by Sarah Asuquo
“Uh- no. I mean yes. I mean no to the miming and yes to the speaking,” Breeze stammered.
“Sorry Miss, it’s Monday morning and we’re still half asleep!” Bella jested. “One of those coffees should do the trick!” said Bella as she stood up and began to walk toward Mrs Banjo’s kitchen.
“Bella!” Mrs Banjo cautioned.
“Too much?” Bella whispered to Breeze.
“If you don’t sit — down,” said Breeze, clenching her teeth.
Bella slowly returned to her chair. “Sorry, Miss.”
“Girls, I’m very busy at the moment, so if you don’t have anything sensible to say–”
“No, we do, Miss,” Breeze insisted. “I’m sorry, we’re just a bit nervous. We wanted to ask you about the Aspire coat of arms.”
“Yes, what about it?”
“We’ve noticed that there are some gaps in it, like something’s missing.”
“Yes, well-spotted,” replied Mrs Banjo. “Those gaps that you noticed held medals of previous Aspire students who became athletes and competed in the Olympic and Paralympic games.”
“Really!” Bella acted. “That’s very interesting. We had no idea!”
“Yes, I wouldn’t expect you to. You weren’t even born when these athletes competed.”
“So where are the medals now, then?” asked Breeze.
Mrs Banjo sighed deeply, “They’re gone.”
“Gone!” Bella shrieked, rising from her seat once again.
Breeze looked at Bella like a mortified parent with a child who’s having a tantrum in the middle of a supermarket. “Sit – down,” she muttered.
“Yes,” Mrs Banjo continued, “they were stolen over fifty years ago, and the police were unable to find them.”
“That’s so sad, Miss,” said Breeze.
“Very sad, indeed. Our coat of arms was created to honour those legends and inspire students in our school to go for their dreams. I remember learning about those athletes and how proud it made me to be an Aspire student when I was a child,” replied Mrs Banjo.
“You went to this school as a child?” Bella asked.
“Yes, I did. They were the best years of my life, which is why I came back to work here.”
“So why are you allowing our arena to be taken away?”
“Allowing? Do you think this is my decision, Bella? I’m just as disappointed about all of this as you are. Sport is what has made AAP special for decades. It’s what I loved most about the school when I was a student here.” Mrs Banjo became tearful. “Without sport, Aspire Academy just won’t be the same. That’s why I’ve decided to step down as your Principal; I refuse to play a role in implementing the new changes the founders are proposing.”
“But Miss, there must be a way to fight this. You can’t just give up,” said Breeze.
“I have tried my very best, but some situations are beyond my control.”
Breeze and Bella looked at each other and nodded in determination.
“What if we said we had a way?” said Bella.
“A way to do what?” Mrs Banjo replied.
“To save the school’s arena.”
“Bella, there’s nothing you can do.”
“Miss, what if we told you that we know where the medals are, and we could get them back?” Breeze said.
“Breeze, those stolen medals were a huge scandal. The police conducted extensive investigations for years to find them but couldn’t. There’s no way you two could find them. It’s an impossible mission.”
“Tell Tom Cruise that,” said Bella, “or Star Girl.”
“Miss, I know it’s hard to believe, but Bella and I have found the medals; we know where they are. You’ve always taught us to believe: ‘aspire, believe and achieve’, that’s what you’ve always said. Well, we need you to believe in us now, Mrs B. We’ve really found them, and we’re going to get them and bring them back to our school, where they belong,” Breeze explained.
Mrs Banjo was filled with hope. “If what you say is true — if you have truly found those medals, that could be just what I need to persuade our founders to maintain our sporting specialism and keep our arena open… it would provide us with the finances that we need to sustain the arena for decades, but–”
“But what, Miss?” said Bella.
“It’s too late. The Chief Executive and founders are meeting here tomorrow to sign the final agreement.”
“What time?”
“3:15.”
“We’ll have the medals back here by then,” said Bella.
Breeze looked at her best friend in terror. “Bella?”
“We can figure it out, Breeze. We’ll come up with a plan. You can do this.”
