The Numbers: A Fraction Of Their Potential

A FRACTION OF THEIR POTENTIAL



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THE NUMBERS: A FRACTION OF THEIR POTENTIAL! THE NUMBERS: A FRACTION OF THEIR POTENTIAL! Copyright©tdmbooksltd 2020 All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by photocopying or by any electronic or mechanical means, including storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from both the copyright owner and the publisher of this book. ISNB: 9781909286337 Printed in the UK Published 2020 TDMBOOKSLTD tdmbooks.com 2

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THE NUMBERS: A FRACTION OF THEIR POTENTIAL! 4

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THE NUMBERS: A FRACTION OF THEIR POTENTIAL! 0

CHAPTER 1: HALF A CHANCE CHAPTER 1: HALF A CHANCE The sun was beaming clearly through the window of , now unhindered by the smelly haze from the rubbish heap that had once blocked it. 30 put the kettle on and took a glance outside. ‘The town’s looking lovely with all the extra flowers we planted,’ she said, popping a mint teabag into her cup. She was talking to 42, who was 1

THE NUMBERS: A FRACTION OF THEIR POTENTIAL! starting to doze off (as usual). ‘Hmm,’ 30 sighed, shaking her head. ‘You really need to get some of that lovely fresh air; it’ll do you good! It’s so much better than spending all your spare time on that Phone 101 – or whatever phone it is now.’ ‘Err, what’s that?’ 42 replied, in a slight daze. ‘Who’s got the new Phone 101?’ he asked, perking up. ‘I said… you should get outside more and breathe in some of that lovely fresh air,’ 30 remarked. ‘We’re so lucky to have it, especially after having such bad gas.’ ‘That’s true,’ he reflected. ‘It was rather Anyway, I am planning on getting some fresh air – I’ve been planning on going on holiday so I can get out of this shop... I mean… so I can explore the world,’ he added with a little smile, trying to hide the fact that he’d actually prefer to work at the new clothes shop that had just 2

CHAPTER 1: HALF A CHANCE opened up the road. ‘I quite fancy going on one of those new E-Trains that are powered by environmentally friendly electricity.’ ‘Well...’ 30 replied as the switch on the kettle clicked off, ‘it’s good to experience what life has to offer while you’re still young, and at your age I can understand why you’d prefer to work in a shop that sells clothes to all the young and fashionable numbers,’ she added with a wink. ‘Personally, my heart has always been with flowers, not fashion.’ 30 poured the hot water into her cup, waited for the mint leaves to infuse the water, and then waited a little longer for the drink to cool. ‘Eeh! Eurgh!’ she coughed after taking a little sip of her herbal mint tea. ‘It’s definitely not the same as drinking a lovely Countchino like I’m used to, but I’m trying to reduce my caffeine intake to help me stay fit and 3

THE NUMBERS: A FRACTION OF THEIR POTENTIAL! healthy,’ she explained to 42. ‘When we had the problem with the environment, it made me appreciate all the things we took for granted – like having good health. Anyway, I had a holiday not that long ago, when I went to see my half cousin and his lovely wife. That was the day after 6 had been chosen as a role model. Oh yes…’ Suddenly, she paused, giving 42 a little ‘look’. ‘That’s when I asked you to look after the shop, and while you did look after the shop, you forgot to look after the flowers in the shop, remember?’ she asked, her eyebrows raised. ‘Luckily, responsible 10 was at hand to water them. We’re so lucky to have him,’ she shared with a smile. ‘Anyway, I had a lovely time away. It was a little different there, though. None of The Fractions worked full days, and they didn’t like to try new things either – not like us now. Many gave up on things far too easily, and they only put a fraction of the effort into the things they did. I had a feeling when I was there that they were capable of doing so much more, but then again, you can 4

CHAPTER 1: HALF A CHANCE understand their behaviour. After all, they don’t have such amazing role models to help them, like we do.’ As 30 forced herself to take another sip of her tea, she noticed that 42’s head was back in his phone. ‘Hmm, perhaps we all need to be reminded of our potential,’ she sighed. ‘Anyway, I think I’ll send them a card and invite them over. In fact, all The Fractions are distant cousins of ours, so I should invite them all. When they arrive we can show them around; I’ll let 0 and every other number know when they’re coming so we can arrange some interesting things for them to do. Anyway, I must remember to send One-Half and his wife, Two-Halves, a cake, as well as the invitation, as I know they like the odd tasty treat. Although, I must remember to cut it in half; I don’t think they’ve ever had a whole cake in their life… and they’ve definitely never paid for a whole one either! If I remember correctly, they certainly like to get a good deal!’ 5

