Brooklyn Apna Kaida Sandhu

Brooke watched as her siblings got into Dad's car, leaving her home with Mum and Eddy. She was glad she wasn't going to school. But she would have liked to set the story straight.

It had all started when they were playing Rounders. Brooke was the best batter in the whole class, and she hit a great ball. It should have been the winning strike, to get their team to victory. But it sailed right towards Tilly, who had been put far out in the field because she couldn't catch for toffee, and by a complete fluke she caught it.

Tilly's team went crazy, hugging and congratulating her. Brooke was out, and her whole team was too, which meant that they lost by half a rounder. Tilly, who never caught anything, was last picked for any sports, and was generally useless, was in her moment of triumph.

Just as they were packing away, though, Tilly couldn't quite resist giving Brooke a smug little smile. And very quietly, she whispered.

"Ha ha, you're out!"

And Brooke saw red.

According to Tilly, Brooke launched herself on Tilly, jumped on her violently, and forced her to eat a worm. According to Brooke, she gave Tilly a light playful wrestle, sat on her very gently, and the worm just happened to be there and she wouldn't have dropped it in Tilly's mouth had Tilly not made such a fuss. The reality was somewhere in between, and the eight witnesses confirmed it.

The school took a dim view of it, because Brooke already had a bad record for behaviour. Brooke was suspended, Mum and Dad were called in, and there were lots of arguments and a lot of fuss. Tilly's parents demanded Brooke's expulsion, saying Brooke had been 'tormenting' poor little Tilly for years, who was much smaller and young for her age and had a speech impediment and was clearly the victim. Brooke had protested that Tilly was a snitchy little snitchbag and always exaggerated.

Mum and Dad had had a row about it, and that was the moment that Brooke had started to feel a teeny bit guilty. Mum and Dad didn't row very often.

She had caught snatches of it from the top of the stairs, where she and her siblings sat to earwig on the argument. Mum was saying that Brooke had hated going to that school since the moment she stepped in it, and that however good a school it was enough was enough. Dad was saying that she needed bringing back in line.

"They're both right." Fry muttered.

"I don't need bringing in line." Brooke huffed.

"You have to remember how strictly Dad was brought up." Coral pointed out. "He finds stuff like this really hard because he and Mum have such different ideas."

Gil started to cry. Brooke punched him on the arm, which didn't work.

"Stop it, baby. Eddy isn't crying."

Eddy, who was sitting supported on Coral, didn't look remotely interested or concerned.

After about another ten minutes, in which it seemed that Mum had probably won, Brooke was summoned downstairs.

"We don't see any point in things getting worse and worse until you are expelled." Dad said, coming to the point. "So either you stay where you are and there are big changes, or we look for another school."

And that was how it happened. Brooke wasn't expelled, but Mum went to the head and told her that she was withdrawing Brooke, and that was that.

Initially, although she was grounded for everything except hockey, Brooke was jubilant. No more school for the rest of the term! Until Dad told her that she was going to have to be 'home schooled' for the rest of the academic year, while they found a new school, which meant doing lessons with Mum while Mum was on maternity leave with Eddy, and if she didn't do them she didn't get a ride to hockey.

Fortunately, although it was boring not being around her friends, Mum was dyslexic, so she didn't set a huge amount of difficult reading and writing and set a lot more stuff that involved going out in the garden looking at leaves and things.

"Is Brooke ill?" Hazel's mum from next door enquired, one day, when she saw Mum. Mum briefly explained that Brooke was between schools due to some issues.

"Well, Hazel and Rowan go to Montessori school." Hazel's mum said. "I can give you the details if you'd like to take a look."

Brooke had made a face. More school! But then again, this was the school that Hazel and Rowan went to, and Hazel and Rowan were cool, and it would be nice to already know someone. So Brooke decided she would go and look, and be good, at least for one day, while she decided.

"'My Daddy is a great big wimp.'"

