A New Style of Education - Year Five
by Karen Page
picture created using DALL-E
A New Style of Education - Year Five
by Karen Page
Prologue and Part 1
picture created using DALL-E
Tuesday 20th October 2009
"You do know that Robert's death wasn't really suicide," quietly murmured Paul Ingles to George Green. They were discreetly chatting on one of the House of Commons member lounges where they knew they couldn't be overheard. They had been discussing the way the expenses system had been changed and lamenting how things weren't going to be as cushy as they used to be. This was the second week back from summer recess and they were just getting their feet back under the table.
"You what?!" George exclaimed. In his surprise he raised his voice slightly and others turned to look.
"I thought I'd been discrete with my enquiries, but I had someone ring me earlier and threatened me unless I stopped 'Poking my nose where it wasn't wanted'."
"You need to go to the police," George urged. He couldn't believe that anybody would threaten his colleague and friend.
"They threatened my wife and children if I did that. If anything happens, make sure my family is looked after. Look, I know you have a lot of contacts and know who you can trust." With a slightly raised voice, so if anybody was listening it would just appear to be normal chatter Paul continued, "My PPS got the information you need for tomorrow's debate."
Paul carefully removed a folder out of his briefcase and handed it across the table. As George took it, a USB flash drive fell from the folder into his lap. "Thanks," responded George. "I'll make sure I look at it before tomorrow."
* * *
George Green was getting himself ready for the day, with The Today program discreetly on in the background. It had been a long night of reviewing documents and collating questions. His day would be taken up with putting things together. The public only saw the times he was in the chamber or in committees, but all that he did took planning. You couldn't ask pointed questions if you didn't know what you were talking about. And topics might range from internet security, to finances, to health. An MP needed to have a grasp on a range of subjects and most importantly know how to persuade. All without making a mistake an appearing silly.
"The news headlines at eight o'clock. Paul Ingles, Member of Parliament for Harrow East died last night when his car left the road. The Prime Minister-"
George didn't hear the rest. His thoughts about today's work evaporated. He snapped off the radio and started looking for information on the news websites. What he quickly discovered was that there wasn't much about the incident, but what was clear was that everyone thought it was an accident. After the conversation yesterday evening, George wasn't so sure.
After several calls he managed to get hold of the officer in charge for the investigation. "What can I do for you, Mr Green?"
"I was a colleague of Mr Ingles. I was trying to find out more details about last night's accident."
After verifying George's identity, he was told, "His car left the road and hit a tree. Nobody else was injured, but Mr Ingles died instantly."
"Was there any CCTV footage?" George enquired.
"Unfortunately, not. We normally have coverage in that area, but they had a power failure in the control room, so nothing was recording. The area was quiet and there were no other witnesses to what happened."
"Okay, thank you for your time. I'm just glad nobody else was hurt."
"No problems, Mr Green. If there is any other way I can help, you have my number."
George sighed. It was at times like this that he missed his wife. She always was level-headed and would be a great person to discuss problems. However, he didn't feel it would be a good idea to telephone her at their house in Cumbria. If Paul's death was deliberate, then he had no idea if his phone was safe. The last thing he wanted was to put his family at risk.
"I'm getting paranoid," he laughed to himself.
That afternoon, he was involved in a meeting of the Intelligence and Security Committee. It was during their grilling of Mavis Brown that a plan began to form. He'd remembered reading a report how she'd been given data regarding the spread of nuclear technology into Iran. She'd denied knowing the source, though from the way she phrased certain things it sounded like she had a very strong suspicion. That work had got her promotion and now was senior enough to give reports to this committee.
It wasn't until after the meeting, did they have chance for a private chat. One of the good things about this meeting was it was behind closed doors and the chat after was expected.
After making sure nobody else was within earshot George asked Mavis, "Remember your source for the Iran nuclear issue?"
"I never categorically found out who it was," she smoothly responded.
"Of course. Would you say from the dealings with them that they are trustworthy?"
Mavis gave a small smile, but her eyes didn't twinkle. She stayed focused on George. "From the little I do know; I think their aims aren't detrimental to our national interest. The information I did get was not just highly accurate, but also very detailed."
"I suppose you didn't go looking who they were, so you could maintain contact which might help further your career further."
"Attempts were made very early on to ascertain information, but our attempts were spotted. I was relieved we still got information from them after that. It might compromise a valuable source if more extreme measures were employed."
Mavis sneezed, and George took that opportunity. He'd been unsure how to discreetly give her the information and wasn't going to miss that opportunity. "Bless you," he said, reaching into his pocket and removing a cotton handkerchief, fumbling slightly to make sure it contained the USB drive.
As Mavis took it, she felt the contents. "Do you mind if I keep this? I seem to have run out of tissues."
"I can't have someone not having something to catch a sneeze into. There is enough Swine Flu going around as it is."
With MI6's office only along the river, it wasn't a long walk, but she didn't take a direct route. Instead, she crossed the river at Westminster Bridge where there were plenty of places that sold handsets. A cheap phone was all she needed to send a message. It was then lost into The Thames. This, she thought, was a good opportunity to find out more about this group and who was in charge.
Part 1
David's phone pinged, indicating a calendar change for an imminent appointment. His quick glance showed that the headmaster, Mr Hobson, had added a meeting. What he thought strange was the meeting didn't have Helen. Since they were joint head pupils, meetings with Mr Hobson normally involved them both.
"Sorry about that," David said to his instrument mentor.
"Is it anything that needs dealing with now?"
"No."
"Excellent. Then shall we try that section again."
After David had passed his grade eight French Horn exam, he'd thought that would be the end of his instrument lessons. How wrong he'd been. His old teacher couldn't push him further, so a mentor had been commissioned to help polish his playing and technique. This he found harder work than his initial learning. The mentor expected more.
Once the lesson had completed, David saw his tutor out and went straight to see Mr Hobson.
"Ah, David come on in and shut the door."
Joining Mr Hobson on the settee, David waited for him to make the first move. He didn't have to wait long.
"Mavis Brown contacted the school earlier asking when we were going to hold our concert here. The most logical reason we can think of is that she has some information for us. How are the Beta team doing?"
"We'll be ready. By subtly training Tina and Luke since they joined, they are at a much better level than Helen and I was when we joined. However, without knowing specifics it will be difficult to know how any of us would react if the unfortunate happened again."
"Indeed. I don't think anybody would want a repeat of what happened four years ago. I will start everything for a concert on 11th of November. I think Armistice Day would be worthy of a grand concert."
"It's a shame we don't have the Americans here, or we would be able to do a requiem."
Mr Hobson chuckled. "I'm sure Lewis, Zoe and Mrs Russell will come up with something appropriate."
The mention of Zoe brought a smile to David's lips. She was a year one student who was learning to be a conductor to take over Lewis when he left. Zoe had been part of the first intake when the school expanded last year. There had been much talk if the years should be renumbered with the final year being year six, or if the extra year should be called year zero. In the end, the name year zero was chosen. It had been a hectic time with twenty people joining the school all on the same day and Mr Hobson had vowed that if the school ever expanded like that again they would take in the extra year a week later.
Because of their age, most year zero students weren't ready to join the orchestra, but a year of training got them to a better standard than when the first intake was year one. This year, three of the new students hadn't played an instrument, but they had all taken to them like ducks to water.
The chat between David and Mr Hobson finished just before lunch, so there wasn't a chance for David to update his partner, Helen and he knew that he probably wouldn't get a chance until they went to bed.
As David had predicted, he didn't get chance to discuss his meeting with Mr Hobson until they were alone. When Helen slid into their bed, she at last broached the subject. "Can you tell me about the meeting with Mr Hobson?"
"There's not much to say. Mavis Brown contacted the school to see if there was a concert. Mr Hobson feels she wants to discreetly talk with us, so is going to arrange a concert for Armistice Day."
"Ah, so that's why Lewis wasn't around much today. I hope things go better than they did when we last crossed swords with Mavis."
"Amen. Mavis hasn't seen me in four years and has only met me as Jayne. Will you be okay with that?" David was glad Helen couldn't see his sly grin. He knew all too well how she felt, even though she had become more restrained over the years.
The bouncing on the bed was enough of an answer, but Helen wasn't one for letting it go. "Of course," she responded. It wasn't as if she didn't see a lot of Jayne anyway, but this was an occasion she hadn't expected. David braced himself for a long night.
* * *
"You might want to tell the year about the concert," said Lewis, having come to see David and Helen before they left for their morning exercise. "One of the pieces requires a singer, and it just happens someone in year-H at The Manor knows it. Obviously, the rumours might reach the year later today."
"Ah, so who is coming?"
"Monica and Carolyn."
"I'm sure Mr Hobson will be telling us in our morning meeting. Though let us check now," said Helen, grabbing her phone, and dialled Mr Hobson. She put the phone on speaker so they could all hear the response. "Sorry to disturb you, Sir. I am here with David and Lewis. Can you tell me when Monica and Carolyn are arriving?"
"They left last night their time but weren't able to get on a direct flight. They will change in New York and will land at Heathrow just past 8pm tonight. I'll be making an announcement at breakfast regarding the concert. It was one of the items that I was going to mention in our pre-breakfast meeting."
"Sorry for jumping the gun, then. We'll see you soon."
Helen hung up. "As long as nobody at Immigration Manor has spilt the beans, then we should be okay not to mention it before Mr Hobson does at breakfast. I take it you or Brian won't say anything?"
"Brian is aware of the concert, but not about Monica and Carolyn. I won't say anything."
"Excellent. How is the concert planning going?"
"We've never put anything together so quickly. At times like this I sure miss Dan and Renee with their planning skills. Since we've only twenty days there will be some extra practices. Most of the pieces aren't too difficult, but the last one is going to need practice for us to portray it well. Year five played with a choir, and this is a solo singer."
"Okay, thanks for the update. Keep one of us informed if any problems arise."
The only thing the meeting with Mr Hobson added was due to them both being seventeen then they would be accompanied. The fact the school was part of something bigger had been kept a secret, and Mr Hobson was pleased that even the year leaders in year four didn't know there was a sister school.
When all the other year heads left, David and Helen hung back.
"Did you arrange for someone to get them, or could I go?" Helen asked.
"I think a student going would be perfect. However, by the time they get through the airport it is going to be in the eleven before you get back here. After David's news, did you get enough sleep last night?"
"If I have a nap this afternoon, would that make you happier?" Helen answered, not wanting to admit that Mr Hobson knew them too well.
"If you have slept enough, then I'll agree. Come to see me after you've got up. Take your nap just after lunch, as I will be announcing an extra orchestra practice for this afternoon."
At breakfast, Mr Hobson made the announcement for the special concert and the two pupils flying in from the sister school. As predicted, there were many surprised faces on when the sister-school was mentioned. What had happened while the American's had last visited, and just after, was something that year five knew shouldn't be talked about when they knew they'd be asked about the previous visit.
"So, who's coming?" asked Martha, excited at physically seeing some friends she'd not seen face-to-face for years.
"Monica and Carolyn."
As they were finishing breakfast, Rachel, who was sat at the year-five table, asked, "David and Helen, do you mind if you see me after breakfast?"
"Sure," they answered together.
Lessons in year-five weren't anything like they were in previous years. All the formal education that a child normally did before leaving school had been long finished. They'd finished their GCSE's and A-Levels and were now either performing individual study on a topic that interested them or studying a university topic via the Open University. This kept their learning skills tuned ready for any university they wanted to join the following year. One of the biggest lessons was had preparing for living in the world. Cooking had already been covered, but things like washing and ironing were all strange and new.
At three, the orchestra assembled on the stage for the special practice. The players started taking their seats and warming up while Lewis stood at the front chatting with Zoe. Zoe had been spending the last year learning to conduct. During rehearsals she'd always been at the front with Lewis, with him pointing out what he was doing and why. Since the last concert of the previous school year, Zoe had been starting to conduct the orchestra for some of the pieces.
"Listen up," called Lewis loudly from the podium. The chatter from the orchestra ended to hear what was being said.
"We will be playing five pieces. However, only three cover the whole orchestra. Remember, this is a Remembrance Day event, so it's important that we portray that sombre atmosphere. Especially for the last piece. Zoe will be conducting the four pieces before the interval, and I'll be doing the long one."
As Lewis was speaking, the non-players from Year Zero were busy delivering packs of sheet music. As the players received their pack, they started looking through what they were going to play.
"Zoe will be conducting the following. Nimrod, The Banks of Green Willow, Mars from The Planets and Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis. I will be conducting Gorecki Symphony No 3. Our singer doesn't arrive until tonight, so for today you will be in Zoe's hands."
Zoe looked nervous as she approached the podium. Before today, she'd conducted but never instructed. This would be a first for her, and for the orchestra.
"Let's start with the George Butterworth. The Banks of Green Willow. George was a British composer who died in The Battle of the Somme in 1916. He was buried in the trenches and his body was never recovered after the war."
Zoe paused and looked around the silent players and gave a sad smile. "Think what it's like lying on the grass at the back of the school during the summer month. That slightly laid-back feeling of tranquillity. Percussion, trombone and tuba can have a rest."
Zoe looked around and seeing that they were ready started conducting. The sound of a single clarinet broke the silence and after a few tentative bars fell silent. Zoe stopped a few moments later and turned to Lewis for help. He just signalled that she should deal with it.