THE NUMBERS: A FRACTION OF THEIR POTENTIAL! ‘What? That’s far too much money!’ sighed Four- Sixths, shaking her head. ‘I can’t afford that.’ ‘Well, it’s half the price, and that’s the best I can do,’ replied One-Half, 30’s half cousin, as well as being the owner of and chief mechanic at One-Half’s Car Garage. ‘I’m sure I can get the job done for a fraction of the cost elsewhere, considering what you’re charging,’ explained Four-Sixths, shaking her head again before taking out her phone, ready to look up other local car garages. ‘Well, I’d like to see you try, but I’m telling you, no fraction’s going to give you better than half price on your tyres,’ he stated. ‘Feel free to look up other garages, but I’m telling you, my prices are fair – no fraction can match my price,’ he added, pointing to the slogan just under the sign One-Half’s Car Garage: ‘Really Incredible Prices – Offered For Fractions’ it said in bold lettering. 6

CHAPTER 1: HALF A CHANCE ‘Hmm, I see,’ said Four-Sixths, ‘RIP-OFF for short… So, what do I get for half price again?’ she asked, looking at the four tyres on her car that still desperately needed replacing. ‘Well, half price means half a job… so that’s, err… hmm… ah yes, two tyres,’ he concluded, grabbing his cup of tea that had been sitting on his old work bench for the last half hour. ‘Two is what I can do.’ ‘But I don’t want two tyres fixed!’ she exclaimed, a little agitated. ‘That’s only doing half a job!’ ‘Well, I told you that. You’re only paying me half, so half a job is what you get,’ he reminded her. ‘But I need all of them fixed, not just two,’ she repeated, now feeling very annoyed. 7

THE NUMBERS: A FRACTION OF THEIR POTENTIAL! ‘Well… OK, I can do that, but I’ll have to do half now and half later, and as I’m working my usual half day today, it’ll be finished by tomorrow.’ ‘OK,’ she sighed, ‘at least it will get done, I suppose. And how much will that be for half now and half later?’ she enquired. ‘Well,’ replied One-Half, thinking, ‘that means I’ll need another half of the money on top of the first half.’ ‘That sounds like a lot of halves!’ she exclaimed. ‘Like I said before, feel free to look elsewhere if you’re not satisfied. You could go down the road and talk to one of the quarters who owns a little garage down there.’ ‘You know, I might just do that,’ she shot back. ‘I bet it’s much cheaper!’ ‘Ah yes, it is,’ One-Half agreed with a little grin, ‘it’ll only cost you a quarter.’ ‘That’s definitely a fraction of the price you charge. I’m off!’ she confirmed. 8

CHAPTER 1: HALF A CHANCE ‘Yes, it is,’ he admitted, taking another sip of his somewhat cold tea, ‘but just to let you know that you’ll have to ask him how many tyres he can fit for you, as for the money you’ll pay him he’s bound to only do a quarter of a job. Or you can go even further down the road, where Three-Tenths has her garage. But I’m telling you now, for a tenth of the price you’ll be lucky to get a nut changed there.’ In response, Four-Sixths took a very deep half- sigh. It was early afternoon and One-Half was relaxing at home after working a full half day at work. ‘Oh my, some fractions!’ he moaned. ‘You give them a half and they want two halves.’ 9

THE NUMBERS: A FRACTION OF THEIR POTENTIAL! ‘They should know that you work half as hard as you could,’ replied Two-Halves, trying to make One-Half feel better. ‘Anyway, here’s your lunch; this’ll put half a smile on your face.’ Two-Halves placed a plate (with a spoon of mashed potato on it) down in front of him. ‘It only has a quarter of the calories,’ she remarked. ‘But I can still eat half the calories,’ responded One-Half again, looking a little upset. ‘I know, but you’ve gained a little half size around your waist recently, so you need to cut back a little.’ One-Half sighed. ‘Don’t worry, you’ll be back to looking like a Half soon,’ Two-Halves expressed. ‘Oh, by the way, this came through the door earlier.’ ‘What’s that?’ he asked, popping some of the potato into his mouth. ‘It’s a postcard,’ she replied. ‘We rarely get to see one nowadays. Back in the Stone Age, yes, and even in the Plastic Age, maybe… it really is amazing that these 10

