around my neck, she thought, as she watched Dave let SamanthaGreen take a photo of him holding the swipe card, a stupid grin on his face.
‘Very well, David. Can we all return to planet Earth now so I can commence this English lesson?’ Mrs Stevens said crisply. Hannah wasn’t sure that Mrs Stevens approved of the whole Whatever, Wherever thing. She certainly wasn’t allowing David to enjoy his moment of popularity—his only one, as far as Hannah could remember.
‘Now, we talked about the importance of adjectives last week. David, do you recall what an adjective is?’
He looked at her blankly.
‘Come now, David. Surely you know what an adjective is.’ Hannah turned to look at Dave. He was slowly turning red, uneasily fingering his white swipe card as if somehow, magically, the very act of rubbing it might mysteriously produce the answer. ‘No? Perhaps someone else in the room can jog that memory for you. Anyone?’
A few people, including Hannah, raised their hands.
‘Hannah? An adjective?’
‘A word that describes something,’ she responded flatly.
‘Very good, Hannah.’
Mrs Stevens droned on, and the class grew restless. Dave released his swipe card from the coloured cord with the little crocodile clip and carefully passed it over to Ben Richards. Ben slid it across to Lana McKinstry, who held it in her hands and stared at it in wonder. Most kids were keeping one eye on the swipe card as it slowly made its way round the room.
Dave had quickly forgotten his earlier embarrassment and was now beaming with excitement again, delighted at his rapid elevation in popularity. The seat next to Dave Kelly in class would be prime real estate, a dejected Hannah thought to herself.
‘Unreal!’ Sammy Houlihan said, loud enough for the whole class to hear. Mrs Stevens looked up from her table at the front of the room.
‘Samuel Houlihan, bring that to me!’ she snapped, rising out of her chair.
‘It’s not mine, Mrs Stevens. It’s Dave’s.’
‘I know perfectly well whose it is. Now bring it to me. David, you can come and collect your card tomorrow.’
‘But I’ve got the photo at 3.15, and I’ll need my swipe card for that,’ Dave said, looking agitated.
‘I’m sure the photographer will manage a photo of you without the swipe card,’ Mrs Stevens said coolly.
‘But that’s the whole point of the photo,’ Dave wailed.
‘David Kelly. You may come and collect your card tomorrow morning, not a moment before. Do I make myself clear?’
‘But Mrs Stevens. I need—’
‘ Do I make myself clear?’
‘Yes, Mrs Stevens,’ Dave said quietly.
Sam walked out to hand it over, looking guilty as he slunk back into his seat. ‘Perhaps now the class will be able to concentrate on the adjectives exercise I’ve given you. Silence all of you until lunch.’
Hannah watched Mrs Stevens slip the swipe card into her table drawer, with not even a cursory look at it before she slammed it shut. Hannah looked down then up again quickly, waiting for Mrs Stevens to lock the drawer, but she went straight back to correcting their stories from last week. Perhaps she would be taking the swipe card with her at the end of the lesson, Hannah thought. Her eyes glazed over as she stared at the teacher’s table.
I want that card. Hannah had been vaguely aware of the thought tossing around in her head over the last ten minutes as the swipe card slowly made its way round the room. But suddenly, the idea was clear to her. It was her right to at least borrow the card, if only for a few days. She’d put it to far better use. Dave didn’t seem like someone who’d be interested in a free pass to Explore! He had all those chickens to look after.
She stared at Mrs Stevens’ table as a plan slowly formed in her mind. It was going to take skill, daring and a little bit of luck—okay, maybe a lot of luck. But it was worth a try.
Hannah put her head down to finish off the work. It was boring and repetitive and required
‘Very well, David. Can we all return to planet Earth now so I can commence this English lesson?’ Mrs Stevens said crisply. Hannah wasn’t sure that Mrs Stevens approved of the whole Whatever, Wherever thing. She certainly wasn’t allowing David to enjoy his moment of popularity—his only one, as far as Hannah could remember.
‘Now, we talked about the importance of adjectives last week. David, do you recall what an adjective is?’
He looked at her blankly.
‘Come now, David. Surely you know what an adjective is.’ Hannah turned to look at Dave. He was slowly turning red, uneasily fingering his white swipe card as if somehow, magically, the very act of rubbing it might mysteriously produce the answer. ‘No? Perhaps someone else in the room can jog that memory for you. Anyone?’
A few people, including Hannah, raised their hands.
‘Hannah? An adjective?’
‘A word that describes something,’ she responded flatly.
‘Very good, Hannah.’
Mrs Stevens droned on, and the class grew restless. Dave released his swipe card from the coloured cord with the little crocodile clip and carefully passed it over to Ben Richards. Ben slid it across to Lana McKinstry, who held it in her hands and stared at it in wonder. Most kids were keeping one eye on the swipe card as it slowly made its way round the room.
Dave had quickly forgotten his earlier embarrassment and was now beaming with excitement again, delighted at his rapid elevation in popularity. The seat next to Dave Kelly in class would be prime real estate, a dejected Hannah thought to herself.
‘Unreal!’ Sammy Houlihan said, loud enough for the whole class to hear. Mrs Stevens looked up from her table at the front of the room.
‘Samuel Houlihan, bring that to me!’ she snapped, rising out of her chair.
‘It’s not mine, Mrs Stevens. It’s Dave’s.’
‘I know perfectly well whose it is. Now bring it to me. David, you can come and collect your card tomorrow.’
‘But I’ve got the photo at 3.15, and I’ll need my swipe card for that,’ Dave said, looking agitated.
‘I’m sure the photographer will manage a photo of you without the swipe card,’ Mrs Stevens said coolly.
‘But that’s the whole point of the photo,’ Dave wailed.
‘David Kelly. You may come and collect your card tomorrow morning, not a moment before. Do I make myself clear?’
‘But Mrs Stevens. I need—’
‘ Do I make myself clear?’
‘Yes, Mrs Stevens,’ Dave said quietly.
Sam walked out to hand it over, looking guilty as he slunk back into his seat. ‘Perhaps now the class will be able to concentrate on the adjectives exercise I’ve given you. Silence all of you until lunch.’
Hannah watched Mrs Stevens slip the swipe card into her table drawer, with not even a cursory look at it before she slammed it shut. Hannah looked down then up again quickly, waiting for Mrs Stevens to lock the drawer, but she went straight back to correcting their stories from last week. Perhaps she would be taking the swipe card with her at the end of the lesson, Hannah thought. Her eyes glazed over as she stared at the teacher’s table.
I want that card. Hannah had been vaguely aware of the thought tossing around in her head over the last ten minutes as the swipe card slowly made its way round the room. But suddenly, the idea was clear to her. It was her right to at least borrow the card, if only for a few days. She’d put it to far better use. Dave didn’t seem like someone who’d be interested in a free pass to Explore! He had all those chickens to look after.
She stared at Mrs Stevens’ table as a plan slowly formed in her mind. It was going to take skill, daring and a little bit of luck—okay, maybe a lot of luck. But it was worth a try.
Hannah put her head down to finish off the work. It was boring and repetitive and required
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