"Have you picked out your dress for the disco yet?" asked Bonnibel as she sat in the form room with Bea and Lady.
"I'm not going to wear a dress," replied Bea, "I mean, can you really picture me in a dress?"
"Bea, you'd look really nice in a dress," said Lady.
"Oh, it's not a self esteem issue or anything like that," replied Bea, waving her hand dismissively, "I just don't really like wearing dresses, that's all. No, check out what I've got in mind though." She held up her phone for the others to see. On the screen was a girl's tuxedo jacket minus the bow tie worn over a white shirt. The black trousers accompanying it fell to around the ankles and were worn with a pair of black kitten heeled sandals.
"Oooh, that looks stylish," said Lady, "I've got my dress already laid out."
"How many colours on it this year?" joked Bea.
"All the colours of the rainbow," replied Lady, "As I'm sure you already guessed. What about you Princess?"
"Actually I'm trying to choose between these two dresses," said Bonnibel, holding up her phone. One dress was a black halter neck dress with a white belt around the waist while the other was a long flowing deep-blue dress with gold trimming that looked as though it had been inspired in design by an Indian sari.
"Hmm...I don't know, they're both gorgeous," said Lady, "What do you think, Bea?"
"I'm not really an expert on fashion," replied Bea, "But I think...the blue one."
"Yes, I think so too," added Lady, "Blue would go really nicely with your eyes. And the design of the dress is really cool too." Bonnibel smiled.
"Right, blue it is," she replied, "How about LSP and Fina?"
"LSP got her dress a couple of weeks ago," said Lady, "As for Fina, she's getting hers after school today."
"Flip, but the disco's tomorrow night," replied Bonnibel in surprise.
"Well, Fina always was one for procrastinating," said Lady, "So this is nothing unusual for her. Oh, and LSP found someone to go with. She was telling me on Convozone last night."
"So, who is it now?" asked Bea, "Last week she told me it was some guy called Jared."
"No, that's old news," replied Lady, "Apparently now it's Curtis. You know, Curtis from the basketball team?"
"Him?" giggled Bea, "That'll be a funny sight. He's got to be a least six foot two."
"At least," added Lady, "Not even Lily's tallest stilettos are going to be of much use there."
Just then Mr. Petrikov came in, carrying the register and silencing the girls' conversation for now. He began calling out the names and waited as each student responded.
"As you know the school disco is tomorrow," he said, "And I must once again ask that you enjoy yourselves but do so responsibly. And I will once more remind you, there is to be no alcohol consumed. Now, off you go. First class starts in five minutes." With that they filed out of the classroom.
"I don't know why they even bother," said Lady, "But anyway, Princess, I'll pick you up at eight. Is that alright?"
"Yeah, that's fine," replied Bonnibel, "So, what have we got first?"
"I think we've all got drama this morning," said Bea, pulling out her timetable, "Yeah, in the lecture theatre. No doubt Miss Harkness will have something lined up for us."
"I think it'll be something to do with the three witches," added Bonnibel, "I think that's what I heard her say last week."
"Probably," replied Bea, "Miss Harkness has a certain...fondness for miserable plays. Last year she had us acting out scenes from Hamlet."
"Oh, to be or not to be, that is the question," said Lady with an exaggerated air, earning several giggles from her friends.
"Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune," added Bea.
"Or to take up arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing end them," continued Lady, "To die, to sleep— no more."
At this all three burst into gales of laughter.
"See, after last year practically everyone in our year knows that speech," explained Bea. Bonnibel had only attended a few of Miss Harkness' classes and she had to admit the woman was a little unusual. She was a pleasant enough woman but had a tendency to be a little over zealous when it came to her drama classes and she could be a little strict when it came to acting practices such as maintaining eye contact with those watching. Never turn your back on the audience was a pet saying of hers. They reached the lecture theatre where Miss Harkness had already begun teaching. She was a short woman with pale blonde-grey hair tied back in a bun, a kind soft face which could be likened to that of a kindly old grandma and green horn rimmed spectacles. She wore elaborately patterned clothes and often wore a bead necklace around her neck.