CHAPTER 1: HALF A CHANCE are still sent. It does, however, show that a number’s put a degree of effort into it, and no less than half a thought.’ One-Half scratched his head, confused and a little frustrated that Two-Halves was taking such a long time explaining something to him that he already half knew. ‘You’re only giving me half a reply,’ he said, a little sharply. ‘What I want to know is who sent the postcard?’ ‘Hmm… You’re not at work now, One-Half, so calm down,’ she responded, a little annoyed. ‘I know some fractions give you stress at the garage as they only want to pay a fraction of the price, but remember… I’m not one of your clients. If you can’t remember that, I’ll start to only give you a quarter of the potato, and… only a fifth of what I’ve found in this box.’ Suddenly, One-Half’s tone changed. ‘Err… Hmm…’ he began in a half-hearted apology to Two- Halves. ‘So, my dearest,’ he continued with half a smile, ‘who is the lovely postcard from?’ ‘That’s better, One-Half,’ Two-Halves replied, a little calmer now. ‘It’s from 30, your whole cousin. She 11

THE NUMBERS: A FRACTION OF THEIR POTENTIAL! begins by saying: Dear half cousin, One-Half, it’s been a long time. I hope all’s well. Please come and visit. Please also invite all our distant fraction cousins and, of course, your lovely wife, Two-Halves. Ah, isn’t 30 sweet? Anyway, she continues: Also, I can’t believe Two-Halves has been half as annoying as you said she was in your last email. Again, I found her delightful when I visited. Hope to see Two-Halves and you soon (and all The Fractions). Best wishes, 30. Hmm,’ continued Two- Halves, as steam began coming out of her ears, ‘Annoying, did you say?’ With that she took out the half cake that 30 had so kindly sent, but instead of giving it to her husband to eat… well… let’s just say he didn’t get to 12

CHAPTER 1: HALF A CHANCE eat it, but he did get to wear it – after the cake was launched from her hand and fell right onto half of his lap. ‘Enjoy!’ was her final word. ‘You know I’m going to treat us to the posh half of the plane – we’re going to travel Half Class, in the Half Seats,’ said One-Quarter with a little smile. ‘It was nice that One-Half invited us on behalf of 30. I bet they’re going Half Class too.’ ‘Ooh, that’s very posh!’ responded Two-Quarters, with equal excitement. ‘So, no more Quarter Class for us 13

THE NUMBERS: A FRACTION OF THEIR POTENTIAL! then?’ she asked to confirm, before adding, ‘Yes, I can imagine One-Half and Two-Halves are travelling Half Class.’ ‘Well, I worked a full quarter today at the factory and I think I deserve a treat,’ One-Quarter explained. ‘Although, I’m not fully wanting to go as I heard The Numbers do everything to the full… it was nice to be invited, but only half-nice, obviously, as he’s invited others too.’ ‘Well, I must admit, One-Half has only ever been half a friend to you, so I’m not surprised that others are going,’ Two-Quarters replied. ‘And yes, I heard that The Numbers do everything. I don’t mind going, as long as we can only do what we feel comfortable doing – a quarter of everything, perhaps. Anyway,’ she added, still with a smile, ‘go on then – book the Half Class for us both.’ Tap! Tap! Tap! went One-Quarter’s fingers on the computer, though there was soon an abrupt pause. ‘How much?’ he remarked, feeling somewhat angry. ‘They want me to pay how much?!’ 14

CHAPTER 1: HALF A CHANCE ‘What is it, One-Quarter?’ asked Two-Quarters, a little worried now. ‘They want me to pay half price for the posh Half Seats!’ he huffed. ‘I’m not paying the full half amount, and that’s it! I’m paying a quarter of it, as that’s what a quarter pays, and that is a quarter of the price for a full Half Seat, no more!’ he repeated while staring intently at the screen. ‘What do they think I am, half-rich or something? I’ve worked a lot of full quarter days to be able to save up my quarter pennies. We don’t all earn half pennies, you know.’ ‘I know, dear, and you really work a quarter of what you’re capable of too,’ consoled Two-Quarters. ‘Thank you, dear,’ he replied, trying to calm himself. Unfortunately, it didn’t last long. ‘Sometimes, I 15

