HOW THE OPERA CAME TO THE MIXED INFANTS

(FBG AU story based on a mix of Trekkiel's and my own Fierce Brave Gang universe. After a spiteful supply teacher hurts a lot of feelings can Dylan enlist some celebrity help to put smiles back on the kids' faces?)

"Rita, you look dreadful" Connie remarked.

"Well thank you" croaked Rita, who had a bad cold and a very sore throat.

"There's no way you can go to work for at least three days. I'll ring for a supply teacher, sweetheart, and you take it easy in the meantime."

Rita lay back in relief. Connie made her a lemon and honey drink and went to sort out the supply teacher. Rachel Elphinstone arrived at Holby Mixed Infants the next day.

She strode into the classroom with Miss Beauchamp behind her and wrote her name on the blackboard without being asked.

"It's procedure for the Headmistress to announce a new supply teacher" Connie informed her, gently but bitingly.

"Oh, sorry, dear. Take the floor."

Connie, seething inwardly, took the floor.

"This is Ms Elphinstone. She'll be in charge of the class, and teaching reading and writing, and she'll be reading your story at the end of the day. Miss Freeman has a bad cold."

Ethan's hand shot up.

"Yes Ethan?"

"Please can we make her a card in Miss Chao's class?"

"That's a lovely idea, Ethan. Of course you can."

"I'll leave you to it then, Ms Elphinstone" and with that Mrs Beauchamp was off to her study.

Lofty, knowing it was bad and rude to have a comic on the desk in lesson time, scooped his latest Alien advernture story into his satchel."

"Excuse me, dear, is that a comic you've just put away?" Ms Elphinstone asked shrilly.

Lofty nodded shyly.

"Comics at your age? Dear, oh dear."

Lofty looked crushed and David gave him a discreet little sympathy hug.

"Right, what's your name?"

"Ben Chiltern-Keogh" Lofty replied nervously.

"Well, we've learned about Ben, who obviously needs to pull up his socks a little. Oh – excuse me, dear, can you sit with the girls?"

Zoe looked scandalized.

"Please Ms Elphinstone, Max and me always sit together."

"Not in my classes. Max, go and sit with the little fair haired boy. Zoe, you sit next to the podg- um – little girl here."

Robyn burned with shame. Ms Elphinstone had been about to say 'podgy'. Zoe almost flung herself down in the seat as Max went to sit with Ethan.

The class managed to survive till playtime.

"Now if you can be back five minutes early that would be good. We've a lot to get through."

Zoe took a deep breath.

"We're allowed fifteen minutes break and it's gang meeting day."

"A gang? You have a gang? How nasty. There'll be no meeting; you'll play in the yard and be back five minutes early – unless you want to argue some more and spend the whole break indoors?"

The five minutes early turned out to be for writing their names on stand-up cards to put on the desk. The kids were almost desperate for lunchtime; at least it was Mr Keogh and Miss Chao in the afternoon and Ms Miseryguts couldn't spoil that.

She managed to spoil both David's and Ethan's day before then.

"Right, these are the stories you wrote that Miss Freeman wasn't able to hear. Let's see… David, you collect up all the stories and take your own. Then I want you to read it out."

David smothered a sigh and did as he was told. He read the story; already nervous, he was on the verge of tears after Ms Elphinstone had interrupted him. He'd written a story about his mum, who was no longer around, and thought it was a nice one. He was reading his favourite paragraph:

"My mum got given a ticket to the opera and her faverite singer Mr Dew Ponce came off stage to give her a kiss and hug…"

Ms Elphinstone's shrill laugh interrupted him.

"It's an opera, David, not a rock concert! And it's Du Pont, you silly little boy! An opera singer wouldn't do anything like that. And I thought Mr Keogh was fostering you? Wouldn't it have made more sense to write about going somewhere with him?"

David's eyes stung.

"My mum's died but I make up stories about her 'cause I loved her."

"Oh dear, you are living in a dream world, aren't you? Let's hear from somebody who can tell us the truth in a story. Louise, what have you written, dear?"