Breeze was reassured and confidently replied, “We can do it, Mrs B. 3:15, on your desk.”
“Hmm… Ok. If you get me those medals, I’ll do the rest,” said Mrs Banjo.
“Sounds like a plan! … Um, Mrs B?” said Bella
“Yes.”
“Wait a minute… There’s still one medal left in the coat of arms.”
“Yes, there is,” replied Mrs Banjo tensely.
“Whose medal is that?”
“Um, that was won by another former Aspire student who used to do the triple jump, but focus on the other three medals for now, eh?”
Bella smirked and winked at Mrs Banjo. “Ok, Mrs B.”
Mrs Banjo winked back and suddenly, Breeze and Bella noticed something unusual about her.
“Miss B, your glasses.”
“What about them, Bella?”
“They’re glowing.”
“No, they’re not.”
“Yes, they are,” Breeze objected.
“You can see it too, Breeze?”
“Yes, Mrs B. It’s hard to miss!”
“Impossible,” whispered Mrs Banjo.
Their prolonged silence was broken by the piercing school bell.
“Right, ladies! Off to period one! Good luck and let me know if you need anything between now and tomorrow’s meeting,” said Mrs Banjo, hastily leading them to the door.
“Thanks, Miss, we will,” said Breeze. The girls scurried out of the office and ran to their science classroom, desperate to avoid a scolding from Mr Begum for being late to his lesson. They failed.
“Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop. Stop right there!” Mr Begum commanded, holding out his wooden one metre ruler to obstruct their path.
Bella attempted to plead their case. “Sorry, Sir,” she said, “we were with Mrs Ba–”
“You were somewhere else, when you should have been here, approximately two minutes and twenty-two seconds ago. That’s one-hundred and forty-two seconds of learning you have lost. One-hundred and forty-two seconds that you cannot get back. But! There is hope. Thankfully, life presents chances… solutions. You can give me back the time that you owe me. You know how?”
The students of Aspire had endured this speech many times before and knew exactly what to expect next.
“Yes, we know how… de–”
“Don’t interrupt me, Breeze. Please and thanks. You can give me back the time in…” he would always pause dramatically before yelling, “DETENTION!”
“But–” Bella protested.
“In the words of Florence Nightingale, ‘I attribute my success to this: I never gave or took an excuse.’ No excuses!”
“What’s he on about, Breeze?”
“I ain’t got a clue, Bell.”
“Twenty minutes, two-hundred and twenty seconds!” Mr Begum exclaimed.
“But–” Breeze interjected.
“Each minute, each second multiplied by ten. You know the rules. Lunchtime or after school?”
“Lunchtime, please,” Breeze replied on their behalf.
“Good choice! Now open your textbooks to page fourteen and answer the fifty questions in silence. We will go through the answers if there’s time at the end of the lesson. Please and thanks.”
“Fifty questions!” Bella grumbled. “So much fo
r the precious learning that we missed. I could do this by myself at home!”
“Excellent idea, Bella! Year 10, you must complete the fifty questions on page fifteen as well for homework.”
Bella slouched in her seat with a look of remorse as the whole class glared at her, including Breeze.
“How did he even hear that?” she whispered to Breeze.
“He hears everything,” Breeze whispered back.
“That’s right, Breeze!” Mr Begum commended.
After school, B Squared met at the mini pond to devise a plan for how Breeze would get the medals the next day.
“Right!” said Bella, pulling out an A3 sheet of paper with a timeline she had sketched on it. “I think I’ve figured out how you can get each medal throughout the day tomorrow.”
Breeze stared at Bella in wonder. “Bella, how? When did you do all this?”
“In History. I was supposed to be creating a timeline of women’s rights in Britain and the Suffragettes movement, but I couldn’t concentrate. I couldn’t take my mind off the medals. Don’t worry, I’ll catch up with the work, after we complete this mission. Can I continue with the plan now?”
“Go ahead, Bell.”