For a few seconds, she closed her eyes as she mentally prepared to be more forthright and turned back to the orchestra giving a half laugh. "I suppose a warning might have been helpful. The first eight bars are solo clarinet. So, yes Tina, you were playing it correctly. First violins then join in the rest of the strings shortly after. Harp and brass have a bit of a longer wait. Shall we try that again?"
For much of the school, daily practices were a first. Most concerts were known with plenty of time to get prepared. With such a rushed concert, this wasn't the case. At the restart Tina played with a lot more confidence and they managed the first run through of the piece. Zoe then started to go through it, a section at a time, pulling the work to bits and highlighting areas where they weren't playing it how she wanted us to.
It was soon after the evening meal that Helen got ready to go meet Monica and Carolyn from the airport. The Heathrow website had indicated that the flight was expected a few minutes early, which was probably due to the brisk wind that was blowing across the Atlantic.
"Drive safely," David uttered to Helen when they got to the car.
"I will and I'll give you a ring when we're setting off."
Helen grabbed David and pulled him close. "I love you," she murmured just before their lips became locked.
"I love you too," David panted as they eventually broke for air. "I'll keep a light on."
David's heart sank as he watched her go. She would only be away for about six hours, but he would still miss her. They'd lived together for four years, and often did different things in the evening, but they were never far from each other. This wasn't the first time, like when David had to go to Edinburgh, but it didn't make his heart ache any less.
David's brooding wasn't lost on the others, and they pitched in to keep him occupied. Apart from year zero and a few couples in year one, they all knew it meant when their partner was away. During the evening he'd had a game of speed chess, two games of pool, and a rather strange discussion on the thoughts of organic farming with Paula. While Emma preferred much more of the hands on, Paula had got into farm management and finance.
Eventually David found it too much and decided to go for a walk. As he left, he grabbed his coat just in case he went outside. Wandering aimlessly around the halls of the magnificent house he called home; he thought about Helen and their time together.
"Missing Helen", called out Mr Hobson. The headmaster had just come out of Dr Ruiz office and had noticed David slinking down the hall.
"Yes, Sir."
"Understandable," Mr Hobson responded, scratching his chin in thought. "Let's walk."
They ambled slowly down the corridor. "Their love being away is something that some find hard. It isn't wrong. It isn't right. It just is. It happens in lots of jobs where one partner sometimes must travel. It isn't just the worry, is it?"
That wasn't something David had thought about, and after a few moments realised that he was right. "No. I'm just missing her. It's silly really, as we sometimes do different things in the evening or at the weekend. Like her flying lessons. I've never felt like this then. Today, I'm just-" he tailed off, not knowing how to continue.
"I presume you've tried to entertain yourself, but you've kept losing concentration?"
'How did he know?' David thought and with a resigned sigh said, "Yes. Everyone's been really patient with me, but I think they realised my heart wasn't in it."
"What works for some, is doing something to make their time back better. My wife was a consultant, and sometimes had to go to conferences. I used to miss her dearly while she was away and had the same issue."
"I didn't know you were married!" David exclaimed, surprised as he'd never seen Mr Hobson with anybody.
"I'm widowed. She passed many years ago."
Oh no. "I'm sorry."
"I still miss her, but eventually you learn to live with the loss. Anyway, back to missing them when they're away. It wasn't too bad for most of the time, it was the waiting when they were due back. So, what I did was bake a cake. The cakes were awful the first few trips she was away, but I eventually was able to make a decent cake. It was something we both started to look forward to. She got home, and we would sit down and have cake with a cup of tea. The baking took my mind off things.
"Now I'm not suggesting you bake a cake now, or everyone in the school will want some. But it would be good to do something for the guests. I like to check that things are ready. We need to check the bedrooms for Monica and Carolyn have the beds made up, and clothes are ready etc. Also, there is the guest bedroom for the person who is bringing them."
"But won't that already have been done?"
"It should have, but I always like to check. They will have been travelling for nearly fourteen hours. They will probably be tired. We don't want to find the beds haven't been setup when all they want to do is sleep."
David contemplated what Mr Hobson had said and thought back about the previous head students. They would have got involved in something like this. It was making sure other pupils had an interface with the school, and if there was an issue, they had someone other than a teacher to approach. Even though it wasn't something the school would have expected him to do, David felt it was something he should have expected himself to do.
The job of the head student was to set an example and be a contact between the other pupils and the school. But often the head student would take on other roles. Unofficial roles. What perplexed David was that if this wasn't something the school expected, why did Mr Hobson suggest he joined him in checking the rooms?
Inspecting the two rooms for Monica and Carolyn didn't wasn't complex, but there were lots of things to check. Mr Hobson shared a checklist, and they went through it for both pupils one by one. When they were finished, he turned to David and asked, "Was that enough of a distraction?"
David burst into a smile. "Yes, thank you. That stopped me brooding."
"There will be times in life when you are waiting for things to happen, or in this case, people to arrive. Giving yourself a task, especially if it is mundane, can keep you going. We have one more room to check."
They moved down the corridor to another spare room. This surprised David as he thought the person accompanying the two students would stay in the wing where Mr Hobson lived, as well as the three psychiatrists that lived at the school. The room wasn't laid out like the other spare rooms they'd just checked. David stood just inside the door, looking around and drinking it in. There was one person he knew who liked the room setup like this. He turned and gaped at the headmaster, his heartbeat picking up with excitement.
"I'll leave you to make sure everything is correct," said Mr Hobson with a small smile. "Enjoy, but not too much."
"Thank you, Sir."
"It was Mr Moore's idea."
"Still, thank you for the trust. I'll send Mr Moore a thank you note."
A New Style of Education - Year Five
by Karen Page
Part 2
picture created using DALL-E
The official name was the All-School Common Room, but nobody called it that. Even Mr Hobson had resigned himself that the official name would never be used. It was The Lounge. Besides the introduction of Year Zero, The Lounge was the biggest upheaval the school had seen for many years. It was the place to relax in the evening or during the weekend.
The main structure of the room was in keeping with the main design of the building. Yet the furnishings made it feel fresh and modern. Recessed speakers dotted the walls so music could be heard without it needing to be loud. That way conversations could be had, or games played without being disturbed.
The room was littered with seating of all types. Settees that sat two or three. Longer cushioned benches were around the outside, and single seater stools when you might want to take part in a boardgame, such as chess.
At the end was a pool table. Its green baize illuminated by a large overhead lamp. When The Lounge had been unveiled the pupils had been stunned at what was there. The quiet was disturbed by Erika giving a big squeal of delight and was soon after named the Pool Master. The task she gave herself was to make sure that everyone knew how to play.
"David, can I have a quiet word?" Luke asked, when David had put down his book. Luke had been watching for a good time to ask without disturbing one of the head students.
"Sure, shall we go for a walk?" David smiled reassuringly. A quiet word wasn't something unusual, but it was for Luke. He was a good year leader and being in year three had most of the things under control.
They grabbed their coats and went out back to walk along one of the bike tracks that went parallel to the school. They were lit with low level lighting, so the path was visible while on it and cyclists in the winter months knew where to go. Yet there wasn't much light pollution for those who like to gaze at the night sky.
"What's my sister doing back at the school?"
A quick look showed David that Luke was confident in what he said. Lying wasn't an option, as he'd have lost trust. For a fleeting second, he considered trying to deflect the query, but Luke looked so earnest that David knew he wouldn't give up.
"She escorted the two pupils from The Manor. She stopped overnight and was on a morning flight back to America."
There was no answer, but that wasn't because the conversation was over. It had just provoked more thought. David looked on, his heart sinking. He could see that Luke was going to want to know more, and that would lead to answers he wasn't able to give.
"When you played at my old school, I recognised her then, but thought I was going nuts. The hair colour was all wrong. When I joined Hayfield, I was getting a feeling of déjà vu. It took me a while, but I eventually twigged. A lot of the daily life had been described in emails to me. Faces change as they grow from a child to an adult. It wasn't until I saw her today that I knew. She looks like our mum. I knew then that I'd been right all along."
David mused about how much to say and thought perhaps a bit of information would be the end of it.
"It is difficult with siblings. There was someone in my year who had a sister two years older. The Manor visited when we did a concert in Russia. When they went home, Erika and Martha stayed. Sam and Jessica went with the Americans. The one and only school exchange that I'm aware of."
"What is my sisters name, and why didn't she say hi?"
This was it. There was no turning back. Luke had to be told about "The Rule". David was still haunted by the memory of Helen's face when she was told. Luke was two years older than when they had been told. He just hoped it went better.
"First off, have you told your parents that they have a daughter and not a son?"
"No. Rather like I don't tell them about Mix up Mondays. It isn't good to publicise certain things."
"Okay, let me arrange something." Moving a bit away from Luke, David dialled Dr Ruiz. "Hi. Sorry to ring you so late. Can you fit in a chat with Luke and Tina? I think Helen and I should be there too.
"Regarding?"
"Luke saw our guest this morning and is asking questions. I can answer some, but I feel he needs the talk."
Rachel Ruiz sighed. This was a conversation that had to happen at some stage but was one that nobody liked. "Thanks for being my eyes on this. I'll be in my office."
A message to Helen was quickly dispatched and she responded almost instantly saying she would get Tina and meet them there. Another message was sent to Andy explaining what was going to happen. Stacy was still travelling, so he would tell her later.
"And?" Luke enquired, when David went back to him.
"We're going to see Dr Ruiz. Hopefully she will be able to answer the questions you have."
"Why so formal? Everyone calls her Rachel. You normally call her Rachel."
"Because this is a conversation she isn't looking forward to. It is a conversation I'm not looking forward to. And believe me, this is a conversation that you only think you're looking forward to. A bit of distance and detachment helps at times like this."
Luke looked bewildered. "I don't understand."
"I know. Come on, we need to get going. We don't want to keep Helen and Tina waiting."
It didn't take long, as they went in via the car park entrance on the far side. When David and Luke got to Dr Ruiz office, Helen and Tina had just arrived. Tina was sat on the settee, with Helen sat next to Tina's right. Luke quickly sat down next to Tina, and David sat to Luke's left.
Rachel wasn't dressed like she normally did. She was normally quite smartly dressed, but tonight she was in jeans with an old sweater. It was obvious to all there that this was an out of hours call.
"Nice to see your larger settee in full use," said Tina.
Dr Ruiz gave a nod in acknowledgement. "It's good that you can get closer support. I just wish it was never needed. Are you all comfortable, as once I start this discussion, I don't want to stop until it is complete?"
Nobody needed the toilet and the psychiatrist continued. "When you joined the school, you were given a set of school rules. One rule is always omitted from that first day discussion, as it isn't pertinent then and the implications of the rule wouldn't be understood. This isn't a rule the school enforces but one the pupils self-adhere to. It is the most hated school rule, and one that everyone wishes didn't exist."
Luke and Tina exchanged puzzled glances. Helen and David just sat there, waiting for things to be explained.
"Let me outline a scenario. Tina, after you finish school, you go and see your parents. What would their reaction be?"
"They would-" Tina broke off and a few seconds later continued slowly. "Are you talking about a no-contact rule?"
"Oh, of course," added Luke, like the fog had cleared and everything made sense. If it had been a cartoon, a lightbulb would have been flashing above his head. "When we joined the school, our parents weren't told where the school is. If you went home, your parents would know you'd transitioned at school. How soon before it leaked, and the school came under scrutiny. If I saw my family, that wouldn't be fair on you."
There was silence. The two eldest pupils knew not to say anything to disturb Rachels discussion. They were there for comfort only.
Tina eventually broke the silence. In a rather sad voice, she whispered. "I'll miss my sisters, but especially Ashleigh. She understood. She had a boyfriend who everyone mistook for a girl, but he claimed wasn't trans. Even my parents were fooled. I thought they accepted and let my guard down and got caught. My poor sister got banned from seeing him. They thought he was a bad influence."
"It isn't forever," said Dr Ruiz, gently.
David and Helen gaped, looking at Dr Ruiz with surprise.
"It used to be. Over the last few years, experiments took place to see if pupils that had left several years ago could meet back with family without implicating the school. The board of governors discussed the results today and they settled on a four-year minimum gap between leaving school and seeing family. Some ex-pupils might prefer longer if they are concerned. Some might never want to see their family again, though I only know a few cases where that is a possibility."
"What about family who know about the school?" Tina enquired.
"I presume you're thinking about Luke and his sister. That isn't the only family. What about Jill? She doesn't yet know about the experiment or the shortening of the rule. She planned to follow the no-contact rule, even though Julia is a teacher at the school. Year four and five will be told the new rules tomorrow."
"So, I won't be able to see my sister until I've finished for four years?" mused Luke. "I can live with that, but can I have her name so I can write to her properly?"
"This is the quandary. You aren't allowed to see family, but you can see other ex-pupils. At the end of the day, it is up to you. Siblings going through this school are rare. You are the first where the age gap meant your older sibling had left before you joined. As for her name, David do you want to tell Luke?"
"Your sister is called Stacy and her partner is called Andy. She was the Beta One at this school before me. When Stacy heard that Monica and Carolyn were coming here, she volunteered to act as the chaperon for the international leg of the journey."
"Why?"
Helen chirped in, "Besides being a really nice person and wanting to help, she had an ulterior motive. She wanted to see if she could see you without you noticing. She really misses you. She managed to get glimpses of you the last two years, but since they moved to America, she has missed that opportunity."
"How do you know all this?" Tina asked.
As they'd been through the school and became head pupils, they'd tried too always be honest. Sometimes there were times when they had to keep things to themselves, but their philosophy was to be as open as they could be. The truth sometimes hurt, but by being honest others always knew where they stood.