THE NUMBERS: A FRACTION OF THEIR POTENTIAL! feel they treat us differently,’ he continued, still a little agitated. ‘Just because we’re quarters, I don’t expect to have just a quarter of a seat for half the price… I mean, have they seen the size of your bottom?’ One-Quarter asked, turning to gaze at Two-Quarters’, err, ‘behind’. ‘Hmm… I mean, that’s got to be at least a Half Seat right there… you’ll never stick your quarter half-bottom in a quarter of anything, and that’s half the truth!’ ‘Really?’ replied Two-Quarters, giving him not a quarter stare – which she often did – but a full half stare back. ‘Really?’ she repeated again. ‘Gulp!’ was One-Quarter’s reply. 16

CHAPTER 2: A WHOLE NEW EXPERIENCE CHAPTER 2: A WHOLE NEW EXPERIENCE Six-Sevenths was staring up at the menu board. He was at the airport in one of the cafés in Half-Duty-Free, an area where many items were half the price – or better – than what they’d cost on your average high street. ‘It’s tricky,’ he said, pointing to the choices, ‘there’s Number 1: one fifth of a sandwich, half a bag of crisps, and a third of a drink of your choice…’ ‘What’s the second option?’ asked Five-Sevenths, his smaller brother. 17

THE NUMBERS: A FRACTION OF THEIR POTENTIAL! ‘Number 2: half a wrap, a third of a bag of rice cakes, and half a drink of your choice,’ Six-Sevenths replied. ‘Hmm, it is tricky,’ agreed Five-Sevenths, scratching his head. ‘Well, I’m going for Number 1,’ Six-Sevenths decided. ‘I do like a good old wrap but I’m not keen on 18

CHAPTER 2: A WHOLE NEW EXPERIENCE those rice cakes – far too cardboardy for me. How about you, Five-Sevenths?’ he asked. ‘Well… I think I’ll go for the same as I don’t like those ‘polystyrene-like’ snacks either,’ he shared. ‘Although,’ he added, ‘I am rather thirsty so, actually, I may well go for Number 2 and just chew my way through the rice cakes.’ ‘Hello,’ said Six-Sevenths to Two-Twelfths, one of the assistants working at the café, ‘one Number 1 please, and one Number 2.’ ‘Thank you. And what drink would you like for Number 1?’ Two-Twelfths asked. ‘We have a choice of a third of a strawberry drink, a fifth of a strong lemon squash, or half a pineapple juice.’ ‘Ooh, half a pineapple juice please,’ he replied with a smile. ‘What are the drink options for Number 2?’ Five- Sevenths asked Two-Twelfths, getting slightly excited as he moved towards the counter. ‘I’m a little thirsty.’ 19

THE NUMBERS: A FRACTION OF THEIR POTENTIAL! ‘Well, for Number 2 you can have half an orange juice, a quarter of a fizzy lemon, or a little tenth of a strong Americounto coffee,’ she replied. ‘Oh my,’ said Five-Sevenths, feeling even more excited, ‘I do love an Americounto. I know I’m thirsty, but I think going to treat myself and go with the coffee.’ ‘The Americounto?’ Six-Sevenths questioned as he quickly turned to him, along with a raised eyebrow. ‘Are you sure? You know it can give you belly trouble…’ ‘Err, good point,’ Five- Sevenths said to his brother with a little whisper, remembering an earlier experience he’d had with an Americounto. ‘It’s a long flight and I’m already a little jittery – a little ‘strained’, a little nervous – so probably the last thing I want to worry about on the plane po…’is having a Number 2 – going for a 20

CHAPTER 2: A WHOLE NEW EXPERIENCE ‘Ooh, hello One-Ninth, so you made it OK?’ remarked Two-Halves as she stood by the entrance to one of the departure lounges. ‘I see you brought your family, as well as your brothers, sisters, and cousins. Your family seems to be getting bigger by the day!’ she remarked with a smile. ‘There are still nine of us, but I must admit, I do sometimes wonder if there aren’t more. It can get quite chaotic – you’re lucky it’s just you and One- Half,’ she expressed. ‘Oh, where is he?’ she added, realising he wasn’t next to Two-Halves. ‘I wanted to say thank you to him for inviting us on behalf of 30. Although, I was a bit nervous at first,’ she admitted, ‘as I know The Numbers are different to us. I’m just saying that we’re only going to do a little bit while we’re there, and I’m only 21

