Yay, two uploads in two days! Woo! I've been in the mood to write this all of a sudden! Hope you enjoy! Not long until we get some action! :)
(A few months later...)
Tom's Point Of View
"Josh?" I walk into his dark room, stumbing on suitcases and stuff that's on the floor.
"What?" He mumbles sleepily. "Some people are trying to get some shut-eye before having to get up at the crack of dawn."
"Sorry. Where's the other tube of toothpaste?"
"It got used up." Josh says, and I can almost see him smirking, despite the fact that it's pitch black.
"What? Oh great, now I'll have to buy some in the service station or something."
"Well, you should have packed earlier. Now, goodbye, I have to wake up early enough as it is."
I walk out of Josh's room and back into my own. Okay, maybe I should have packed earlier... even Josh had packed a few days ago, when I was too busy watching TV. I can't believe my son is more organised than me! I yawn, cursing myself for having to be up at 1am, and continue with my packing...
We are, of course, late, when we finally arrive at school. It took me longer than expected to get ready and to add to that, there was really bad traffic. Why are people driving around at half past four in the morning?! Anyway, we arrive to see that almost all of the pupils, and of course the other three teachers, are there already. Josh gets out of the car with his luggage to go and stand with his mates, and I join Nicki, Michael and Ben...
"Morning, Tom!" Nicki says, with irritating energy and enthusiasm. She is, of course, completely ready and has had a full nights sleep, rather than having to wake up at stupid o'clock to pack.
"Hi, everyone." I mumble, I am really still half-asleep. A man cannot work on two hours of sleep alone. Thank goodness we have a five-hour coach journey before us, so I can catch up.
There is a cheer as the coach pulls in through the gates, illuminating the group of students, huddling there in the cold, morning, mid-October air. They all crowd to put their luggage under the coach and to get into the warm. We get on last, and take our seats at the front- Michael and Ben behind the driver, Nicki and I by the door. I gladly note that I have the window seat, easier for sleeping on.
A register is done, and then we are off. The kids, thankfully, are all dozing and listening to music, so the bus is relatively quiet. The other three are discussing itineries and the best way to count the students at each place- they are saying that a 'gate' system to count the kids through is best- but I'm not really paying attention, I am falling asleep...
I can hear the noise of around 50 kids talking at quite loud volume, but I tune this out. I have no idea what the time is, but judging by the light, it's still quite early, and we're nowhere near the Eurotunnel yet- it's a pretty safe bet that I can go back to sleep...
"Morning, sleeping beauty!" My thoughts are disturbed by a cheery voice quite close to my right ear, and I jump, whacking my head on the window in the process. I look up at Nicki, who is having a laughing fit.
"Thanks," I say, grumpily.
"No problem!" She squeals. "You... you look... like... Grantly!" I catch sight of myself in the reflection of the bus window, and I smile- I do indeed have a grumpy 'Grantly' face on.
"No wonder, that bloody hurt!" I complain.
"Sorry to disturb your sleep, but we are just about to stop at a service station, and it would be useful if you could at least attempt to make sure that the kids don't burn the place down."
"Fine. What's the time?"
"It's... um..." Nicki looks upwards to see the clock at the front of the bus. "Seven o'clock."
"And why can't you look at your watch like a normal person?"
"Batteries have run out." She explains. "I need to get some more at the service station. Rubbish timing, if you ask me."
"That reminds me, I need to get something too..." I say, trying to remember what it was. "Aha, toothpaste!"
Nicki laughs. "Of course, you must have packed in the early hours of this morning?"
"Yep, how did you guess?"
"Your face is practically screaming 'I've-had-a-fraction-of-the-sleep-I-need', and you've slept all this time with the rabble going on in the background... it's easy to guess, I can read you like a book." I sigh, wishing the feeling was mutual.
We get off the bus and the kids rush away immediately, they are using their half-hour of freedom here wisely (or unwisely, as the case may be). We follow at a more sensible pace. Nicki and I go off to get what we need, and we join Michael and Ben for coffee and breakfast in Starbucks. A much-needed coffee- we won't be getting much sleep until gone eleven tonight...
"Are we there yet?" Someone calls, and all four of us teachers groan. How many times do the kids need to ask that? We told them barely five minutes ago that we were only a few miles from the Eurotunnel. Obviously, this information went in one ear, and out the other.
"This'll answer your question!" Michael says, as we pass a sign saying 'Welcome to the Eurostar'. There is another cheer, The kids seem to be in very high spirits about the trip. Some of them haven't even been to Scotland or Wales, yet alone Europe, so this is a slightly cheaper (and more educational) alternative to a family holiday.
Soon we have driven onto the train thing, and we are in motion. Some of the kids stay on the coach with us, the others head into the compartment, with strict instructions to stay here and not wander off. It is quite peaceful- without Kyle, Finn and Tariq can almost get along.
Finally, at eleven o'clock, we arrive in Calais. We've traveled for over seven hours, and we've still got a long coach journey to go before we get to our first destination. We've been doing alright so far- let's hope that this is the case for the rest of the weekend...