The class giggles with the uncertainty of children who aren't quite sure whether the reader is going to get into trouble or not, but is interested in finding out.

"That isn't very nice, Brooklyn." Miss Hebblethwaite prompts.

"It isn't, but it's true." Brooke says. "'My Daddy doesn't like anything fun, like making a big noise or making a big mess. He can't do sport or throw or kick a ball. He likes boring things like chess, or doing a su doku. He can't cook and when he tries to fix things he breaks them more. He's scared of fun things like dogs and heights and swimming.'"

"Thank you Brooke, that's enough." Miss Hebblethwaite says, as the class laughs. "Can't you think of anything nice to say about your father?"

"Well..." Brooke considers. "I guess, although he is a big wimp, he does at least try. He can't throw a ball, but he still takes us to the park. He can't cook, but he has a go. And he can't fix things, but he'll have a look and try. He lets us keep a little dog even though he doesn't like it, and he takes us on holiday and swimming even though he doesn't like to fly or swim."

"And he can be brave too, when he's working, right?" Miss Hebblethwaite prompts. "Looking after lots of people."

"Well, it's more exciting when they're all bleeding and gross, but okay."

Thank goodness she had Ruby from karate with her on the bus. Brooke finds herself unusually nervous.

"I wish I was in your class, could you not have been born a bit earlier?" she complains quietly.

"You'll be fine, you're in Jail, you lucky thing." Ruby says.

"Jail?"

"8JL. Miss Lane's class. She's awesome." Ruby says. "Hope I get her next year. She's well strict, but she's cool."

When they get to school, Ruby has to shoot off to look after another new student in her class.

"You're just down corridor two on the second floor. Good luck!" She gives Brooke a quick squeeze hug and dashes off.

Brooke looks around for the stairs. There's a huge number of kids rushing around, and for a moment she feels totally lost. Then she spots a boy she recognised from the tour, and heads over.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for 8JL?"

The boy grins at her with a dazzling smile. Brooke considers he could seriously sell toothpaste.

"I'm going up there, you new?"

"Yeah, I'm Brooke." Brooke follows the boy upstairs. "Just transferred."

"I'm Dylan. That's cool. You into sports then?"

"Isn't everyone?" Brooke asks, slightly bewildered. This is a sports academy, after all.

"Course not, most of us are just in the catchment area, you know?" Dylan swings the door open to a very noisy class of thirty two kids. "Welcome to Jail."

"Thanks." Brooke grins. Dylan grins back. The other teens are starting to notice her, but one group in particular is staring. One of the group comes over and takes Dylan's hand with a pointed look at her.

"Hey babe." Dylan kisses the other girl on the cheek. "This is Brooke, Brooke this is Amber."

"Hi Amber." Brooke smiles, trying to be friendly, but part of her is already taking in the classroom. This is survival time, and she needs to think fast.

"You can try and sit there." Amber says, pointing to a desk that's been squeezed in the front row between two others. On one side is a girl with hair in tight plaits, who is covering her ears and staring at a text book despite it being the first day of term. On the other side is a boy, aloof from the others, with - what was that word Fry used to correct her for 'funny looking?' - dysmorphic facial features. His eyes are small, and wide set, behind thick glasses. He smiles and waves at her enthusiastically.

"You can sit next to me." he offers. "This seat is free."

"Thanks." Brooke goes to the desk, because although this is the last place she would have chosen, it's very clear that the groups occupy their own usual spots.

"Jackdaw's got a girlfriend!" one of the boy groups yells out as she sits down, to general laughter. Jackdaw goes a bit pink but ignores them.

Brooke looks over at the girl on the other side, who has ignored her entirely.

"Hi, I'm Brooke." she tries.

The girl uncovers her ears for a moment and looks at her with an expression of dread.

"Neaveh. You're not some expelled troublemaker are you? Because it's difficult enough to learn in here."