"One of the things we didn't realise at first is the school might have a common thread, but they realised we are individuals with our own needs. You all have your own specialist skills, and you all have your own career development paths. That is obvious. Yet it wasn't until the very end of our first year, and just after year five had left, did we realise how Mr Hobson, and all the support staff, worried about what we each needed.
"Many years ago, two pupils in year-one fell in love with a couple in year-five. This polyamorous relationship was a first for the school, but when the older pupils left the school understood something different needed to be done. Since both couples were in the Beta program, extra training was arranged to bring back the older couple to train the younger one. It made the loss bearable.
"This school takes pupils that weren't succeeding and gives them the tools to excel. They understand we all might need something a bit different and are very flexible in making sure you are the best you can be."
David felt himself starting to well up and didn't want to breakdown in front of the younger pair. He remembered the day Stacy and Andy left and it still broke his heart remembering the pain. Helen saw and continued. "David and I were those year one pupils, heartbroken when Andy and Stacy left."
Luke looked stunned and seemed to be processing the information. Tina wasn't having such issues and asked Rachel, "So why are we being told this now?"
"Because Luke knew about Stacy. He wasn't just thinking about things but asking. You needed to know the truth, and about the no contact rule, before you started jumping to the wrong conclusions. The school tries to wait until late in year three before mentioning it as most times they aren't ready. Today was one of the easier conversations, as you understood the need to keep what happens at the school secret. Is there anything else you want to ask?"
"I take it year four and five know?"
"Yes, but nobody else in year three apart from you two. I'd rather you keep it between yourselves for now. We have a day out planned in the New Year and we will broach the subject with the rest of the year then. Unless you hear someone else starting to think about this, then please let David or Helen know."
"Sorry for interrupting your evening," Luke apologised to Rachel as they all left the office.
"Do you want to know more?" David asked as they ambled down the corridor.
"More on?"
"Your sister."
"Sure," Luke responded, his eyes wide with excitement.
"She's so going to kill you," laughed Helen. Seeing a slight look of panic on Tina's face added, "just joking."
When they approached a door in the bedroom wing, Luke commented, "David, isn't this your room?"
"It was."
Instead of the usual bedroom setup, the bed wasn't there. Instead, there was an extra desk and additional corner settee. Helen held up a finger to keep us quiet and quickly scanned the room for bugs. It was clear. None had ever been found in the school, but it was something David and Helen always did when he knew something private might be discussed.
"The only thing in here is my clothes and ensuite," I said when Helen gave a thumbs up. "Sometimes we need to speak privately with others, like we are about to. We haven't slept in separate bedrooms since year one."
"That soon?"
They all sat down on the settee. "Helen and I were from the same school. We knew each other before coming here, though we weren't romantically involved. Then there was a suicide alert after the first Mix-up Monday. Since there hasn't been one since you joined the school, you won't know the rules. After someone attempts suicide, you can't be apart from your partner for 24 hours, as it can be a catalyst for others to try. I don't think anybody from my year slept alone since that day."
"In the first year we only spent three nights not in the same bed," added Helen. "Two nights punishment, and one night abroad."
"Neither of those were fun times."
"Punishment?" Luke enquired.
"Our interconnecting door was sealed for breaking the underwear rule. We were silly enough to have goofy smiles during breakfast."
Tina blushed at the older couple's candour, and Luke just looked away.
"And the time abroad?"
"This was the only time the Hayfield Beta team have had to be operational. The Alpha team got trapped, so we made a diversion. Christopher and Andy weren't able to safely make it back to the hotel due to the military hunting us down, so they stopped the night near the airport."
"How did you cope being apart that night when you'd spent so much time together and with so much fear?"
"We weren't alone. I couldn't be alone, but that is a tale for another day."
"When did you find out about the no-contact rule?" Luke enquired, his arm around Tina.
"Before we were ready," David responded, not wanting to say when it was. He didn't want Luke and Tina to think they'd missed something obvious.
Helen tapped David and hissed, "Stop paltering."
"We were in year one," he added. Helen tapped him again. "Day one."
"Paltering?" enquired Tina.
"Telling the truth to hide an omission."
Luke gave a small shudder. "Day one?"
Luke looked around the room, trying to comprehend. This seemed even harder to swallow than when he'd first been introduced to the Beta Team concept. There was a photo on a notice board above the desk.
"Who's she?" Luke enquired, pointing to the photo.
"Somebody that followed me four years ago. We put up the picture, so we remember her face, just in case we see her again."
"I saw her in Starbucks at Milton Keynes two weeks ago. She's now a brunette, rather than blonde."
"Are you sure?" David enquired, unsure at how confident Luke was.
Tina laughed. "When we first joined, every time we were watching a movie, Luke would remark where he'd seen people before. Not just main actors, but people playing bit parts too. He stopped when he realised others found it was a bit annoying."
"Okay, leave it with me. Which Starbucks and what time?"
"The main one. You know, the one near door five. Must have been about half eleven."
"David prefers the other one. It's closer to Millie's Cookies," grinned Helen.
David laughed. "I've never seen you refuse any. Anyway, back to this mystery woman. Is that the only time you've seen her?"
"Yes. I seem to remember the face and when, not much else like what they were doing. Anyway, how do you know she was following you?"
"I'd been in London for a week's work experience. On the way back to the station, I noticed that she was there, even after I stopped to tie my shoelace. I thought it must have been my imagination when I stopped for a coffee, but she turned up at the railway station a few minutes after I got there. I got a different train out of London that didn't stop at Leighton Buzzard, and she got on the same train. When I was collected, we had a tail, which we lost."
"If you came back on a different train, how did they have someone there to tail you?"
"I've no idea. I might have missed a tail on previous days, or they had people on standby in various stations, depending on what train I caught. There would have been time for someone at St Albans to move to Hemel before the train got there. I haven't seen her since, even though we've kept an eye out."
"So, what do we do?" enquired Tina, sounding excited.
"I'll send this information to the relevant person."
"And then?"
"We don't do anything," David responded, firmly, glowering at them. "We are students, not spies. You are here to pass your exams and learn new skills. The only time you will do anything like you want is if something goes wrong with Hayfields Alpha team. We will pass this information on, what happens then is out of our hands. We may never know."
Helen took over, firmly but gently. She certainly didn't glower. "Since the end of year-one, we've had a very quiet time at Hayfield. Let me explain some of what happened when we visited Russia and Iran. You'll then understand a bit more."
When Helen had finished, Luke turned to Tina. "I'd not heard any rumours about that, had you?"
"No," she responded. "There are always rumours about what had happened in previous years. This and the sister school were never discussed."
"Good. It isn't to be discussed. Remember, this is a school. I think Mr Hobson is glad that what occurred has faded from pupil knowledge. I remember being told once, that the school was here to give us the best start in life. Before coming here, we all were failing in some ways. This school has given us confidence to discover what we need to succeed. Each pupil here is learning more about what they want to do when they leave. That way we have the best chance to do what we want to do."
A New Style of Education - Year Five
by Karen Page
Part 3
picture created using DALL-E
David's phone beeped, giving him the signal. It had taken a few Sundays for the conditions to be perfect. He sighed, closed the book, and leaned back to think over what he'd read. Well, what he'd read a few times. When he'd chosen the module, he hadn't realised that it wasn't just computer science but contained a lot of mathematics. After storing the books away, he wandered out into the back. This was one of his haunts for thinking and digesting new knowledge. Today it was for another reason. Sunday might be a day of rest, but the time after church was often a good time to discover new thoughts. Not just for him, but others too.
The weather hadn't got too cold, but coats were still advised while perched on one of the picnic tables. It was far too cold for a picnic, but it was a nice solitary area where some went to think. Today though there was someone already there who looked like he was mulling over some issue.
"Hi Alex."
Alex looked up startled. Seeing someone from year five wasn't what he expected and one of the joint head students.
"Are you okay?" David enquired. "You seemed a bit lost in thought."
"I'm good." Alex got up like he was going back inside.
"I'm not going to bite. You seemed to be thinking hard about things. Is everything okay? Are you finding the lessons hard?"
Alex smiled a bit and shook his head. "The lessons aren't hard."
That wasn't one of the responses David had expected. "Too easy?"
Alex blushed. "A bit. I don't make friends easily, so used to read a lot."
"You've been here three months. Why didn't you tell anybody you were finding it too easy?"
Alex laughed. "I've never heard anybody admit things are too easy. That just ends up with more work. I just want to fit in and not be singled out."
"Is that why you got into trouble at your old school? Trying to fit in?"
Alex shrugged his shoulders.
"So, before you moved here; what did you read about?"
Again, Alex shrugged his shoulder. "The usual. Maths, French, Physics."
David smirked a bit. "I wouldn't say its usual, but if it made you happy then great. Was Adrian going to join you out here?"
"He wanted some alone time in his room. He said he'd be down a bit later. I'm not in any trouble, am I?"
"No, you aren't in trouble. There was someone who used to come to this school. Jessica. She was okay with the lessons but didn't know how to cope with the amount of work. You've already had lessons on managing time and things like that, so hopefully you won't have that issue. When you started you were told that you would sit some exams early. When you get to year one, you will be given a specialist skill to research and own, so you will soon be having more things to occupy yourself."
"Ah, so that's why we had those workshops. So, if I'm not in trouble, why were you here?"
"Ooh, nosey, aren't we?" David teased, just like Stacy used to tease him. "I'm doing a module on cryptography and was branching out my learning. I often go for a walk to think about what I'd read."
"Oh?" Alex seemed to perk up a bit.
"Something called Complexity Theory."
"Ah, P vs NP. Travelling Salesman. Things like that?"
He stared at Alex. "Yes, that type of thing. So, Adrian didn't want you around? Is all okay with the two of you?"
"Oh sure, we get on like a house on fire."
Having reviewed all the years profiles, David had a fairly good idea what Adrian was doing. The memory of the fire alarm while he was in year-one came to his mind and he winced.
"What's up?"
"I was experimenting before our first Mix Up Monday and the fire alarm went off. When you said Adrian was wanting some privacy and then house on fire, it brought back some memories."
"I didn't say Adrian was right-siding."
"It must happen enough that you have a nickname for it. Right-siding. I like it."
"She'll kill me."
"And there's the involuntary pronoun swap."
Alex plonked himself down on the bench and David moved to sit next to him. "What Adrian is doing isn't a big deal. If Adrian wants to be Adelle, then so be it. You've had two Mix Up Mondays and you saw that all the pupils took part. There are four people in my year that don't live as the same gender as they were born. One of them doesn't plan to have any surgery."
"What about you?"
"Ooh, still being nosey. I was born David, and I will probably die as David. I can dress as Jayne and not have any conflict because who I am doesn't change. I am me."
"If you're still the same when you are David and Jayne, how do you know that the underlying you isn't Jayne?"
David shrugged. "I don't. It doesn't matter for me. It took until the end of my first year here to get some inkling on how I felt."
"So why was I picked for this school?"
"Because this school gives us an environment to learn what we couldn't at our old schools."
"But I learnt plenty."
"You learnt lots of academic things, but not personal things. Both are important in life. You weren't living. When you weren't at school, you came home and hid in your bedroom reading books or scouring the internet for knowledge. That's left you not knowing how to interact with others. In the last three months you've hardly socialised. You hide away from your year, unless it's a set event."
"But I don't know any of them."
"And you won't unless you make an effort. You're all new to the school. None in your year knew any of the others. Yet they all stick together and meet up in your year common room, or in The Lounge. Some of you have even been brave enough to talk to those in other years."
"You try growing up in Brixton. My parents wanted me to study so I could get out of there. If I'd mixed with others, then I'd have been in a gang and probably distributing drugs to buy guns and knives. If I mix here, then it'll be like joining a gang."
Alex's profile only described so much and didn't always articulate the environment around them. Stacy grew up in a rough area, but that seemed like a spa compared to where Alex lived.
"A gang doesn't have to equate to gangster. It's not just affecting you; it is affecting Adelle. Your study partner is the most important thing in the school. You do everything together. You already seem to have learnt that you have no secrets from each other, which is good. However, if you don't socialise, Adelle won't. You're then hurting her growth. How will she know what it's like to be her true self if she doesn't have chance to mix with others? You're male, so she can't learn that from you."
Alex shrugged his shoulders but seemed to be thinking about it.
"Do you play pool?"
Alex looked up, puzzled at the sudden change of topic. "No. Where would I have learnt to play that?"
"I suppose. I just wondered, as you said you like physics. Think of pool in terms of Newton's laws of motion. You hit the ball with a stick called a cue. That exerts a force. The ball travels along. There is slight friction from the table. It hits another ball and energy passes through it causing a reaction."
"I'd not thought of it like that. It can't be that easy, can it?"
"Of course not. Like most games, there is strategy. You have to plan ahead. Not just how to pot one of the balls, but how to position for the next few. How to position things so if you miss your opponent doesn't find it easy."
"Will you show me?"
"I can, but why learn from me when there is someone who can teach you who is an expert. Hang on a moment."
David moved away, pulled out his phone and made a call. Alex looked on pensively and tried to hear what was being discussed.
"Come on," David said, putting his phone away.
When they went into The Lounge, the pool table was clear, and Erika was stood next to it. There were a few watching on with interest, but most were just sat on chairs, and comfortable settees chatting away with their friends.
