Seriously Weird: St. Meular's

"Yeah, see you tomorrow!"

We headed away and stopped on the footpath, just outside the gate. Lucky for us, there was a good-sized bush there, so we could wait in front of Spotty's place without being seen. Five minutes later, a green Daimler turned at the comer of the street and started to cruise towards us.

"They're early!" I said, "OK, I'll get going. You know what to do?"

"Course I do" said Stick.

I ran down the street and shot through a hole in a macrocarpa hedge, just as the Daimler slowed almost to a stop outside Spotty's gate. The driver, an elderly man in a suit and tie, leaned his head out of the window and tried to see the number on the letter box. Stick pretended not to notice him. He stuck his hands into his old jeans and leaned back, like he had nothing better to do.

"Excuse me?" said the man, "Is this number 33?"

Stick moved aside. The number 23 was clearly visible.

"Its over there," said Stick, pointing.

"Thank you," said the man, driving on.

As soon as the car was gone. Stick removed the fake numbers from the box and started to walk away.

I had just enough time to get ready.

The Principal got out and went round to hold the door open for his wife. She was dressed like she'd escaped from a window in a high fashion shop. Fancy shoes, fancy dress, hair all starched and curled, lipstick like she'd been kissing red jelly, and eye-shadow like she had a dreadful disease. The first thing she did when she got out was to look at the house and frown.

And a girl got out of the back seat. She was dressed in a soft, white dress, and white shoes. Her hair was like spun gold. It floated around her cheeks, and seemed to reflect a light into her face. Her eyes were large and blue. Absolutely beautiful.

The Principal led the way. I think he was trying to be chivalrous, like a knight for a maiden he's trying to rescue. He pushed through the hole in the hedge, and held some branches back so his wife wouldn't have to stoop. There were spider's webs in amongst the leaves. They stuck to the Principal's fingers, and caught in his wife's hair.