Highnam High

Chapter One

"Alright guys," Mr Prime, the school principal said. "Our week sleepover in the school with no outside communication starts now."

Most of the students, including student body reporter James Lemche and best friend Justine Evans, expected more from the principal. Thirty-odd students were a lot to handle! But no. Graham Prime, who was always uptight about homework and getting straight A's, was relaxing.

"You have free run of the grounds. Mr Coulter," the students looked at the PE teacher that waved energetically at them. "Will be stationed at the PE office and has promised to allow students to borrow equipment from the sport shed."

"What about the computer rooms?" asked Gid Freeman, who could dissect a computer, and then build a newer, better one with fewer parts.

"Yes, some of them are being opened during the day," the Principal agreed and then nodded. "You may all go and do you own thing now."

The students broke apart into groups and started to choose which parts of the school they would 'own' for the entire week. James just looked at Justine, who smiled and pointed the camera at him and took a photo.

"Yeah, um, thanks for that," James said tucking a pen behind his ear. But she paid no attention, her eyes stuck to the short, slim, brown haired boy, Lachlan as he walked over the oval towards the music room with friend Sam and girlfriend Aleisha in tow. When Justine noticed the girlfriend, she started giving her daggers, but took a photo of the three walking away anyway.

"We gotta record this whole week," James said. "Let's go interview a couple of people about their plans for a week without their phones or the internet."

"Psycho teen starts murderous rampage over lack of Facebook," a voice, grim but humorous. James recognised the voice and turned around slowly and hugged the man behind him.

"Daniel! You came! How did you get in?" he asked.

"Sneaked in before they locked the gates," he said removing the one arm he had around James.

"Um, hey Daniel," Justine waved with a smile. "Um, lovely to see you here, but um, I don't think the principal will be happy to see you here."

"Students were allowed to bring a 'parent' or family member with them. I could pass as your brother, Justine," he smiled.

"Right," James said. "Well us two are going around interviewing the stay-over's. You wanna be our first victim?"

"Oh hells yeah!" Daniel replied and sat himself down on the grass.

"Okay then," James said taking out a pad from his shoulder-bag and took out the pen from his ear and Justine got her camera ready. "Tell us who you are then."

"I'm Daniel Price," Daniel did a little bow and winked at Justine as she took a photo. "Wouldn't this be better with a cam-corder?"

"It's all we have," James said. "So we work with it. But do go on."

"Erm, I'm twenty-three. I work for a gas plant. I lost my license a few weeks ago."

"And how did you do that?" Justine asked.

"I'm a speed junkie!" he said grinning largely.

"Nice," James said and put his pad away. "Eh, I can't be bothered doing this. Let's go check the grounds out, hey?"

"Sure," Justine said smiling, but still having her camera ready.

Lachlan started bounding around the building, imitating an ape. He leaped over to Aleisha and started grooming her before turning her around and kissing her on the nose.

"Hey Snot-Face!" he smiled enthusiastically and threw the imaginary fleas at Sam. "Take that, and that! Kill my pretties, kill!"

Laura Betteridge, the school substitute, stood drinking her cup of coffee with the principal, Jill Priess the librarian and Trish Jones, a parent that looked rather bored. Laura was rather excited to be at this week long camp-in. She was the one that started calling it a camp-in because she believed that camping-out didn't mean being a jail-like place for a week, but she was sure that she'd enjoy herself. What could go wrong at a school?

Eilish sat at a tree she was very fond of and she started to read a book she'd been quite excited about reading for a few weeks. She pulled a bag of jelly beans out of her bag and started pulling them out one-by-one and eating them. Anne was the new kid at Highnam High school; she hadn't made many new friends since arriving. Anne came walking past and noticed Eilish

"Hello," she said. "Mind if I sit down?"

"Sure," Eilish said with a large grin on her face. She pushed the bag towards the other girl.

"My camera is so much better," Stefanie shouted nastily at Justine as she snapped a shot of the twins, Adam and Gary Andrews setting off a fire-cracker together.

"Well if that's true," Justine said taking a photo of the girl. "Then why didn't you bring your camera and do the job yourself?"

"I'm not going to risk it getting stolen," Stefanie said taking hold of the camera and going through the shots. "Very mediocre and boring," she said after thrusting it back at Justine. "Bring it too me when you get some good shots!"

"Ugh that wannabe pisses me off," Justine yelled at no one.

James walked past Richard, Russell and Luke trying to get Henry the exchange student to smoke a bong.

"Oi, Lemche," Teaghan, the school gossipiest walked up to James. James didn't necessarily like the girl, but when he needed gossip for the students newsletter. "I got some gossip for you."

"Hit me, Jones."

"Mr Bryce, the school pastor, was caught flirting with Ms Davis!"

"No kidding," James replied but he just shook his head. He was hoping for something good, but no. It was just crap.

Jackie and Ryan walked away through the main building, but Ryan's glasses flew off when Dylan accidentally bumped into him.

"Hey, sorry dude," Dylan said with a red football in his hand. He and Jordan had been kicking the football together whilst their girlfriend's Jessica and Jade sat back watching.

"It's, uh, fine," Ryan said walking away. Jackie just blushed, uncomfortable at attention being paid to them.

Kimberly pushed Elaine away when the girl considered a slut started pushing herself on Kimberly's boyfriend, Matthew.

"You stupid cow, keep away from him. I'm fair sure he doesn't want syphilis," Kim said and Elaine snarled at her. Matthew just rolled his eyes and started randomly strumming at the strings on his guitar.

Drake wondered into the school kitchen where a girl he knew by Dayna sat at a table eating a slice of buttered toast. He nodded at her and walked into the kitchen where Jayson was cooking up some sort of concoction.

"Drake," Jayson nodded and went back to cooking.

"Hello," Drake muttered, grabbed a can of soft drink from the fridge and walked back out into the grounds.

"Stop being such a know-all all the God damn time, Knoll," Ben said pushing Danny into BJ, who pushed him again.

"Leave him 'lone!" Chris, the school groundsman roared and the two boys ran off. "You okay, kid?"

"I'm fine," Danny said and walked away, too prideful to accept help from someone unimportant, just like his sister Carol.

"How are things going with you, James?" Daniel asked as James started touching up his profiling on the Stay-Over's.

"Things are okay," he smiled assuredly. "Just wondering if this week will be fun."

"Oh, I'm sure this week will be fun enough," Lachlan said laughing as he, Aleisha and Sam walked past.

"What makes you say that, Mayall?" James yelled out and the boy stopped, turned around and smiled at James.

"A whole week with full access to the school?" he asked rhetorically as Justine took a photo of the three. "Oh, hey Justine!"

James didn't have to be psychic to know the four words that went through Justine's mind at that.

He knows my name!!!!!!!

"Have fun, guys," he said walking away.

"I really hate that girlfriend of his," Justine said glaring at a photo.