There was no need for introductions. Hayfield Hall was a small school with sixty pupils, and you knew them all. Some you would know better than others, but everyone knew their main and other-gender name.
Alex approached the table rather nervously. Erika, being Erika grinned and pulled him to the table. "There's no need to be shy. It's just us playing with a few balls."
That got a snigger or two from the audience. Erika was always entertaining when she was helping someone. Her continual patter of jokes soon had Alex under her spell.
"Before we start, you need to learn the basics. And that is how to hit the cue ball. That is the white one. How you hit it affects what it does when it hits the target. Let me demonstrate."
Erika put three red balls on the table and the white cue ball.
"The first is a simple follow shot."
Erika hit the white, it rolled down the table, hit one of the reds and followed it down the table.
"The next is what's called a screw shot. When the white hits the ball, see what it does."
"It comes back," exclaimed Alex, sounding awed.
Erika smiled at Alex's expression. "Finally, the stun shot."
She hit the white, and when it hit the red ball the white stopped, and the red ball went down the table and into the pocket.
"How did you do that?" Alex gasped. "What did you do?"
"All in good time. First off you need to learn to hit the cue ball properly. You learnt to read words. Later you then learnt sentences and finally you added emotion. With someone with your eye, I'm sure you'll soon get the hang of it."
After several shots where Alex started to get the hang of things, he asked, "Can't I just play a game and learn as I go?"
"If you like," responded Erika, with a twinkle in her eyes. "Let's see how you do. Now, what music do you want on?"
"I've never heard it here. It used to be played on the local pirate station. The lyrics were a bit violent, but it had quite a beat."
David grabbed his phone and made a note to do some research later. This was a school of music. The orchestra might play classical music, but they listened and enjoyed a wide variety. If Alex had lived where there was a more localised sound, then there must be a way to get that sound to him here.
Erika broke and the balls separated, but none went down. There was a small cluster that would be easy shots. "I'll choose reds," she called and then quietly to Alex. "That means that yellows are your colour. You pot only yellows and then lastly the black."
"Are you going easy on me," enquired Alex, noticing that two of the yellows would be easy shots.
"No. Just setting up situations to see what you need to learn."
Alex looked over the position of the balls and couldn't see a trap so went for the easy pot. The yellow went in."
"Great," beamed Erika. "So, what next?"
"What do you mean?"
"So what yellow are you going to try to pot next?"
Alex looked away from Erika and back at the balls. There weren't any yellows that were potable.
"You didn't plan," gently explained Erika, no malice in her voice. "You had no strategy. I've seen you play chess. You don't just move pieces, you plan and think not just what you will do, but what might force an opponent to do something."
"And I should have done that here," he moaned.
"Yes, if you'd done a screw shot, you could have moved back and been on for that yellow," pointed out Erika, indicating a ball on the side.
"Does anybody have any suggestions?" called out Alex to the people watching.
"You could come in behind that yellow," suggested Becca from year one. "That will make it harder for Erika to get to a red. Just make sure the cue ball hits it gently."
"You could hit this yellow," David added, pointing to a yellow in the middle of the table. "The cue ball will then travel on to the head of the table and be away from the colours."
"Or you could aim for the cluster of balls and hope one of the yellows goes in," added Eugene, the year leader from year zero. "It's riskier, as you might leave it open for Erika if the gamble doesn't pay off."
"Tell us your thinking," pressed Erika.
"I've not any thoughts at the moment. I don't understand enough about how others play to be able to plan ahead."
"A good player is one where they don't play as you expect them to. So, have you made up your mind? Three really good ideas or you might have one of your own."
"I'd have liked to put the white ball-"
"Cue ball," cried out a handful of spectators.
"That too," responded Alex, a small smile appearing. Smiles were rare for Alex. "I'd have like to put the cue ball behind the yellow, but I don't think I have the control to do it. If I hit too hard, it will spoil it and make it easy to get onto the red. If I hit it too softly, it won't touch it and will be a foul."
"And the other two?"
"Well, hitting that cluster seems to be a desperate thing. Too much luck needed, though it might make good entertainment. Nudging that central yellow and going to the head of the table is possible. I also thought about a mixture of Becca and Eugene's ideas, nudging against the cluster. Make it a harder shot. If I did it right, it would split those two yellows and leave it in the middle."
"You'd have to do it just right. Too slow and it won't split the yellows, leaving me to be able to do a simple shot to pot. If you hit it too hard, the yellow will split too much, and leave you just as vulnerable."
Alex quickly looked over the table and made the decision to go for Becca's suggestion. Taking a deep breath, he took the shot and held his breath as the ball rolled across the baize. It slowly hit the cushion and gently rolled onto the target yellow, nudging it on a few millimetres.
"Nicely done," grinned Erika.
Alex looked across with a big grin. This was fun. Erika stalked around the table and rubbed her nose in contemplation.
"That was a good defensive move. I have very few moves available, and no opportunities to get in a pot. I'm going to have to come off two cushions to get to that red there." Erika pointed to a red towards the top of the table.
She did as she said and nicely made her shot. "Do you want to continue after lunch?" Erika enquired.
"It's lunchtime?" Alex enquired, sounding shocked.
"In twenty minutes."
"I need to-"
Alex ground to a halt as he saw Adelle walk in accompanied by Helen and Martha. The pupils who'd been watching the lesson, saw Alex's face, and turned to see what he was staring at.
"Perhaps tomorrow might be a better time," murmured Erika.
Erika could have said the moon was made of cheese and Alex wouldn't have heard. Adelle looked nothing like her attempts on Mix Up Mondays. Her hair style showed she'd not just been to the hairdressers but had taken a style which showed she was staying.
"Eugene," David said quietly. "I've got Alex to start socialising. Now go and integrate Alex and Adelle into your year."
Eugene came up and gently steered Alex to Adelle and the rest of his year.
Lunchtime came, and the bottom year had joined the rest of the school, which meant they didn't seem to have an issue with Adelle. Their conversations were as lively as ever. They were too far away for David to tell if Alex and Adelle were more involved.
As David ate, Alex's comment played on his mind. How did he know the underlying person wasn't Jayne. Ever since the "I am coffee" revelation, it hadn't seemed important to him, as he was still the same person. That had seemed enough. Yet now, that small comment seemed to make it so important.
"What's up?" Helen asked her lover, not liking seeing him in distress.
"I know how the coffee is made isn't important, but I wonder if the coffee bean is."
"Huh?" came from Brian, not trying to hide his listening to the conversation.
Helen understood what he was saying, as did Hilda. He'd never shared his coffee analogy with the rest of the year.
"What the-" escaped Jill's mouth.
"I know Rachel isn't around today. But if you want to chat, my door is always open," Hilda mentioned. "I don't want you to fret and let it escalate."
"I'm talking and not letting it fret. I learnt that lesson very well in year one. I'm being open with you all, and not hiding like before Russia."
"By talking cryptically about coffee?" prodded Brian.
Helen understood and grabbed David's hand and explained, "It doesn't matter if the coffee is a dark roast, or lightly roasted. It doesn't matter if you have a latte or with no milk. At the end of the day, it is still coffee,"
"And?" prodded Erika.
This David thought he should answer. "It doesn't matter if I'm dressed as David or Jayne. I'm still me. I sorted that out at the end of year one. That's why it no longer mattered to me how I was dressed or presented. I could be fully male, or fully female or something in between and it didn't matter, as I was still me."
"So, what's upset you then?"
"I got asked earlier, if the way I presented didn't matter, how did I know the underlying me is David and not Jayne."
"But I thought you said it didn't matter," mused Anna. "You said it didn't matter how you presented; you were still you."
"I know, and that's the issue. If I'm equally happy presenting as either gender, how do I know what the real me is? My genetics say I'm male. Yet what does my soul say? How do I tell? I've no idea how to find out. That is my issue. When I fell in love, I just knew. Yet for something as fundamental as what gender I am; I'm lost."
"Does a label matter that much to you?" asked Helen.
"No... Yes... No. Hayfield is the best place to learn about myself. In some ways I suddenly feel I've wasted four years of discovery because I was comfortable."
"Don't knock being comfortable," Emma piped up. "I suffered many years not being comfortable. Some people spend most of their life not being comfortable. Too afraid what others will say. Too afraid they will be alone. Too afraid they might not keep a job. Too afraid they might get beaten up."
"I remember a conversation when we were in year one when someone rather clever said you had to experiment, or you might always wonder. You have given so much to others in this school. You might not know what your soul says about you, but let me tell you who I am. I was born female and have a female soul. My relationship type doesn't have a label apart from love. It's not lesbian, and it isn't heterosexual. It is blended. It is complex, it is beautiful, and strangely simple."
David looked at Anna shocked at her open honesty. He didn't get chance to say anything because Jill spoke.
"I was born male, but I have a defective body where some of my body is growing female but have male sexual organs. I love females, with one in particular."
"I was born female and will stay female," stated Erika, jumping in quickly before anybody else could. "I don't want to change gender. I don't know how to describe my sexuality. I love Martha. I don't care what bits she has. She is an outgoing, kind and loving girl who everyday makes me glad to be alive."
They went around the table, each sharing who they were. It finally came to Helen. She turned to David, taking his hands into hers and looked straight into his eyes. "I'm me. You are you. And we are us."
David and Helen said the 'we are us' bit in unison. Helen didn't need to say anymore. It summed up their relationship. Yet, she did continue. "I was born female and have a mostly female soul. Part of my attitude has male attributes, but I've learnt that that is fine. I can be me without having to conform to others view of what it should be to be female. As I stated in our affirmation. I love you. I don't care if you are David, Jayne or something wildly different."
With all the love that everyone had been giving David, he began to feel less alone. Yet he still felt frustrated as it hadn't helped answer who he was.
"Normally people get clues to their gender based on how they like to be treated or dressed. But I feel just the same when I'm portraying male as female. That doesn't give me any clues."
"Do you enjoy sex?" suddenly blurted out Brian.
David looked frantically around to see if Brian's question had been heard by any other tables. It was then that he realised that the rest of the dining room was empty. He looked worriedly at Hilda, not wanting to get into trouble.
"You don't have to give an answer aloud," Brian added quickly. "I just thought it might be a physical thing that might give you a pointer. Something that isn't represented by clothes."
"Hold it," called out Hilda. "You've all given David some great pointers and shown him your love and compassion for what he's going through. However, I think things are starting to get a bit personal. What happens in a couple's bedroom isn't appropriate for discussion, even though you are all very close friends. It's even less appropriate to be discussed in the dining room where the school rule is that sex mustn't occur."
"I'm sorry," muttered Brian, turning a little red with embarrassment.
"It was a great idea," Hilda said magnanimously. "I'm just putting a halt to the discussion before anybody gets into trouble. David, would you like a small chat now, before orchestra practice?"
"Sure," he said, getting up.
Helen looked torn. She wanted to be with David, but she was supposed to be checking on Adelle and year zero. "Helen, it is only a chat. Adelle is in more need than I am."
"If David gets into destress, I'll call," promised Hilda. That seemed to satisfy Helen.
In Hilda's office, David was soon seated on her maroon settee. She was sat opposite in her single recliner. She was the only member of the psychiatry team with a recliner. The format of the rooms was the same, but each member of staff had their own mark of uniqueness. Hilda's was the recliner.
As usual, David waited until Hilda made the opening move. "I've never seen a group be as open as they all were. Such compassion and love for you. You have really become a family."
"Do families really have conversations like that?"
Hilda laughed. "Probably not. But you are probably thinking about blood related families. Children will be in different years and be in various stages of development. You are the same age, and the school has not just given you a scholastic education but a wider shared ethos. You have been taught to look out for each other and try to understand what others are going through."
It had taken David two years to become comfortable opening up to Rachel. He occasionally had sessions with the other psychiatrists and that was fine, but with Rachel there was a bond. Dr Hilda Saunders though was something different and he thought about her. 'Her sessions were always more intense. Conversations would get deep quickly, and things she suggested I thought about got right to the heart of the issue. Yet, none of them put me down. None of them said any of my thoughts or ideas were rubbish. They might challenge me or point things out that I might not have thought about, but they were never dismissive. They never told me what to think, or what to do.'
"Let me summarise where I think you are," stated Hilda, her tablet at the ready. "It doesn't matter how you present yourself; you are happy. This is because deep down, you know you are the same person. Today, somebody asked how you knew the core you was David, and not Jayne. This has you unsettled as you don't know the answer. Does that about summarise it?"
David paused for a moment and then quietly answered, "I suppose it does."
"I'm going to leave Brian's question to one side. If you do have sexual relations with Helen, it gives you something to think about. It may help you, or it might not. How much enjoyment in sexual relations is based on making Helen happy, rather than on the act itself? Are you happier that Helen is happy vs you enjoying the activity?"
He gave a sad smile. "You're right. That might not help as much as I thought. Yes, I do enjoy the physical side, but I think you are right in Helen's happiness seems to have a bigger impact on my happiness."
"I want to go through a scenario with you. You wake up, and you had the choice to dress as you want, which side do you get clothes from? The left, right or back?"
"Left."
"So, you prefer to dress male. When you are dressed that way and are in school, what is your favourite way of behaving?"
"At school, I relax a bit. I don't really make an effort to be male or female. My voice is male, but I don't think I act too masculine. I know I make more effort when I go out."
"Is that effort something you do yourself, or something you are reminded about?"
"It used to be something Helen reminded me about, but I got more into the habit myself. I got some strange looks when I forgot, and that made me nervous enough to remember for future. In the school, I'm accepted no matter what. It means it isn't something I have to worry too much about. I just get on with things."