"Ah, come in girls," she said, waving them in, "You're just in time and there's just the right number of you. Today we're going to rehearse the first scene of the Scottish Play where the three witches make their first appearance. You will find the scripts over there." She pointed to a wooden table by the wall where the projector usually stood. Miss Harkness was a superstitious woman and would never called the play by its true name except on stage for it was said to bring ill luck to those who spoke it.
Lady crossed the room to the table and picked up a copy of the script for the three of them to rehearse from.
"Okay, which witch will each of us be?" she asked.
"I'll be witch 3," volunteered Bea.
"Okay, Princess?" continued Lady.
"I'll be witch 2," replied Bonnibel.
"Okay, I'll be witch 1 then," said Lady, "Ready?"
"Ahh, that's what I like to see," chirped Miss Harkness who had taken notice of the three girls, "Enthusiasm." The three girls arranged themselves in a circle around an imaginary cauldron.
"Where shall we three meet again, in thunder, lightning or in rain," began Lady, putting on her best croaky witch voice.
"When the hurly-burly's done, when the battle's lost and won," continued Bonnibel, reading out from the script which we were passing round between them.
"That will be ere the set of sun," said Bea.
"Where the place?" asked Lady.
"Upon the heath," replied Bonnibel.
"There to meet with MacBeth," said Bea.
"I come Greymalkin," croaked Lady.
"Paddock calls," added Bonnibel.
"Anon," whispered Bea.
"Fair is foul and foul is fair, hover through the fog and filthy air," they all chanted together.
"Remember, the last bit is like an incantation and for extra effect you should raise your hands as you say the last few words," Miss Harkness reminded them, "But otherwise, a good start. See if by the end of the class you can do without the script." The girls continued to rehearse, first by closing their eyes when it was their turn to avoid looking at the script. They stumbled on the words here and there but as the minutes slipped by they began to feel a little more sure of themselves. The script was one of the more entertaining ones they had been asked to act and Bea, having an interest in all things fantasy to start with, found fun in trying to put on the most witchy sounding voice she could.
Miss Harkness strode around the room, giving encouragement to the students where it was needed and suggesting new things for them to try to, 'make the scene come alive' as she put it. As the bell rang she turned to the class.
"Alright, that was very good class," she said, "For next week I want you to read up on the next scene which we will rehearse next week. You can find a copy on the online study suite." With that they filed out of the room.
"Okay, I've got maths next," said Bonnibel, "I'll see you guys at break."
"See you, Princess," said Bea as the trio parted ways. Bonnibel looked over her timetable as she walked down the corridor. She was so preoccupied with the timetable that she did not notice the person walking towards her until she had bumped into them. It was Marceline. Bonnibel shrank back, waiting for one of Marceline's trademark sarcastic remarks but to her surprise Marceline merely shot her a sideways glance and moved on, hands shoved deep into trouser pockets. Bonnibel waited, watching Marceline as she trudged slowly down the corridor without so much as a glance back.
"Odd," Bonnibel muttered to herself. She almost considered following Marceline but a quick glance at her watch told her that if she didn't hurry she would be late for class.
Bonnibel sat down near the back of the room as the lesson began. She took out her textbook and notebook and opened to the page the teacher had indicated. She began working on the exercise questions but her thoughts kept doubling back to the brief encounter with Marceline. Now that she thought about it she had looked really out of it. And the lack of sarcasm had definitely been unusual. Bonnibel knew she should have been grateful for that but at the same time, she knew that the way Marceline reacted had been distinctly wrong, completely unlike her usual self. She fished around in her pocket for her phone and switched it on underneath the desk. Her thoughts were clearly more on Marceline than they were on maths so she decided it couldn't hurt to put her curiosity to rest at least.
