The difficult second chapter.

The fly came to rest on a seemingly shear vertical plain, the minute hairs on its legs gripping the imperceptible variations on the surface of the material. At once its wings stirred into life and blurred into glassy region of air accompanied by a high whine that permeated through the otherwise quiet room. The fly lifted from its resting place and lurched by degrees in the direction of a pane of float glass which it bumped in an indefatigable repetition of movement, searching fruitlessly for an escape. Its proboscis explored the clear material with swift, sharp movements, until, there could be seen reflected in the many bulbous prisms of its eyes an expanse of whiteness growing rapidly. The vibration of its wings resumed, and it rose perpendicular to the vertical face of the glass, but it got little further before the white object resolved into a tight roll of paper and the existence of the creature was smote against the window.

Where the swat hit, the glass bulged and oscillated across its tensile surface, before shattering into large shards and sliding downwards out of its timber frame to rest upon the sill. The body of the fly floated in sweeping arcs towards the floor, one leg twitching minutely.

‘George!' came a voice from the front of the classroom, ringing with a mixture of shock and reproach. George stood holding the roll of paper in one outstretched hand. He was biting his bottom lip and wearing an expression of wide-eyed innocence. As he turned to face the source of the voice, the hand holding the swat instinctively slid behind his back as if to hide the evidence of his misdemeanour. His free hand was currently gathering the cloth of his slacks tightly into his palm as his knuckles whitened. He became aware of this twitch, and forcibly loosened his fingers, running them instead through his dishevelled mess of hair so as to sweep it away from his face. He considered his options for some moments, before concluding that he had been caught red-handed and lying would only serve to worsen his circumstances. He raised his eyes so as to squarely meet her teacher’s gaze.