"I'm certainly not telling you to behave in any given way. It is for you to be how you are comfortable. I'm just pointing things out. See if it gives you any clues. Most people in the world think of themselves as male or female and most of them their bodies match their soul. There are a few here where their bodies didn't match their soul and are doing something about it. But have you given any thought that your soul might not be male or female? It could be both, or neither."
"Both?" he uttered, trying to get him mind to process that idea.
"Or neither."
"Both or neither sounds so alien." David muttered, almost to himself. "Perhaps that's why I don't know my gender. I'm an alien monster."
"I'm sure you're human and I don't accept you thinking you're a monster. Also, I'm sure that not all aliens are monsters. Anyway, we're getting side tracked and a bit too 'out of this world' for this chat. There are two terms that we should discuss. You might have heard them before. Some people get them confused. Androgynous and nonbinary. Androgynous is where the appearance is not trying to be masculine or feminine. Nonbinary is where the gender identification is neither male nor female, it could be both or neither."
"Are you saying I'm nonbinary?"
"No. You were just thinking male or female. I was just pointing out that there are other identities that are just as valid. You have to decide how you feel."
Nonbinary had been one of the terms discussed in life skills during year one. Yet, it wasn't something that David had really thought about, and just stored the knowledge for future reference.
"Do nonbinary people have to dress androgynously?
"No. Some do, but others don't. They are equally happy presenting as male, female, both or neither. I've not seen something get to you like this since that incident in year two."
David gave a small smile. "That wasn't my best moment at the school. I'm surprised I wasn't kicked out."
"You both learned your lesson and moved on. I don't want this festering away at you. All at this school have such a bright future ahead of you. Anyway, I think we've gone off track. Let me ask one more thing and let's see if it helps. Do you have any issues with yourself naked. For instance, when you shower, does your body cause you revulsion?"
David thought about it and nothing bad came to mind. Nothing good either, apart from sharing time with Helen. He shrugged, indifferently. "No hate, but no love either. I just am."
Hilda tapped away on her tablet and got a message back almost instantly. "I hope you don't mind, but I've asked Martha to join us. I will explain why when she gets here."
It didn't make sense to David why Martha was joining them, but he felt that if Hilda thought it might help, then what harm could it do.
"While we wait for Martha, how did you get on with Alex?"
"I think he got the message, but who knows. We all come here with baggage, but his seems to be different from what I've seen over the last few years. I think Adelle needing to mix, to get female help, might be a bigger catalyst than had been discussed."
"Excellent, thank you for doing this."
"Oh, and he is hiding his knowledge. When I mentioned what I was studying, he knew the topic."
"Thanks for mentioning it, but we know. We are still finding our way with year zero. This is only the second year. If things go to plan, we might introduce specialist lessons February time. They've ramped up their learning quicker than expected. That means his brain can get the attention it needs without it becoming obvious that we're pushing him."
Martha must have dropped what she was doing because she was soon sat next to David. Erika had come too and was sat next to Martha as close as it was humanly possible without being sat on her knees.
"Martha, I know it is hard, but would you be willing to tell David what it was like for you before you transitioned. What it was like showering and seeing yourself naked before you started to change?"
"You don't have to, if it is too hard," said David quickly. He didn't want Martha having to relive that time.
"Nah, it's fine now. If you'd asked me before I'd come to The Manor, that would have been different. When I could, I avoided washing, and especially never looked in the mirror. I'm glad that I hadn't fully started puberty before I got on blockers. I thought about trying to cut it off with a blade, but I was too scared of causing damage which might impact reassignment surgery. My parents couldn't understand why I wasn't doing well in school anymore, and why I always seemed to get into fights."
For the next five minutes, she let out the torture he'd gone through, knowing her body was wrong. All Erika could do was hold her lover and give reassurance. I'd never heard such raw emotion before. It was like a dam had burst and she had to get it out.
Eventually she stopped and David leaned across and gave her a gentle hug. "Thank you. Just that bit you told me is enough to know. The loathing in your voice was quite different from the factual story of your past. I'm glad you are now you."
She gave a weak smile. "Did it really help?"
"Yes, it really did. I'm sorry you had to relieve your past like that to help me."
"And?"
"I don't have that loathing. I don't feel joy or hate at my body. Hilda has mentioned a few things, and I think I'll need to think about it more."
"Anything else before orchestra?" Hilda enquired.
They didn't and when they left Hilda's office, Helen was waiting.
"Thanks to Martha, I've got some great insight and lots to think about," David told Helen. "Martha, thank you for that."
"My pleasure. I'm glad it helped. I think it helped me too. I hadn't realised I'd still got all that emotion about that time. It feels slightly cathartic to get it out."
A New Style of Education - Year Five
by Karen Page
Part 4
picture created using DALL-E
As David reluctantly moved away from Helen to get a shower, he heard the ting of a status update on his phone. It wasn't one of the urgent chimes, so he knew it would wait. For the first few years, he'd become a slave to the updates on the phone. Dr Ruiz constantly reminded him that he thought about an answer in her sessions, so why should he respond instantly to a message which wasn't urgent. When he did look, it was from Mr Hobson for a chat just before lunch.
At breakfast, Mr Hobson made his morning announcement, and then added. "It has been brought to my attention that next Thursday is bonfire night. For various reasons, we haven't marked this important event for the last few years. Rather like we done for other events; this is something that I feel should be a school effort.
"Items to be done. An area on the far side of the back lawn, the large flat area, needs to have the lawn removed. Fire and grass aren't a good mix. A small digger and dumper truck will be provided, though some use of a shovel will be needed. Training for the digger will be provided. This is open for all years.
"Wood needs to be collected. There will be fallen branches in the woods near the shooting range. There has been some minor felling where a few trees where dangerous from last week's storm. There will be a few dumper trucks, or pickup trucks to bring the wood to where the bonfire will be. Anybody who has passed the Hayfield Driving School can drive the vehicles. I believe that is anybody in year three upwards, though I heard there are three in year two who are about to take that test. Equipment such as axes and chainsaws won't be used by students, but Mr Yates has that training and will wield his axe where needed."
A few sniggers broke out at that and by the look of Mr Hobsons small smile, that had been his intention.
"I estimate it will be a few days work for a large bonfire. Can I have a show of hands for those willing to forgo tomorrow's trip to Milton Keynes to aid in our bonfire night preparations?"
Hands shot up, and the silence was broken by several excited conversations about what they wanted to do.
"I always seem to do this the wrong way. Hands down, and anybody still wanting to go to Milton Keynes tomorrow, put up your hands."
There was none.
"Excellent. Tomorrow morning, after breakfast we shall divide up. Make sure you wear appropriate clothing. Sturdy footwear must be worn."
* * *
David coughed slightly at the open door to Mr Hobson's office. It was late morning.
"Come on in, and shut the door," said Mr Hobson, getting up from behind his desk.
Sitting on the settee that Mr Hobson indicated, he continued "Thank you for sending the information on the mystery woman. To tell you the truth, I was quite sceptical, but we've had no other leads, so sent it to the relevant people. The results came in late yesterday. Luke was right, it was the same person. The CCTV didn't show she was interested in anybody there, so might have just been a coincidence, but has raised a few warning flags."
"Hence the cancellation of tomorrows trip to Milton Keynes?"
"Exactly," responded Mr Hobson, not attempting to hide the details from David. "The other thing raised was how did Luke recognise your photo. Had he seen it before?"
"No, that was the first time."
"Interesting. I've been shown a research paper published earlier this year on something called Super Recognisers. This is something quite niche and a new field. Some people have the perception to remember faces. Would you be willing to take Luke to see someone in London who will test his skills? Luke has never been to London, hence why I thought it would be good for you to accompany him."
"Sure. When and where abouts?"
"Next Tuesday to University College. One of the lecturers there is one of the people who co-wrote the paper on Super Recognisers. They have some tests which should indicate if Luke has this skill."
"I've never heard of this Super Recogniser thing before," David admitted. "I was a bit sceptical myself, but he was so earnest, I couldn't not inform you."
"I'm glad you did. Sometimes we are so sceptical and only think that what we know can exist."
Mr Hobson paused, and seemed like he wanted to say something else, but after several seconds looked like he decided against it.
"Moving on, but with a similar strain, you handled Luke finding out about his sister well, including the no contact rule. Well done."
"Rachel did the majority of the work. I just spotted that the conversation was needed. Has Tina been to London?"
"No, I don't believe she has, but I don't think this would be a good opportunity. I'm sure most in year three suspect something about the beta program, but I don't want to single them out yet."
* * *
"It's great to see you are all dressed down for today's event," boomed Mr Hobson before the breakfast bell rang. "Everybody should be wearing sturdy footwear. The support person on your table will make sure you are appropriately attired. If not, you will be requested to change. When breakfast has finished, you will find boxes of gloves in the entrance hall. Please take one left and one right glove. We shall start at 9:30, so everybody can enjoy their breakfast without worrying. It is the weekend, after all.
"As I mentioned yesterday, there will be use of some mechanical equipment. We are lucky that two members of year five are skilled with diggers and dumper trucks. Emma and Paula will be your experts who will give training to those who use that equipment. Please listen to them as they do know what they are doing. During breakfast an update with groups should appear on your phones. Each group will have a leader. Leaders might not be in the top year, and they may not be year leaders. So, if you are assigned a leader's position, then use that time to learn. The sign of a good leader is to involve those they are leading, and an easy start is asking advice if unsure."
From experience, the top year knew that the leader roles would go to the lower years. Mr Hobson knew how the upper years handled leadership.
Towards the end of breakfast, the ring of notifications sounded within the hall as the assignments arrived on the phones. As expected, none of pupils in the top two year were leaders. They were mostly there to do heavy lifting and give extra supervision. The way the support staff were dressed, they would be helping too.
Events like Halloween and Bonfire Night were always celebrated at mealtimes, but setting up a bonfire was something different. The only other major event, other than concerts was Christmas. This was a time where all they students could pull together for a single purpose. At Christmas there was decorating the school. Bonfire night was different, and this was something none of the years had done before.
Manual labour wasn't something they were used to, and after an hour, the pace slowed. There wasn't any pressure from the staff involved, but there were suggestions to rest and have a drink. The kitchen staff had set out a large table with all sorts of drinks ranging from water, and orange juice to tea, coffee and hot chocolate.
As they traipsed back to the woods, Mr Hobson broke out in singing. After a few glances more joined in and soon the woods were filled with the sound of song. This raised their spirits, and the loose wood was carried, dragged, and generally manoeuvred to the edge of the woods.
"Tell me about your sister," David asked Tina, as they wrestled with wood, glad the gloves were protecting them from splinters. Ben in year zero had taken off his gloves and was now being treated for grazed hands. For some reason he thought the gloves made him weak.
"I have two. Caroline and Ashleigh, though the sister I mentioned the other day was Ashleigh. I thought my file would have had all that information," she said slyly.
David smiled at the fishing and said, "I was asking you and yes, I was referring to Ashleigh. You knew her. Lived with her. You said she had a boyfriend who got mistaken for a girl? There sounds to be a story there."
"You really want to know?"
"I wouldn't be asking if I wasn't interested."
"Ashleigh was," Tina paused and then reiterated, " is my sister. Even though she was quite a few years older than me, it never stopped her being kind. She always looked out for me. Yet, I never told her my secret. I didn't want to lose her trust. And then when she brought home her friend. I could see he was a boy, but my parents thought he was a girl, and Ashleigh called him Becky. I thought my parents were accepting, so let down my guard, and I was caught wearing Caroline's clothes."
"Oops."
"Indeed. I then made it worse by explaining that I was really a girl. My parents went ballistic when I mentioned that Becky was really a boy, and they had no issues with him. How little did I know. They banned Ash from ever seeing Richard again."
"Richard?"
"That was Becky's real name. The only reason Ash called him Becky was because my parents thought he was a girl. I overheard him come to talk to my parents a few weeks later. He'd had a delayed puberty and he got his GP to give him a testosterone injection. He said he wasn't trans."
"If he wasn't, he must have got a lot of stick from other kids if he looked that much like a girl."
Tina looked horrified. "I'd not thought of that. Poor kid. There was I upset because my parents wouldn't let me see my GP about being trans. But apart from being grounded for six months, things didn't really change that much. Caroline thought I was a bit strange, but she always thought I was strange because I preferred playing in an orchestra than playing football or rugby."
"And Ashleigh?"
"She's done well in her exams. She shut herself away and became a bit of a recluse. It's like she lost something when they weren't allowed to see each other. She'd planned to go to the same university as Richard, but he asked her not to. He didn't want her to become estranged from her parents."
Not once had Tina cried or got upset. It was something she'd cried herself out of many years ago. Now, it was just something that happened. A troubled time in her past, that she'd moved on from. Not that she hadn't forgotten, and in some ways hadn't forgiven her parents for what they'd done to herself or Ashleigh.
"I'm sorry," David murmured, giving Tina a gentle hug. "I hadn't realised you'd gone through all that."
"There are others here that have been through much harder times. My parents weren't physically abusive. They thought they were doing the right thing to help me."
"Yes, but it wasn't right that they didn't listen to your needs."
She shrugged.
"To them they were trying to protect me from what they thought was a bad choice. They presumed I was too young to understand and was just mistaken. We email each other and that's good. Obviously, nobody outside the school knows I've transitioned. It's like a truce. Anyway, enough of that, we are lagging behind with our wood moving."
