far as he’s concerned, we’re not ‘real’ enough to get it.
I wonder if he’ll find his horoscope real enough. I remember it word for word.
Aquarius, you’re going to need a bit more than pimple cream to shrink the trouble spots in your life this week. Homework will feel heavy, friends will feel hard work and family will feel irritating. If you want to make it over the bumps, take any help you’re offered. If you’re too proud to take help, take a hike.
I thrust Jessica’s column harder at Jeff.
‘OK then.’ He takes it. ‘Who are you checking?’
I hold up Barbara’s latest masterpiece. How to Get the Most from Your Homework .
‘Oh.’ Jeff reads the title, throwing a weak smile at Barbara.
She’s arranging pencils on her desk. She likes to mark spelling mistakes in blue, and grammatical errors in green like a human word-processing app. She looks up and sees us staring at her. ‘I hope you’re enjoying it, Gemma,’ she smiles. ‘I really think a little more planning could make homework far more productive and rewarding.’
‘Yu-huh.’ I sit down and sneak sideways glances at Jeff, relaxing when he switches from the tech piece to the horoscopes. Satisfied, I turn my attention back to Barbara’s article and start reading.
Step One: organise your time
The hours between 4.00 pm and 6.00 pm are usually the most wasted hours of the day. Set this time aside. Cancel all other arrangements. Make these the most productive hours of your day. If your homework’s finished by teatime, you can reward yourself with a full evening of free time for yourself.
Step Two: organise your workspace
Declutter your desk. Turn off your phone. Leave your MP3 player somewhere else. The last thing you need is distractions. The place where you work should be dedicated only to work. Fill a basket with stationery supplies such as pens, pencils, eraser, scissors, highlighters, ruler, calculator, glue, stapler. Then you won’t have to run around the house looking for anything and there’s no chance you’ll get sidetracked.
I resist a yawn, wishing there was something to sidetrack me right now.
The only Green Park students who are going to read past the first paragraph are probably already organising their time and workspace just fine. The F-class students are just going to flick to Jeff’s sports feature or Cindy’s beauty column. I sigh. I’m sure my shed idea would set the whole school talking.
I skim to the final paragraph of Barbara’s piece.
Step Seventeen: always, always, always tackle your hardest assignments first
Yeah, like reading this article before you begin. It’ll make your homework seem interesting.
My silent fuming is interrupted by the door swinging open. It’s Miss Bayliss. My gaze sneaks back to Jeff. Has he reached Capricorn yet?
‘Jeff,’ Miss Bayliss nods at him. ‘Mr Chapman said I’d find you here. I wanted a word about the Year Nine girls’ football team.’
‘Oh.’ Jeff looks at her blankly.
‘Now they’ve made it through to the next round of the Cup I think they need to take their skills to a higher level,’ Miss Bayliss continues, ‘and I was hoping you could find the time to coach them for a few sessions.’
Jeff blinks at her. Then stares down at the page in his hand, eyes popping. I stifle a smile. He’s spotted the bait I’ve planted in the text. Come on, nibble ! Once he’s bitten, he’ll be back for more and then Jessica Jupiter can lay a trail of love titbits that will lead him straight into Treacle’s arms.
I lean forward as Miss Bayliss raps her fingers on the doorframe.
‘So, will you?’ she asks.
Jeff glances back at the horoscopes. ‘Y-yeah,’ he answers uncertainly. ‘OK.’
‘Great.’ Miss Bayliss turns and exits.
Jeff scratches his head. I watch his gaze as it zips over the words once again. His eyebrows are stretched high in disbelief. ‘Who is this Jessica Jupiter?’ He looks up as though he’s surprised himself by speaking out
I wonder if he’ll find his horoscope real enough. I remember it word for word.
Aquarius, you’re going to need a bit more than pimple cream to shrink the trouble spots in your life this week. Homework will feel heavy, friends will feel hard work and family will feel irritating. If you want to make it over the bumps, take any help you’re offered. If you’re too proud to take help, take a hike.
I thrust Jessica’s column harder at Jeff.
‘OK then.’ He takes it. ‘Who are you checking?’
I hold up Barbara’s latest masterpiece. How to Get the Most from Your Homework .
‘Oh.’ Jeff reads the title, throwing a weak smile at Barbara.
She’s arranging pencils on her desk. She likes to mark spelling mistakes in blue, and grammatical errors in green like a human word-processing app. She looks up and sees us staring at her. ‘I hope you’re enjoying it, Gemma,’ she smiles. ‘I really think a little more planning could make homework far more productive and rewarding.’
‘Yu-huh.’ I sit down and sneak sideways glances at Jeff, relaxing when he switches from the tech piece to the horoscopes. Satisfied, I turn my attention back to Barbara’s article and start reading.
Step One: organise your time
The hours between 4.00 pm and 6.00 pm are usually the most wasted hours of the day. Set this time aside. Cancel all other arrangements. Make these the most productive hours of your day. If your homework’s finished by teatime, you can reward yourself with a full evening of free time for yourself.
Step Two: organise your workspace
Declutter your desk. Turn off your phone. Leave your MP3 player somewhere else. The last thing you need is distractions. The place where you work should be dedicated only to work. Fill a basket with stationery supplies such as pens, pencils, eraser, scissors, highlighters, ruler, calculator, glue, stapler. Then you won’t have to run around the house looking for anything and there’s no chance you’ll get sidetracked.
I resist a yawn, wishing there was something to sidetrack me right now.
The only Green Park students who are going to read past the first paragraph are probably already organising their time and workspace just fine. The F-class students are just going to flick to Jeff’s sports feature or Cindy’s beauty column. I sigh. I’m sure my shed idea would set the whole school talking.
I skim to the final paragraph of Barbara’s piece.
Step Seventeen: always, always, always tackle your hardest assignments first
Yeah, like reading this article before you begin. It’ll make your homework seem interesting.
My silent fuming is interrupted by the door swinging open. It’s Miss Bayliss. My gaze sneaks back to Jeff. Has he reached Capricorn yet?
‘Jeff,’ Miss Bayliss nods at him. ‘Mr Chapman said I’d find you here. I wanted a word about the Year Nine girls’ football team.’
‘Oh.’ Jeff looks at her blankly.
‘Now they’ve made it through to the next round of the Cup I think they need to take their skills to a higher level,’ Miss Bayliss continues, ‘and I was hoping you could find the time to coach them for a few sessions.’
Jeff blinks at her. Then stares down at the page in his hand, eyes popping. I stifle a smile. He’s spotted the bait I’ve planted in the text. Come on, nibble ! Once he’s bitten, he’ll be back for more and then Jessica Jupiter can lay a trail of love titbits that will lead him straight into Treacle’s arms.
I lean forward as Miss Bayliss raps her fingers on the doorframe.
‘So, will you?’ she asks.
Jeff glances back at the horoscopes. ‘Y-yeah,’ he answers uncertainly. ‘OK.’
‘Great.’ Miss Bayliss turns and exits.
Jeff scratches his head. I watch his gaze as it zips over the words once again. His eyebrows are stretched high in disbelief. ‘Who is this Jessica Jupiter?’ He looks up as though he’s surprised himself by speaking out
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