Before Brooke can answer, Miss Lane walks into the room. Automatically, Brooke stands up, having been thoroughly trained into this at Holby High. However, since she is the only one that does so, this is met with a lot of sniggering from behind.

"All right, that's enough." Miss Lane says, leaning back on the edge of the desk. "We should totally reinstate standing for teachers, 'Stand up and shut up'. I like it. Sit down, kid."

Brooke sits down, feeling like a complete idiot.

"Okay, a recap for those of you who are new. I am Miss Lane. You will call me Miss Lane. You will do your homework. You will come to class on time. You will not use your phone in my class. You will not be an arse."

She looks at Brooke with a straight face, who looks back with one similar.

"Right, register."

Brooke pays attention, listening to the names and matching roughly with locations in the room. She may have got the seating part wrong, but the rest is critical.

Two groups at the back, most likely highest on the teenage social hierarchy. One all boys. One all girls, made up of Chanel, Chantelle, Siobhan and Sian. Matching hairbands, make up perfect, clearly a clique. Group of three girls all in frilled shirts quite near the back. Mixed group in the middle made up of Amber and her friends, already changed into PE kit, several in the same team as her, judging by the colour on their kit - similar to houses at her old school. Second middle group, all girls, three out of five in hijabs. Two musical instruments visible. One wearing a wrist splint, likely plays netball. Second new kid is with them. Third middle group containing Dylan, exclusively male. Front rows small groups, one mixed and incorporating Jackdaw part of the time. Group immediately behind Neaveh all male, does not appear to include her; she is alone. Other side of Naeveh is the other new kid, Isla.

"Naeveh, perhaps you could look after Brooklyn and Isla today please?" Miss Lane asks, at the end. "And all three new people, come and see me at lunch time, so we can discuss whatever social catastrophe has caused to you transfer schools in the middle of the academic year."

The first lesson takes place in their form room, and is PSE. They talk about goals, aspirations, new year's resolutions. Brooke keeps quiet as much as possible, wondering whether this is directed at her, and for once makes as much effort to be well behaved as possible. She makes her poster, and writes 'Karate instructor' in the middle.

"That's well cool." Jackdaw says, looking over.

"Thanks." Brooke smiles at him. Miss Lane, who is circulating, nods in approval at her poster, and continues on her way. At the back of the class, one of the groups of boys has got loud, and settles with a death stare.

At break, she wonders where to go, when a pretty petite girl comes over. Brooke thinks back to the register, checks location in her mind, and performs her party trick. Frilled shirt group, the one in the middle.

"Hi... Esther?"

"Hi, I love your bag." Esther says, looking vaguely impressed. "Listen, they stuck you in a really awful spot, do you want to move desks and sit with us?"

"Is there space?" Brooke asks.

"You can move your desk over, nobody will mind." Esther says. "You can lift that, right? All that muscle?"

"True, but won't Miss Lane mind?"

"Who cares?" Esther asks. "Listen, people sit in roughly the same spot for each class, even in different rooms, so if you're not careful you'll get stuck between the nerd and the retard the whole time."

Brooke nods. The prospect of sitting with the trio of girls, who all strike her as fashionable and probably sporty, sounds much better socially. But as she starts to lift her desk up, she notices Jackdaw's ears are red, and he's looking away. Naeveh was ignoring her anyway, but is studying her book extra carefully.

She puts the desk back down and turns back to Esther.

"Thanks, but I'll stay here." she says, looking Esther straight in the eye.

"Excuse me?" Esther raises an eyebrow. "I know you've worked out how things are in here, why would you want to stay there?"

Oh she's good. You've approached me to join an apparently quite exclusive group. Despite me wearing the uniform exactly as instructed and not conforming to the physical characteristics of your group. That means only one thing. You know of me, you know I'm trouble and you want in.

"Newsflash, new kid not overwhelmed by Esther Nightingale." Naeveh remarks, smiling for the first time but not looking up from her book.