She clicked on the internet button and logged onto Convozone. From there she brought up Marceline's profile and began searching through it. None of her recent posts gave any clues to her melancholy mood. The last post was about the night they had performed at the Malibu club. There was a selfie photo of her and her bandmates grinning at the screen. Gecko had her tongue out as usual and Willamina was doing the devil horns symbol. Then it clicked. Marceline was there of course, and Will, Gecko and the girl with the green bangs but Van Rach was nowhere to be seen. Yet Bonnibel was sure she had seen Van Rach there that night. An idea sprang to mind and she looked at the tag list. No, Van Rach wasn't there either. Then she looked at her status and it all clicked into place. Marceline's relationship status had been changed to single. That would explain it. Bonnibel looked up and quickly switched off her phone as the teacher looked in her direction. She pretended to focus on her work, hoping he wouldn't notice what she'd been up to. For some reason this newest revelation made her feel a little strange, something like how she had felt after the night out with the girls. She tapped her pencil against the desk, trying to collect her thoughts.
At last, after what seemed like an eternity, the bell rang and she hurried off to join Bea, Lady and LSP at the canteen. She remembered what Lady had told her about mentioning Marceline around Bea so she decided to keep quiet about what she'd discovered earlier.
"I was looking over that script Miss Harkness was talking about," said Bea as she held the plastic coffee cup in both hands, "It's a little longer than the last one so I was thinking perhaps we should meet up to read over it at lunch."
"Sure," replied Lady, "Is lunchtime today okay for everyone?"
"Yeah, I'm free," said Bonnibel.
"Same here," added Bea, "We'll meet up at the library then. Oh, and there are a few extra parts so we'll have to ask a couple of the others to join us in the meantime."
"How much longer is it?" asked Lady.
"Long enough," replied Bea, "But it doesn't look too bad. The Sergeant's probably got the most lines then."
"Count me out for that one then," joked Lady, "A nice small part will suit me just fine."
"And me," added Bonnibel, "Numeric formula I can remember just fine but when it comes to lines my head's like a sieve." Bea frowned.
"Thanks guys," she muttered, realising just who would be taking on the role of the sergeant.
The mid afternoon classes came and went. Art class saw them practicing proportions while geography had them learning about various places of note in the United States of America. Bonnibel looked up from the notes she was writing on a mountain village in Washington called Leavenworth. Marceline, who usually sat on the opposite side of the classroom, was conspicuous by her absence. Bonnibel shook her head and returned to her notes, wondering why thoughts concerning her should keep returning. After all, Marceline had never held anything but contempt for her. Wait, that wasn't quite true. The time they'd spent working on the history project had been neutral territory and Bonnibel couldn't help but think that maybe she had glimpsed a different side of Marceline's personality.
At last it was time for lunch and Bonnibel made her way to the library where the others were waiting for her. Bea had already printed out the scripts and handed one to Bonnibel as she joined them at the table. Fina was with them too and it was she who spoke first as Bonnibel sat down.
"Hey Princess," she said.
"Hey Fina," replied Bonnibel, "So, you guys ready to get started?"
"Ready," said Lady before she began reading out the first lines. And so it continued with each of them reading from the script. Fina and LSP took on the two extra parts and LSP as always never missed an opportunity to be melodramatic, speaking her lines in an exaggerated emotional tone.
Bonnibel looked up from the script and stopped mid-line as she noticed a familiar figure standing by the window. Marceline cast a momentary glance over her shoulder at Bonnibel as she felt her eyes on her but turned back a moment later, returning to staring out of the window.
"Hey, earth to Bonnibel, come in Bonnibel," said Lady, waving her hand in front of Bonnibel's face. Bonnibel blinked a few times in surprise, realising she'd zoned out.
"Oh, sorry guys," she said.
"You ok?" asked Lady. She followed Bonnibel's gaze. "Oh, Marceline?"
