Symphony

Reluctant

Thank you to Holls_Alexander who wrote this chapter! Go check her fanfics out they're awesome !!

"I don't want to go to school!" Poppy whines as she throws herself on the last step of the staircase and begins putting her shoes on.

"I know, but mummy said she would bring Freya to come and pick you up after school." Jack smiles trying to reason with his eldest daughter.
"I don't want to go!" Poppy cries again.
"But pops, you love school." Jack chuckles, "I tell you what, if we get you to school without a fuss, I will hide some sweeties in your treat jar for tonight. How does that sound?" he bribes.
"No!" Poppy protests, folding her arms across her body.

"Dadadada!" Maddison babbles as she crawls over to Jack and steadies herself on her feet.
"Look, Maddie is set for nursery, she didn't make a fuss, come on Poppy." Jack sighs.

Poppy shakes her head and turns away from Jack as Nikki leaves the lounge carrying Freya in her arms. "What is all this about?" She asks looking at the scene in front of her.
"Little Pops don't want to go to school." Jack sighs rolling his eyes at Nikki as he heads into the kitchen.

"Come on Poppy. You love school, you get to play with Lucy! You can tell her how you are a super big sister now!" Nikki smiles kneeling at her eldest daughter's height and cupping her cheek. Poppy looks up at Nikki and leans forward to cuddle her. "Hey, what's that for?" Nikki asks. Poppy shrugs as she stands up from the step and picks her coat up off the floor where she had previously left it. Jack walks back through the hall now with his jacket.
"How do you do that?" he asks with a laugh.

"I don't know, you probably wore her down." Nikki grins planting a kiss on Poppy and Maddison's head "Have a good day, remember to be kind, be smart. Love you." She smiles before turning and kissing Jack bye before watching as the leave the house.

After dropping Maddison off at nursery Jack attempts a calm school drop off with Poppy who was being unusually quiet. "Come on Pops, school isn't that bad." Jack sighs as Poppy clings to his legs at the classroom door.
"No Daddy!" she cries argumentatively.
"Hey Poppy, your Daddy tells me you have something exciting to share with your friends, would you like to lead circle time?" Miss Wallace asks noticing Poppy seems reluctant to enter the classroom. Poppy shakes her head softly. "I'm sure your friends would love to hear about your new addition, now, do you think, if you held Bailey bear, he would make you feel better?" Miss Wallace persists.

Poppy nods before letting go of Jack's legs and heading into the classroom turning round to wave at Jack as he leaves for work.

As Miss Wallace runs through the register Poppy and Lucy sit talking about their weekend. Poppy looks up and notices Miss Edwards giving her a glare. "Poppy Hodgson, quiet on the carpet please." She says sternly causing Poppy to jump.

"But Miss, I was telling- "Poppy begins, her lip trembling slightly.
"No buts, sitting nicely now." Miss Edwards interrupts, catching the attention of Miss Wallace. "Poppy has some exciting news to share with her friends Miss Edwards, come on Poppy." Miss Wallace smiles encouraging Poppy to come to the front of the class.

Poppy shakes her head nervously. "Hey nothing to be frightened of, come on sweetie." Miss Wallace persuades. Poppy stands from her spot on the carpet and heads over to the front of the class, standing next to her teacher.

"Now if you remember, Poppy is a big sister but over the weekend she became a super big sister. Poppy, do you want to share what your new baby is called?" Miss Wallace asks.
"Freya."  Poppy smiles as she thinks about her newborn sister. "she's small!" she adds with a smile.
"I'm sure she is, now then, Miss Edwards is going to take some of you outside for some mathematic activities and the rest of you are going to make some family pictures to take home this afternoon, then we can swap so everyone has a turn." Miss Wallace explains to the class.

Poppy goes outside with Miss Edwards and some other children. Poppy sits at the picnic table and waits for instructions on what she is supposed to do. The other children begin building different towers, matching numbers on flashcards. "Miss Edwards. I haven't got any blocks." Poppy says shyly as Miss Edwards passes her.
"You should have brought them out with you then shouldn't you, super big sister." Miss Edward snarls.

Poppy looks down at the table and feels her cheeks flush red. "Oh dear, if we are going to cry over some blocks, I think you need to go and sit in the thinking corner." Miss Edwards taunts.
"NO!" Poppy protests looking up at her teaching assistant.
"Enough, inside at once!" Miss Edwards demands taking hold of Poppy's arm and pulling her from the bench.
"No!!" Poppy whines, trying to wriggle free from Miss Edwards grasp.

The teaching assistant ignores Poppy and walks inside, the young girl in tow, taking her over to the 'thinking corner' and taking hold of her shoulders. "Now you can sit here for the rest of the session and think about why you don't shout at your grownups." Miss Edwards hisses, pushing Poppy onto the plastic chair causing Poppy to topple backward and bang her head on the radiator behind her.

As Poppy cries she attracts the attention of Miss Wallace who glances over to see what the fuss was about. "That was a silly thing to do wasn't it, stop whining and sit." Miss Edwards sighs taking hold of Poppy's arm to stop her moving. annoyance clear in her voice as she spoke.

"Miss Edwards, step away from Poppy please." Miss Wallace says sternly having observed enough to know something was not right. Miss Edwards jumps, realizing she was being watched and walks away from poppy.
"She is being especially difficult today!" she sighs.

"Difficult or not that is not how we treat our students; she is four years old may I remind you!" Miss Wallace argues walking over to Poppy and kneeling at her level. "Are you okay Poppy? Are you hurt?" Miss Wallace asks.
Poppy nods and holds her arm, rolling her sleeve to reveal fresh red finger marks from where Miss Edwards had held her. "Oh dear, let's get you a cold compress, anywhere else?" Miss Wallace sighs, Poppy points to her head, allowing Miss Wallace to check her over. "You need a gel pack for that too." She sighs before heading over to the corner of the room and ringing for the headteacher to come down to the classroom.