"Mind your own business, Never." Esther says, in the same sweet tone, before looking back at Brooke.

"Suit yourself." she shrugs. "I would have thought you'd be worried about not fitting in having been at private school, and us having a common enemy, but whatever."

Great, she does know me. Where do I know her from?

As Esther leaves Brooke sits back down.

"Hockey sticks at dawn!" Jackdaw grins.

"How did you know I played hockey?" Brooke asks.

"I didn't. I do though. On ice."

Dad holds his hand up for silence at the dinner table.

"Nobody is getting expelled." he says, quietening the five kids. "I have spoken to the head today, in light of her recent improvement in grades, Brooke is to come back in for a meeting and to sign a behavioural contract. Coral and Rahne, regardless of what happens with Brooke, you will not be asked to leave either, the head said you were both a credit to the school."

Coral, whose time at the school has generally entailed a running battle between effort and dyslexia, goes red with quiet pride.

"Do I get to go back to the hockey team?" Brooke asks.

"No, the head said regardless of whether you intended to break the window, there is no denying that you shouted 'abusive language' about another student in her presence and that punishment has to stand." Dad says. "I'm sorry Brooke, actions have consequences."

"Then I don't want to stay there." Brooke says. "I'll only break the behavioural contract and get expelled later. Jenny's uncle is on the governors and half the class think I tried to kill her."

***

"So basically they're trying to find anywhere with a space." Brooke says, as she exits the changing rooms towards the dojo. Ruby, her friend at the same level, is staring at her wide-eyed at the story, as are some of the smaller girls in the other classes.

"You really got expelled?" Six-year-old Gina asks, staring at her.

"Not expelled, just suspended. I messed up and got in heaps of trouble and now I can't go back because half my class hates me and there's no way I'm going to be able to stick to even stricter rules..."

She looks up, and sees Kitamura-sensei and Morgan-sensei watching her. Instantly she feels bad. Morgan-sensei frowns slightly, and takes the younger children off to their class.

Kitamura-sensei's expression remains passive as she goes through the class. Afterwards, he beckons her over to the office.

"Tell me what happened?" he asks, sitting down, and gesturing for her to do so also.

Brooke relates the tale again, feeling worse by the minute. As she reaches the end, her sensei sighs.

"You are a good student here, and a role model to the little ones. You think quickly, you must learn to think further ahead. Only that way will you reach your potential within your team."

"My team?"

"Your friends. And your siblings." Sensei says.

"I'm not like them." Brooke says.

"Of course not. The five of you exist in a balance." Sensei says, smiling gently. "I have taught each of you, remember. Your brother Alexander is a fighter of mind learning to control his physical and interpersonal skills. Your sister Coral is a peacemaker learning to stand up for herself. Your brother Gilbert is a survivor who deflects the battle with humour. Your foster sister Rahne exists between the four of you, listener, fresh eyes, and catalyst. And you, Brooklyn, are a fighter of body, who must learn to control your mind."

Brooke nods, soberly.

"Don't be discouraged." Sensei adds. "The butterfly and the dragon flourish best in different environments."

It's sweet to get out shopping again. Hermione was right; students who get straight As get a lot of leeway, and her parents and teachers all think they get the credit for her change of tactic.

With a bit of luck, she'll be getting her belly button pierced in no time.

She heads through the mall with Hermione and Alisha, and a feeling of contentment. Even if Hermione has a snazzy new bag that she's rather envious of.

"I can't believe your Mum got you a real designer bag!" Alisha says.

"Yeah, my Mum wouldn't let me in case I got mugged." Brooke rolls her eyes. "She's such a wuss."

They stop at the food court. As Brooke purchases her pizza, she catches out of the corner of her eye a man of about eighteen chatting to Hermione. She pauses and frowns slightly; she gets mistaken for being thirteen, fourteen, even fifteen all the time, but Hermione looks very much the twelve year old she is.