"Maybe we should move somewhere else?" suggested LSP.
"No, there's no need for that," said Bonnibel. She hesitated for a moment, looking over at Marceline, sure she had heard everything. "Look guys, I'll be back in a moment," said Bonnibel as she got up. They watched as she walked towards Marceline.
"What is with that girl?" muttered Bea, looking puzzled.
"Maybe we've missed something," suggested Lady who looked equally puzzled.
Marceline looked up as she spotted Bonnibel's reflection in the window.
"What do you want?" she asked tersely before Bonnibel could say anything.
"I...I was just wondering if you were ok," said Bonnibel, "I noticed you were looking rather upset earlier."
"And what's that to you?" asked Marceline, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jacket. Unperturbed, Bonnibel continued.
"Is it because of what happened with you and Van Rach?" she asked. Marceline spun around quickly, making Bonnibel jump.
"Who told you about me and Rachel?" she hissed.
"I saw your status on Convozone," replied Bonnibel calmly. Marceline turned back to the window.
"So, are you happy now?" asked Marceline, her voice level and eerily calm.
"What do you mean?" asked Bonnibel.
"She broke up with me because she said I'm not the tough girl she thought I was," said Marceline, turning back to face Bonnibel once more, "Because you of all people managed to prank me."
"Wait a minute, so you're saying this is my fault?" said Bonnibel indignantly, planting her hands on her hips.
"Yes, I mean, no, I mean, I don't know," snapped Marceline, "I don't even know what I know anymore." There was an awkward silence which hung in the air like a leaden weight.
"I'm sorry about what happened," said Bonnibel at last, looking at the ground. For a moment Marceline didn't reply.
"What do you think is going on?" asked LSP.
"Well, so far she hasn't killed her," said Bea, "I wish I knew what they were talking about though. When did Bonnibel even get on civil terms with Marceline?"
"They had to do a history project together," explained Lady, "Princess told me about it the day after they finished. She said Marceline was acting a little odd."
"What? More odd than usual?" said LSP.
"Lily, don't be unkind," replied Lady, "She said that Marceline was less snappy than usual. Like she wasn't so ready to pick a fight."
"That is odd," said Bea.
Marceline wasn't sure exactly how to respond. She looked at the pink haired girl who was now avoiding her gaze.
"It's fine," she said, more to end the conversation than anything, "Anyway, I'd better go." With that she left. Bonnibel rejoined the others at the table.
"What was that all about?" asked Bea as she sat down.
"Yeah, what's the deal?" asked LSP.
"I bumped into Marceline earlier today and she looked upset so I was asking her if she was ok," said Bonnibel.
"Lady, did you play any part in this?" asked Bea.
"What? No," replied Lady, "I knew nothing about this."
"No, Lady's right," said Bonnibel, "I just...I don't even know why I went over to talk to her. I just felt like I should since-."
"Since what?" asked Fina.
"Nevermind," replied Bonnibel, "The fact remains I have no idea why I went over there. I can't really explain it." Bonnibel wasn't exactly sure why she didn't spill the beans on Marceline. After all, it wasn't like she held any sort of loyalty towards her but something made her keep quiet about it all. When she said no more the others eventually returned to reading the script. Bonnibel looked up at the ceiling. Good thing the disco was coming up soon. Maybe it would give her an opportunity to put her worries aside for the night.
The doorbell rang and Bonnibel hurried down the stairs to the front door. She was already wearing her dress and she opened the door.
"Hey Princess," said Lady, "You ready to go?"
"Hey Lady," replied Bonnibel, "Yep, almost. Just got to put some makeup on."
"Ok, I'll wait," said Lady. She spotted Peppo coming down the stairs, "Hey Peppo."
"Hello Lady," replied Peppo cheerfully, "You girls have fun tonight. And don't get too drunk." Bonnibel laughed.
"Peppo, you know they don't even allow alcohol there," she said, knowing that Peppo knew full well that this was the case.
