I want to write a book. Late last night, I dug out my writing notes from under the bed and did as I have done every year for the past six: read over my notes from every writing course I’ve ever been on. I realised, if I want to get better at fiction writing then what I actually need to do, is write. Throw some ideas down and put something, anything, out there. I also realised I need accountability. So. This is me practising my (heavily based on fact) fiction writing, delivered in weekly installments (ARGH COMMITMENT) here (subscribe!) and via my Instagram @george_writes. If you’re joining me for this ride, thank you. I hope I can entertain you by capturing the wit, wisdom and idiosyncrasies of the teenagers I’ve worked with over the years. This feels exposing and terrifying, which I’m taking as a good sign. Enjoy part one!

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‘You can DO ONE!’ Hayley turns and marches towards the school building just as the tears spill down her cheeks, streaking black mascara. There is a collective, ‘OOOOH!’ followed by silence as the group’s eyes move from Hayley to Ben. 

Harry punctuates the silence, ‘Ben, you’ve gotta spend three hours on a coach with your now ex-girlfriend. HA!’ 

Ben covers his face with his hands. 

Mr Burbidge whispers to Ms Collins, ‘Do you know what happened?’

Ms Collins gives a wide-eyed shrug. The two teachers look towards the group huddled together in matching tracksuit sets, next to a mountain of backpacks, talking in urgent hushed tones as they cast sideways glances at Ben. Ben, who remains statue-like with his hands still covering his face. 

Ms Collins turns and almost steps on Harry, ‘Miss, where’s the coach gonna park?’

‘Here, in the car park,’

‘Yeah but like, where exactly?’

‘I don’t know. Why?’

‘No reason. Where do you think the door will be?’ 

Ms Collins pauses and stares at this blonde-curtained boy, who looks like the milky-bar kid’s double but has the voice and aura of a cockney market stallholder.

Ms Collins raises an eyebrow, ‘At the front,’

‘No, like,’ he pauses, ‘Don’t worry.’ He sighs loudly and Ms Collins watches him walk back towards the group, glancing towards the entrance gates every few steps.

A cheer rises from the students and the teachers look up to see a coach pulling into the car park. Ms Collins looks towards the coach, ‘Five hours of hell starts now.’

Mr Burbidge whips his head round, ‘I thought it was three hours?!’

‘I’m being realistic.’

Now it is Mr Burbidge covering his face with his hands.

The coach pulls up with Harry walking alongside it, aligning himself with the door until it has fully stopped, and he is in the way of the coach driver waiting to get off.

‘LADS,’ beckons Harry, ‘BACK OF THE BUS!’

Ben arrives first and Harry waves him on like an extravagant hotel doorman. Ben slumps to the back, practically crashing into the seat next to the window and immediately pulling his hoody up. 

Harry arrives next, ‘Are you saving this seat for… anyone?’

‘No please just sit there.’ 

Harry looks as if he is about to say something, but doesn’t. He sits next to his friend, giving a smile and an eye-roll to no one in particular. 

‘Why do we have to sit right at the back?’ says Kieran, throwing his arms in the air, ‘If I vom, it’s gonna be all over you.’ 

‘If you vom I will throw you off this bus,’ replies Harry.

More of the boys appear and Kieran beckons them over, ‘Wheey lads, back of the bus!’

A voice emanates from the hoody, ‘I thought you didn’t like the back?’

‘Shut up.’

Ms Collins sees Tolu walking fast towards the school and is about to stop her when she realises she’s gone after Hayley. Jess’s group are starting up the stairs and she hears Jess ask to sit at the front,

‘I get travel sick and I need to see out the window.’

‘The teachers sit at the front!’ says Prince.

‘I bet they’ll sit in the middle, they’re not gonna leave the boys at the back.’

‘Fine! You better be right.’

Hayley reappears, striding tall next to Tolu, make-up re-applied. Her long red hair is perfectly blow-dried and bounces as she walks. Millie smiles and hugs them both and the trio ascend the coach, avoiding eye contact with Jess’s group at the front. Sensing Tolu has earned the prime seat beside Hayley, Millie sits next to Dylan, who smiles as if he’s just won a year of free Nando’s. Millie opens her notebook and tears off a thin strip of paper from the back, she writes ‘Love you Hay Hay always here 4 U. GIRLS trip XOXOXOXO’ and passes the note across the aisle to Tolu who passes it to Hayley. Hayley reads it and pouts her lips in a kiss towards Millie. Two notification pings go off simultaneously and Tolu and Millie open Hayley’s message: ‘My cuz says Welsh boys are leng ;-)’

Mr Burbidge approaches Ms Collins at the door of the coach, ‘I’m going to nab our seats,’

‘Great, put us in the middle somewhere so we can keep an eye on the back.’

‘Roger.’

Harry can’t leave it any longer, ‘Mate, what actually happened?’

Ben sighs, ‘Hayley saw my messages,’ Harry continues staring at him and Ben adds, ‘to Jess.’

To be continued…