David didn't think he'd have been that forgiving. He thought about his parents. They hadn't been the best of parents. During the week they seemed to be in their own world, not seeming to be involved. At the weekends they were always around, but as he grew up, David never seemed to have anything in common with them. His life, he knew, would be nothing like theirs and he wondered what he could do so the reunion in almost five years time would be something he could look forward to.
* * *
There had been various discussions if the trip to London with Luke should be done in commuter time. It would have meant leaving before breakfast and would probably have led to less questions from his year. But it would have meant hanging around. Plus, it wouldn't have been a nice first experience for the trip to London.
"So, what did you tell your year?" David asked, as Helen drove them to the railway station.
"The truth. Some researchers wanted to test me. They didn't ask about what. I was surprised how accepting they were."
"How much did you suspect about the Beta program before you were invited to join?"
"Some. Not the whole thing, but there seemed to be more going on with the concerts. But it was still a shock to find out the rest."
"But you didn't say anything, like you don't say anything to your parents about Mix Up Mondays."
"Ah," Luke uttered, nodding slightly. "So, they didn't ask because they didn't feel it was right to ask. Just like we don't ask about other things."
"It's up to you what you tell your year about today."
"Just not about that lady?" Luke confirmed.
"Yes. We don't want to worry them. We have no idea who she is. The train I was on continued to Milton Keynes, so it could all have been a coincidence. We were followed from the station, so there was some surveillance, but it might not have been her."
"The rest of the year did query about me not shaving for the last few days, but I've got to admit I do think I look a bit older. Tina wasn't too keen but understood why. I think using an alias though is a bit much."
"Perhaps, but if you do have this Super Recogniser skill, it isn't something you probably want generally known."
"Yet the school will know. I know that they think they are doing this for my own good, but sometimes I think they are too paranoid."
Helen spoke for the first time on the journey. "Perhaps, but Mr Hobson's job is to keep us safe. He tried to resign when he didn't think he'd done a good enough job. I'm glad his resignation was refused."
"So am I," agreed Luke, surprised at how open Helen and David were being. This was the first time he'd heard about Mr Hobson nearly resigning.
The conversation tailed off as they approached the railway station.
"Have fun!" called Helen as David and Luke got out of the car. "Give me a call when you're on the way back and I'll pick you up."
The train journey to London was painless. It was after rush hour, and the trains were quiet. It meant they could get seats with nobody nearby. At first the conversations were about the upcoming concert, and the pieces they were playing. When that dried up, David moved the conversation onto what he thought Luke might have wanted to talk about, his sister.
"How are things going with Stacy?" David asked, as a starter.
"Good; I think. She said she was glad I knew. It would make our chats easier."
"And has it?"
"At first, it was hard. I was unsure what to say. However, as the emails flowed it has become better. We were emailing once a month, and now it is every other day. Haven't you talked to her?"
"Sure. However, I was asking how things were going for you. I know how they are for her. She is an ex-pupil, so knows what you're going through. She is also family, so you have a shared past. Just as Helen and I have a past that extends to before we started at Hayfield. There aren't many that occurs with."
"There are others?"
"Yes, but as I said, not many. Each have their own story, which it isn't my place to talk about. You know that. You aren't the only person that I know with another pupil who is family; you are just the only one at Hayfield."
"So, what's this sister school like?"
"I've never been there, but when they stayed with us for a few months, they were just like us, but talked with strange accents." David looked across to see Luke in thought and decided now would be a suitable time to drip more knowledge he would need later. "They're an S.P.A school. We’ve never had contact with any of the other schools."
"How many more secrets do you have?" Luke asked. He'd wanted to ask about the other schools but thought that now might not be appropriate.
David knew the question was rhetorical, so just smiled.
"As we mentioned the other night, there are things that you and Tina will need to know about that others in the school don't. Not because it's bad, but because it isn't relevant for them."
"Do you know any more about the testing today?"
"All I know is where we are going. They will run some recognition tests; we get told the results and then we leave. We'll soon be at Euston. It's stopped raining, so we will walk to where we're going. We can go on the tube later."
Luke's face lit up. This was something he was excited about. "Will we get chance to see other things in London too?"
"Yes, but not everything. London is huge with plenty of different things to see and experience. Today will be about knowing where some of the important places are. There will be other opportunities for you and Tina to visit in the future."
"Why just us and not the rest of the year?"
"Oh, you all will be doing things. It's just that you and Tina are the only ones in your year that have never been to London. Also, both of you lived a more restricted life. So that you can operate in more areas, you need to know how to socialise at different events. We'll see what comes up to help with that. I needed that help too. When I joined Hayfield, I'd never been abroad and never eaten out."
The train pulled in, and they followed the small stream of passengers down the platform, through the gates and into Euston's ever crowded concourse.
"This is even busier than some of the airports," muttered Luke as they made their way out.
"You think it is bad now, try it at rush hour."
The walk to Alexandra House didn't take long, and they were soon being directed to the testing lab. David was surprised that he was going to be tested too. They were left in the hands of Mary Hilliard, a research assistant.
"Liam, you have this computer," said Mary to Luke. "Peter, you are on this one."
David moved over to the one that Mary had pointed to for Peter.
"You will see a picture of a face for a few seconds. You will then be shown a series of blurred pictures. Choose which matches the original."
Twenty minutes later, they had both completed the test. "Well done," said Mary coming into the room. "Peter, you have an above average result. Your mouse and eye movements seem to indicate that you hesitated over the correct answer but went for something else. You might improve as you get older, but you aren't a Super Recogniser."
David smiled and gave a small shrug. "I didn't think I was. I was just here to accompany Liam."
Mary nodded and turned to Luke. "Liam, you answered all the questions correctly. Would you be willing to do a slightly different test, to confirm?"
Luke gave a quick look at David and, not seeing any dissension, agreed.
"Is there anywhere I can watch?" David enquired.
"Why don't you come into the observation booth," Mary offered. "You can then see what we are seeing."
David agreed and followed her out. The observation room was simple. It had a computer that was monitoring not just what they had chosen, but eye and hand movements. How they made the choice was just as important as the right answer. Luke was watching videos of busy streets and being shown pictures of faces and being asked to choose who had been in them. As with the initial tests, the pictures were slightly pixilated or different positions.
"Who are you?" asked Mary, as they watched Luke's test progress.
"What do you mean?" David responded. "I'm Peter."
"No, not that. There was a request for today's test directly from the ethics committee. Once the test is done, we are to print out the results which won't have anything identifiable and give you the hard drive which will have the raw data."
David nodded. "Liam is under eighteen and your studies are only authorised for adults. Yet your university is the best in Europe for this research. Without anything identifiable, you get the chance to add to your research. You win, as you get your anonymised data, Liam wins as he gets the results and doesn't have his details in the system."
"You don't sound as young as eighteen," Mary remarked.
"How is Liam doing?" David asked, ignoring Mary's comment. He was only seventeen, which she would find even harder to swallow.
"I've only seen two people perform like he's doing. He's got three videos left, but even if he got all of them wrong, he would be identified as a Super Recogniser."
When Liam finished, Mary printed off the results, and showed them to Luke and David. "Liam, you got all but one right. So far only one person has got that one, but they got a few different ones wrong. Therefore, you are tied in first place with two others."
Luke shrugged. "I'm not in a competition. It's good to know I'm not unique with the skill. Thank you for helping me today."
She gave a small smile in response. "It's a new area of research, so thank you for your help today. When you are older, if you want to come back to aid this research, I'm sure they would be more than glad to have your help. Peter, if you want to clean up."
Luke looked a bit puzzled as David pulled a USB stick out of his pocket. After validating that the data hadn't been copied to the network, he purged the hard drive that overrode the data several times. Finally, once finished, he took out a screwdriver, removed the hard drive and put it into his rucksack.
"That was a bit extreme," said Luke as they wandered away from Alexandra House. "Was taking the hard drive your idea?"
"No. It was part of the agreement in having you taking part in their research. They could have the anonymised results, but no raw data. Removing the raw data was what they agreed to for you to take part. I was just a bonus."
"So, where are we going?"
"That building there is The British Museum. No time today to visit it. We are just strolling past some sights. We'll go down Oxford Street, through Marble Arch, across Hyde Park. There is a café there we can have lunch. Afterwards, we can go visit Harrods before heading home. Unless there is something you want to see?"
"I'm not really interested in Harrods. Could we go via Parliament?"
"Sure. We can walk from there to Embankment tube station and get it back to Euston. How does that sound?"
Luke shrugged. "I'm in your hands. I've never done London before."
"We are just skimming it today. There will be other times where it will be you and Tina. She's never done London either, so I don't want to spoil things too much so you can discover things together. Today is just a highlight so you are more comfortable when you come next time."
"It sounds like you are planning my life." It was an observation, not a complaint.
"Not really. You probably have noticed, that as you get older, there is more leeway at the weekends. London isn't far, and there is a lot more to do than in Milton Keynes or Luton."
The walk through the unlit Christmas lights on Oxford Street was a major distraction. The switch on had been done two days earlier by Jim Carrey.
"I know we went up to see the Blackpool Illuminations a few years ago," said Luke. "Have you ever been down to see the London ones?"
"No, and if we did go into London on a Saturday, we would have to head back before they switched them on in the late afternoon. We're doing something around Bonfire Night this year, so it isn't something I expect will occur. Perhaps you could ask Mr Hobson if they plan to do it next year?"
Luke gave David a doubtful look.
"Are you still nervous around him?" enquired David.
"A bit. I mean, he seems okay to talk to, but he is the headmaster and I've seen how he can be-" Luke tailed off, not able to say more.
"You mean what happened between Ryan and Robert? That was eighteen months ago when you were in year one. They were chasing each other and went onto the main driveway. A car being driven by Keith Thompson was coming up and Ryan ran in front of the car. I'm not surprised Keith was furious with them as they could have been knocked down if he hadn't taken emergency action."
"Tina and I were there when they were called into Mr Hobson's office. He never once raised his voice or threatened them. Yet when he'd finished talking to them -" he shuddered.
David didn't say anything, as he knew Luke had more to say. "It was the visit the following day. It wasn't just them, but all of us. We went to the Bedfordshire police training centre where the traffic cops train. Seeing the consequence of accidents and talking to some of the police who are often first on the scene-". Luke tailed off again and then quietly. "It wasn't nice."
"It wasn't meant to be nice. Mr Hobson seems to work by trying to show the consequences of actions. It didn't stop you playing, but you thought more about where to do so. So why does that make you nervous about seeing Mr Hobson? You've had plenty of interaction with him since?"
"Sure, but he always seems so distant, it's hard to relate."
"His job is to make sure the school is run well, and we are all safe. Step back and look at how he works and not just what he does."
"You're just like him, so cryptic."
"Not really, I just don't want to influence you. I've just pointing something out. Only you can judge and make up your own mind."
When they reached Hyde Park, they passed Speaker Corner which David pointed out to Luke. As they went towards The Serpentine, they saw an area cordoned off by police tape. There were several police officers patrolling, making sure that nobody entered the closed off area.
"I wonder what's going on?" wondered Luke aloud, as they continued along the still open section.
"A murder," remarked someone who was watching at the cordon. "I'd heard that the body had been drained of blood."
"Sounds like a vampire," laughed David.
Luke joined in. "If they existed, draining the blood would be just their M.O."
This led to a discussion on vampire films while they walked to the café next to the Lido.
Luke was quiet as he slowly ate his sandwich. David watched wondering what was going through his mind. Luke hadn't looked at him, but just stared out at the swans swimming gracefully along the serpentine, not flustered by the police activity on the opposite bank.
After ten minutes of silence, David decided to find out. "What's up?"
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why was I chosen for the school? Why was I chosen for the other thing? Was it because of my sister?"
"No, it was nothing to do with your sister. Some children are earmarked and pegged to join the school. I didn't find out until later that I'd been trained for a few years before the entrance exams. They knew a lot about me before I took them, and a lot more once I had. You on the other hand weren't pegged."
"So, she didn't put in a good word?"
"It doesn't work like that. The tests are done, and whoever the school seems to be able to help are put into a pot. Then matching is done to see who would be best together as study partners. You can imagine there are more than ten pupils who the school could help. When I started the other years had eight pupils. My year was the first with ten. It started with eight and two joined because the school became the best option."
There was more to it than that, but David knew that describing what had happened to Anna and Jill wasn't his place.
"So, why did you do a concert at my school if it wasn't for me? We've never done a concert like that since I've joined."
"There was someone at your school that was 'pegged'. They played an instrument but were thinking of giving it up. By playing at your school, it was hoped they would continue to play."
"Who?"
David wanted to close his eyes, but knew he needed to see Luke's reaction. He said quietly, "Sarah Smith."
Luke's eyes opened wide in horror, "Oh. She was murdered walking home from an after-school violin practice. Will Sanchez."
William Sanchez had killed six school children. Sarah Smith was his fifth victim. The attacks had been in the news for weeks as he went on his killing spree. His habit of tearing the limbs off, led the press the name him the 'School Child Ripper'.
"If we hadn't gone up, would she have stayed playing the violin? If she hadn't, would she have been saved? Would someone else have been murdered instead?"
"The press said there was pictures of her at Sanchez's house. She seemed to be someone he obsessed over. Therefore, her playing would probably have made no difference."
"Psychohistory isn't a perfected science," David muttered.
"Asimov?"
