Taking Off
Chapter 18
Chapter 18
Katie had passed four mock GCSEs and received encouraging professional advice regarding sponsorship for the pilot course. Matt marked her last one, in Maths, as Katie and her mother filled out forms for three different grant associations. They all sat at the dinner table, sipping a fresh orange juice Charlene had squeezed in the morning as part of her new fitness routine, while Charlene herself tested out her new MC material on a disinterested Peter in the garden.
“What should I put in here Mum? It says ‘motivation for change of career’,” Katie said.
“Let me see.” Linda read the guidance notes, her hand massaging her cheeks, and outlined a few words. “I think you should explain that the change in your financial situation has made you realise that you were unhappy in your job. You can write that office work doesn’t suit you and you need a more challenging and hands-on job.”
“Make sure you do only use positive sentences,” Matt said. “I’ve learnt that in my psychology class.”
“Thanks.” Katie turned a page in her notebook and pressed her left palm up and down the blank sheet. “Have you finished marking my test yet?”
“I’m double checking it, give me a second.” Matt chewed on his pencil then spat out the small wood fibres that had detached themselves and stuck to his tongue.
“Hurry up!”
“OK, I’m ready.”
“So?”
Matt smiled and stretched his arms in front of him as if he tried to embrace Katie. Katie stood up from her chair. “I’ve passed? I’ve passed! That’s so-”
“I’m sorry but you have failed, it’s a D. You‘re not far from a C though.” He nodded at Katie and his eyes shone.
Katie flopped back down on her seat. “Failed? I don’t understand how.”
“Exercise three, question -”
“I don’t want to know!” Katie buried her head between her mother’s shoulder and neck, her nose digging into the flesh, and sobbed.
“Oh darling, don’t cry. You’ve got a few weeks before the proper exams, you can study. Your brother said you didn’t fail by much, it’s all fixable.”
She dried her eyes when Charlene and Peter returned from the garden and excused herself a few minutes later.
***
Katie didn’t sleep well at all that night. Every hour, she emerged from a dream that involved a failure of some sort. In the one she remembered the most vividly, two men set out to prove to a tribunal that Katie suffered from stupidity. They listed all her past mistakes. They mentioned the day when, back in 1988, her school friend had tricked her into giving her twenty pounds. They described the horror on Fiona’s face when Katie had admitted she struggled to read the time. They referred to the afternoon at the office when a customer had asked her if she had discarded her brain. Katie woke up as the jury prepared to announce its verdict.
***
Katie arrived late for her shift due to road works which reduced the traffic down to one lane in front of Peckham library. Patricia commented on the time but Katie ignored her.
After the lunch hour rush, Katie called Aurélie and told her about her failed mock Maths GCSE.
“I’ll never get that one. I thought I did this time, I started to understand what it was all about but I was all wrong.”
“It’s only a little set back, it doesn’t mean anything.”
“But I’m taking the exam in four weeks!”
“Exactly. You’ve got loads of time to revise.”
“Do you think so? Can you help me?”
“I would.”
“You would?” Katie rubbed her forehead.
“I would, but I’m off to France tomorrow for my brother’s birthday then my mother will be coming back with me to London so I won’t have a minute to myself, you don’t know her.”
“What? You can’t do this. I mean, I didn’t know you were going to France.”
“Only decided a few days ago, got a cheap Ryan Air flight.”
As soon as Katie hung up, she regretted the sharpness of her tone with Aurélie. Of course, Aurélie deserved a holiday. Katie blinked and a tear escaped from her eye. After she sniffled and the spasm ceased, she dragged herself back behind the bar, a smile plastered on her face. No time to panic.
