The Fierce Brave Gang – An Offer they Can't Refuse
The Holby Lower Sixth were in history class, listening to the debate between some of their classmates about the reasons for World War Two, when Max suddenly whispered:
"Hey! There's Mrs Freeman and Miss Freechamp coming up the drive!"
Several heads turned. Only Louis Fairhead, son of the beloved Charlie, looked indifferent.
"Can we concentrate, please?" Samantha Nicholls, the pretty History teacher, said somewhat sharply.
It was easier said than done. The kids' experience at Holby Mixed Infants had been a special one and the patience and imagination of Mrs Beauchamp had had so much to do with it. She'd encouraged them to take part in plays, one of which had won them a memorable trip to Disneyland Resort, Paris, and even suggested that they tried for roles at the local theatre for a version of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." Ethan had been a legendary baby bear, despite spending his last night in the show in a wheelbarrow due to an unfortunate accident in the snow.
The Lower Sixth forced themselves to join wholeheartedly in the debate, which would have gone on long after the bell if the Headmaster, Mr Jordan, hadn't come in as it rang.
"I've spoken to Mr Dean; he's happy for you to miss Dance Exercise this time, but he does say you might like to practise at home. Mrs Beauchamp and Miss Freeman would like a word with you in the hall. Ethan, your brother will be joining us too."
The class filed in and instead of sitting cross-legged on the floor, as they would have when they were younger, sat on the chairs provided for them. Caleb, now in the Upper Sixth, had already taken his place.
"Hello, it's good to see all of you again. Mr Jordan's very kindly agreed to you taking part in two projects I thought you'd be interested in. As you know, there are a lot of nervous children who've just started Infants around this time. They look for somebody to confide in – sometimes where a teacher is too frightening for them, however kind we try to be. Would you be interested in holding a forum for my Tinies once a week?"
Caleb chuckled at the thought of the new infants being called Tinies.
"Like a question and answer session?"
"That's right, Ben. We'll accompany them here and take them back again, but we'll be busy elsewhere for the hour."
Caleb had to put his head down so a wicked grin wasn't seen on his face. He remembered how he believed Mrs Beauchamp and Miss Freeman kept creeping off to do 'Lebsion Magic' in the odd store cupboard or hut around the school. He'd been right about the 'Lebsion' part and wasn't unconvinced to this day that no magic had been involved.
"We were hoping you'd use the old Gang Hut to make them feel at ease."
Louis yawned almost rudely. Mr Jordan made a mental note to speak to Charlie.
The former members – now more in name than anything else – of the Fierce, Brave Gang nodded. It sounded good to them and would be a little exercise in social studies too.
"Okay, we've checked the timetables with Mr Jordan and Wednesday at one pm is a free period. Would that suit you all?"
"Will our Ethan still have time for his lunch because he'll be unbearable after school if he's not fed!"
Laughter. Everybody had always wondered how such a slim young man as Ethan could pack away so much food.
"Ethan will be able to save himself from starvation from twelve to one."
This remark was from Mr Jordan, who had a keen sense of humour.
"I think it would be great" Jess replied enthusiastically.
Jeff smiled but felt just a little bit short-changed. He loved his exercise classes and hoped to be a gym instructor himself when he left school. Was this all they'd missed Zumba for?
"Now the next announcement we have might be a little more exciting" Miss Freeman said, almost as if she had read Jeff's thoughts, "Do you remember the play you performed to win the trip to Disneyland Paris?"
"Thorns!" came the reply from several sides.
"Well, it happens that a young man was sitting in the audience all those years ago and he loved the story. Now he's a director at the New Theatre and he has a project he's interested in. Would any of you want to reprise your old roles in an updated version of the story… a full-scale musical version, one where there's no happy intervention from the Director and the young peasant boy actually stays dead?"
Max laughed:
"Oh, I'd have given my life to have stayed dead when I played that part!"
"Yes, I remember how excited you were about dying on stage, Max!" Mrs Beauchamp smiled.
"So there's no Director's role any more?" Ethan asked.
"Sorry, not this time, Ethan."
Ethan, who would have had a full-on tantrum at this news when he was smaller, just grinned affably.
"As long as I get a chance to tread the boards again that's fine by me!"
"Okay, Mr Kendal, the director – the real one, Ethan! – will be visiting here in two weeks. What we need now are names and numbers, so if you're interested in trying for this production, please raise your hands."
Ethan Max, Cal, Ben, Jacob, Jess, Jeff, Robyn, Noel and Louise raised their hands. Louis looked extremely bored once more.
Max looked across at Zoe in outrage. Her hands were firmly in her lap.
"I can't believe you don't want to do this" Max raged.
"Sorry, sweetheart, I really don't. It took too much rehearsing when it was a little fifteen-minute play. Now it's going to be a full-on musical, forget it!"
"But we do everything together" pouted Max.
"Not everything. I just don't want to be in this, okay?"
Max turned away angrily.
"If I don't do long rehearsals after school, I'll have more energy and if I have more energy…" wheedled Zoe, leaving the sentence unfinished.
"Ooh, you little Jezebel! By the way, I've a surprise for you. I nearly didn't tell you because I was hacked off at your not wanting to be in the play, but you girls always like to make arrangements ahead."
"So what is it then, Mr Sexist?"
"Guess who's got two very good seats for the Meatloaf concert in December?"
Zoe threw her arms round his neck and the argument was forgotten.
Little did they both realise the disruption this trip was going to cause.
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