THE NUMBERS: A FRACTION OF THEIR POTENTIAL! sharing a quarter of what I feel about the whole thing. And we’re not working hard while we visit at all, just to say. A fraction only works as hard as a fraction is, and for a ninth, that’s very little.’ ‘I understand,’ acknowledged Two-Halves, while scanning the area for One-Half, who seemed to have disappeared. ‘Hmm, I bet he’s already gone into the Half Class Lounge without me.’ ‘Ooh, Half Class, eh? You really know how to half-live,’ responded One- Ninth, feeling a little jealous. ‘Well, to be honest, we’re half-rich so we can afford to. We’re not just a little fraction-rich like you, you know.’ 22

CHAPTER 2: A WHOLE NEW EXPERIENCE The plane began to move slowly towards the runway as the fractions on board settled down for the long flight. Some took the opportunity to glance at the menu, which was half-filled with tasty treats, while a few looked at a quarter of the movies that would be shown later on. However, the majority simply felt hot and squashed as they sat in the cheap seats. For them, the flight was going to feel like a very long fraction of a journey. ‘Hmm… do these seats feel a little tight to you?’ commented Two-Quarters, before asking, ‘You definitely did book the posh Half Class area of the plane, didn’t you?’ ‘Well, I didn’t want to say it, but you are looking a little snug, a little… how do they say it… ‘tight around the 23

THE NUMBERS: A FRACTION OF THEIR POTENTIAL! ’,’ replied One-Quarter, glancing at her. ‘I’m surprised that you’ve managed to fit half of your… cough! Cough!... You know… ‘it’… into the seat. I would say that ‘it’ is a little tight, but the answer is yes, I did.’ ‘Well, it’s not my ‘it’ that’s big – as you suggested before,’ Two-Quarters responded with a raised eyebrow, reminding him of the previous comment he’d made about the size of her… well… the size of ‘it’. ‘You know what?’ began One-Quarter, feeling a little tight himself as he tried to get comfortable, ‘These seats are tight, and it’s not the size of our… ‘its’. They’ve fiddled me, swindled me, robbed my little cotton socks off! In other words, they’ve sold me the wrong seats!’ he exclaimed. ‘I should 24

CHAPTER 2: A WHOLE NEW EXPERIENCE have seen it coming… I should have trusted my feelings; I knew the deal looked too good to be true! I really should have known – they always want to rip off little fractions like us. These are definitely not Half Seats, they’re not even a Third Seat… these are Quarter Seats!’ he yelled. As One-Quarter roared, Two-Quarters noticed a familiar pair of fractions. ‘Isn’t that your two cousins, Three-Quarters and Four-Quarters?’ asked Two-Quarters, peering over a number of seats behind them. One-Quarter immediately looked back. ‘It is!’ he confirmed. ‘And they’re also in the same section as us! That means we’ve definitely been given the Quarter Seats, as they certainly can’t afford to be in the Half 25

THE NUMBERS: A FRACTION OF THEIR POTENTIAL! Seats!’ One-Quarter was ready to explode. ‘Right… where’s the cabin crew? I’m going to give them a good half of my mind!’ he screamed. The plane soon took off, accelerating with speed towards a whole new experience. Further ahead, in the (real) posh Half Class of the plane, One-Half and Two-Halves were settling into a flight of luxury, although they still had their differences. ‘Pull yourself together!’ cried One-Half. ‘You’re always in pieces when we fly. I mean, really, what’s the worst that can happen – apart from half the engines dropping off? The wings snapping into eighths? Or a quarter of the wheels bursting on landing? I mean, we’re half OK so far, but we have a long way to go, 26

