Level Two. Are you really ill?

Level Two – Are you really ill?

By Michelle Lloyd.


New One, Little Herbert and R V were the trio of friends who stood at each other’s side,

in life they hardly ever did a thing that they could from each other hide.

At school the three were happy to show,

they knew almost everything about each other, everywhere the friends as a three would go.


Never could it be said New One, Little Herbert and R V did not about each other know,

their dislikes, likes, if they were happy or if they were feeling low.

It was what their friendship was all about and the trio loved each other so,

when one day New One acted out, shock on both his friend’s faces did show.


It started out as any other day at school and the trio of friends were as happy as could be,

it was not until the last morning class that odd behaviour in New One the friends did see.

An announcement was made about a surprise test that everyone had to do,

R V loved tests, Little Herbert wasn’t as sure but would answer what he knew.

Neither had noticed New One or the face that he did pull at what he heard,

he was far from happy about it and thought that the whole surprise test idea was absurd.


It wasn’t that he had been playing or neglected to do school work of late,

it wasn’t that the Xbox scoreboard had worked him up into a nervous state.

It was not that he had put his school assignments to the back of his mind,

he had thought his neglected work hidden from parents was him being kind.

New One did not want to give his mum or dad any reason to be sad,

besides being able to claim first position on the Xbox had taken over his life just a tad!


It all had meant that when the teacher announced a test, the idea of it he did resent,

New One knew that all his practice at Xbox had in his knowledge of class made a dent.

That’s why when he saw a child being taken outside of another class by the school nurse,

slight breathlessness at the thought of a test meant that far worse symptoms he rehearsed.


When New One claimed illness and on his desk he did sprawl,

both Little Herbert and R V were left shocked by the suddenness of it all!

Neither had known that he had even been ill,

and New One knew that in the fake stakes it was him one and the teacher nil.


New One’s plan went ahead as he had thought,

advice of the school nurse on New One’s condition was sought.

He was taken out of class to be on the safe side,

and his smile at having left the test was hard to hide.

The only part that he had not liked to see,

was how saddened by the happening his two friends seemed to be.


Guilt and anxiousness was by New One felt it had to be said,

as he was taken from class and to the sick room led.

He had slight doubts about the way things had panned out,

maybe he should have done things differently but he thought it too late to worry about.


Having been put in the sick room, rest was his task,

he had been checked over and “are you really ill?” the nurse did of him ask.

Having found nothing New One tried more than ever before,

to look ill, a forlorn expression he wore…


Left to rest New One had closed his eyes,

after the first few minutes sitting there had got boring he had realised.

Shuffling, wriggling and getting off the chair,

he heard shouts of laughter from his class and about why they were happy he did care.


A test he knew would not bring about so much fun,

to be kept away from all the laughter meant that he was left alone and to talk with no one.

Unanswered guesses about what was going on in his class meant he felt he was going mad,

about his recent pretend illness he started to feel terribly sad.


Peeking out New One made his way to the see through panel on his class door,

it was treats being handed round the class that he saw.

Far from the scene of a test and difficulty that he had expected to see,

Little Herbert and R V, his two friends, looked so happy.


All of a sudden the fake illness seemed like the worst idea he ever had,

being left out of everything just made him feel sad.

It was as he thought this that the door opened and took him by surprise,

R V had caught him out and this he did realise.


New One’s friend had seen him on them peek,

he had excused himself from the class for a minute because an answer he did seek.

“Are you really ill?”  New One was asked for the second time that day,

and to his friend he knew he had an awful lot to say!


When R V heard what had happened to his friend,

he knew the answer and how they could make amends.

To the nurse New One would go,

his new found health to her he would show.


R V and Little Herbert at lunch time listened to New One,

about his plan they were both stunned.

They said they were sad that to them he did not his worries show,

instead of relying on their friendship his own way he did go.


New One could understand where his friends were coming from, he felt incredibly bad,

most of all he knew what he had done had left his friends feeling sad.

R V told him the test hadn’t been that bad, afterwards there had been treats in class,

New One had missed out on it all while in the sick room he had been left the time to pass.


New One knew he had a lot of making up to do,

the school would inform his parents, they wouldn’t be happy and of this he knew.

Little Herbert and R V with New One had a talk,

it was decided New One had to face what he had done, it was time to walk the walk.


When New One’s mum and dad found out about his illness there was no mystery,

the Xbox was banned until about the way he did his school work they were both happy.

New One did not mind so much though,

from the whole incident he had learned sometimes it was better not to run away or go.

Because you may think something was far worse than if you actually saw it through,

you could give up so much, and many needless things you may need to do.