3. Janet and John Go to School

It is Monday morning
Monday is a school day.
“Get up Janet!” says Mummy
“Get up John!” she says.
“Get up Janet, get up John!” says Mummy.

Janet gets up. She goes downstairs.
John does not get up. John does not like getting up.
Mummy does not like getting up either.
Mummy had a heavy night in the Fox and Goose last night.
Mummy rolls over and goes back to sleep.

Janet gets her breakfast. She gets toast. She gets black coffee.
She gets one of her Mummy’s cigarettes. Janet feels better.
Janet had a heavy night behind the railway bridge last night.

Janet goes to the bottom of the stairs.
“Get up John,” she says.
“Get up you lazy little git” says Janet.
John gets up. John yawns.
John was out with Janet last night.

Janet and John walk to the bus stop.
At the bus stop they meet Eric and Mary.
“Hello Mary. Hello Eric” says Janet
“Hello Janet. Hello John” says Mary
“Hello John. Hello Janet” says Eric.
John is too hung over to say anything.

Janet and John get on the bus.
Eric and Mary get on the bus.
They all get on the bus.
Lots of children from school are on the bus.
The bus is very full. The bus is very noisy.

“Where were you last night Mary?” asks Janet.
“I thought you were coming to the railway bridge.” She says
“Yes,” says Mary, “I wanted to go but my mummy said no.”
“Why did she say no, Mary?” says Janet

“Janet!” says Eric.

“Don’t interrupt Eric,” says Janet. “Mary is telling me something.”

“But Janet!” says Eric.

“Shut up Eric!” says Janet. “Go on Mary,” she says.

Eric starts to pick his nose. Eric always picks his nose when he is nervous.

“I had to stay in to look after Jody-Lee,” says Mary, “While Mummy and my new Daddy went to the Fox and Goose.”

“Typical,” says Janet.

“Janet!” says Eric.

“What is it Eric?” says Janet.

“John’s been sick,” says Eric.

“Where?” says Janet.

“Over Darren.” says Eric.

“Oh shit.” says Janet. “Oh shit.” says Mary.
“Oh shit.” say Janet and Mary.
“Oh shit.” they say.

Darren is the school bully.

Janet and Mary push past Eric. They see John and they see Darren.

“Put him down Darren.” says Janet.

Darren looks at Janet. Darren looks at Mary.
He looks at them. He is holding John by his ankles.
John is upside down. John is being sick again.

Darren is scared of Mary.
He knows that she might tell his mummy
he asked to see her knickers.
Darren thinks this is very unfair as every other boy
in their class has seen Mary’s knickers without asking.

Darren knows that life is a bitch.
He knows because his daddy told him
before he went away with the Policemen.
Darren shrugs his shoulders, just like his Daddy did.
Darren puts John down.

He puts him down by letting go of his ankles.
“I didn’t mean like that,” says Janet.

John is lying on the floor. John is groaning.
John is lying and John is groaning.
“Ooooh,” says John. He says “Ooooh.”
Janet gives Darren a dirty look.
Then she pulls John to his feet.

Mary gives Janet a hankie.
Janet cleans up John with the hankie.
She cleans him up with it.
“I feel better now,” says John.

“Thank you for lending me the hankie Mary,”
says Janet. “It was very kind of you.”
“That’s alright Janet,” says Mary.
“It was Eric’s,” she says.
She gives it back to Eric.

Eric looks at his hankie.
“This is disgusting,” he says.
Eric waits until Little Sidney is not looking.
Little Sidney is very small. He is even smaller than Eric,
When Little Sidney is not looking, Eric pushes the hankie
into his bag with his lunch.

“Here we are,” says Mary. “Time to get off,” she says.
They all get off the bus. They go into the schoolyard