether this is because she is interested or concerned.
"Really pretty." Allie answered.
"Maybe it is just a small crush. You get over them in time." Angela said.
"I do not have a crush on Miss Suarez." I say in protest. Honestly the difficulty in being the youngest person in the car is frustrating. Allie is at least 7 months older than I am and that sometimes makes her think she is in charge of me.
"Ok, if you insist but sooner or later your Boothy senses will start tingling." Aunt Angela said. Boothy senses? I may have to ask Parker what the hell that means. I think he's coming over tonight. He's 27 and has a wife of 3 years. Yeah, it shocked quite a few of us when he said he was getting married but marriage isn't conventional in our family or even my parents' friends. Aunt Angela and Uncle Jack got married in prison (over a speeding ticket, they didn't kill someone); My Godparents, Wendell and Carlie (Molly's parents), got married in Vegas- drunk but it never bothered them; my parents got married when Mom was having Izzie but something happened that I'm not being told (if it is that bad then I don't want to know). My Aunt Cam (Jordon's mom) maybe had the most normal wedding in the Bahamas, though according to Dad not without a few hitches. Let's face it, with a family like this I plan never to get married.
"So is Miss Suarez going to help you in English then?" Aunt Angela asked.
"Yeah but I said when I need the help, I'll ask for it." I respond.
"Are you still insisting that you can do it on your own?" Allie asked. She knows me too well.
"Yeah. I can." I said proudly.
"That is your father's stubborn pride talking. This isn't like flu; this is something you are going to have for the rest of your life." said Aunt Angela pulling into her house garage. Inside we can hear Cookie the dog barking. Cookie has been there since I was four and Uncle Jack came home with him one Christmas saying that he and Uncle Wendell found him on the street. Though Wendell has repeatedly joked that they got him from a race track- Cookie is a greyhound- and he has joked it so many times I'm actually think they did get Cookie from a race track. How I do not know.
"Come on. You might as well get your work done here rather than your parents nagging you to do it later." Angela said stepping out of the car.
Next chapter will be Harry asking Parker about Boothy Senses. That is such a cool phrase. It's like a women radar only for Booths.