The time had arrived, finally, for young William to be initated, for the first time, into the world of education. Bessie enrolled him at Relic of Shen Elementary School, for his father did not feel so inclined.
The first day - perhaps needless to say - was catastrophic. William was hotly anticipating his first sport lesson. In the garden, whenever he could muster up the energy, he had always been kicking a tatty, ancient football against the wall; it was lonely, though. He had always longed for a team-mate.
Getting changed was a strange affair. William locked himself in a cubicle, for he did not feel that he could face the judgemental eyes of his new peers. Despite the sizeable gap under the door, he felt his modesty was safe.
The boys lined up on the field, ready for teams to be chosen for softball. A teacher with a handlebar moustache picked the "Crow" team, and a wiser-looking man picked the "Bluebird" team. William eagerly hoped he would be chosen for the "Bluebirds".
In no time at all, there were just four people left, awaiting their destined team. William's hope faded quickly - and as he had feared, he was indeed the last to be chosen. And much worse, that he was induced into the "Crows".
The moustachioed teacher blew the whistle, and the softball game commenced. Despite the name, William, by the end of the match, did not consider it to be a very soft ball at all. His team's tabards were black... and yet, why did other black-tabard-wearing boys constantly deliberately aim at his head with the ball, or merely avoid passing the ball to him - their fellow team-mate! - at all? Particularly distinguishable was a bulky child with big cheeks and a dark monobrow.
"To me, school is already a place of woe," pondered William miserably, whilst he ate the bland school dinner - his best meal in months - at a table on his own.
"Oi!" a voice boomed reproachfully from behind where William was sitting. He turned around, and gulped slightly to find that it was the monobrowed boy from his own team.
"Did you want something?" William replied timidly.
"I did, yeah. And that happens to be your lunch money, sucker."
"I d-d-d-don't have any. All my lunch is r-right here."
Out of nowhere, two equally bulky children had joined the monobrowed child. They were sneering in a similarly menacing manner. William gulped.
"Let's get him, boys," the leader of the bullies said.
William's heart was pounding now. Everyone else in the canteen had seemingly disappeared within the space of one second. He had no possible defence plans. His only weapon was to run; or perhaps he was small and scrawny enough to slide under the table.
So with an abrupt slam to the floor, William went under the table, hoping this would put him at an advantage against the tall bullies; who had made a grab for him at the leader's command. He felt a tinge of glee as he crawled out from under the table, out of the trajectory of the bullies' punches.
Then he felt a tug at his foot. One of the shorter bullies, with ginger hair - rather an abnormality for a Chinese child - was standing on William's loose shoelace. He then proceeded to yank the shoe, which was two sizes too big, off his foot.
"Got it, Albert!" the red-haired boy waved the shoe in the air like a victory prize.
William was still lying on the ground, unable to believe this had happened on his very first day of school. He closed his eyes, and submitted a silent prayer to anyone, anything, that this would stop.
When he looked up, he saw his shoe dangling from a roof beam. He groaned
Then, he saw Bessie at the door.
"It's hometime, William," she said soothingly. "Why are you laying on the floor?"
"I don't know. All I know, is that I can't carry going to school. Let me go home. And please arrange for someone to help me get my shoe back."
The first day - perhaps needless to say - was catastrophic. William was hotly anticipating his first sport lesson. In the garden, whenever he could muster up the energy, he had always been kicking a tatty, ancient football against the wall; it was lonely, though. He had always longed for a team-mate.
Getting changed was a strange affair. William locked himself in a cubicle, for he did not feel that he could face the judgemental eyes of his new peers. Despite the sizeable gap under the door, he felt his modesty was safe.
The boys lined up on the field, ready for teams to be chosen for softball. A teacher with a handlebar moustache picked the "Crow" team, and a wiser-looking man picked the "Bluebird" team. William eagerly hoped he would be chosen for the "Bluebirds".
In no time at all, there were just four people left, awaiting their destined team. William's hope faded quickly - and as he had feared, he was indeed the last to be chosen. And much worse, that he was induced into the "Crows".
The moustachioed teacher blew the whistle, and the softball game commenced. Despite the name, William, by the end of the match, did not consider it to be a very soft ball at all. His team's tabards were black... and yet, why did other black-tabard-wearing boys constantly deliberately aim at his head with the ball, or merely avoid passing the ball to him - their fellow team-mate! - at all? Particularly distinguishable was a bulky child with big cheeks and a dark monobrow.
"To me, school is already a place of woe," pondered William miserably, whilst he ate the bland school dinner - his best meal in months - at a table on his own.
"Oi!" a voice boomed reproachfully from behind where William was sitting. He turned around, and gulped slightly to find that it was the monobrowed boy from his own team.
"Did you want something?" William replied timidly.
"I did, yeah. And that happens to be your lunch money, sucker."
"I d-d-d-don't have any. All my lunch is r-right here."
Out of nowhere, two equally bulky children had joined the monobrowed child. They were sneering in a similarly menacing manner. William gulped.
"Let's get him, boys," the leader of the bullies said.
William's heart was pounding now. Everyone else in the canteen had seemingly disappeared within the space of one second. He had no possible defence plans. His only weapon was to run; or perhaps he was small and scrawny enough to slide under the table.
So with an abrupt slam to the floor, William went under the table, hoping this would put him at an advantage against the tall bullies; who had made a grab for him at the leader's command. He felt a tinge of glee as he crawled out from under the table, out of the trajectory of the bullies' punches.
Then he felt a tug at his foot. One of the shorter bullies, with ginger hair - rather an abnormality for a Chinese child - was standing on William's loose shoelace. He then proceeded to yank the shoe, which was two sizes too big, off his foot.
"Got it, Albert!" the red-haired boy waved the shoe in the air like a victory prize.
William was still lying on the ground, unable to believe this had happened on his very first day of school. He closed his eyes, and submitted a silent prayer to anyone, anything, that this would stop.
When he looked up, he saw his shoe dangling from a roof beam. He groaned
Then, he saw Bessie at the door.
"It's hometime, William," she said soothingly. "Why are you laying on the floor?"
"I don't know. All I know, is that I can't carry going to school. Let me go home. And please arrange for someone to help me get my shoe back."
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