The day finally came when Ashton primary were going to the nature park. Henry's parents had been delighted to come on the school trip as well when they heard that parents were welcome to come along and help.
"Henry, we were nearly late because of you. Pull you're act together because you're not being fair to everyone else," his mother said as they joined the crowd of students waiting to get on the bus.
Not fair, Henry thought miserably. If you asked him life wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that his parents always blamed him when they were late for something; it wasn't fair that they were never satisfied with Henry's school work even though he did best; it wasn't fair that Henry always got into trouble for things he didn't do; it wasn't fair that Henry never got to watch the TV programmes he wanted or have the toys he asked for simply because his parents didn't like them even though they let Peter have whatever he wanted; it wasn't fair when his parents told him to grow up and be more like his perfect little brother Peter. Nothing about that was fair.
"I didn't nearly make us late Mum," Peter said.
"Well done my wonderful boy," his mother smiled.
Another sting. Henry wanted to throw up.
"Henry!" He heard an excited voice calling at a distance behind him. There was only one person that could be. Henry turned away from the crowd to see Ralph waving to him across the street.
"Your still friends with that rude, little rich kid," his father said, looking very unimpressed.
"Why you can't have pleasant friends like Peter, "his mother asked.
"Probably because nobody else would want to be friends with such a horrible person," he heard Peter mutter under his breath but his parents didn't seem to hear.
"Ralph isn't unpleasant, he's a really good friend," Henry argued. "And shut up worm."
"Henry, don't be horrid to your brother. If you don't change your attitude there will be no pocket money for you for five years."
Henry's eyes widened in shock. Five years! Why was it always him? Peter never got into trouble.
As they were getting on the bus with the rest of the crowd, Ralph ran up next to Henry. Henry's parents gave Henry one more glance before joining the rest of the students on the bus with Peter.
"Hey mate; your parents haven't been giving you a hard time again have they?" Ralph asked when he noticed the gloomy expression on Henry's face.
Henry nodded as he and Ralph climbed up the steps and made their way to the seats at the back of the bus away from the parents and teachers. Everyone was there; Aerobic Al, Anxious Andrew, Beefy Burt, Brainy Brian, Clever Claire, Dizzy Dave, Gorgeous Gurinder, Greedy Graham, Jolly Josh, Lazy Linda, Moody Margret, Sour Susan, Weepy William and the best boys. The bus journey took a whole hour to reach the nature park. It rumbled along the narrow pathways while the students happily chattered about what they wanted to do on the days to come. The bus finally came to a halt in a car park surrounded by trees and fields. Not a building in site except for the wooden huts by one of the fences of the fields.
"Oh goody, we're here," Peter cheered at the front of the bus.
"I hate camping," Henry grumbled.
When they climbed off the bus, they were greeted by one of the tour guides.
"Hello everyone, my names Tour Guide Tegan and I will be assisting you while you're here," she explained, smiling pleasantly at them all. Turning to Miss Battle-axe she said "Please just contact me if you need anything." She handed Miss Battle-axe a little walkie talkie and strode off to the little wooden huts.
"Right, everyone let's find a place to eat our packed lunches," Miss Battle-axe boomed.
The parents and students found some benches a little walk down from the car park. Henry and Ralph trudged behind everyone else with little enthusiasm. By the time they got there all the benches were taken.
"Looks like we're going to have to sit on the floor," Ralph said, sitting down next to the bench where Andrew, William and Graham were sat. Sitting down next to Ralph, Henry opened the packed lunch he had been given. Inside was a sandwich, crisps, a chocolate bar, an apple and some salad. Henry licked his lips when he spotted the chocolate bar. His parents never let him have chocolate anymore because they thought he didn't deserve it. Just as he was finishing his sandwich and was about to eat his chocolate bar, a chubby hand dived into his lunch bag and snatched out his chocolate bar and crisps.
"Don't mind if I do," Graham said as he ripped the chocolate bar open and stuffed it into his mouth.
"Hey, that was mine," Henry shouted angrily.
"Henry, stop being horrid and eat your vegetables," his mother scolded from the parent and teachers benches.
"It's not fair," Henry huffed.
Ralph broke his chocolate in half and offered some to Henry. "Here."
"Thanks Ralph."
That afternoon the students had a water fight with the water guns they had but when Henry tried to join in his father told him off for being too rough and he had to sit out for the entire day. Nobody seemed to care that he was absent except Ralph who sat by his side the entire time.
For dinner they ate stew that Tour Guide Tegan had brought them and she showed them all how to set up the tents.
"My tents going to be the biggest and the best," Margret declared.
"Yeah, biggest and the best," Susan repeated.
Setting up the tents was harder than Henry thought it was going to be. Every time Henry and Ralph tried to bend the poles up right the entire thing would collapse.
"You two numbskulls call that a tent," Margret cackled by the big enormous tent her parents had brought her.
Ralph was about to make a retort when Miss Battle-axe walked past their tent.
"If you two are really that incapable of doing something as simple as putting up a tent I'll do it," Miss Battle-axe said, putting their tent together with her bony fingers.
Today had been one of the worsted days of Henry's life and that was saying something. A burning sensation had been building up behind his eyeballs all day but Henry wouldn't cry. He never cried. He didn't think he'd be able to handle much more of everyone's criticism. There was only so much he could take before the whole charade came crashing down. Now, all he was looking forward to was a good night's rest.