Lunchtime was a miserable affair with Robyn having to be coaxed to eat by Miss Honey.

"Podgy indeed. You're lovely, Robyn, and you eat healthy food so you've nothing to be ashamed of."

She reminded herself to tell Mrs Beauchamp. Mrs Beauchamp was very strict about any kind of 'body shaming' in the Mixed Infants classes.

Lofty spent most of playtime hugging David, and Zax had a brief reunion together before the dragon separated them again. But Ethan received a horrible shock. He was walking along to the fence between the Infants and Juniors when Ms Elphinstone came hurrying along.

"Where are you going, dear? Don't wander away any further."

"Please, I'm going to the fence to talk to my big brother. He's in the Juniors and comes to the fence to see I'm okay every lunch."

"Lunchtime, dear, and today you don't go any further away. Now you stay right here until the bell goes!"

"But-"

"You'll be spending playtime in detention, Ethan, if you cheek me once more."

At last the kids were free to go to their normal classes, but they were too upset to concentrate much.

"Ben, it's not like you to get a sum wrong. Is everything all right this afternoon?"

Ben sighed.

"Mr Keogh, is it okay for a lad as big as me to read comics?"

Ben always called his adopted dad Mr Keogh in class out of courtesy.

"Ah! Has somebody been saying it's not?"

"Miss Elphinstone, Mr Keogh, but she hurt David worse. And she wouldn't let Ethan go and talk to Cal at lunchtime."

Mr Keogh did the unthinkable. He suspended the maths lesson and asked the kids just what had been happening.

"I know I've separated Zax in my classes but that was because I needed to see how clever you both were on your own. But to do that to David… You don't live in a dream world, David, you have a wonderful imagination! And, Ben, adults read comics. They just call them 'graphic novels' instead."

Not only did the kids feel better already but Nemesis was also striding towards Ms Elphinstone in high heels.

"You sent for me, Mrs Beauchamp?"

"I certainly did! I had Caleb Knight coming to see me at lunchtime to ask if his little brother was all right. I let Ethan go and speak to Cal because he doesn't have to go out of school grounds to go to that fence."

"It's not good to make children clingy, dear-"

"Cal and Ethan were abused by their father as children! Ben Chiltern-Keogh, who you picked on for being in possession of a comic, which he was putting away before class because he's a polite little boy, was bruised and kicked by his alcoholic mother and David Hide almost got pneumonia when his grandmother, who is in a care home with dementia, left him to freeze in a public playground."

"I'm sorry… I'll make allowances tomorrow."

"I shan't be wanting you tomorrow, Ms Elphinstone. We can rearrange the classes so I can make sure that only teachers I trust will be working here in future!"

Connie smiled and added:

"Is that understood, dear?"

Ms Elphinstone turned on her heel and left.

"Mrs Beauchamp wants everybody to go to the school hall" Ms Chao told the class, "I'll put all these lovely messages away safely and tomorrow we'll put the card together."

The kids went, wondering what they'd done wrong.

Mrs Beauchamp was smiling at them.

"I need to let you all know something urgently before you go home. Reading comics at any age is allowed. Holding Fierce, Brave Gang meetings is allowed. Using your imagination when you write a story is allowed. Ethan, going to the fence to talk to Cal at lunchtime is allowed. There's just one thing that's not allowed at Holby Mixed Infants any more."

She paused for effect and then added:

"Ms Elphinstone!"

The kids laughed and applauded and went home feeling a lot happier.

Mr Keogh, however, was still not happy the next day. He'd overheard David and Ben chatting in bed; he tried not to snoop as a rule but he was still worried about David. David had asked if the boys could just have a man-hug instead of making up a robber story. Ben, always kind, had readily agreed.

But Dylan wasn't happy. When children were afraid to use their imagination something was badly wrong.

The advertisement he saw in the paper leapt out at him later. Marc Du Pont. That was the name David had put in his story. David had been so proud of the story when he'd shown it to Dylan two nights ago.