were (Roy, Katy, Toby), who the smart kids were (Michael, Jane) and who the troublemaker was (Toby). She didn't know where she fit into it all yet, but she supposed that if she wanted to be popular, she had to make friends with the popular kids, and avoid the unpopular kids. The problem was, Toby was part of the unpopular group, but she didn't know why. Perhaps she could be friends with him outside of school and not in school, she reasoned, perhaps it could work like that.
On the bus home, Toby sat with Alice, because he made sure he reserved her a seat, and Alice felt like she couldn't refuse.
'Did you have a good day?' Toby asked her.
'I think so', Alice said, and then: 'Who's your best friend at the school?'
'I don't know', Toby said. 'Maybe Mark or Daniel I suppose.'
'Do they have a lot of friends too?' Alice said.
'I think so', Toby said. 'Really my best friend is Miro, but he doesn't go to school.'
***
Over the coming weeks, as Alice settled into her new routine, she worked out a lot more about the different groups in the school, and how people felt about each other in general. Toby became her best friend both in the school and out of it, and she couldn't care less about what people thought of her for it. The girls that had approached her on the first day, decided that she wasn't worthy of their group after all, and when they'd decided to reject her, they began to call her names.
'Bookworm', was their favourite because Alice liked books. Also 'four eyes' was one that they used from time to time, and then they started a rumour that Alice had aids as well, even though she was convinced that none of the girls telling her that really knew what it meant.
Toby wasn't the most popular boy at school by a long stretch. He hung around with a few people, mostly so he could fight with them, and everyone said he smelled funny and didn't even clean himself because he lived in a barn. It was true that Toby smelled a bit, but he definitely didn't live in a barn. Alice had been over to his house for dinner a few times, and to watch cartoons after school until her brother came back to look after her, and it definitely wasn't a barn. He lived in a smaller house than her own, but it was a house just the same. Alice didn't know if they were or not, but even if his parents were Gypsies, it didn't mean they were worse than anyone else. She didn't even really know what being a gypsy meant anyway.
School became difficult because she was bullied by and excluded from the popular group of kids, which meant she was also bullied by everyone else who wasn't popular and didn't want to be unpopular. Her group of friends became Katy, Toby, Roy and another boy called David, who had learning difficulties, wore glasses as thick as milk bottles and broke his arm falling from the climbing frame two days after Alice arrived. He spent the next two months in a cast and sling that everyone wrote their names on, and Daniel and Casper covered in swear words.
Toby could see it was difficult for Alice, so he encouraged her to make friends away from his lame group, so she could avoid being bullied. Alice appreciated the concern, but just couldn't do it. Even though she was unpopular, and had to endure a fair bit of name calling, nobody in the school got bullied worst than Toby and she felt like she had to stick up for him. People would say things behind his back, and then pretend to be friends with him in front of the teachers, so they didn't know what was going on. She'd seen people get bullied in her school in London, herself included, but nothing they'd ever done there was as systematic or as mean as what people would do here to Toby.
Toby wasn't bothered by it though. It had gone on for so long, it wasn't anything that he hadn't got himself used to. She admired that about him, even from such a young age. That Toby didn't get angry, he just accepted it. If people wanted to say horrible things to him, he just let them get on with it, and made a
On the bus home, Toby sat with Alice, because he made sure he reserved her a seat, and Alice felt like she couldn't refuse.
'Did you have a good day?' Toby asked her.
'I think so', Alice said, and then: 'Who's your best friend at the school?'
'I don't know', Toby said. 'Maybe Mark or Daniel I suppose.'
'Do they have a lot of friends too?' Alice said.
'I think so', Toby said. 'Really my best friend is Miro, but he doesn't go to school.'
***
Over the coming weeks, as Alice settled into her new routine, she worked out a lot more about the different groups in the school, and how people felt about each other in general. Toby became her best friend both in the school and out of it, and she couldn't care less about what people thought of her for it. The girls that had approached her on the first day, decided that she wasn't worthy of their group after all, and when they'd decided to reject her, they began to call her names.
'Bookworm', was their favourite because Alice liked books. Also 'four eyes' was one that they used from time to time, and then they started a rumour that Alice had aids as well, even though she was convinced that none of the girls telling her that really knew what it meant.
Toby wasn't the most popular boy at school by a long stretch. He hung around with a few people, mostly so he could fight with them, and everyone said he smelled funny and didn't even clean himself because he lived in a barn. It was true that Toby smelled a bit, but he definitely didn't live in a barn. Alice had been over to his house for dinner a few times, and to watch cartoons after school until her brother came back to look after her, and it definitely wasn't a barn. He lived in a smaller house than her own, but it was a house just the same. Alice didn't know if they were or not, but even if his parents were Gypsies, it didn't mean they were worse than anyone else. She didn't even really know what being a gypsy meant anyway.
School became difficult because she was bullied by and excluded from the popular group of kids, which meant she was also bullied by everyone else who wasn't popular and didn't want to be unpopular. Her group of friends became Katy, Toby, Roy and another boy called David, who had learning difficulties, wore glasses as thick as milk bottles and broke his arm falling from the climbing frame two days after Alice arrived. He spent the next two months in a cast and sling that everyone wrote their names on, and Daniel and Casper covered in swear words.
Toby could see it was difficult for Alice, so he encouraged her to make friends away from his lame group, so she could avoid being bullied. Alice appreciated the concern, but just couldn't do it. Even though she was unpopular, and had to endure a fair bit of name calling, nobody in the school got bullied worst than Toby and she felt like she had to stick up for him. People would say things behind his back, and then pretend to be friends with him in front of the teachers, so they didn't know what was going on. She'd seen people get bullied in her school in London, herself included, but nothing they'd ever done there was as systematic or as mean as what people would do here to Toby.
Toby wasn't bothered by it though. It had gone on for so long, it wasn't anything that he hadn't got himself used to. She admired that about him, even from such a young age. That Toby didn't get angry, he just accepted it. If people wanted to say horrible things to him, he just let them get on with it, and made a
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