Chapter 4 – Test Results

The next morning Lofty got in school early to get things prepared for Barry's test. Soon enough the bell for the start of school rang and Lofty went outside to get Barry to bring him into the test and found him kissing a girl. Lofty felt slightly embarrassed and cleared his throat.

"Erm Barry test time"

Barry kissed the girl for a few more seconds before pulling away

"Already I am still with Gabriella"

"No go on babe good luck" she responded and after she kissed his cheek she left.

"Sorry sir"

"That is ok Barry come on"

Barry followed Lofty into the empty classroom and sat at the desk where the paper was already laid out

"Right Barry here is your test you have hour, just do what you can if you don't know something leave it out. Do you have a phone on you?"

"Yeah I know I can't have it during the test" he sighed and gave it to Lofty

"Thank you Barry" Lofty said as he went and sat behind the teachers desk "You may begin"

Barry picked up his pen and started to write, the test would test his reading, writing and maths skills the three things most dyslexics struggled with. Barry wrote for a while but then started to hold his head looking confused. Lofty knew he was struggling and becoming agitated. He started to rub out some of the work furiously.

"Barry? Are you okay?"

He hit his desk hard "No I can't do it!"

"Its okay Barry just do what you can"

"I can't, I don't get it, I'm too stupid"

"Barry you aren't stupid"

"Yes I am" he said throwing the paper on the floor

Lofty knew shouting at him when he was upset would make it a lot worse so instead he walked to where Barry had thrown the paper and picked it up.

"Have you done what you can?"

"Yes I tried, but I couldn't"

"Right go have a break and calm down, you don't have to do anymore, I will come find you later"

"Ok thanks sir" he said as he left the room. Lofty walked back to his desk and opened it on the first page.

The work was scruffy and hard to read, he had crossed out a lot of it which made it even harder. He had got the numbers the wrong way round in the maths part which some dyslexics do. The writing section had half the words spelled wrong, and the reading section he hadn't seemed to understand the article.

After marking the article and finding out what he had originally thought that Barry did indeed have dyslelxia, Lofty went to tell him the results.

"Barry the test results show you are dyslexic"

"Oh great so I really am thick"

"Barry dyslexia doesn't mean you are thick it just means your brain works a bit differently so you find things harder, but I am sure with support you will get better at the areas you struggle in"

"I am not having private lessons with Boston"

"Don't worry I will tutor you"

"I don't understand the work very well but I don't want to ask for help as they think i am attention seeking"

"Well I don't Barry and I want to help you, but you have to promise to try!"

"Ok I will"

"Great I will speak to Miss Mulgrew and we can start tomorrow"

Lofty felt happy as tomorrow Barry would get all the help he needs, and Lofty will never let someone so little down.