Heart Shaped Clouds

'Slacking' is a Swearword

CALLUM

My morning routine goes something like this

4:30 am: Wake up and get dressed

5:00 am (Yes, I do need half an hour to get up, I'm a teenage boy!) Make breakfast for me, the twins Benny and Zoe ,Colin ,Steve and Dad

5:30am: Finish breakfast and put on wellies

5:50 am: Bring breakfast up to everyone (Dad's outside already though)

6:20 am: Drive tractor down to cow shed

6:45 am: Let cows into bottom field

7:00 am: Feed chickens and collect any eggs. (Results in angry feathers and outraged squawking and the odd peck. Or ten.)

7:30 (we have a lot of chickens ok?) Feed pigs or as Benny calls them 'The bacon' (Predictably he also calls the cows 'the beef' too, even though half our lot are kept for dairy )

7:55 am: Drive tractor back

8:15 am: Realise my uniform has got some kind of muck on it and spend ten minutes scrubbing at it

8:25 am (ish): Give up on scrubbing and realise I have missed the bus by at least ten minutes.

8:30 am: Grab a some sort of food from the fridge and start the long (and treacherous) walk to school.

Being a farmer's son, you think I would have learnt the art of getting up earlier, or not wearing my uniform to feed the pigs' by now. Nah...

When I got to school I was, as per usual, late yet again. "Morning Mr Dale, glad you were able to join us at last." My tutor, Miss McDougall said wearily as I slumped into my chair. A few lads, Sam Jeeves and his lot, sniggered from a few chairs away. "Nice do, mate. New style I see." They shouted, referring to my hair, which was infamous for having a mind of its own. I sighed and ran my fingers through it. If only they knew what it was like to work hard. If only they knew what it was like to start your day at 4 am and work all day on weekends.

Being a farmer's son is a tough life, all my family will tell you that. Everyone pitches in, does their bit. Being tired is the norm; slacking is like a swearword in my family. My dad is a big man and a very successful farmer but he is up every day a three, working until gone eleven each night. He works the hardest out of anyone I have ever seen. So I'll admit, it's tough. Don't get me wrong though, I wouldn't want it any other way. Well, apart from a lie in, I wouldn't say no to that! You can't beat seeing he sun rise and fall every morning and night, or witness the birth of a new animal, or the baby lambs skipping in the spring, or a new born foals take its first clumsy steps.

It's just -"Oi, Cal, you seen the new girl? Arrived during the summer from the mainland. She is fit as. Capital F." My best mate Charlie nudged me in the ribs, nodding his head in the direction. I followed his gaze, scanning the classroom and sure enough, sat in the corner looking scared for her life is a girl. I bet you are thinking, 'wow, what's the big deal, Callum' but it is a big deal. You see, I live on this tiny island in Scotland and in my class, Year 10, there are just 7 people. Eight, now, if you count the new girl. Six boys and just two girls. No wonder she looked scared. And ours biggest class in the whole school. In year 8, there's only one boy, called David.

So, to get to the point, yes it's a pretty big deal. Especially if she just so happens to be gorgeous. The problem is however, just about every one else thinks so too...