David nodded.
"You do know that someone labelled a way of looking at history as Psychohistory?" informed Luke. "Not maths, but I suppose they wanted a catchy name."
With lunch over, they walked out of Hyde Park and down Constitutional Hill.
"How can I have ended up at Hayfield playing with such a great orchestra? I'm just a kid from a poor neighbourhood."
"If that's what you think, then that's all you'll ever be!"
"Huh?"
"It's a quote from The Last Starfighter."
"I've never seen it."
"Well, I suppose I never saw it until I was in year one. It's the story of a boy who lives in a trailer park in the middle of nowhere. He plays an arcade game and wins which gets him recruited as a Starfighter on an alien planet. Someone from nowhere ends up saving thousands of worlds."
"Yeah, but that's just a film."
"Sure. Okay, take Mozart. Five of his elder siblings died while infants. So, for him to survive wasn't easy. By the age of five he composed his first pieces. He was nine when he composed his first symphony."
"But am I defective because I remember faces?"
"Am I defective because I don't know if I'm a girl or a boy? Are some of the people at the school defective because they aren't in heterosexual relationships? Are some defective because their brains don't match their souls? I tend to think that different is good. It keeps humanity from stagnating and moves us forward."
Luke gave a small chuckle. It wasn't bitter, but really was one that he was facing up to things. "We certainly are different."
A New Style of Education - Year Five
by Karen Page
Part 5
picture created using DALL-E
"A quick quiz," called out Mr Hobson as we finished our breakfast. The room fell silent to hear what he had to say. "This is to see how much you know about the history of the Gunpowder Plot. I will ask each year a question. You can all confer. One of the years leaders for that year should call out the answer."
This was a bit different. Mr Hobson was known for mixing things up and keeping the students on their toes, but a quiz at 8am wasn't at all usual.
"Starting with year zero. What was the name of the person caught guarding the gunpowder?"
Not much conferring was required before the answer "Guy Fawkes."
"Excellent. Well done. Year one. What year did the treason event occur?"
A bit of conferring before "1605".
"On to year two. What was the aim of the Gunpowder Plot?"
They thought this was easy, and soon announced, "Blow up the House of Lords during the state opening of Parliament, killing the King."
"Half a point. You can do better than that. What was the next part of the plot, after killing the King?"
There was fumbling of phones as they quickly and surreptitiously looked it up. Eventually the response came, "Install his daughter, who was only nine, as Queen and set England back to being a catholic state."
"A more complete answer. Well done."
The questions went right up the years, and gradually got more difficult. The answers required more explanation and understanding. He'd waited until we'd finished eating before quizzing them. Keeping a room of children from their food wasn't wise.
"Well done on that impromptu quiz. Now, for years three, four and five, today's lessons aren't taking place. We have something different. It's something we've never done before, so if there are some teething issues, then please bear with us. You are going to be divided into two teams. You and your study partner will be in opposing teams. You will get an update on your phone shortly explaining which room you should go to. The staff that are in the room are there to advise on the running of the game and make sure you are okay. They aren't there to tell you what move to make. Also, two of the support staff will be in each room. They are there to make sure you are okay. At times it might be stressful and sometimes it might get upsetting. I hope not, but if you do need them, they are there. One final point. David and Helen will not be leaders in this endeavour."
He sat down, and the pupils glanced around at each other, wondering what they were going to be doing. The warning didn't sit well with them. And at a time where they might be stressed, they wouldn't be with the one they always turned to, their study partner. There were some mutterings in the lower years, upset that they were missing out on something, but that was soothed over by the support staff.
"I'm in Language Room 1," stated David, when he got his update. "I suppose it is one of the largest teaching rooms."
"I'm in the ballroom," stated Helen. "So, we're on different floors and therefore won't run into each other at toilet breaks."
Not being a leader sounded good to David, but he didn't understand why until he got to the room. Mr Yates was there and took David to one side away from the other pupils streaming in.
"Mr Hobson asked me to mention that you shouldn't take a leadership role. You and Helen will move things in a direction that won't give the desired result. He doesn't want you to keep it sane."
"Okay," agreed David looking around. "I won't disrupt the plan. Whatever it is." There were big screens around the edge of the room, and the tables had been laid out in a big horseshoe style. The seats were being occupied and David quickly went to nab a seat next to Jill.
"Here is the background," announced Mr Yates, standing at the open area of the horseshoe. "You are India. The other team are Pakistan. There is a region called Kashmir which is contested, and two wars have been fought over control. The area was split into Indian Administered and Pakistan Administered regions. Both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers. The border between the two regions is referred to as the Line of Control.
"Now the scenario. A rare mineral has been found in Kashmir which just happens to straddle the Line of Control. The concern that India have is that Pakistan will use this mineral to enhance their weapons. This resource was found by an Australian mining company and both India and Pakistan have claimed it belongs to them. Claims have been made in the media stressing this fact.
"Your goals are as follows. Get your hands on this resource before the other side do. If you don't, they might be able to threaten you with a better weapon and the population will think you are a failure."
He took out his phone and clicked on something, lighting up the screens. There was a map of the area on one. A value showing popularity within India, and the popularity in Pakistan of the opposing side. Next to it was figures showing a diplomatic figure showing how the two countries were doing with the rest of the world. Number of different militaries were on a different screen and another showing positions on a map.
"You have thirty minutes to get acquainted with the information. More information will be on the internal systems. You then have fifteen minutes to make your first move. Oh, and you won't be able to communicate with the other team, so don't even try. Every attempt will result in points deducted."
Mr Yates stepped away and after a few seconds silence, excited chatter broke out as the situation was being discussed. David watched as chaos took hold. He overheard some promising ideas, but everyone was talking but nobody was listening. There was no coordination.
After five minutes of this, David was about to get up and try to bring some order. However, one of the year four leaders, Molly, got up and stood at the front. She made a piercing whistle using her fingers in her mouth.
Silence took hold and they looked at Molly, who was stood there with a look of disappointment. "We are the top three years of the school and supposed to be highly educated. Yet I'm not seeing any discipline, coordination and certainly no planning. So, I'm going to give some advice and then step back. First elect someone who is going to lead. Be Prime Minister for India. Then decide how you are going to tackle this task. I heard some fabulous ideas, but nobody was listening."
"So how do we do this?" asked Brian.
David sighed and decided to add to the discussion. "The voting software is segmented, so Mr Hobson probably thought we would use that. Three rounds of voting each lasting two minutes. First round, vote for whoever you want, remember it can't be me. If nobody gets 50%, then the top five go to the second round. If nobody has more than 50% of the vote, we go to the last round which will be the top two."
"What if you don't want to be nominated?" asked Ryan in year three.
"Then make sure people know for round two. Or take it as an opportunity to shine. I never wanted to be a year leader, but others in my year thought Helen and I would do a good job together. There have been some tough times, but I've learnt from them. Which is why we are at school; to learn."
The vote was cast, and many others must have thought Ryan should have that opportunity, as he got more than 80% of the vote in the first round.
"Really?!" complained Ryan.
"Do you take the challenge?" enquired Molly.
Ryan was silent for a few moments, but then replied with a mischievous voice. "I'll give it a go. But I want three main advisors. I'm not going to do this alone."
Posturing, demands and counter demands covered the first few hours, but neither side gave ground. The reports on how the population felt, and opposition leaders telling us how badly we were doing, encouraged the teams to start moving the military units more aggressively.
"Your forces are facing stiff resistance," came the report when India tried to take the area covering the mineral.
More troops were brought in, and a big conventional weapons skirmish started.
"Cry 'Havoc!', and let slip the dogs of war," called Ryan with gusto.
The words "Simulation Paused" came up on the timer screen. On one of the other screens the words showed "Bonus Phrase".
"You've hit a bonus phrase," said Mr Yates, appearing from the side. "You get ten points for that. The simulation is paused for both teams. They get the same follow up question that you have, they just don't get the ten points for saying this Bonus Phrase. There are four others yet to be found. The answer for the bonus question must come from the leader, thought he can confer. For another ten points, where was the phrase originally used. Ten points for a correct answer, ten deducted for a wrong answer or zero for a pass."
"Star Trek. The Undiscovered Country." Ryan said without conferring. He was an avid Star Trek fan.
Brian face palmed when he heard that. He couldn't believe someone would go straight for the answer when they had the opportunity to confer. And to make such a rooky mistake too.
"That's ten points deducted," Mr Yates announced. "Brian, you seem to know. What's the answer?"
"Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar. Act 3, scene 1."
"Correct."
"Sorry," Ryan called out, sounding rather sheepish.
Mr Yates looked at an update on his phone. "It seems that Pakistan also got it wrong. Once more unto the breach, dear friends."
"Henry V. Act 3, scene 1," muttered Brian as the game timer restarted.
"How do you know so much Shakespeare?" Clair asked.
"I find them comforting," Brian responded. "They might have been written over 400 years ago, but they still say a lot about people. And where we might have progressed, there still is so much that hasn't. It's also good to quote Shakespeare; it makes you sound really intelligent."
That last comment got a good laugh and broke the rather tense atmosphere as our movements took place.
Our update arrived.
"Your reinforcements appear to be holding, but casualties are high. Opposition leaders are asking if the government don't care about the lives of our soldiers."
"There is still good support from the people," John pointed out, looking at the graphs on monitor. "Though it looks like there is major protests in Pakistan."
"Breaking news," came up on one of the large screens. We all laughed to see an actual BBC news reporter with a backdrop of Islamabad. "Reports are coming in that Indian troops have been instructed by Prime Minister Ryan Donald to pillage and loot the Pakistan villages they've taken over. A spokesman for Pakistan Prime Minister Julian James stated this was more expected from colonial times and revenge should be expected."
"They mentioned the two teams," laughed Clair. "How did they get a BBC reporter to take part?"
Mr Yates shrugged, "I've no idea, but it certainly added a bit to the game."
"But I didn't order looting," complained Wayne.
"Yes, you did," retorted Brian. "Cry Havok. That is an old military term for rape, plunder and pillage. Dogs of war refer to the soldiers."
Ryan looked a bit shocked. "I didn't mean-". He broke off. "I'll have to be more careful what I say. Seems flippant words can be misinterpreted."
David sat back and watched with amazement. That single report had changed the mindset in the room. It was no longer just a game. The talk changed from winning a game, to protecting the citizens and getting the mineral.
Over the next three turns in a ninety-minute period, India managed to cement their hold and encroach further into Pakistan controlled territory to set up a buffer zone. It then started to unfold. A siren went off. "Nuclear launch detected."
The sound of gasps filled the room.
"How many?" asked Ryan, knowing others would have that page open.
"Five at the moment. Two are heading towards Ludhiana. Two are heading towards Delhi. One is heading for Amritsar. Fighters have already been scrambled for any air dropped bombs."
"Let's nuke their main cities," someone cried out. "Destroy them so they can never hit us again." This was met with a chorus of approval.
"Hang on," spoke up Jill, standing up to get attention. "They've only sent five. It's more of an attempted show of strength, rather than anything too serious. It just makes them look weak. They only sent five and not the fifty we know they do have. India is well spaced. They must know that retaliation will be a lot worse for them than it is for us. Their ballistic missile technology is old. We should be able to try and shoot them down. If one gets through, then retaliate. They aren't even aiming for our missile siloes, so there is no rush for retaliation. Also, if we do, we don't know who else will try to get involved."
There was stillness for a few seconds before the chant of "nuke them" returned.
"I don't know," started Ryan, before tailing off.
"Don't be a wuss," someone called out.
"They deserve it. Wipe them all out."
David was incensed at the name calling. He got to stand up but felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked back to see Mr Yates shaking his head.
Jill was right. What started as a disagreement between two states suddenly started pulling in other players. And then America, Russia and China started throwing missiles. Once one went up, there was no time for proper discussions and governments reacted out of panic. The pupils watched in horror as maps showed missile hit after missile hit. Screens that showed injured/killed between just two states were now showing millions dead in India, and many hundreds of millions killed across Europe/America and Asia.
The boisterousness was gone. The room was deathly silent as the horror didn't stop and the death count kept growing. A few were crying. At least one retched and disappeared out to the toilets. After a few minutes, the screens went blank. The shock of what had happened still resonated, and the room was silent. Nobody moved.
Eventually, the subdued voice of Mr Yates said gently. "Please make your way to the cinema where you will join the other group. Mr Hobson wants a few words regarding this simulation."
In the cinema, David and Helen sat down in their usual place. Hand in hand quietly conferring about what had occurred on each side. They kept giving each other's hands gentle strokes with their fingers.
"No wonder we weren't allowed to be leaders," said Helen quietly to David. "We'd did those simulations as part of our Beta training. Would we have let it get like that?"
"Who knows," David responded. "I hope not. However, Mr Hobson was right. If we had taken part, it might have stopped the outcome he obviously wanted."
"Thank you for taking part in that workshop," Mr Hobson said subduedly from the front. "Before we pick things apart, I'd like you to reflect on what has happened and the choices you made. On your tablet, open up the workshop app, and there should be a new segment to do with this review. In there, you will be prompted to put in three things you think the team did well, what you individually did well, and then what you think you and the team did badly."
After a few minutes, the review closed, and a few phrases flashed onto the screen behind him. The larger the text, the more people had said the same thing.
"I'm glad to see you are being honest about it your successes and failures. Nobody is perfect, and we set the task to be stressful. One thing that came out was most of you fell into the mob mindset. Even when one person warned against the most destructive actions, they were drowned out and not considered. Things like negotiation skills, will be something new for all years, and if we get chance have some interesting lessons for all the school in the New Year.