"You look great, Lady," she said as she and Lady made their way down the garden path to the car which was parked outside.
"So do you, Princess," replied Lady, "Glob, I've been waiting for this disco all month."
"Me too," said Bonnibel, "Hey, maybe Jake will be there. Have you talked to him yet?" They got into the car.
"No, not yet," replied Lady, "I haven't really got the chance yet."
"Well, maybe tonight will be your chance," said Bonnibel as they drove off.
"Yeah, maybe," replied Lady. They drove down the street into the city centre and made their way towards the school.
"So, do you mind if I ask something?" asked Lady.
"Sure, what?" replied Bonnibel.
"What was that all about yesterday?" asked Lady, "With Marceline. What happened when you bumped into her?" Bonnibel leaned back in the seat.
"Well, I was walking down towards Maths class and on the way there I accidentally bumped into her. I was expecting her to have a go at me," replied Bonnibel, "But instead she just walked away. And something just didn't seem right. So I went on Convozone while I was in class, to do some investigating."
"Bonnibel, you remember what Bea and I said about Marceline?" said Lady.
"Yeah, I know," replied Bonnibel, "But I figured there was no harm in just looking. Plus it might at least help me understand her better."
"And did you find anything?" asked Lady.
"Yeah, but not a word of this to anyone, ok?" said Bonnibel.
"Of course," replied Lady.
"I found out Van Rach broke up with her," said Bonnibel, "And when I was talking to Marceline this afternoon she said it was because Van Rach didn't think she was tough anymore."
"She didn't think Marceline was tough anymore?" said Lady incredulously.
"Yeah, and she said it was because I managed to prank her," continued Bonnibel, "Do you think it was my fault?" They stopped outside the school.
"No, I don't," replied Lady, "From what I've heard it isn't the first time they've broken up either."
"So their relationship isn't...wasn't a happy one?" said Bonnibel.
"Far from it," replied Lady.
"So why does Marceline stay with her?" asked Bonnibel.
"Your guess is as good as mine," replied Lady, "Anyway, we'd better get inside. The others will be waiting for us."
The dance was being held in the assembly hall as it was the only room large enough to accommodate the entire school. When they reached the school it was clear that the party had already started as there were several students outside getting some fresh air. Two were smoking cigarettes, nonchalantly flicking the ashes into the shrubs which lined the path. More students could be seen through the tall windows, dancing away to the music which could be heard quite clearly outside the building. Bonnibel and Lady made their way inside. Almost immediately they spotted Bea chatting with a boy with spiky blue hair. LSP of course was nowhere to be seen and Fina was on the dance floor, dancing alone quite unperturbed.
"Hey Lady, Princess," called Bea, waving them over, "You're just in time. They're about to start the first official dance."
"First official dance?" said Bonnibel.
"Yeah, it's supposed to signal when they start judging who will be formal dance king and queen," explained Bea, "Oh wait, are you two going to be happy enough dancing together?" Lady and Bonnibel looked at each other, both blushing a little.
"What? I mean, yeah, of course," said Lady, "It's just a bit of fun after all, right?"
"Yeah, exactly," replied Bonnibel.
As the first dance began Lady and Bonnibel made their way onto the dance floor. Much to their embarrassment it was a slow dance. Lady, deciding to make the best of it, held out her hand.
"May I have this dance, Princess?" she asked. Bonnibel laughed.
"You may," she said as they began to dance.
"Hey look, it's LSP," said Bonnibel, nodding over to Lady's right. Lady looked round and smiled at what she saw. There was Curtis practically bent double trying to dance with the much smaller form of LSP who was grinning like the Cheshire cat. Meanwhile Bea was dancing with one of the boys from the Video Games Society and Jake was dancing near the speakers, pulling off retro dance moves.
"Hey Lady, there's Jake over there," said Bonnibel, "Why don't you go over and talk to him? See if you can get him to dance with you."