CHAPTER 2: A WHOLE NEW EXPERIENCE and you never know what could suddenly happen!’ ‘You’re not helping!’ Two-Halves sobbed, now even more worried about the flight than before. ‘You’re just far too emotional. You’re always showing half your feelings,’ added One-Half, somewhat disapprovingly. ‘Well, at least I show half my feelings; I’ve hardly ever seen you show even a quarter! The only time I have is when your football team, Fractions United, scored half a goal in that cup final and you went a quarter mad…’ ‘Well, you’re the only fraction I know that shows half their feelings. Most other fractions show a lot less, which is exactly the way it should be.’ ‘Well, I know your cousin 30 shows all her feelings,’ responded Two-Halves. ‘Well, we’re not like her and the rest of The Numbers. That’s just wholly abnormal. Err, don’t tell her I said that…’ 27

THE NUMBERS: A FRACTION OF THEIR POTENTIAL! ‘Oh dear, I think One-Half and Two-Halves are arguing,’ mentioned Three-Fifths. ‘Not like us,’ she added gleefully while sipping half a glass of fizzy grape juice. ‘Oh, this is nice in Half Class. You can tell this is the posh bit as you can even move these seats halfway up and halfway down, and watch half of your favourite TV show on these full half-screens, amazing! Oh, I see you’ve got your seat halfway back already… Wait a minute, are you snoring, Two-Fifths?’ she noted, a little shocked. ‘Err, what’s that?’ replied Two-Fifths, in his own little daze. ‘Wow, I just had the most amazing dream! Well, apart from the bit at the end when I heard someone talking nonsense. Anyway, in my dream I ate a whole cake,’ he remarked, licking his lips. ‘Don’t be silly,’ tutted Three-Fifths, ‘no fraction has ever eaten a whole cake! I’ve seen your cousin, Five- Fifths, though, eat a third of a cake at that party – you know, the one where he also drank half a bottle of that 28

CHAPTER 2: A WHOLE NEW EXPERIENCE very fizzy lemon drink – but no fraction has ever eaten a whole one. It’s best you start with just a third.’ ‘Well, that’s the only whole thing I’m going to try to do, as I’ve heard The Numbers don’t do things by fifths; they actually put their whole effort into everything they do – scary!’ He shook his head. ‘They’re certainly not afraid to be the best they can be. It’s definitely not for us, dear.’ ‘Absolutely not,’ Three-Fifths agreed. ‘Well, we’re not like The Numbers anyway, and we never will be. No fraction has ever ‘done it all’ and that’s a fact. If we were meant to do it all then we would have been born a whole number, like them. A fraction we are and a fraction we’ll stay, and that’s the safest way to live.’ Two-Fifths nodded in agreement – though, of course, it wasn’t a full nod. 29

THE NUMBERS: A FRACTION OF THEIR POTENTIAL! After a little while, the plane (safely, and still in a whole piece) touched down on the runway. 30 was waiting in the arrivals lounge, along with 0 – who thought it would be nice to introduce herself to all the Halves, Thirds, Quarters, Fifths, and other distant fraction cousins that had managed to make the journey. ‘I don’t think many of us have actually met our distant fraction cousins before, myself included,’ remarked 0, as One-Half and Two-Halves arrived in the lounge. ‘I’m looking forward to seeing them face-to-face. It was a good idea to invite them over. Thank you.’ ‘You’re welcome,’ replied 30, before turning to greet the new arrivals. ‘Oh, hello, One-Half,’ said 30, shaking One-Half’s hand as both he and Two-Halves came over, ‘and you, Two-Halves, it’s lovely to see you both. I’ve got some flowers for you – a whole bunch of sunny daffodils.’ ‘Oh, a whole bunch!’ Two-Halves replied, clearly a little startled. ‘Oh, err, half is fine, we only do things by halves, don’t we, One-Half?’ 30

CHAPTER 2: A WHOLE NEW EXPERIENCE ‘Definitely. A half is what a half does,’ he confirmed. ‘Oh, I am sorry,’ said 30 quickly, ‘I just forgot – temporarily. I hope you didn’t mind getting half your cake, though?’ ‘Oh, no, that was lovely, thank you,’ replied Two- Halves. ‘Although I only got to wear it,’ muttered One- Half to himself. ‘I don’t believe you’ve met 0,’ 30 added, ‘but I’m sure you’ve heard of her!’ ‘It’s nice to meet you both,’ acknowledged 0 with a smile as she reached out her hand to shake theirs. ‘I hope you’ll enjoy your time here along with all the other fraction cousins, who I can see are arriving now. We have so many things to show you! And…’ ‘I hope you’re not going to show us everything,’ interrupted Two-Halves, a little nervously. ‘We’re not whole numbers, we’re fractions. And a fraction only sees 31

