Chapter 2: The Stinkbomb Incident
Horrid Henry and his fellow classmates continued their work, until the school bell ran for break. All of the students, except for Henry because of his double detention, ran out of the classroom. The only kid who didn't run outside was Terrific Try, who instead went back into the bathroom. Inside waiting for him was a large teenage boy with black hair, a black leather jacket, a red shirt, and jean shorts. He was indeed the Michael that Try had talked to. Mike had the stinkbombs Try ordered him to bring.
"Well done, Mike!" said Try. "Or should I say, Mischievous Mike?
"I think we're missing something," said Mischievous Michael.
"Purple paint?" said Try.
"Uh huh," said Mischievous Michael.
"Oh come on, Mike!" said Try in an annoyed voice. "Oh whatever, we'll go looking."
Try and Michael left the bathroom to go looking for the paint cans in the school. They tip-toed past Horrid Henry's class, which caught Henry's eye. To form a distraction, Henry threw his pencil towards a painting on the school wall, calling it to fall off. As Miss Battle-Axe went to see what had happened, Henry grabbed a door stopper, shoved it under the door, and silently left the classroom.
He found the two boys heading to the Arts and Crafts room, and went over to tap them on the back.
"Hey, slimy!" said Henry, as Try and Michael turned around to look at him. "What were you doing tip-toeing past the classroom?"
"It's none of your business, Henry," said Try.
"You sound suspicious," said Henry. "Are you planning something against me?"
Michael grabbed Henry by his jumper and held him up by his collar.
"Don't you dare accuse my brother, you little squirt," threatened Michael.
"Who are you?" asked Henry.
"I am Mischievous Michael," said Michael. "We've heard all about how horrid you are."
"From who?" said Henry, smirking.
"Well, the teachers of course!" replied Try. "You better think twice,"
"HENRY!" a voice yelled from the classroom.
"Uh oh!" Henry said.
Knowing he would be in trouble if caught, Michael dropped Henry and hid in a cupboard. Henry quickly shoved Try to his bottom and hid in another cupboard to the other side to avoid getting caught too.
"Try, what are you doing out here?" asked Miss Battle-Axe after she walked up to Try.
"Oh…" said Try as he started looking for a lie. "I was looking for a teacher to talk to about what lessons we have each day. But then look who I found."
He went to the cupboard where he thought Horrid Henry had hidden, but it instead turned out to be Mischievous Michael.
"Darn it, Try!" said Michael.
"Miss Battle-Axe, this isn't what it looks like!" panicked Try.
"It seems like it," said a now angry Miss Battle-Axe, believing Try trapped Michael in there. "Go to Miss Oddbod's office now!"
Try groaned as he thudded off to detention. Henry revealed himself when Try left.
"Try trapped me in there too!" lied Henry quickly.
"Alright, Henry," sighed Miss Battle-Axe. "Just go back to detention."
Henry chuckled quietly and walked back to the classroom.
"And who are you?" asked Miss Battle-Axe to Michael.
"My name's Michael," said Michael, who then started to lie. "I'm just a new staff member."
"I'm very sorry," said Miss Battle-Axe. "Almost all the children in my classroom are misbehaved. He just joined today. I thought he would be behaved, until he shoved you and Henry in those closets."
"I hope this won't happen again," Michael said as he walked down the hallway.
Although Try had been sent to the office, Michael continued to the Arts and Crafts room and collected a tin of purple paint. He returned to the bathroom where the stinkbombs were left, and put on a gas mask from the backpack he had.
"Let loose the stench!" he yelled.
He set off one of the stinkbombs in the bathroom. It reeked of dead fish and rotten eggs, just how Henry liked to make his stinkbombs smell. He dipped his right hand into the paint, and splatted it on the bathroom wall, making it look exactly like the Purple Hand Gang logo. He and Try knew a lot about Henry, but how?
In Miss Oddbod's office, Try sat facing Miss Oddbod. She stared at him as he sat quietly.
"On the first day of school, Try..." said Miss Oddbod. "Why are you here?"