"Tina, you have your hand raised?"
"Were you aiming for something like the Zimbardo Prison Experiment?"
Mr Hobson looked blank, but Dr Ruiz, who was stood next to him certainly knew what Tina was referring to. So did most of the other psychiatrists who were stood at the front. Some of them looked extremely upset.
"No," said Rachel Ruiz, her voice sounding strained. "It wasn't anything like that. For those who are wondering what Tina was referring to, there was an experiment in the early 1970's. A fake prison was constructed in the basement of Stanford University in America. Twelve psychiatry students were selected at random to be prisoners and twelve as jailers. The aim was to see how subjects, even though they knew it was an experiment, would react. The experiment was halted after six days when the guards were getting abusive to the prisoners, and the prisoners were getting signs of depression, and anxiety. The reviews since have been very scathing of it."
"Wow," uttered Mr Hobson. "Today wasn't an experiment of any kind. It was a start of a series of lessons on group skills, co-ordination, listening, and strategy. You listened to "the mob". We don't live in a democracy; we live in a parliamentary democracy. As citizens we hand power to politicians to make choices on our behalf. We don't always think they make the right decisions, but some things, such as protection of minorities might not occur without them."
"Hopefully you will get a lot out of the upcoming lessons, and none will be as stressful as today. In that vein, each of you will be getting a meeting invite from your support person to go over today's lesson. Some will be today, the rest tomorrow. Finally, one bit of homework for you. One of the comments was to destroy the other side, so they could never hit them again. I'd like you to read two books. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card and Eon by Greg Bear. A note will go out to you with those titles."
"Before you go, Helen wants a word with you."
The adults left, leaving just the pupils. Helen got up and made her way to the front.
"That wasn't a nice lesson," she stated. "However, what's upset me most was a few resorted to name calling. I know the workshop was designed to be immersive, but we are the upper half of the school. I'm not going to single out those who did it, but hopefully you will reflect on what you did. The support staff also noticed, so perhaps they should think up some type of penance before they think up something for you."
"I've just read up about Eon. It sounds so outdated," said Lewis, to David as they walked out. "Russia starting a war? Surely that is something in the past."
* * *
Armistice Day; the eleventh day of the eleventh month. This was the day that marked the anniversary when the guns fell silent at the end of World War One. A horrific war where hundreds of thousands of people had died. The concert tonight was a fitting tribute, with music reflecting the horrors of war, and pieces of reflection. It was also the first concert that Zoe would conduct one of the pieces.
Jayne smiled, remembering her first concert at this school, as Mavis Brown had been seated in the same position four years ago. The only thing she could think that was different was the music being played and her age. She was four years older, and her eyes had been opened to a world that she'd previously known nothing about.
The applause from the concert was still in their ears as the orchestra exited the hall. As Jayne went into the wings, she saw Mr Hobson talking with Luke and was beckoned across.
"Ah, Jayne, I was thinking it would be nice if you mingled with our guests. Would you mind Luke accompanying you?"
"Not at all."
Helen went past and mouthed 'Have fun'. She would be making sure the after-concert party went well.
Luke looked rather nervous as Jayne led him towards the guest reception. This didn't go unnoticed to Jayne who stopped. "You look like you're going to throw up. What are you worried about?"
"I've never been to something where everyone is so dressed up. We don't normally meet the guests at a concert."
"There is always a first for everything. You know the school would never put you through something they didn't think you could cope with. I remember four years ago being in the same position as you. I had the added complication of not being in my birth gender and had only been like that a few weeks."
Luke's eyes opened wider. "You were David for the concert?"
Jayne almost laughed out loud. "No Luke, I was born as David."
"Sorry," Luke uttered, looking totally mortified. "I gave up trying to guess after about a week at school. I found it didn't really matter and it just caused Tina to get anxious."
In a normal setting, not knowing someone's birth gender would seem a bit strange. However, at Hayfield they were all so expert at displaying as either gender, the lines often blurred. Jayne never hid who she was, but it wasn't something she advertised.
"It's okay. I take it you assumed that because even when I'm David, I seem a bit on the girly side?"
Luke didn't respond. "Don't sweat it. It took me a long time to understand who I was, and much longer to understand the way others saw me wasn't an issue. I prefer to be David but have long ago realised that unless I make a big effort, everyone will see me as Jayne."
"So why have you been Jayne the last few days if you prefer being David?"
"Because there is someone here tonight that only knows me as Jayne. The concert was arranged so this person could come to the school in an unobtrusive way."
"I take it we won't just be talking with this person."
"No, we will be mingling. I'm sure some people will want to ask about the school and the orchestra."
"Are they in the know?"
"What do you think?"
"Probably not."
"There is one person who I saw in the audience which does know, but we will not say anything different as it might be overheard. Now, are you ready to do this?"
Luke took a deep breath and said, "Let's do it, before I chicken out."
"That's the spirit."
Luke was still nervous when they got to the reception, but that was fine. They mingled with several people before they came across their target. Luke soon got into the swing of small talk.
"Ah, a face I've seen at the concerts before," Jayne said, as she approached Mavis Brown. "Ms Brown, wasn't it?"
"Have we met before?" she enquired, her eyebrows showing a tiny indication she was puzzled.
"Four years ago. If I remember right, you were the person who found the seat lumpy. I was one of the soloists in that concert and we met after."
"Gosh, haven't you grown up," she smiled. "Yes, that was me. I take it the person you were with at the reception has left now."
"Yes, but that's what happens at schools. I hope the seat was more comfortable this time."
"A little, though I still got a bit fidgety at one time, but so did the person next to me. I must say that it was nice to see the students doing the conducting. It seemed fitting to have a school orchestra being conducted that way."
"Gosh, has it been that long since you last came here?" Jayne uttered in pretend horror. "We've had Lewis conducting for years now."
"And Zoe did a great job in her first performance," added Luke.
"That was her first?" asked Mavis, sounding genuinely surprised. "You've got to be kidding, she was like a pro."
"I'll tell her," Luke smiled. "I'm sure she will be happy to hear it."
"Oh, please do," Mavis gushed. "And the last piece. It just went straight to my soul."
The conversation eventually died, and they moved on to mingle with others. It made little sense to them that nothing had been passed on, but they concluded the information was probably given to someone else.
Eventually they came across the other person Jayne wanted to talk to.
"Ah, Jayne," Yvonne Taylor greeted. "It is great to see you again." She turned and said, "And you must be Luke. It's wonderful to meet you at last."
Luke kept his face straight even though he was surprised at someone knowing who he was. "It is a pleasure to meet you ma'am." He looked at Jayne, as if to ask to be introduced, but Jayne just shook her head.
"I'd like you both to meet my daughter. This is the first time she's had the opportunity to accompany me to a Hayfield concert."
"It was wonderful," said the young woman, obviously at ease in the rather expensive gown she was wearing. "Thank you for making our evening. Today is always a sober day for us both and your music was a perfect way to remember-" she trailed off.
"Your other parent?" suggested Yvonne.
Yvonne's daughter looked around nervously. Jayne leaned across and said quietly to the girl, "Your mum has a lot to tell you about the school, but if I understand correctly, then never worry here." The girl looked even more puzzled. Even more quietly, Jayne whispered, "Our secret, but I was born David."
The young woman looked shocked. Jayne stood back and put an index finger to her lips.
"Any news?" enquired Yvonne.
"No, but the night is still young."
"Not that young," frowned Yvonne. The room wasn't as full as when they'd started chatting and they watched as Mavis headed out of the reception area, obviously going home. "Oh well, I suppose we better be heading home too."
"It was nice meeting you," said Luke and watched them leave.
"Well done, Luke," Jayne praised, as she and Luke headed through the door away from the reception. "For a first time with people like that, you did very well."
"Dare I ask who that lady was?"
"She was the chair of governors. As you might have gathered, she knows what goes on at the school including the Alpha and Beta team. I've only met her a few times myself. I've never met her daughter before and have no idea what she's called. Now, are you ready for a bit more eye opening?"
"How much of this can I share with Tina?"
"All. Remember, no secrets. However, I'm sure you are aware that you can't share this with anybody else."
"Of course. So where are we going?"
"All in good time," Jayne laughed.
It wasn't long before they were at Mr Hobson's office and being ushered in. Mr Hobson wasn't alone but had Mr Taylor with him.
When all were seated, Mr Taylor eagerly asked, "And?"
"Nothing," Jayne responded, having expected him to have the information. "I take it you didn't get anything?"
"No. We thought she might have left something for us, but we haven't found anything. We even searched her seat. Are you sure she didn't say something? Perhaps drop a hint?"
Replaying the conversation in her mind, Jayne tried to find anything she'd missed. "No. Something doesn't seem right with what she said, but I can't place any clue. What about you, Luke?"
"Nothing comes to mind," Luke said instantly.
"All very strange," frowned Mr Taylor. It wasn't the situation he'd been expecting. "Okay, thank you both for your work this evening. If you do think of something, then please let Mr Hobson know."
That was enough of a dismissal for the two pupils, who rose and quickly left the room.
"I'm sorry," apologised Luke. "I don't seem to have been any help."
"Hey, I wasn't really much good in my first year as a Beta, and tonight I've done no better than you. The school takes opportunities for students to grow. You'd never had a chance to mix like that before, so now was an excellent opportunity. I remember some of my first times with fond memories."
"But why me and not Tina?"
"Pass. Mr Hobson might have seen you first. He might have thought you were more smartly dressed or maybe it was something else. I doubt you feel brave enough to ask him."
"No way," shuddered Luke.
"Nor me. Now, let's go and find Helen and Tina."
* **
Jayne decided it would be nice for Helen to have Jayne around for a bit longer, and so it was the feminine form that went to bed that night. However, sleep was elusive. Jayne couldn't get the evening out of her mind and kept moving around the bed.
"Tell me again your conversation with Mavis," demanded Helen.
Jayne felt guilty that her restlessness was keeping Helen awake. Frustration surged through her as she repeated the conversation. She thought there must have been some hint in there, but she wasn't seeing it.
"And they searched the seat Mavis sat on?"
"Yes, it was one of the first places checked."
"What about the seat next to her? You mentioned Mavis saying her neighbours also found things lumpy."
"But none of them were connected to Mavis."
"No, but it might have been a hint that she'd put it there."
It was way past curfew. They donned their dressing gowns and crept into the main building. Helen had been insistent they check now, because if it was there, Jayne might go to sleep. It wasn't the first time they'd broken curfew and knew the potential consequences if caught.
The hall was dark, with the bulbs from the emergency lights giving off strange red dots on the ceiling. The phones at maximum brightness let them see roughly where they were going.
After a few moments searching, Helen found what they were looking for. A USB flash drive was stuck to the inside edge of the chair with a large blob of blue tack. It was too early in the morning to let Mr Hobson know, so Helen and Jayne made their way quietly back to their bedroom.
"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Mr Hobson queried, making them both jump.
"Yes, sir." It had been a few years since either of them had been in serious trouble and they started conjuring up thoughts of all sorts of punishments.
"Did you find it?"
That wasn't what either of the two pupils expected Mr Hobson to say. He didn't seem upset. Jayne reluctantly pulled out the flash drive out of her pocket and showed it. She'd been hoping for a little peak at the contents.
"That's excellent news," smiled Mr Hobson, making no attempt to take it. "I'm sure you'll bring it down to me in the morning. Obviously, it was too late for you to ring me at this awful hour and anyway, you aren't really out of bed, are you? I'm sure you will make a good show at finding it first thing in the morning." Then with a smile, he wished the two pupils pleasant dreams before ambling off.
Helen and Jaye looked at each other in bewilderment. Sometimes Mr Hobson made no sense at all. Not wanting to be caught by anybody else, they quickly scarpered back to their bedroom.
"Come on Jayne," grumbled Helen, who was quickly back in bed.
"I'll just be a minute."
"What are you doing?"
"Just sorting something out."
"You're looking at the flash drive," Helen accused.
Jayne was so engrossed with the contents, that she didn't respond. Helen's arms being placed around her gave her a small shock, and she yelped.
"So?"
"Have a read yourself. My computer is hooked into the secure network. I'm going to the toilet."
Helen was a much quicker reader, so by the time Jayne was back in the room, she'd read enough.
"This can't be true," Helen insisted, looking shocked.
"Even if only half is true then this country is in big trouble. I'm sure that Mr Taylor will get it verified. If it is true, then I'm sure we might be seeing one of the other schools doing a concert here in England."
* * *
Oversees concerts or events weren't thrown together overnight. Whichever school did visit the UK, they wouldn't stay at Hayfield. If something did go wrong, they wouldn't want Hayfield being associated with anything happening on UK soil. The only time that nearly did occur in the UK, was a big enough scare to make the rule a compulsory one for all SPA schools worldwide. Keeping an eye on the other schools David eventually spotted the trip. A sister school in Italy were given a chance to show their pieces of art at a special showing in London. Sitting in the street painting was also a good way to watch movements in and out of buildings without attracting the wrong attention.
David knew that while the Italian school was here, there would be no call. If something did go wrong, the Hayfields Alpha team wasn't the first to assist in person, but the Italian Beta team would be. Even so, he carried his Beta phone with him each of the days the Italians were on UK soil. Nothing was mentioned and he was quite relieved to spot that they'd arrive safely back in Italy.