Tom's Point Of View
"Hey, Nicki, looking forward to invigilating the GCSE English exam next?"
"Are you kidding, it's going to be the best thing I've done all week!" Nicki replies, sarcastically.
"Yeah, wandering around the hall, making sure that the kids don't cheat- which they will, there's always one. Going to place any bets as to who it is this time?"
"Betting with me again, Tom? We all know what happened last time!"
I smile ruefully. On the day of the fun run, I had mistakenly bet that I could beat Nicki. That bet left me with a slightly bruised ego and a wallet 25 lighter (she would want champagne, wouldn't she?). "Okay, I'm not making any bets, but I have a few names in mind..."
"You'd better keep an eye on them."
"Yep, and I'll be keeping an eye on Josh. Did he give in his video?"
"He did, in good time, too. He seems to be getting on well."
"Yes, he is. Let's hope it stays that way."
I follow her out of the staffroom and towards the canteen, where students are pushing and shoving, wanting to be first in the queue for school dinners.
"I didn't think that canteen food was worth fighting over!" I joke.
"Nope, neither did I." She smiles. "Uh, boys? Stop it, please." They sidle back into line, and we join the end of the fairly long queue.
"After you," I say to Nicki.
"Thank you. How very gentlemanly!"
"That's alright. I do try and maintain good manners."
"I don't know if going first is necessarily a good thing, though. It depends on what's on offer."
"And what is on offer?"
She cranes her neck to look. "Er... curry, what looks like fish pie and some sort of pasta bake. And chips, yummy."
"Huh. By the time we get there, there will probably be no chips left."
I was right and wrong. There were some chips left and I thought it looked enough for two portions, but sadly, it turned out that there was only one portion left. Nicki got curry and chips, smirking at the rest of us in the queue as she flounced off to get a table. I decided that pasta bake was the next best option, so I chose that and went to sit down, opposite Nicki. When I thought she wasn't looking, I tried to grab some chips off her plate, but unfortunately, she was looking, and she slapped my hand away.
"Oy- get your own bloody chips!"
"I would, but there aren't any left!" She smirked again and I rolled my eyes, muttering something along the lines of 'smug cow'.
"Excuse me? Say that again, Mr Clarkson, and I will slap you for real."
"Ooh. Bet you slap like a girl anyway."
"Do you wanna test that theory? Because I'd be more than happy to." She hissed menacingly, glaring at me.
"Nope, think I'll pass."
"Knew it! Scaredy cat!"
"I am not..."
"Yes you are."
"I am not!"
"Yes you are!"
"I am not."
"Come on, we both know that I'm right and that you are in fact a scaredy cat. End of story." I sigh. There is no point of me arguing with Nicki, she is so stubborn that she refuses to accept that she's wrong.
I suddenly notice Josh, walking in the direction of the canteen exit.
"Hi, son! You all ready for your exam?" I ask.
"Yes, 'course I am."
"Try to get in some last minute revision, okay?"
"Yeah, whatever. You worry too much, Dad..." Josh trails off and follows Lauren, Finn and Trudi out of the canteen. I turn back to Nicki, who is looking slightly worried.
"These kids are far too hyper. They'll never settle down in the exam." She says.
"Don't worry, they're just letting off some steam. I'd rather they do it now than in an hours' time!"
"I guess so. But it feels strange, somehow- almost like trouble is brewing."
"No, it's going to be fine."
But of course I spoke too soon...
A puddle of spilt water, waiting to be mopped up; plus a girl carrying a lunch tray. Something tells me that this particular equation spells disaster. And it does. The poor Year 7 stood on the wet patch, slipped, and ended up on the floor, her lunch over a group of Year 9's, who were not very pleased. They sat, covered in food, and it only took one Year 10 boy yelling 'Food fight!' for the canteen to descend into chaos. Food was flying everywhere, kids were standing up and yelling at the tops of their voices.
"Stop it! Oy, you lot! Stop!" We yelled, but it did nothing. They ignored us, and when Michael came in, he found us taking cover in the kitchen, trying in vain to stop the fight.
"Right! Stop it at once! To the cooler, the lot of you!" Michael said, rounding up the kids and herding them out. We emerged from the kitchen, brushing off bits of food off our clothes. I pick out a stray piece of pasta that was in Nicki's hair, and she smiles gratefully.
"Told you trouble was brewing, didn't I?" "I guess so."