"Miss Battle-Axe caught me by two closets," began Try. "Inside were Henry and my brother Michael, who were hiding from her. Before they hid, Henry accused me of planning something against him, even though he should have been in class because he got double detention from Miss Battle-Axe. When Michael got out of his closet, Battle-Axe thought I trapped them in there and sent me here."
"Ok," said Miss Oddbod. "Why did Henry accuse you?"
"Me and Michael were heading down to ask you what lessons my classroom gets over the 5 days," lied Try some more. "And when I told Henry to leave us alone, he accused us."
"Well, you can never trust a boy who throws jackets into the mud, sets off the fire alarm, and dances on tables. I'll let you off the hook and inform Miss Battle-Axe it was just a misunderstanding."
"Thank you, Miss Oddbod!" said Try as he stood up and left for break.
Terrific Try was a mask. He was now Tormenting Try!
When the class returned from break, Tormenting Try exchanged an evil glare towards Horrid Henry. Henry blew a raspberry and leaned over to pull Try's hair, but stopped when Miss Battle-Axe came into the classroom.
"Try," said Miss Battle-Axe. "Miss Oddbod informed me that the closet situation was a misunderstanding. Sorry."
"It's alright, Miss Battle-Axe," said Try cheerfully.
Weepy William raised his hand.
"Miss, can I go to the toilet?" asked Weepy William.
"Alright William," sighed Miss Battle-Axe. "Be back quick."
William left the classroom and walked into the bathroom. Uh oh.
"Waaaaaaaa!" wailed Weepy William, as the terrible stench of the stinkbomb hurt his nose. His cries could be heard from the classroom. "It smells awful!"
Confused, Miss Battle-Axe exited the classroom and saw William leave the bathroom, gagging and crying.
"There's a really nasty stench in there!" wailed William. "It smells like rotten eggs and dead fish!"
When Miss Battle-Axe peered into the bathroom, her nose was burned from the rancid smell, so she covered it up. What she found on the wall was the purple-painted hand print, resembling the Purple Hand Gang logo.
To say the least, she was very angry.
"Alright class," she said sternly as she and William came back to the classroom. "Someone has stinkbombed the bathroom!"
"Henry did it!" said Moody Margaret, as she pointed at Horrid Henry.
"No I didn't!" said Henry. "I didn't bring in any stinkbombs! There aren't any in my school bag!"
"Well, why is there a purple painted hand print on the walls?" questioned Miss Battle-Axe.
"I didn't put that on the walls either! I need to get paint from the Arts and Crafts room to do that!"
"Is that why you walked out of the classroom during your detention?"
"Oh for goodness' sake…" sighed Henry quietly, before speaking up to Miss Battle-Axe. "I left because I saw Try and some teenager tip-toeing past the classroom."
"He was taking me to ask Miss Oddbod what happens across the 5 days." piped up Try. "We weren't being suspicious, but Henry thought we were!"
"Ralph, do you think I did nothing wrong?" asked Henry to Rude Ralph.
"That would be quite the horrid thing to do, but I don't think you did it," replied Ralph.
"Did you see me walking to the bathroom, or with anything in my hands?" Henry asked Miss Battle-Axe.
"Well, no…"
"I also don't do paint pranks at school!"
"If that's what Henry says, I consider Henry innocent!" declared Ralph. "He must have been framed!"
The entire classroom briefly entered a conversation, but it was cut short by Miss Battle-Axe.
"Alright," said Miss Battle-Axe. "Me and the other teachers will begin looking for items in the children's school bags, starting at lunchtime. Whoever has stinkbombs with them, or owns the stinkbomb used in the bathroom is in VERY big trouble! Is that clear?"
The entire classroom nodded their heads.
"Good," she said. "For now, we will begin our French lesson."
Henry turned to see Try glaring at him, and glared back. He knew Try wouldn't stop there.
Since Henry's name has been cleared for now, what will happen at the investigation? Find out in the next chapter! (when it comes out in the next few months, lol)