Page 18 of Everything That Kills Me
“I’ve never been to school.”
Zeph’s eyes widened. “Homeschooled? What about GCSEs?”
“Thomas taught me. He’s my uncle. I’ve never done any exams. I had to sit a test to get accepted at Fishbourne.”
“I can’t get my head around the idea of not going to school, but then my dad is only interested in sport. My mum… Shecould have managed the arty subjects and music, but she died when I was twelve. My dad married again a year later.”
“What’s his new wife like?”
Zeph shrugged. “Elisa’s a no-rules type of parent and I like rules.”
“My parents died when I was very young.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It is what it is.”
“I miss my mum,” Zeph whispered.
“I don’t miss mine. Thomas has been mother and father to me.”
“You’re lucky.”
Zeph had no idea. He owed everything to Thomas.
“My stepmother doesn’t like me. Nor do my stepsisters. My dad thinks I spend too much time alone, that I should join the football team, oranyteam. He thinks it will help me fit in. But I’m fine on my own.”
Jack hesitated. “You want me to go?”
“No. This is the longest conversation I’ve had with anyone for ages. So… Have you come to school to do A levels so you can go to university? Where do you want to go? What do you want to study?”
“I won’t be going to university.”
Zeph gasped. “Why not?”
“I’m going to work, travel, work some more. Explore the world.”
“What sort of work will you do?”
“Whatever needs doing.”
“Wow. I can’t imagine having that level of confidence. What do you want to be in the end when you settle down?”
“Who says I’m going to settle down? What are your plans?”
“Cambridge to do maths and computer science. Assuming I get an offer and the grades.”
“And you can’t imagine me having the level of confidence to swan around doing fuck all?” Jack raised his eyebrows. “I wouldn’t think you getting accepted for Cambridge was in doubt.”
“Based on our short acquaintance?”
“You’re smarter than the average bear.”
“That’s not necessarily true. It depends on the distribution of bear intelligence.”
“We need to discuss Gaussian theory.”
Zeph chuckled. “There’ll be a considerable overlap between the intelligence of the smartest bears and that of the dumbest tourists. Luckily, no bears in the UK outside of zoos.”
