WR2-3

Dai sat on a section of the crumbling garden wall under one of the huge oaks that dominated the grounds of the Greggerson Academy for Gifted Students. It was one of the few shady spots that day. He slipped out of the scratchy wool jacket required by the school. The day was so hot! This was not November weather. It was perfectly clear with the sun beating down of the grass. Sun filtering through the branches created a lace picnic blanket under each tree. A tiny ballerina spiraled out of the branches over him and danced its way through the air, its sharp edges outlined against the sun until it touched earth and became a leaf again. Laughter from a clump of students erupted. Dai wondered absently what the joke had been. He could not hear very well, they were too far away.He turned his attention to another group as he reached into his bag for another apple slice. A girl waved her hand at someone emerging from the shadowy entrance of the school. Break was more animated today; the babble of the students rose and fell. It was the first day back after the nine weeks break, although it was Dai’s first day at the school. He was the new student Dai Walker, year 2, primary subject: English.
“Hey! Kid on the wall! Wake up!” Dai nearly fell of the wall when a voice near his knee shouted. He looked down and fell off the wall when a hand waving in his face nearly took his nose off.
“Opps! Sorry ‘bout that. You looked like you were about to fall off anyway staring out into space like you were asleep or something. I’m Branwell Archer by the way.” Dai looked up to find the owner of the chattering voice peering over the wall his messy white hair hanging into his blue eyes.
“Do ya need a hand?” Branwell reached a hand over the tall wall awkwardly. Then with a look of shock, his face disappeared. Dai jumped up and looked over the wall to see Branwell lying in the dirt under the tree rubbing his back. His face had such a look of comic surprise that Dai burst out laughing. Branwell had lost his grip on the wall.
“Hey! Don’t stand there in convulsions climb over and help me out!” Branwell's look of surprise turned to indignation. Still laughing Dai obliged using the spaces in the crumbling mortar as foot holds.
“I’m Dai Walker. Nice to meet you Branwell.” Dai extended a hand.
“Call me Bran, I hate Branwell.” Bran made a face, “Unfortunately I had no say in my naming.” He leaned in closer, “my Mum named me after her old dog. Can you believe it?” His expression switched from conspiratorial to pleading. “Don’t tell anyone this is our secret.”
“Okay, but you’re so quiet I can barely hear you,” Dai whispered back. Then louder, “Is drama your primary?”
“Yep what’s yours?”
“English.”
“So, you’re going to be the next Shakespeare! Cool. Would you write me a play? Please?”
“Yo, Snow White! Who’s your friend? He’s too big to be one of the seven dwarves.” They were walking up the lawn towards the school when a huge boy stood up and shouted at Bran. He kept walking past the boy. The bigger boy stepped around his friends and walked next to Bran. “I said who’s you’re friend Whitey?” Dai looked back and forth as he considered saying something. When Bran did not answer, the boy stepped in front of him and punched him in the face. Dai caught him as he fell back. He put him down on the ground as the boy addressed him “So who are ya kid?”
“I don’t feel like sharing seeing as you just punched my friend. So you can answer first.” Dai knew what would happen next. Sure enough, the boy growled wordlessly and went to punch him.Dai managed to side step the first few punches and got a few in himself. His third punch broke the boy’s nose with a sickening crunch. Unfortunately, this caused his equally huge friends to join the fight. The last thing Dai heard was adults shouting and then a sharp pain in his temple.
He woke to the buzzing of a ceiling fan and the rough weave of sheets on a bed. When he opened his eyes, he discovered he could only see out of one eye and the light from the window next to the bed seemed brighter than usual, at least the overhead lights weren’t on. When his eye adjusted to the light, he saw the plain white ceiling, curtains around his bed, and someone sitting in the chair next to the bed. He went to sit up gasped as the world spun and he fainted back onto the sheets.

WR2-2

Dai sat under one of the huge oaks that dominated the grounds of the Greggerson Academy for Gifted Students on a section of the crumbling garden wall. It was one of the few shady spots that day. He slipped out of his Letter jacket. The day was so hot! This was not November weather. It was perfectly clear with the sun beating down of the grass. Sun filtering through the branches created a lace picnic blanket under each tree. A tiny ballerina spiraled out of the branches over him and danced its way through the air, its sharp edges outlined against the sun until it touched earth and became a leaf again. Laughter from a clump of students erupted. Dai wondered absently what the joke had been. He could not hear very well, they were too far away.He turned his attention to another group as he reached into his bag for another apple slice. A girl waved her hand at someone emerging from the shadowy entrance of the school. Break was more animated today because it was the first day back after the nine weeks break. It was Dai’s first day at the school. He was a new student and was now Dai Walker, year 2, primary subject: English.
“Hey! Kid on the wall! Wake up!” Dai nearly fell of the wall when a voice near his knee shouted. He looked down and fell off the wall as he nearly got his nose taken off by a hand waving in his face.
“Opps! Sorry ‘bout that. You looked like you were about to fall off anyway staring out into space like you were asleep or something. I’m Branwell Archer by the way.” Dai looked up to find the owner of the chattering voice peering over the wall his messy white hair hanging into his blue eyes.
“Do ya need a hand?” Branwell extended a hand over the wall awkwardly. Then with a look of shock, his face disappeared. Dai jumped up and looked over the wall to see Branwell lying on the dirt under the tree rubbing his back. His face had such a look of exaggerated surprise that Dai burst out laughing. Branwell had lost his grip on the wall.
“Hey! Don’t stand there in convulsions climb over and help me out!” Branwell's look of surprise turned to indignation. Still laughing Dai obliged using the spaces in the crumbling mortar as foot holds.
“I’m Dai Walker. Nice to meet you Branwell.” Dai extended a hand.
“Call me Bran, I hate Branwell.” Bran made a face, “Unfortunately I had no say in my naming.” He leaned in closer, “my Mum named me after her old dog. Can you believe it?” His expression switched from conspiratorial to pleading. “Don’t tell anyone this is our secret.”
“Okay, but you’re so quiet I can barely hear you,” Dai whispered back. Then louder, “Is drama your primary?”
“Yep what’s yours?”
“English”
“So, you’re going to be the next Shakespeare! Cool. Would you write me a play? Please?”
“Yo, Snow White! Who’s your friend? He’s too big to be one of the seven dwarves.” They were walking up the lawn towards the school when a huge boy stood up and shouted at Bran. He kept walking past the boy. The bigger boy stepped around his friends and walked next to Bran. “I said who’s you’re friend Whitey?” Dai looked back and forth as he considered saying something. When Bran did not answer, the boy stepped in front of him and punched him in the face. Dai caught him as he fell back. He put him down on the ground as the boy addressed him “So who are ya kid?”
“I don’t feel like sharing seeing as you just punched my friend. So you can answer first.” Dai knew what would happen next. Sure enough, the boy growled wordlessly and went to punch him.Dai managed to side step the first few punches and got a few in himself. His third punch broke the boy’s nose with a sickening crunch. Unfortunately, this caused his equally huge friends to join the fight. The last thing Dai heard was adults shouting and then a sharp pain in his temple.
He woke to the buzzing of a ceiling fan and the rough weave of sheets on a bed. When he opened his eyes, he discovered he could only see out of one eye and the light from the window next to the bed was brighter than usual. When his eye adjusted to the light, he saw the plain white ceiling, curtains around his bed, and someone sitting in the chair next to the bed. He went to sit up gasped as the world spun and he fainted back onto the sheets

