Chapter two
Two months ago
It was the last week of school before all the year elevens left for study leave, so to say good bye and wish them good luck in their GCSE's and life most form tutors organise a day out or a party for their forms. My form tutor Mr. Andrews (a good teacher though clearly clueless about teenagers.) thought it would be a good idea to take us all to the Locksdale local history museum because and I quote "It would be fun!" For what its worth it wasn't that bad, the museum was mostly about Locksdale's rich mining history and it was kind of interesting learning about the lives of our not too distant relatives (even though if I really wanted to know I could have just walked down the corridor and asked my Granddad about it.) but honestly about half way round the museum you've heard about all you can take about pit ponies and mine collapses. But bless Mr. Andrews for trying; we'll give him two gold stars for effort.
"The next exhibit-and im sure you'll all agree- is particularly thrilling, it's an exact replica of a mine so you'll be able to get an idea of what mining was actually like!" Marcus our tour guide said.
"Urgh." our form groaned.
"Not another one." Will moaned.
"That's like the....fourth one." said Josh Harrison a Rugby player with more muscles than brains.
"Yes but this is a 20th century mine." said Marcus. This didn't exactly sell the next exhibit to the students.
Marcus walked off round the corner to the 20th century mine and everyone reluctantly followed, I wasn't in any real hurry to move on so I hung back. This room was dedicated to miners and their families, on the walls were black and white photos of soot covered miners and aproned women cradling infants in front of tiny houses, names of the miners who worked in each mine, letters addressed to the widows of miners who had lost their lives on the job. It's strange really, that Mr. Andrews brought our class here, not because its museum and not exactly a day out to Blackpool, but because most of these kids have no idea what Marcus and Mr. Andrews are on about. Their granddad's were not the ones down in the pits doing all the hard work, their Granddaddies were the mine executives, big land owners and business men, these kids don't even know the meaning of the words hard graft. You see, in Locksdale there are the Haves, and there are Have Not's. It's a Marxists paradise really. Here, you are what you are and you can't change that it's the way it's always been, and one person who wants to keep things that way is Robert Baxter, the biggest land owner in town. He funds the school I go to, Locksdale upper class; seriously that's what it's called, nothing like keeping people in there place.
Walking over to the next wall I was greeted by an A3 picture of Edward Baxter, Robert Baxter's great Granddad and the first Baxter tycoon, the man who started it all. Baxter still uses all of his great granddad's old fashioned ideas and beliefs today, which makes it all the more miraculous that Baxter let it slide that a Have Not like myself was accepted into his school. Getting accepted sure wasn't easy; I had to work ridiculously hard to even receive an application. But I finally got in, everyone in my family-hec the whole Southside of town-was ecstatic that one of us had been accepted, the last and first Have Not to go there had a mega braniac, Mark I think he was called, the year before, so it was kind of a big deal. None of the rich kids were very pleased though, they all thought I was beneath them some dumb country person without a brain. Well it wasn't hard to prove them wrong; none of them were exactly rocket scientists. Turns out only the Have Not's have to pass a test to get in all the rich kids just have to be rich. So it came naturally that they enjoyed teasing me, me being incredibly clumsy didn't help matters either.
I was close enough to the next exhibit to hear what was being said.
"... Most children of mining families had to follow their parents down into the pits." Said Marcus trying to educate the rich kids as to the fact that some people have to actually work for a living, they can't just sit and wait for daddy to do it or intimidate money out of people.
"Hey where's Robin? I might have just found her a job, iho, iho it's off to work we go, hahaha." shouted Josh.
The room erupted with laughter and Mr. Andrews and Marcus tried to clam everyone down. I sighed, had they no imagination. Anyway any idiot knows the mines are all closed round here, well maybe just not that idiot.
"Ignore them." Will said making me jump I didn't think he was still here.
"I've done it for five years, five more minuets shouldn't hurt." I replied, at least Will's here, I don't think I could have done this little outing without him. Will has been my best friend forever, ever since we were kids. A lanky 16 year old with brown wisps of hair and chocolate eyes, built like the apprentice builder he is. He's like a big brother to me, and is always there when I need him even though he doesn't go to the same school as me. I had begged him to come here with me-like I could face this on my own-I needed someone who talks about more than shopping, their bank balance and which kid they beat up last week.
"Come on we best get going, all of your "friends" seem to be missing you." Will joked.
"Oh lucky me." I sighed, here we go.
As usual the room went silent when I walked in. A sure sign, if ever there was one, that they had been talking about me, or in this case laughing at me.
Josh looked round at his friends and sniggered, he had found it particularly hysterical that I had brought Will along on this trip. Josh had stood there in his immaculate white pristine dress shirt and dark blue designer jeans and collapsed laughing at Will's budget brand outfit and scruffy worker appearance (as Will had just been let off from his part time job at the builders yard.) then he had looked at me and my plain white Tank top, faded jeans cream slip ons and gold chain (the most valuable peace of jewellery I own, a 16th birthday present from my Grandma.)and said "Looks like all the Have Not's get dressed in the dark." to which Will-who didn't appreciate the insult- replied, "See Robin, that's what happens when your dad has a high profile career, the mother has to bring up the kid on her own, and they get a little, shall we say... feminine," And then to Josh he said " its a little camp to be bothered about how you dress init? But don't be embarrassed am sure it's all the rage to be in touch with your feminine side or whatever."
Im not sure how much of what Will said Josh actually understood, but I will never forget the look on his face when Will called him gay, Josh being very homophobic.
But since then Josh hasn't been all that kind to Will either, Im used to all this but Will, I wasn't sure how much more he could take.