THE NUMBERS: A FRACTION OF THEIR POTENTIAL! what a fraction is, and that’s just a fraction of what there is to be seen.’ ‘Possibly with one exception, and that is to have a look at a whole cake,’ One-Half shared. ‘Did you speak to Two-Fifths on the flight?’ Two- Halves quickly asked, giving One-Half one of her little ‘quarter’ looks. ‘A fraction,’ he replied hesitantly. ‘Oh,’ said 0, not sure what else to say. ‘Oh…’ 32

CHAPTER 3: A WHOLE LOT OF DOUGH CHAPTER 3: A WHOLE LOT OF DOUGH Town Road was busy; numbers strolled up and down, looking into some of the lovely new shops (as well as ), which were selling an abundance of eco-friendly goods – all in sustainable packaging and not that nasty, nasty, super- nasty single-use plastic they’d been using before... Cough! Cough! Lovely. The Fractions were also busy as they (fractionally) experienced this new way of life. With half a Countchino in hand, many were ready to spend half their money – if not less – on a fraction of what was on offer. 33

THE NUMBERS: A FRACTION OF THEIR POTENTIAL! ‘I’ve never seen a place so big and busy!’ commented Two-Eighths, taking a little sip of her coffee. ‘I’m not sure I like it.’ ‘I know, I mean, the shops are open all day, no third or quarter days here. Also, all the shops that have been built – well, if you look at them, none of them are a quarter finished; the whole of them are done. The Numbers have really put all their effort into everything,’ responded Two-Tenths, gazing warily along the street. ‘Not like us, Two-Tenths,’ Two-Eighths replied. ‘I couldn’t live like this. A fraction is how a fraction lives.’ ‘Exactly.’ As they quarter mooched and ambled further down the road, their eyes did, however, fully glance into one of the new eco-fashion stores that had recently popped up. It appeared to sell clothes made from environmentally friendly material, as well as being dyed (not died) with eco-friendly colours. They couldn’t help 34

CHAPTER 3: A WHOLE LOT OF DOUGH but have a peep inside, entering the shop fraction by fraction. ‘Oh, have you seen the size of these skirts?’ remarked Two-Tenths, picking up a skirt from off a shelf. ‘You could fit part of a bus in there, and not just a sixth of a bus – I’m talking at least a third!’ ‘What size does it say?’ Two-Eighths asked, glancing at the other items on the shelf. ‘Oh, Size 5.’ ‘That explains it,’ Two- Eighths replied, nodding. ‘Any whole number is going to come up large on us. It’s just going to be far too big.’ ‘And it has a price tag to match. It’s very pricey in here. You have to pay the whole price,’ Two-Tenths sighed. ‘What else do they have?’ ‘Shoes.’ 35

THE NUMBERS: A FRACTION OF THEIR POTENTIAL! ‘Maybe we’ll have more luck with them? It’s worth a try.’ ‘Hello, do you do quarter sizes in your shoes?’ Two-Eighths asked 27, an assistant in the shop. ‘Oh, I’m terribly sorry,’ 27 replied, ‘we only do whole sizes, I’m afraid, and you have to pay the whole price too.’ ‘That’s why we couldn’t live here, Two-Tenths,’ Two-Eighths whispered. ‘I just couldn’t afford the whole all the time. We’re fractions, so we would never fit in here – or be able to afford to, either. It’s wholly expensive here.’ ‘Ah, now, this is just a little treat for me,’ remarked 30 as she took a sip of her Countchino in . ‘I’ve only been drinking mint tea recently, so I’m being a little naughty having this!’ she added with a smile. ‘Just to mention, 0 has arranged for us all to visit tomorrow. She thought it 36

CHAPTER 3: A WHOLE LOT OF DOUGH would be nice for you and the other fractions to see how we do a few things here.’ ‘I’d only like to half-go,’ replied One-Half, sighing. ‘Same here, obviously. Thank you, that’s kind,’ added Two-Halves. ‘The other half of me would find it boring…’ ‘Oh,’ 30 replied, frowning, ‘I see.’ 30 was relaxing and having a chat with One-Half and Two- Halves, who were both sharing a Frappacounto – drinking half each. ‘Just to say, it’s very rare for me to have a bit of time off in the day, letting 42 run the shop,’ 30 continued as some other fractions sat down to take the weight off their feet after walking halfway around town, ‘but I thought it would be nice to spend some time with you on your first day 37