"What about you?" asked Lady.
"I'll be fine," replied Bonnibel, "I was going to go grab some punch anyway. Hey, maybe I'll find love around the punch bowl. What about that?"
"Alright, go get 'em, Tiger," grinned Lady as she made her over to where Jake was standing. Bonnibel walked over to the punch bowl which was standing on a table at the side of the room.
"Hey Princess," said a cheerful voice at her side. It was Finn.
"Hey Finn," replied Bonnibel, "You enjoying the dance?"
"Yeah, but I don't have a date," said Finn, looking at the glass of punch in his hands.
"Hey, don't worry, I'm sure you'll find someone," Bonnibel replied, "Why don't you go ask someone?"
"Well, actually, I was wondering if you'd like to dance with me," said Finn awkwardly.
"Sorry Finn, I was actually taking a break from dancing," replied Bonnibel.
"Oh, maybe I can keep you company here then," he suggested. Bonnibel hesitated.
"Yeah, ok then," she replied. She and Finn sat down on one of the benches.
"Are you enjoying the disco?" asked Finn.
"Yeah, I've got to admit, I've never been to a disco before," replied Bonnibel.
"Seriously?" said Finn incredulously. Bonnibel nodded.
"Yeah, the headmaster at my old school was really strict," she replied, "He didn't allow parties or discos of any sort."
"He sounds like a total killjoy," said Finn.
"Yeah, he was," giggled Bonnibel, "Everyone in our school used to make fun of him behind his back. Do you know if it was raining he wouldn't let us just stay in our classrooms."
"He didn't make you all go outside, did he?" asked Finn.
"No, not quite that bad," replied Bonnibel, "He made us go to the assembly hall and do exercises. It felt more like boot camp though. It was quite laughable really. No one was all that willing to put any real effort in so I'm sure it looked hilarious. Not sure he saw it that way though."
"What school were you at before?" asked Finn.
"Aldoak High," replied Bonnibel, "Then there was Eldmond High before that. And Willowbrook."
"You've been to a lot of schools, huh?" observed Finn.
"A fair few," replied Bonnibel, "My parents move around a lot."
"Does that mean you won't be staying here long either?" asked Finn.
"Well, I don't know," replied Bonnibel, gazing fixedly into the contents of her punch glass, "I hope I will get to stay here. I've made a lot of great friends here. Like you." Finn smiled.
"I hope you get to stay here too then," he said. Bonnibel smiled back.
"Hey, why don't you go ahead and ask someone to dance?" suggested Bonnibel, "Looks like the party's getting into full swing."
"Okay, I'll see you later, Princess," said Finn as he headed back towards the dance floor. Bonnibel looked around at the other partygoers. She spotted Lady dancing with Jake and smiled. The music pounded in her ears and suddenly she felt quite alone.
"Hey Marcy, is it still on for tonight?" asked Tessa as she, Marceline, Gecko and Will walked down the road towards the school.
"Of course," replied Marceline, "Everything's set up. I stashed the keg under the stage."
"So, I take it Van Rach-," began Gecko.
"Don't even talk to me about her," snapped Marceline, "Tonight's not about impressing Van Wretch anymore. It's about crashing that party and making a bloody mess of it all."
"Right," replied Gecko. They reached the school and snuck in to the grounds just outside the assembly hall. Marceline peeked in through the windows before checking her watch.
"Right on time," she said, "Okay Gecko, go get the hose and meet me by the fire exit near the stage. Got it?"
"Got it," said Gecko before disappearing around the corner of the building.
"Tess, Will, give me a hand to get the keg over to the punch stand," continued Marceline. With that the three of them slipped into action. Marceline snuck in through the back and opened the doors which led under the stage. She hefted out the large keg and between them they lifted it onto a catering trolley, covering it with a cloth to disguise it. Marceline and Tessa wheeled the keg out into the assembly hall, keeping their movements inconspicuous though this was hardly needed now that the party was in full swing. Carefully, with much heaving they managed to empty the contents of the keg into the punch bowl. Thankfully for them the contents of the keg were colourless which did nothing to alter the colour of the now vodka laced punch.