WR2-1

Dai sat on a section of the crumbling garden wall under one of the huge oaks that dominated the grounds of the Greggerson Academy for Gifted Students. It was one of the few shady spots on the accessible part of the grounds. He slipped out of his school jacket. The day was so hot! This was not November weather. It was perfectly clear with the sun beating down of the grass and clumps of students it felt like it was about eighty degrees out. Sun filtering through the trees created a lace picnic blanket under the branches of each tree. A tiny ballerina spiraled out of the branches over him and despite the lack of breeze and danced its way through the air its sharp edges outlined against the sun until it touched earth and became a leaf again. Laughter from a clump of students erupted. A boy told the joke again explaining it for the girl who sat next to him who was quite clearly un-amused. Dai wondered absently what the joke had been. He could not hear very well, they were too far away.
He turned his attention to another group as he reached into his bag for another apple slice. A girl waved her hand at another girl who was emerging from the shadowy entrance of the school. Break was more animated today because it was the first day back after the nine weeks break. It was Dai’s first day at the school. He was a new student and was now Dai Walker, year 2, primary subject: English.
“OY! Kid on the wall! Somthin’ Walker! Wake up!” Dai nearly fell of the wall when a voice near his knee shouted. He looked down and nearly got his nose taken off by a hand waving in his face. This time he did fall off the wall.
“Opps! Sorry ‘bout that. You looked like you were about to fall off anyway staring out into space like you were asleep or something. I’m Branwell Archer by the way.” Dai looked up to find the owner of the chattering voice peering over the wall his messy white hair hanging into his eyes.
“Do ya need a hand?” Branwell extended a hand over the wall awkwardly. Then with a look of shock, his face disappeared. Dai jumped up and looked over the wall to see Branwell lying on the ground rubbing his back. his face had such a look of exaggerated surprise on his face that Dai burst out laughing. Branwell had sliped.
“Hey! Don’t stand there in convulsions climb over and help me out!” Branwell's look of surprise turned to indignation. Still laughing Dai obliged.
“I’m Dai Walker. Nice to meet you Branwell.” Dai extended a hand.
“Bran actually. Call me Bran, I hate Branwell.” Bran made a face, “Unfortunately I had no say in my naming.” He leaned in closer, “My Mum named me after her old dog. Can you believe it?” His expression switched from conspiratorial to pleading. “Don’t tell anyone this is our secret.”
“Okay, but you’re so quiet I can barely hear you,” Dai whispered back. Then louder, “Is drama your primary?”
“Yep what’s yours?”
“English”
“So, you’re going to be the next Shakespeare! Cool. Would you write me a play in which I am the hero? Please?”

“Yo, Snow White! Who’s your friend? He’s too big to be one of the seven dwarves.” They were walking up the lawn towards the school when a huge boy stood up and shouted at Bran. He kept walking past the boy. The bigger boy stepped around his friends and walked next to Bran. “I said who’s you’re friend Whitey?” Dai looked back and forth considering saying something. When Bran did not answer, the boy stepped in front of him and punched him in the face. Dai caught him as he fell back. His hair really did feel like a girl’s is was so soft and fine. He laid him down on the ground as the boy addressed him “So who are ya kid?”
“I don’t feel like sharing seeing as you just punched my friend. So you can answer first.” Dai knew what would happen next so he steeled himself to jump. Sure enough, the boy growled wordlessly and went to punch him.
Dai managed to side step the first few punches and even got a few in himself. His third punch broke the boy’s nose with a sickening crunch. Unfortunetly, this caused his equally huge friends to join the fight. The last thing Dai heard was adults shouting and then a sharp pain in his temple.

He woke to the buzzing of a ceiling fan and the rough weave of sheets on a bed. When he opened his eyes, he discovered he could only see out of one eye and the light from the window next to the bed was brighter than usual. When his eye adjusted to the light, he saw the plain white ceiling, curtains around his bed, and a girl sitting in the chair next to the bed. He went to sit up gasped as the world spun and he fainted back onto the sheets.