THE NUMBERS: A FRACTION OF THEIR POTENTIAL! here. I would normally work all day otherwise,’ she shared. Both One-Half and Two-Halves froze (and it wasn’t from drinking the ice-cold Frappacounto either). ‘What’s up?’ 30 asked, looking a little concerned. ‘Did you say you normally work a whole day?’ asked Two-Halves, aghast. 30 nodded. ‘Yes, a whole day – well, apart from when I sleep and eat, obviously. But from when the sun rises to when it sets, I’m in my shop doing what I love,’ she added, smiling. ‘Oh no, we never do that. We only work half a day at the very most,’ responded One-Half, feeling a little shiver go down his spine (again, not from the effect of the Frappacounto). ‘I thought you liked working at your garage? At least you did when I saw you last?’ 30 questioned. ‘I do, but I only enjoy working there half the time,’ One-Half replied. 38

CHAPTER 3: A WHOLE LOT OF DOUGH ‘Oh, that’s a shame,’ said 30. ‘I love what I do, and I put all my effort into making my shop as lovely as I possibly can.’ ‘Oh no,’ added Two-Halves. ‘As fractions we never put all our effort into anything. Only half for us, isn’t that right, dear?’ ‘Oh yes,’ One-Half replied, nodding. ‘Half is definitely good enough. A fraction’s effort is only what a fraction is and that’s only putting in a fraction of the effort.’ ‘And not even always that, isn’t that right?’ added Two-Halves. ‘Absolutely. I do even less around the house. There I do absolutely nothing. But that’s just a half-secret of mine as I pretend to look half-busy.’ 39

THE NUMBERS: A FRACTION OF THEIR POTENTIAL! Two-Halves looked at him with a raised eyebrow. ‘Oh, is that right?’ ‘Hee-hee,’ One-Half replied, trying to somewhat hide his half-laziness. ‘Only half-joking!’ ‘Hmm…’ ‘Can you hear that?’ asked One-Seventh, briefly peering behind her. ‘30 loves to ask and share everything. I think I overheard her say that we may all be going to tomorrow. I mean, I hope it’s just a quarter of the day as I only like learning a fraction of what could be learnt. Anyway, going back to sharing, I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but The Numbers tend to do that – share the whole of how they feel. I mean,’ One-Seventh continued, talking to Four-Sixths who sat across the table 40

CHAPTER 3: A WHOLE LOT OF DOUGH from her, ‘I never share anything more than a seventh with you.’ ‘Ah, that’s nice of you to say, and to be honest I’ve only ever told you a sixth of what I feel – especially when it comes to your husband, Two-Sevenths, who I find a fraction rude.’ ‘Thank you. It’s nice to share a fraction with each other but I don’t know how The Numbers share all of how they feel. We could never do that! We’re fractions. A fraction shares only a fraction of what a fraction is. Anyway… shall we be a little naughty and share half a Frappacounto?’ One-Seventh asked with a little giggle. ‘That’s sounds lovely, although I only like it a quarter as much as an Americounto.’ ‘Oh,’ One-Seventh replied, ‘we’ll have an Americounto instead then.’ ‘Thank you, that’s kind,’ said Four-Sixths happily, ‘and I’m only saying you’re kind as I only 41

THE NUMBERS: A FRACTION OF THEIR POTENTIAL! like you a fifth as much compared to my other close friends.’ ‘That’s so sweet of you,’ responded One-Seventh. ‘Oh, talking about sweet, when are we going to ? Two-Sevenths wanted me to buy him a whole cake.’ ‘A whole one?’ remarked Four-Sixths, shaking her head in shock. ‘I think many fractions are overdoing it. I’m sure it all started with Two-Fifths’ dream that he’s been sharing. As long as this ‘whole’ thing stops at cakes. They can buy a whole cake as long as they don’t eat a whole cake. The last thing we want is fractions going back home being more than a little fraction. Anyway, we may need to wait a bit – have you seen the size of the queue for ? It’s halfway down the road…’ 42