"Hey, Hermione, I can see seats for us!" she yells across the court. As Hermione looks over, the big lad shoves her hard and snatches the bag.

"OI! STOP THIEF!" Brooke yells, dropping the pizza and sprinting after the man. Everyone else in the shopping centre is looking the other way, not noticing, not getting involved, even though Hermione is bawling her eyes out. She doesn't stop at Hermione either, because Alisha can do that.

She sprints through the crowds and sees him pushing his way down an escalator. She bounds down the upgoing escalator - fewer people and they're looking the right way, and launches into him, tackling him into the floor.

"Someone call the police!" she yells, pinning him with a foot in his armpit and his arm twisted around.

"I'll get you for assault if you don't let me go!" the man snarls.

"Nice catch kid." the store security man says, jogging over. "Should have left it to us though. Did he hurt you?"

"Nah." Brooke shakes her head. "Couple bruises, get worse from karate. He's got my mate's bag though."

The guard takes over holding the mugger, and a few minutes later a couple of police officers come over. They take over the man, while a female officer asks the girls some questions.

"You have quite a talent there." she comments to Brooke. "You tackled that guy like a pro, and your observation skills are excellent too. I mean, you ought to leave it to professionals at your age, but have you considered a career in the police?"

Brooke blinks.

"Well, that's more of my little sister's dream... I don't really have a career plan."

"Here's my card, email me if you want more information." the officer says.

First parents' evening. Brooke isn't nervous. Sure, her previous parents' evenings have gone pretty badly, but it doesn't particularly bother her. Mum and Dad have refused to be resigned to her poor performance, so there's usually long and boring consequences.

They queue for Mrs Samson, her form tutor. Some of the other girls give her a grin as they pass back through the queue, knowing she's probably in for a roasting. But it's not a mean grin; she may not be in the 'official popular girls' group, but she's confident that she's well liked by most of the others. And that's far more important than happy teachers.

"I'll get to the point." Mrs Samson says, when they sit down. "Brooklyn is clearly very bright, but she's got quite an attitude. You might think it's funny, Brooklyn, but it isn't."

"What do you mean, an 'attitude'?" Brooke asks. "When have you ever found anything you could actually punish me for?"

"There have been several incidents of cheekiness with staff, and your attitude to classwork is one of minimal effort, one we don't expect of a scholarship student."

Brooke is about to respond that she didn't ask them to give her a scholarship, she just happened to score a hundred percent on every paper. But Dad shoots her a warning look.

"I'm afraid there have also been allegations of cheating." Mrs Samson says.

Now Brooke sits up. "Who accused me of cheating? On what evidence?"

"Well, you get one mark more than the minimum on every single piece of homework, and between ninety five and a hundred on every test." Mrs Samson says. "Some of the teachers find this suspicious that you are copying from your sisters' old work."

Brooke gives her a long stare.

"You have to answer that Brooke." Mum says.

"Have you met my sisters?" Brooke asks her form tutor. "I'm hardly going to copy from Coral, she's severely dyslexic. Nor am I going to copy from Rahne, who learned most of her primary school work from a man with an undiagnosed brain tumour. She has an entire notebook about 'Henry the ninth'."

"I've not seen any evidence that Brooke is copying." Mum says. "I supervise the girls' homework."

"Brooke, are you getting the minimum mark on purpose?" Dad asks, perceptively.

"Well why waste time doing every question when I can pass with seventy and go out and practice karate?" Brooke asks.

Now it is Mrs Samson's turn to stare.

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard." she says. "But if that's the way you want to play it, I shall instruct all of your teachers to increase your minimum pass mark on homework to ninety percent."

"Wait, that's not fair! You can't do that." Brooke says.

"Sure I can. You are one of my brightest students, Brooklyn Sandhu, and I am not giving up on you."

Brooke pouts, realising that she has just talked her way into being outsmarted by a teacher.