"How much do you think it will take?" asked Will.
"With this stuff?" replied Marceline, "Two or three glasses ought to be enough. They'll start staggering about before the end of the next song, trust me. Quick, let's go. Phase two will soon begin." With that they hurried off.
Bonnibel stepped off the dance floor past LSP and Curtis who were gazing into each other's eyes as they danced. She stopped at the punch bowl and ladled out some of the punch into a glass. She took a gulp and blinked a couple of times. Was it her imagination or did the punch taste a little bit strange. 'No,' she thought, 'It must be my imagination.' She took another sip as she went to the window.
Bea looked around at the other students as the next dance came to an end. She frowned, something wasn't quite right here. She made her way through the crowds of people still dancing on the dance floor. She spotted Lady who was saying goodbye to Jake.
"See ya later, Lady," Jake smiled.
"See ya, Jake," she replied, "Oh, hey Bea. Something the matter?"
"Lady, do you get the feeling something isn't quite right here?" asked Bea.
"What do you mean?" asked Lady.
"I don't know, just something feels different," said Bea.
"Oh, you're probably over thinking it," smiled Lady, "I haven't seen anything unusual."
They watched as a student staggered across the dance floor and fell face first into one of the bunches of balloons which decorated the area around the DJ's box.
"What about that?" asked Bea, gesturing to the student who had now got back to his feet and was now meandering his way back through the crowd.
"Someone probably just snuck in a few cans of beer," said Lady, "You know that always happens."
"Yeah, that's true," replied Bea. But as time went on it was clear that it was more than just a few cans of beer.
"Hey, maybe we should go find Princess and the others," suggested Lady.
"Someone looken fer me," said a voice behind them. Lady squeaked in surprise as someone grabbed her around her waist.
"Princess?" said Bea, "Are you alright?"
"Yeap, why shuldn't I be?" asked Bonnibel, "Hey Ladeh, did I ever tell ou that yer my bestest friend inna whole world." Bonnibel hugged Lady tightly before trying to stand up straight but failing miserably. She teetered where she stood, eyes unfocused.
"She's been drinking," said Lady as she caught the unmistakable odour on the young woman's breath.
"But how?" asked Bea, "She didn't have any drink with her."
"Only the pinch," said Bonnibel, grinning inanely as she put her arm around Lady.
"Pinch...?" said Lady. Then it clicked. "Oh, punch. Bea, go check the punch bowl. Then go find Fina and LSP."
"Got it," said Bea before hurrying off. She pushed her way to the punch bowl and sure enough, it stank of alcohol. Seizing her chance she lifted up the bowl and hurried with it over to the door, emptying it out onto the steps. As she re-entered the assembly hall she was met by loud shouts and catcalls.
"I should've known," she said as she recognized the ones shouting.
"WET TEA SHIRT COMPETITION!" yelled Marceline as she ran in with Gecko and Will, brandishing a hose, "LET 'ER RIP, TESSA!" A few seconds later the water came on full blast, dousing students sober and drunk alike. They were met with eager whoops and cries as the party quickly descended into chaos. Bea spotted Fina standing near the edge of the dance floor and hurried over to her.
"We've got to get out of here," said Bea, "They've spiked the punch and with this much noise, it won't be long before someone phones the police."
"Oh no, my parent's will lumping kill me if I get so much as a caution," cried Fina, "I'll go find LSP."
"Right, meet us at the car park," said Bea before dashing back into the crowd. She found Lady who was trying to help Bonnibel to her feet with little success.
"Here, we'll support her between us," said Bea as she looped an arm around Bonnibel and together they slowly started to push their way towards the exit.