“So, as I was saying, there are three windows of time throughout the school day when you can go and get the medals: break time, which is 25 minutes; lunchtime, which is 45 minutes and then after school, between 3 and 3:15, so 15 minutes. Now, it would make sense for you to get Bianca Baker’s medal from Crystal Palace at lunchtime because it’s the furthest away and get Benjamin Bailey’s medal from St. George’s at break time. Brian Bennett’s medal is only in Mile End Stadium, with the trainers, you could be there in minutes so that should be the last medal you go for. We have Maths last lesson and Mr Fraser is calm so I’m sure he’ll let you leave a little bit early if you say you’re bursting for the toilet or something. That should give you enough time to get to Mile End Stadium, find the medal and be back before the founders arrive. I’ve written the details of each location and where to find each medal on the timeline, I think I’ve thought of everything. What do you think?”
“Seems like you’ve got it all figured out. Guess it’s down to me now,” Breeze sighed.
“You can do this, Breeze. You’ve just got to make sure that you’re aware always aware of the time.”
“Yeah. I think I will be fine. I have to be. This is for our Academy.”
“Now you’re talking! I’ll be here to help you out as much as I can. I’ve got you, Breezy.”
“Got you too, Bell.”
“We should go home and get some rest; it’s a big day tomorrow.”
Breeze and Bella left the pond, unaware of the rustling in the bushes behind them.
“Is the coast clear?” said Chanel, desperate to avoid being seen.
“Yeah, they’ve gone,” Ade replied, helping Chanel out of the sea of leaves.
“I thought you said no one knows about this place! You idiot! Imagine if we got caught. Imagine if people found out about us!”
“Well, we didn’t get caught. And don’t worry, I don’t want anyone knowing about us either.”
“Good,” Chanel snapped, “you better not tell anyone, especially Jayden.”
“You’re jokes!” Ade snickered. “Jayden don’t want you!”
“Jayden doesn’t know what he wants… yet.”
“What, and you do?”
“Yes. I want Jayden. My baby love.”
“Baby love, yeah? So why were you just lipsin’ my face off?”
“Oh please! Get over yourself! You wish I was. You’re just a bit of fun… for now.”
“You keep telling yourself that, Chan. In a bit.”
“Ade, wait! What are those two up to?”
“I don’t know. I don’t really care to be honest.”
“Did you hear what they said about bunking school? Hmm… I’m telling.”
“Ah Chanel, ’low it man. Don’t be a snitch.”
“It’s not about snitching. I’m concerned for their safety. They’re planning on leaving the school premises during the school day; I think the school should know that, really.”
“Whatever, Chan. Why do you have to be so mix-up?” said Ade as he walked towards the playground.
Chanel began to think about how she could get Breeze and Bella into trouble and her face lit up with excitement. “Whatever you’re planning girls, I will end it.”
– 14 –
The Aspire Coat of Arms
English was a lesson that Breeze and Bella thoroughly enjoyed. Ms Browne was one of their favourite teachers, and they particularly liked how she would spark debates within her lessons, linking their English topics to important issues within society. However, today was not the day for A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Break time was fast-approaching and B Squared had one topic on their minds.
“I want us to explore that famous line in Act One Scene One: ‘the course of true love never did run smooth’. It can be interpreted in various ways,” said Ms Browne, ambling around the classroom. “One can argue that Lysander is reassuring Hermia and is optimistic because he believes that although the love they share will present obstacles, it will ultimately triumph. Alternatively, you could argue that he is a desperate man, who has just been publicly insulted by Egeus. Perhaps, he is trying to console himself, as well as Hermia, with the belief that things will work out for them. Very interesting, right?”
“Um-hm,” Breeze hummed passively.
“But does Egeus have a right to choose his daughter’s spouse? Arranged marriages are currently happening all over the world and many are successful. As her father, surely, Egeus should know what is best for Hermia and have her best interests at heart? Or is this an example of harmful patriarchy? Does forcing someone into marriage violate their human rights? Is this acceptable in our modern society? — Anyone?”
“Um, I don’t know,” said Chanel. “I’m a daddy’s girl and he buys me everything I want, like this Chanel handbag and these Prada shoes, so I wouldn’t want to upset him because he might stop giving me all these expensive gifts, you know? But like, I am an independent woman too, and I do what I want, when I want, so if I wanted to marry someone like… I don’t know… Jayden!”
