Lucinda began to coo. “They all have names and— Oooh, look at the darling kitten!”
Everyone turned to where she was pointing. Theo, in his cutest tabby form, was perched on the window ledge. He jumped into the room and darted about, as if he was chasing imaginary mice.
“Here, sweetums!” cooed Miss Bleet, bending down. Theo rubbed round her ankles and purred.
“Now’s our chance,” hissed Max. “All eyes are on Theo, even The Basher’s!”
“Ready for synchronized bag switching?” asked Ben.
Max nodded. Ben reached under Barry’s chair and snatched up the Basher’s bag. Max put his own in its place. Then they both sat back and looked innocent.
“Tiddles!” Max called. Everyone stared at him in astonishment. “Er . . . I recognize the cat . . . He’s called Tiddles and he lives down my road,” Max explained with a shrug.
But Theo didn’t take his cue and jump out of the window. He was having too much fun. He was now sitting on Miss Bleet’s table, playing with her pencil.
“Tiddles!” said Max loudly.
Theo let go of the pencil but rolled over onto his back, looking adorable and knocking Miss Bleet’s papers to the floor.
“We won’t have time for the trick at this rate,” Ben muttered to Max.
“TIDDLES!” yelled Max.
Theo scrambled to his feet and bolted out of the window with a loud miaow .
“How mean!” said Lucinda, glaring at Max. “Scaring the poor little thing like that.”
“Quiet please,” said Miss Bleet, in a fluster. “The cat’s gone. Who’d like to go next?”
“But I haven’t—” began Lucinda.
“Me!” interrupted Barry Price, grabbing the bag under his chair and marching to the front. “You won’t want to listen to anyone else after my go. I’ve got the best hobby in the world!” He delved into his bag. “Every Saturday I wear this.” He pulled out the pink tutu and held it up proudly.
For a long moment there was a shocked silence in the class and then everyone burst out laughing. The Basher suddenly realized what he was holding. He stared at the tutu as if it was a poisonous snake.
“This isn’t mine!” he yelled, flinging it to the floor. “Where’s my crash helmet? That’s what I was going to show you. I do go-karting every weekend.”
“You shouldn’t be ashamed of enjoying ballet, Barry,” said Miss Bleet kindly. “We’d all like to hear about it, wouldn’t we, class?”
“YES!” The shout echoed around the room.
“But I don’t do ballet!” Barry made his way back to his place, his face bright red. “It’s girly. I told you: I do go-karting.”
Miss Bleet wasn’t listening. “Now tell us all about why you choose to wear a tutu.”
“I DON’T WEAR A STUPID TUTU!”
The Basher slumped down in his seat, glaring at everyone. He didn’t say another word for the rest of the day. He didn’t even notice when Max swapped the bags back.
As soon as the bell rang, Max and Ben dashed off to Mrs Hogsbottom’s office to retrieve the Speed King.
“School Rule number four hundred and seventeen,” she barked as soon as she saw them. “Boys must not dash into the head teacher’s office to get their skateboards back. School rule two hundred and fifty-five . . .”
Five school rules later they were finally released. They ran to the school gate.
“Did you see The Basher’s face when he realized what he was holding?” chuckled Ben. “Imagine him go-karting in a tutu!”
“Oh no! Your sister’s tutu!” gasped Max. “It’s still on the classroom floor!”
Ben turned white. “We’re in big trouble. Come on, we’ve got to get it back without being seen.”
They were just heading back towards the school door when something fell on Ben ’s head. It was pink and frilly. Max looked up to see Toby on the school roof, with Theo next to him.
“That was a great trick you played on The Basher!” wheezed Toby as Ben struggled with the tutu on his head. “I haven’t laughed so much since Theo chased a
Everyone turned to where she was pointing. Theo, in his cutest tabby form, was perched on the window ledge. He jumped into the room and darted about, as if he was chasing imaginary mice.
“Here, sweetums!” cooed Miss Bleet, bending down. Theo rubbed round her ankles and purred.
“Now’s our chance,” hissed Max. “All eyes are on Theo, even The Basher’s!”
“Ready for synchronized bag switching?” asked Ben.
Max nodded. Ben reached under Barry’s chair and snatched up the Basher’s bag. Max put his own in its place. Then they both sat back and looked innocent.
“Tiddles!” Max called. Everyone stared at him in astonishment. “Er . . . I recognize the cat . . . He’s called Tiddles and he lives down my road,” Max explained with a shrug.
But Theo didn’t take his cue and jump out of the window. He was having too much fun. He was now sitting on Miss Bleet’s table, playing with her pencil.
“Tiddles!” said Max loudly.
Theo let go of the pencil but rolled over onto his back, looking adorable and knocking Miss Bleet’s papers to the floor.
“We won’t have time for the trick at this rate,” Ben muttered to Max.
“TIDDLES!” yelled Max.
Theo scrambled to his feet and bolted out of the window with a loud miaow .
“How mean!” said Lucinda, glaring at Max. “Scaring the poor little thing like that.”
“Quiet please,” said Miss Bleet, in a fluster. “The cat’s gone. Who’d like to go next?”
“But I haven’t—” began Lucinda.
“Me!” interrupted Barry Price, grabbing the bag under his chair and marching to the front. “You won’t want to listen to anyone else after my go. I’ve got the best hobby in the world!” He delved into his bag. “Every Saturday I wear this.” He pulled out the pink tutu and held it up proudly.
For a long moment there was a shocked silence in the class and then everyone burst out laughing. The Basher suddenly realized what he was holding. He stared at the tutu as if it was a poisonous snake.
“This isn’t mine!” he yelled, flinging it to the floor. “Where’s my crash helmet? That’s what I was going to show you. I do go-karting every weekend.”
“You shouldn’t be ashamed of enjoying ballet, Barry,” said Miss Bleet kindly. “We’d all like to hear about it, wouldn’t we, class?”
“YES!” The shout echoed around the room.
“But I don’t do ballet!” Barry made his way back to his place, his face bright red. “It’s girly. I told you: I do go-karting.”
Miss Bleet wasn’t listening. “Now tell us all about why you choose to wear a tutu.”
“I DON’T WEAR A STUPID TUTU!”
The Basher slumped down in his seat, glaring at everyone. He didn’t say another word for the rest of the day. He didn’t even notice when Max swapped the bags back.
As soon as the bell rang, Max and Ben dashed off to Mrs Hogsbottom’s office to retrieve the Speed King.
“School Rule number four hundred and seventeen,” she barked as soon as she saw them. “Boys must not dash into the head teacher’s office to get their skateboards back. School rule two hundred and fifty-five . . .”
Five school rules later they were finally released. They ran to the school gate.
“Did you see The Basher’s face when he realized what he was holding?” chuckled Ben. “Imagine him go-karting in a tutu!”
“Oh no! Your sister’s tutu!” gasped Max. “It’s still on the classroom floor!”
Ben turned white. “We’re in big trouble. Come on, we’ve got to get it back without being seen.”
They were just heading back towards the school door when something fell on Ben ’s head. It was pink and frilly. Max looked up to see Toby on the school roof, with Theo next to him.
“That was a great trick you played on The Basher!” wheezed Toby as Ben struggled with the tutu on his head. “I haven’t laughed so much since Theo chased a