"I suppose you know whose behind this now," said Bea. Lady nodded. They reached the door and made their way out to the car park. Fina was there with LSP. Fina looked distinctly flustered as she opened the door and helped lift the half conscious teen into the back of the car.
"Oh lumps, what are we going to do?" asked Fina, "I mean what are we going to do?!"
"Calm down, Fina," said Lady, "We haven't done anything wrong."
"But look at Bonnibel," replied Fina, "I mean, how can we take her home looking like that?" Bonnibel groaned as if in response, "I mean...look!"
"I know, I know," said Lady, "You're right. We can't take her home like this. Her parents would probably throw a fit if they found out."
"Probably? I think they definitely would," replied Fina, "Several even." Bea sighed.
"Lady's right, we can't take her home like this," she said. She sat for a moment, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel. "We'll take her back to my place," said Bea, "My parents are out of town tonight."
"Ok," said Lady, "Bea, would you mind if I stayed too?"
"That's fine," replied Bea. She turned to Fina and LSP, "I'll drive us back to my place and get Princess settled then I'll drop you two off. Is that alright?"
"That's fine," said Fina. LSP nodded. Bea started the car and drove off down the street.
"Lady, try and keep her warm, ok?" said Bea. Lady nodded and took off her coat, draping it around Bonnibel's shoulders.
"Thanks," said Bonnibel. Suddenly Bonnibel bent over, retching. Bea grimaced as she heard the unpleasant sounds coming from the backseat.
"Well, it might not be great for the car," she said, "But that's a good sign."
"I feel sick," mumbled Bonnibel.
"Don't worry, Princess," said Lady, "You're going to be ok."
"What's happening to me?" asked Bonnibel, "Uggh."
"We think there was something wrong with the punch," explained Lady.
"There was," said Bea, "I emptied it out before we left."
"Good," said Lady.
"No problem," replied Lady.
"I think I'm going to be sick again," groaned Bonnibel.
"Better out than in," said Bea. They pulled up outside Bea's house and helped Bonnibel to the door. Bea unlocked the door and they went inside, making their way through the shop to the stairs that led up to the living area. Bonnibel sat down on the brown leather sofa and Bea fetched her a bowl in case she should need to throw up again.
"How are you feeling, Princess?" asked Lady as she sat down next to Bonnibel.
"Still a bit sick," replied Bonnibel, "Thanks for letting me stay here. Sorry about your car."
"Oh, don't worry about it," said Bea, "I'll get you two home now." With that she left with Fina and LSP.
"Here, I'll get you some water," said Lady before getting up and walking into the kitchen. She returned a moment later with a glass of water and handed it to Bonnibel. She leaned back against the back of the sofa and looked up at the ceiling. The only sound in the room was the ticking of a clock on the mantelpiece. Bonnibel set down the now empty glass and curled up against the back of the sofa. Lady looked over at her sympathetically and Bonnibel gave her a wan smile.
"Try to stay awake for a little longer, ok?" said Lady, "Until a little more of the alcohol leaves your system. I'll call Peppo and let him know you're safe." Bonnibel nodded. She looked at the clock, watching the second hand make its journey around the clock face and listening as Lady picked up her phone and dialled the house number.
"Hey Peppo," said Lady, "I just called to let you know we're staying at Bea's house tonight. Is that ok? No, everything's fine. Yeah, she's fine, just a little tired. Yeah, ok, I'll tell her. Thanks Peppo. Bye." She turned to Bonnibel.
"Thanks for not telling," smiled Bonnibel.
"Best friends don't tell," she smiled, "He also wanted me to tell you your mum and dad will be home this weekend." Bonnibel smiled sleepily.
Bea returned half an hour later and when she peeked her head round the door she saw both girls curled up on the sofa, dozing quietly. One thing was for sure, she thought to herself as she fetched a blanket and draped it over them both, Bonnibel was certainly going to have a thumping headache the following morning.