Half-an-hour, sore arms and a cleaner canteen later (we decided to help out Maggie due to the fact that we weren't much use stopping the food fight), and we are letting the students into the hall.
"Put your bags at the back of the room and then find your seat, alphabetical order. No talking." We instruct them. Josh walks past and I try to catch his eye, but his eyes stay firmly glued to the floor. I think nothing of it and shift my attention to the others as they walk in, making sure that they maintain the silence that we have asked for.
Once the majority of the students are in the hall, we step inside, taking up our various positions to invigilate the exam. It's Nicki, Michael and I, along with some external invigilators. We watch as a few latecomers trickle in, making sure that people don't bring phones or any other banned items to their desks. A lot of the kids are wearing food-stained uniforms, a lingering reminder of the food fight. Finally, everyone is in the room, and we shut the doors. Michael steps to the front of the room, and says "Right then, you have an hour. You may begin."
There is a flurry of papers turning over and then quiet settles over the room. All you can hear is pens scratching and people moving, occasionally sighing. We pace around the room, checking every student's paper to make sure there are no cheaters. After about 5 minutes, I notice that Josh is just sitting there, and I go over to Nicki, who had been monitoring Josh's area of the room.
"Has Josh started his paper yet?" I whisper. Nicki shakes her head, looking worried, and I frown. This isn't good.
Fifteen minutes pass, and Josh still doesn't start his paper. I head over to the other side of the room, trying to ignore it and concentrate on everyone else, but the sound of gasps makes me turn around. Josh is lying on the floor with his test paper! I walk over to him quickly. People are muttering and getting up, despite the exam conditions.
"Josh? What is it, son? Come on, you'll be fine- we just need to get you back to your desk."
"What's wrong with him?" Michael asks.
"I... I don't know. We need to get him out of here." I reach out to help Josh get up, but he leaps backwards at my touch.
"Don't touch me!" He yells, and the watching students gasp 'oh my God!'. Josh storms out of the room and Nicki and I follow him. Michael tells the other kids to go back to their desks before he leaves the room too.
"Josh, what's going on?" I ask, kneeling by where Josh has sunk to the floor. "Come on, talk to me!"
"Stop..." Josh whimpers, quietly.
"You're okay, aren't you? Come on, it's fine... Josh, tell me!"
"I'm scared."
"What? Scared of what, son? Exams, pressure...?"
"No, no, no, can't you see? I've got the plague!" He thrusts forward his arms, and I notice that his shirt sleeves are specked with blood.
Suddenly, we hear the echo of high heels and Lauren bursts out from the hall.
"Lauren! Back into the exam, please!" Michael tells her sternly.
"No, I can't... I should have said earlier. Josh has stopped taking his medication!"
I stand up. "Since when?"
"I dunno... a week ago?"
"Josh! Why had you stopped taking..."
"Dad, please make it stop! Make them go away! I don't like it!"
"Make who go away?"
"Can't you hear them?"
"Hear what, son?"
"That nursery rhyme, the one about the plague... they've been singing it all day! Do you hear it too, it's 'ring a ring o' roses, ring a ring o' roses'..."
"Come here, son..."
"No!" Josh cries, outraged, throwing me off him. "You're gonna catch something, can't you see?"
"Please, Josh..." I say, stepping back, not sure what to do. My son's in a state and I have no idea how to help him! I dither, and then hear the shriek of an ambulance siren coming near. "Who called an ambulance?" I yell.
"I did." Nicki speaks from the other side of the corridor. "It's for his own sake, Tom."
I nod, stepping closer to Josh. "It's going to be okay, Josh, come on..."
When Josh finally lets me lead him outside, it seems like the whole school have gathered to watch what happens. I don't think they're doing it in a mean way, they're just concerned. At first, Josh doesn't notice the ambulance, but when he does see it, his eyes widen in fear.
"What's happening to me?" He asks, his voice shaking.
"Josh, you're safe, you're going to be okay."
"But I don't want to go."
"Please, son... it's for the best."
"Dad..." Josh struggles, but we're at the ambulance now and the paramedic reaches out to help me. We both get into the ambulance, and I look back outside. The students all look upset, and Lauren and a few others are actually crying. Michael and Nicki both look worried, and as I look at her, we make eye contact. 'It'll be okay', she says silently. I give her a slight smile, and then the ambulance doors close, locking us in.