If anything, school was an escape from the stresses of Steve’s home life. Being a Goodson Outsider, he was in the lowest sets for all subjects and the teachers treated his lessons as free time. As the children messed about, Steve sat at the back of class and chatted with friends in between bouts of boredom. But increasingly he picked up a book and read. Self-teaching was the only way someone like Steve would get an education.
A boy called Barry Groate had been in the same classes as Steve ever since infant school and they used to be good friends. But Barry was in Bosworth House now and had got in with a crowd which liked to undermine other boys with quick-fire put-downs. And Barry had an opinion on everything. Right or wrong, he would make sure everyone knew what he was thinking. Despite being quite short, Barry was the goalkeeper for Bosworth football team, which at least prevented him from bounding along the pitch with his arms flapping about.
Gronk fumed in school. As far as he was concerned, it was all a waste of his valuable time. The teachers never put any effort in so Gronk felt they were hindering the giddy heights his intellect should be attaining. He was all for anti-egalitarianism, but he deserved to have a leg up to the top sets. Gronk struggled when it came to friends, but he did get along with Barry Groate. Being in Bosworth House, he came into contact with Posheys and tried to get in with a particular group of boys. He joined in with their conversations, putting his fake Poshey accent to the test. In the main these boys sneered at him, but Gronk felt as if he was on the cusp of being accepted into their ranks.
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