18

Death by Maths!

Nadima greeted me with her usual big grin when I walked into our form room on Monday. I was worried that she might have heard about the camp-out from the others and she might be upset.

But she only said, ‘Good morning, Jaz. Thank you for inviting me to your house on Friday. I had a really good time.’

It was another one of those funny little speeches she teaches herself. So I grinned at her and replied formally, ‘You are very welcome, Nadima. Thank you for coming.’ And then I crossed my fingers and hoped nobody mentioned the camp-out – especially Kara. I didn’t think she’d miss a chance to stir things up. But I needn’t have worried. She was far too busy telling everyone about her terrible weekend. We got a blow-by-blow account of her row with her dad. She sat perched on the table, flicking her hair dramatically, with the others clustered round her.

‘It was awful!’ she moaned. ‘We were looking for a movie to watch online and I picked one but it was a 15 so he said I wasn’t old enough.

But I told him I’d already seen it – and he hit the roof! He wanted to know who’d given me permission to watch it. So I said Mum had, and he demanded to know if she’d watched it with me. So of course I had to say no, because I watch movies in my room rather than the living room because of the little ones. And he lost his temper and said Mum was putting her stepkids before me and he rang her up and screamed down the phone at her.’

Kara held out her arms, signalling she needed a hug from Lily.

‘Oh, Kara, that sounds dreadful,’ said Lily, putting her arm round her.

Chloe and Elly hovered, making sympathetic faces.

‘I hate my life,’ Kara wailed melodramatically.

I was speechless. Honestly, Kara’s melodramas are pathetic compared to what Nadima must have gone through in Syria. They’re nothing! And Nadima doesn’t go round saying how rubbish her life is and sobbing all over everyone. But I’d promised Lily I’d be nice – so I didn’t even roll my eyes. I just tried to look sympathetic. Fyi, it nearly killed me.

Anyhow, by the time Kara had finished her sob story, Mrs W had arrived – and promptly ruined everyone’s day.

‘Right, 7R,’ she announced, ‘as I’m sure you’ve all remembered, and are looking forward to it with wild enthusiasm, it’s the inter-form Maths Challenge this morning.’

Cue mass groans. We had all forgotten. I can’t imagine how. It was clearly going to be the highlight of the term – like The X Factor meets The Great British Bake Off. Only with more maths, no excitement and no cakes.

‘When the bell goes, make your way to the hall. You’ll need your pencil cases and calculators!’ she said.

A sea of hands shot up. ‘Miss! I haven’t got my calculator!’ cried about half the class.

‘Oh, bad luck!’ Mrs W laughed. ‘In that case you’ll have to use your brains instead.’

Cue even more groaning.

Oh, how absolutely brilliant – death by maths.

Seriously, there ought to be a law against it.

The whole of Year 7 dawdled into the hall as slowly as humanly possible. Honestly, I’ve seen speedier snails. We had to put ourselves in groups of four and find a table to sit at. Of course Kara and Lily immediately paired up with Elly and Chloe, leaving Nadima and me out. So we teamed up with Ryan and Liam. I’m actually pretty good at maths. Which is handy – given that I’m going to be a massively successful millionaire business-woman with loads of money to deal with!

Ryan and Liam would be the first to admit they’re not exactly maths geniuses. Class clowns, yes. Maths experts, no.

So I sighed, pulled the worksheet towards me and started to work through the questions. They weren’t actually that hard. Nadima watched me and then suddenly pointed at the paper and said, ‘No, Jaz, here is twenty-one. Is no eighteen.’

Then she took the pen off me and calmly did the sum again. And guess what, she was right!

Turns out Nad is brilliant at maths. At end of the challenge, we got full marks.

I’m just going to repeat that: We Got Full Marks! Which was a school record! Not bragging, just saying. (Well, bragging really.) When we went up to get our medals, I tried not to shoot Kara a triumphant look. Honestly, I did try. Just not very hard. Nadima was thrilled to bits. She kept saying, ‘Me happy, Mum be happy, Dad be happy!’ And she didn’t stop grinning all day!

Mind you, I was pretty made up too. I couldn’t wait to tell Mum. And I was really pleased that I’d helped make something good happen to Nadima – for a change.

The Brothers teased me rotten about the medal. When Mum got home Matt took her to one side and said, with a perfectly straight face, ‘You might need to have a little chat with Jaz. I think she’s stolen someone’s medal.’

‘I didn’t!’ I laughed. ‘I won it in the Maths Challenge.’

At which point Dan and Gus broke out into mock hysterical laughter.

Honestly! What are they like? It’s a miracle I’ve got any self-confidence left at all.

‘Pack it in, boys!’ said Mum, giving me a huge hug. ‘Well done, sweetheart!’ she said, then added, ‘Remind me, boys – has anyone in this house ever won a maths medal before?’ Knowing full well no one had. Again, not bragging, just saying!

Then she hung my medal across the corner of the hall mirror with all the The Brothers’ sports ones. It looked goooood!

After our brilliant success at the Maths Challenge, I think Nadima’s parents must have decided I was a good influence on her or something. Because later that evening, she texted me:

Friday

My house

I texted back:

LOL.