Will's face started to redden the way it always does before he explodes, so I busied myself looking round the exhibit, and tried to interest Will in it too. Needless to say it didn't work.
The room in which we were stood had been designed to resemble a mine, low ceiling dirt floor; plastic models of miners labouring filled the room, the room even smelled like a mine, a muggy damp smell of coal and hard work.
The class was beginning to tire of the exhibit, and most where beginning to whine.
"Mr. Andrews?" Courtney Beverly daughter of Colin Beverly the owner of Beverly enterprises a large company selling insurance, and girlfriend to Josh Harrison asked "why are we even here? All the other forms have gone on sailing trips, spa days and visits to small Mediterranean islands."(I did mention this was a school for rich kids didn't I?) "Why couldnt we have gone too?" There were murmurs of agreement throughout the class.
"Good question Courtney" Mr. Andrews answered "why didn't I take you somewhere else? I thought it would be interesting for you to visit our local history museum and learn about our history, about why our town is the way it is, about the people that made it so." This seemed to satisfy most but the air headed blond replied.
"But these people didn't make the town what it is."
"I beg your pardon?" Mr. Andrews asked.
"I said it's not because of the working class that the town is what it is." she answered.
"Oh brother." Will and Marcus groaned.
Mr. Andrews smiled and replied "Yes it is, you see..."But he was cut off by Edward one of Josh's cronies.
"No it's not the town was made this way by the executives, the important people, our families." he said gesturing to the others in the form, I was suddenly aware of the gap between me, Will, Marcus and Mr Andrews and the others, it was like an invisible line separated us from them.
"Without my ancestors yours wouldn't have had a leg to stand on." I piped up, like I was gunna listen to this, again.
"Robin stay out of this, leave it to me." Mr. Andrews said. I had always had a good relationship with my form tutor Mr. Andrews, (probably because he came from the same background as me and had to work his way up to where he is now, unlike the other teachers.) so I carried on, no way was he gunna get his point across on his own.
"But it's true, if it wasn't for the workers, the people actually risking there lives' and going down the mines your ancestors would never have got the coal they needed to make their fortunes." I finished.
"As if mining was actually dangerous, it's like so easy." Courtney chimed.
"Actually, she's right many miners lost their lives....." Marcus started but was cut off by Courtney snapping.
"Stay out of this you."
"Courtney mind your manners!" Mr. Andrews instructed.
"Well she's right." Said one of her bubble brained followers.
"Ha that'll be the day; Courtney's never said one intelligent thing in her life." I scoffed.
"Are you trying to say im not as brainy as you? Im twice as smartical as you, you, you worker girl! Hum!" Courtney huffed.
"What did you just call me?" I asked.
"You heard her" Josh sneered "she said you weren't as err, err Smartical as her."
"Robin just leave it there not worth it, don't listen to them." Will said.
"Oh what's the matter? Is bad hearing a side effect of being interbred as well?" laughed one of the other guys.
"Excuse me!?" Will and I coursed stepping forward hands in fists.
"Your excused." giggled Jenny Jones. As the Rugby team stepped forward bearing their fists.
"Oh no you don't." Mr. Andrews shouted as he stepping between the two worlds "No more fighting! Not again! This should be a happy occasion."
"Yes, after today there will be no more Robin." sniffed Courtney.
"The only "happy" thing about today is the last time I have to be anywhere near you lot." I spoke softly. Calming down, I wasn't going to let them get to me.
"That's because they don't let riffraff like you in the west side."Spat Josh.
Ignoring him Mr. Andrews said "Robin you don't really mean that."
"Yes I do." I said keeping my voice steady and my tone clam.
"Robin I..." Mr. Andrews started.
"Oh never mind her sir, she just wants attention." Courtney said.
"We both know Im not the one looking for attention Courtney." I softly said.
"Don't you dare talk to me like that you dirty Have Not! You know who my uncle is, he works in Mr. Baxter's office, and he collects taxes! And unless you want the farm tax your good for nothing parents have to pay to go up, you better apologise." Courtney venomously spat.
Her words hit me like a slap, this was the kind of world I lived in, one run by slimy money grabbing creeps like Courtney's uncle, who swooped like vultures over crippled town's foke, and sucked the life right out of them. And all of this was done to satisfy Robert Baxter. And there was nothing I could do about it.
"Im sorry." I said, and to say they all looked shocked would be an understatement. "Im sorry you're all too blind to see what's right in front of you, what your all turning into."
"Enlighten us then." spoke a soft silky voice from the back of the room, Courtney and her friends swooned. "What are we turning into?" leaning against the back wall was George Baxter, Robert Baxter's only son and the most gorgeous guy you could ever hope to meet, perfect swirls of golden hair framed his delicate face, thick naturally curled eyelashes surrounded blue eyes as deep and clear as a Mediterranean sea, and beneath his white cotton shirt was a expertly cut chest. The guy every girl in my school- hec the whole town- adored, and the guy I could not stand.
"Vain, shallow, narcissistic, money grabbing and cruel." I said and he just stood there smiling playfully a question on his lips with every girl in the room gawping at him but he had eyes only for me (not in the way your thinking) making me feel put on the spot as he asked.
"And what is it we are too blind to see?"
"That everyone is this way, because of your farther." And with that I turned my back on them all for one last time and walked towards the door. Looking back only to see if Will was following me, (which he was because what kind of best friend would he be if he wasn't?) looking back at Will I noticed George was still watching me, his expression unreadable, not blank, just hidden.
I was so engrossed in what had just happened I couldnt hear the insults of Josh and his gang, the flirtatious squawking of Courtney and her clones, and the requests of Mr. Andrews, just a buzzing in my ears and the notion that something had to change.