Instantly, Jayden began to have a coughing fit.
“Are you ok, Jayden?” asked Ms Browne.
“Yeah, I’m cool, Miss. Sorry.”
“Yeah, like I was saying,” Chanel continued, rolling her eyes, “I would marry who I wanted, and my dad would just have to accept it. But if he didn’t like it, my man would be rich anyway, and would buy me all the Chanel I could ask for! So, I’ll be good regardless,” she giggled.
“Says the independent woman,” Bella mumbled.
Chanel kissed her teeth and continued, “I don’t know, Miss. That’s a hard one… really deep question.”
Attempting to raise the tone of the discussion, Ms Browne looked to Breeze to provide a more thought-provoking response. “Breeze? Your thoughts?”
Breeze sat up in her seat like a child in Reception, her back uncomfortably straight, and began to formulate an answer based on the parts of the lessons she was able to remember. “Um, love. Love is a — complexed emotion. An abstract noun. We cannot hold love with our hands… but it can hold us.”
“Wow,” said Ade, clicking his fingers like he was in a jazz bar.
“And um, patriarchy is an outdated structure used to restrict and oppress women. But that guy… Egeus, he ain’t all bad. I think he wants what he thinks is best for his daughter but he’s going about it in the wrong way.”
“That was deep,” said Ade.
“Deep it was,” said Ms Browne, smiling at Breeze. “Right, Year 10, summarise your thoughts on this quotation, analysing Shakespeare’s use of language and referring to the context of Elizabethan England. You have ten minutes until break time, and I expect at least one analytical paragraph by then. Off you go!”
“Ten minutes!” Breeze whimpered.
“You’re all good, Breezy. First stop is St George’s, remember you’ve got twenty-five minutes to get there, find the medal and bring it back. Have you got the timeline I gave you yesterday?”
“Yep, it’s here, in my pocket.”
“Perfect.”
“Yeah, I’ve just got to change into my trainers, then I’m ready to go.”
“Cool, as soon as that bell goes, run to our spot, change and go. I’ll be there waiting for you when you get back.”
“Girls, can we get on with the task, please?” said Ms Browne.
“Sorry, Miss,” they replied and started writing frantically.
Seven minutes had elapsed, and Breeze had completed her analytical paragraph.
“How do you write so much so quickly, man?” said Bella, leaning over to copy Breeze’s work.
Breeze’s attention was fixed on the clock and she didn’t reply. She discreetly wore her hoody, zipping it all the way up to conceal her school uniform, and cleared her desk. As the clock handle made its final round to mark 10:30, Breeze subconsciously adopted the stance of an ambush predator, anticipating its target, ready to launch an abrupt, surprise attack.
“Twenty seconds,” she said, sliding her chair back, her knees at a 90-degree angle, one leg in front of the other. She started to count down, “Ten, nine, eight…”
At this point, Bella was also filled with tension. “Good luck, Breezy.”
Breeze gave Bella a thumbs up and continued counting, “Four, three, two…”
Immediately, Breeze shot up and rushed through the door. “Thank you, Miss!” she cried.
Ms Browne’s perplexity was shared with the rest of the class as they gathered their belongings and left the classroom.
Bella power-walked in pursuit of the pond, but Ms Browne had some concerns. “One moment, Bella!”
She turned around slowly like a felon on the run, finally caught by the law. “Hey, Miss. How you doing? Great lesson — love a bit of Shakespeare; cheeky midsummer nightmare, and all tha-”
“Bella, what’s going on with Breeze? Is she ok?”
“Breezy? Of course,” Bella chuckled nervously, she lowered her voice and moved closer towards Ms Browne. “Between you and me, Miss, she had a dodgy curry yesterday; been on the bog all night. I told her not to come in, but she was like, ‘No, no, no, I’m fine now, I can’t miss English with Ms Browne.’ But that’s Breeze, right. It’s kind of funny really! Anyway, I better go and check on her, make sure no one’s teasing her in there and spray a little Impulse if needed. You know what I’m saying? See you later, Miss!”
