Gordon's Viewpoint

Chapter 1

One time I'd love to wake up without hearing that stupid alarm clock. It's the start of the new school term again, and I hate getting up. I always try and lie here until the last minute before dad yells at me to get up.

'Boys, you're going to be very late if you don't get a move on!'

See there. He never misses a dig. I always try and make each morning into a race against my brothers, but Scott always manages to win. Today is gonna be different.

Quietly I slide out of bed and pad softly towards the door, like a spy, I ease the door open and look left, then right. Nothing. The coast is clear and I tread towards the bathroom. Suddenly there he is.

'Scotty!' I pout. 'No fair.'

'Sorry,' calls Scott. 'But I have to get ready, Gordy.'

Sometimes I really hate my elder brother, he's so confident and always thinks he's better than the rest of us. I try and sneak towards the other bathroom but Virgil beats me there too.

"Virg, I was so here first!"

"I won't be long Gordon. Besides, have you done that work for Mr Dunn?"

Shit. What work? No one said anything about any work. Quickly I run towards my room, sit on the bed and find my school bag underneath it, amongst all the rubbish. It's lain there all Summer. I hate homework. I hate school too, but dad and mom don't know that. I find my homework book eventually. Write about a holiday. I can do that easily. We went to Caribbean this year and it was awesome.

I am going to write about my vacation to the Caribbean. Me and my family went there for two weeks and it was the best time of my life. Me and my brothers played in the sea and it was funny one time because I nearly drowned Virgil. I didn't mean too. I was teaching him how to hold his breath under the water and he started to go blue. Scott yelled at me, until I dragged him out. The rest of the holiday wasn't the same cos no-one trusted me. But it was the best one we have ever been on. It was nice to spend some time with my family, and we were also able to stay up late.

Awesome, I thought. No one'll ever know I did it this morning, and I reckon I could get mom to take a look at it before we leave.

"GORDON COOPER TRACY! Get yourself down here down."

Shit. Mom. Quickly I run into the bathroom, brush my teeth and pull my clothes on. I'm not Scott, so it doesn't take me an hour to get ready for school. I haven't got anyone to impress.

Eating some toast, cos there weren't any pancakes left, mom yells at me again.

"Don't you ever be late again!' I shake my head, even though I know I will be. I always am. It's only school.

"Sorry, mom. I won't do it again!" I could see my brothers grinning at each other, like they'd never been late before.

"You'd better not, Gordon. This is an important year for you. It is for everyone," she adds looking round at me and my brothers who are already standing ready to go. Suck ups. "Now are you all ready? Have you got your lunches?"

They all nod, and I run away to get my bag from underneath my bed. Soon I'm standing next to Virg.

'Plate!' yells mom, and I pick it up and take it to the sink. It's always like this every morning until the next vacation. Mom always yells, I always get blamed, and the rest of them reckon that they're so perfect.

"Mom?" I ask, as George, our butler, brings the car around. "Can you please read this through before we leave please?"

She nods and holds out her hand for my work. Her eyes scan the passage and I wait with baited breath, wondering what she's going to say.

"It's OK Gordon, for something that you wrote only half and hour ago." I know Scott and the others are gonna laugh even before they do so, and I glare at Scott.

Scott grabs the sheet of paper from mom's hand, before I can take it back and reads it before adding, "not bad, Gordy but you might wanna change cos to because?"

I glare at him again before I take the paper back, cross out the word and write 'because' above it.

"Now, I want a marked improvement from you, this year, Gordon. Is that understood?" continues mom, as I glance again across my work.

I nod.

"Scott?" and he nods. "Promise me, you'll make sure Alan gets on OK this year."

"I'll do my best, Mom but we can't mix with the Juniors all the time."

God he always sounds so cocky. It must be boring being so confident and up yourself all the time.

She nods, "I understand but I'm holding you and John responsible for your younger brothers this year. You are the eldest. Alan, darling, come to Mommy," and she holds out her hand for Alan to take. He's only a baby, just 5, that's two whole years younger than me so I can boss him around at home. This is his first day at the big school, my school.

He smiles as she picks him up and gives him a hug. "Be good for Mommy, and Georgy will pick you up at lunchtime, OK sweetie?"

Alan nods. Then George appears in the huge wooden hall. The car's ready. I love going in his car, cos it's so big and everyone looks at us when we arrive. It's awesome.

"Thank you, George. Now, all of you go, and be good. I don't want to hear of any fights, not on your first day back. I'll see you tonight," adds mom, as she hugs us all.

On the way to school I'm silent, worrying about the day. I hate first days, cos everyone is talking about the year ahead and I hate school. I hate work, and I hate homework. The only lesson I like is Spanish but it's after school, not a real lesson.

Scott and John are talking Math and things that I don't understand. Virg is humming a tune that I haven't ever heard before, and Alan is being Alan and drawing in his favourite book.

As we get nearer the school, I start to feel nervous. What if the other kids have gone off me, or don't like me, or have other new friends? I always think like this; Scott and John seem confident and don't care, and I sometimes think it would be nice to be like them and not care, or not show that you are worried.

"Bye George," yells Scott, as he jumps out of the car. "See you tonight."

"Bye Scott, take care."

My brothers say bye and Scott and John take Alan to my school, bet they're gonna see Mr Nevins. He was my Kindergarten teacher too. I kinda feel sorry for Alan, cos he's so young. He isn't gonna be 6 until July, that's little for his year. I stay back with George and the car, cos I feel safe.

"Everything OK, Gordon?" asks George, leaning out of the window and watching me with interest.

"Yeah, I'm just…just not looking forward to it."

"You'll be fine. Aren't you looking forward to seeing your friends?"

I nod slowly, "s'pose. But the work's hard."

"I thought you enjoyed your Spanish?"

"I do, but that's all. I can't do anything else!"

"I bet you can. You're all very bright kids you know."

I nod slowly, walking towards my school, Wharfton Junior. Then I see John and Scott walking back towards me. John's going to the Academy and Scott's got his final year in the middle school. They don't look nervous at all.

"Gordy, you OK?" asks Scott, stopping infront of me. "You were really quiet this morning."

I nod. "I just don't want today!"

John nods, "nor me. It's my first day over there," and he looks at the Academy.

"I didn't think you ever got scared, Jonny?"

John nods, "we all do, Gordy. If we didn't we wouldn't be human. Now, we're gonna be late, so see ya later, OK?"

"We'll be fine. We're Tracys!" shouts Scott as he walks off. He's right, we're Tracys and no one's ever gonna mess with us while there're five of us in the school. I'm gonna be fine.