Chapter 20

April 1, 1996.

On Monday, Kerri walked to school with Tiegan and Stephanie.

"I'm not happy about being in the support class." Kerri told them.

"What's wrong with being in the support unit?" Stephanie asked her.

"It's just that I wanted to be in mainstream." Kerri replied. "I've been in a mainstream class throughout high school."

"If you do well enough, you'll eventually get into mainstream." Tiegan told Kerri.

"I hope so." Kerri said.

"Remember when you set the fire alarm off at Civic High?" Stephanie said to Kerri.

"Oh, that was super funny!" Kerri laughed. "Everyone had to go to the back oval."

"How many high schools did you go to, Kerri?" Tiegan asked.

"Seven." Kerri replied. "I went to Newcastle High first. Then I went to Wyong High, Ambarvale High, James Busby High, Civic High, Hartley High and the last high school that I attended was Merrylands High."

"I went to Hartley too." Tiegan said.

"I was only at Hartley for about four months." Kerri said.

"Why did you go to so many high schools?" Tiegan asked.

"I kept switching from one foster home to another." Kerri replied.

When they arrived at Summer Bay High, Kerri said her goodbyes to Tiegan and Stephanie before making her way to the support unit, which was located at the back of the school. She found her classroom, which was called S2, and walked inside.

"Not a big classroom." Kerri remarked.

Kerri sat in the back row near the window. A few minutes later, Mrs Harris walked in.

"Good morning, class." she said to them.

"Good morning, Mrs Harris." the students said.

Kerri rolled her eyes in disgust. This was going to be a long day.

Meanwhile, Chloe was being hassled by Sonia Hammond and her cronies.

"Junkie mole!" Sonia yelled out.

"Hope you die of a drug overdose!" Amy shouted.

"Leave me alone!" Chloe told them, almost crying.

"Go cry to someone that cares, junkie!" Sonia sneered.

Tiegan had had enough of Sonia. So, she just let her have it.

"Why don't you leave Chloe alone, you stupid bitch?!" Tiegan snapped at her.

"Shut the fuck up, slut!" Sonia shouted.

"Chloe made a mistake abusing drugs!" Tiegan shouted back. "You and your little bad girls club need to grow the hell up and shut the hell up!"

"Watch what you're saying, scrag!" Kim threatened.

"Or what, bitch?!"

Kim got up from her seat and went over to Tiegan. Before she could hit her, Sonia and Amy pulled her back.

"She's not worth it, Kim." Sonia said to her, glaring at Tiegan.

"That's right. Walk away you bunch of cowards!" Tiegan said to them.

That set Sonia off big time!

"COWARD?!" Sonia screamed. "I AM NOT A FUCKING COWARD!"

Instead of being intimidated, Tiegan just laughed in Sonia's face.

"Let's go, Sonia." Amy said.

Sonia and her friends stormed off as Tiegan continued laughing.

"Thanks for sticking up for me." Chloe said to Tiegan.

"No worries." Tiegan responded.

Kerri was continuing to rebel against being in her class. So far, she refused to participate in any of the class activities, told one classmate to 'rack off' and made smart remarks.

"Kerri, why are you being so difficult?" Mrs Harris asked her just before lunch.

"I just don't want to be in this class!" a defiant Kerri replied.

"Why?"

"Because I've been in mainstream since I started high school." Kerri whined. "I just don't see why I have to be in the support class!"

"Kerri, Mr Fisher put you in here because you have a disability." Mrs Harris explained calmly.

"I have a mild intellectual disability and I was doing fine in mainstream!" Kerri continued whining.

"It's okay to be upset." Mrs Harris said. "But I won't have you be defiant and disruptive."

"Oh, you think I'm disruptive?!" Kerri shouted. "How's this for disruptive?!"

Kerri threw her desk in anger. It hit the blackboard.

"Leave my classroom at once, Kerri." Mrs Harris said angrily. "I will be reporting this to Mr Fisher."

"I don't give a damn!" Kerri shouted at her.

And with that, Kerri left the classroom. Once she went outside, she rolled a joint and started smoking it.

"This will keep me calm." Kerri said to herself.

Once the bell rang for lunch, Kerri sneaked out of school and returned to Pippa's house. There, she found Jack sitting on the stairs listening to music on his walkman.

"Hey sexy." Kerri said.

Jack looked up at Kerri and took his headphones off. "How's your first day going so far?" he asked her.

"Dreadful." Kerri said. "I'm being treated like a toddler in that class."

"Well, the support class is different than mainstream." Jack said.

"I just got sick of it and walked out." Kerri said. "Where's Pippa?"

"She went over to see Angel." Jack replied.

"Good." Kerri said before ruffling Jack's hair.

Jack blushed before saying, "I just hope Pippa won't find out."

"She won't." Kerri said.

Kerri and Jack then started to kiss.

That afternoon, Stephanie arrived home from school to find Travis and Kelly standing in the living room.

"Stephanie, we would like to talk to you." Travis said to her.

"Is something wrong?" Stephanie asked them.

"Helen James from the department rang us while you were at school." Kelly replied. "It seems that George and Mary McIntosh want you to return to live with them in the city."

"My previous foster family want me back?" Stephanie asked them.

"It seems like it." Kelly told her.

Stephanie looked shocked.

NEXT TIME...
- What will Stephanie's decision be? Return to the city or stay in Summer Bay?
- Pippa lectures Kerri on her poor behaviour at school