Scraps

[Charlie Kippin]

Dear Parent/Guardian:

On ___________ your child’s class is taking a field
trip to ___________. We will be traveling by _______.

We plan to leave school on ______ and return by ______.
The following items are needed for the trip: ___________
______________________________________________.

In order for your child to participate in the above-mentioned
field trip, Acklam Grange School requires parent/guardian
consent. Your signature not only gives permission for your
child to participate, but also authorizes the teacher and/or
chaperone to take emergency action (medical attention)
should a situation occur requiring such action.

Please complete and return this form if you choose to have
your child involved with this activity.

I give permission for _______________ to participate in
the _________________________________________.

The telephone number where I can be reached in case of
an emergency is _______________________________.

If your child is affected by any medical conditions requiring
special attention or medication, please provide details:
_____________________________________________

[Charlie Kippin]

we went to see the freedom tower today. cannit remember much except from that it cost 3.1 <strike>million-</strike>billion to put up cause of all the metal. the whole time the bloke was talking blakey was talking as well. mr clegg was giving him hackys but he doesnt care anymore cos its blatant she wont do anythin except put him in detention but theres no detention here so why would he be scared? all the way through the talk about the tower he was calling kelvin and saying he had swine flu cause he's fat and looks a bit like a pig. i told him to shove it up his arse and got in trouble cause clegg heard and thought i'd started it. then him and doyle were taking the piss saying i should shove it up kelvins arse instead cause he's well into that... knobjockeys. <strike>i hope blakey and doyle get swine flu.</strike> only 3 days until we fly home.

[Charlie Kippin]

“I bet you've never even done it with tongues.”
“Yeah I have!”
“With who?”
“Um, loads of people!”
“Like yer mam?”

They all burst out laughing and Charlie went the colour of tinned beetroot.

“No, fuck off you bender.”
“Nah, he never kissed 'is mam with tongues.. 'cause she spends all day tonguing tramps arseholes!”

This time the embarrassment became fury and skinny hands became skinny fists, white at the knuckles. No one stepped in to hold him back, as they did in the movies, and Charlie felt his confidence drain to the dregs.

“Jog on, Kippin,” Blakey sneered. “No one wants to get off with you and piggy anyway. Why don't you go neck with each other, eh?”

The hotel room suddenly felt very small, as the girls shared glances and murmurs. A mute Charlie glared, first at Blakey and then the other kids – thirteen of them in total, and all squeezed onto the edges of a double bed. In the center of the duvet was a empty, plastic Coca-Cola bottle which pointed its open top accusingly at Charlie and the doorway that was somewhere behind him. The meagre spot he had once occupied on the corner of the mattress was filled as a girl with ruler-straight blonde hair scooted along into the space, brushing none-too-innocently against the boy to her left.

Charlie turned away. There was a chair wedged against the bathroom door and as the game of spin-the-bottle resumed, as if he had never been part of it, he carefully edged the chair out of place.

Inside, a chubby boy was squatting against the side of a bathtub, determinedly pretending to read a manual on how to work the rooms power shower. Only the shaving light was on, since the main light was operated from outside and the only thing more funny than locking Kelvin in the bathroom was locking him in the bathroom in complete darkness. The toothbrush holder, complimentary hand soaps and sewing kit had been knocked onto the floor as he had groped about for the pull-cord lightswitch. Now, Kelvin scooped them up guilty in his arms, dropping one thing every time he picked up another.

“Are they lettin' me out?” His voice cracking the moment before he realised who was standing in the doorway. Something (a copy of Gideons Bible) hit Charlie in the back of the head and he winced, the breath catching in his throat as he fumbled for the witty reply that never came.