Spy School by I'm A Sucker For Love Stories
Jodie Simmons had just started High School that morning. Looking all smart in her brand-new uniform: a grey skirt, a grey cardigan, a blue shirt and a blue and grey tie. Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail, clips gripping every strand of hair into place. Her make-up was pale and un-noticing, as the pale pink eye shadow, was also Jodie's favourite colour.
Jodie's room at home was quite small and was not the normal size for a girl nearly in her tens. At twelve years old, Jodie was quite old for her year, but being born in March, she had been kept back a year. In her old Primary School, she had been one of the tallest in her class, here however, she was as small as everyone else. All of the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth years were taller.
Her first class on her new timetable said 'Art and Design' taken by a Miss McLaren. When she got to her class on the first floor, she realised that Miss McLaren was not at all what she had expected.
Miss Allison McLaren was a tall blonde around the age of thirty; quite young for the age that Jodie thought she would be. Jodie's last art teacher, who had only come to the school once a fortnight, had been old and wrinkly to Jodie at the age of fifty-two.
When Miss McLaren started to take the register, Jodie realised that she was Irish, not Scottish like the rest of the teachers from the school that she knew. Jodie had first-cousins who were Irish, so she was used to the sort of dialogue and accent that Miss McLaren had, and also as she had seen her cousins fairly recently.
When Miss McLaren got to ask if Jodie was present, she paused.
" Ah, Jodie, I know your mother." Said Miss McLaren.
Jodie was so awfully embarressed, that she turned a lovely beetroot red.
' Fancy Miss McLaren knowing my mother, she died when I was six. I hardly thought some of her distant friends would remember her. I hardly knew her myself.' Jodie thought, but not dared to say a single word of what she had just been thinking to herself.
" Class, today will be an introduction for you to the higher form of Art and Design. You are no longer in Primary school so I expect you to be behaved and hard-working in my class. Plus, I hope you are determines to do all this work and make the artistic changes to reach a higher standard than before. This year, we will be experimenting clay pots tiles and name plates; painting still objects; designing the covers of CD's and book covers, on paper and computer. Only if you are lucky and good can we make a collage or design clothes and make them on a mannequin."
When she heard the boys groan, she continued, " Boys, not everything to do with designing clothes is feminine, just look at all the male French designers you see walking the catwalks these days. Now, are you ready to learn?"
" Yes, Miss McLaren." Repeated the whole of the class.
' Make clothes? I can't wait for that' thought Jodie.
" Today we will start by drawing still life in pencil, then a little later on, if you think you are finished with pencil, you can shade and colour it in with my coloured pastels. Pick an object from around the class and draw it. You have one hour to finish." She said, setting the deadline.
Jodie really enjoyed her first lesson of art and couldn't really wait for the second. At the end of the lesson, when it was time for the bell, Jodie went up to Miss McLaren, to ask her about her mum.
" Ah Jodie, what can I do for you?" asked Miss McLaren politely.
" Miss, how did you know my mum?"
" We went to school together in Dublin, Dublin University. It was 1981 when we graduated."
" Oh," said Jodie, " Mum never really talked about her University friends. I thought she went to Edinburgh University."
" She did, she moved to the Dublin one, in 1980, after only one year at Edinburgh. As I understand it, she was pretty unhappy there."
" Oh, do you know why?"
" Why she was unhappy?"
" Yes. Can you tell me please?"
" Why don't you come and see me at lunchtime, say half past one, when we have more time, because I think the bell is going to ring any second now."
When Miss McLaren said the word 'now', the bell suddenly rang, and Jodie jumped.
" See you at lunch, Jodie." Called Miss McLaren to Jodie as she headed out the door.
" Bye, miss."
(A/N: I did put this up once before but didn't get any reviews for it, so I'm putting it up now. Believe me, the James Bond involvance will come later. Please review as it does mean so much to me to hear any comments or criticism you may have. Thankyou!)
Jodie Simmons had just started High School that morning. Looking all smart in her brand-new uniform: a grey skirt, a grey cardigan, a blue shirt and a blue and grey tie. Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail, clips gripping every strand of hair into place. Her make-up was pale and un-noticing, as the pale pink eye shadow, was also Jodie's favourite colour.
Jodie's room at home was quite small and was not the normal size for a girl nearly in her tens. At twelve years old, Jodie was quite old for her year, but being born in March, she had been kept back a year. In her old Primary School, she had been one of the tallest in her class, here however, she was as small as everyone else. All of the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth years were taller.
Her first class on her new timetable said 'Art and Design' taken by a Miss McLaren. When she got to her class on the first floor, she realised that Miss McLaren was not at all what she had expected.
Miss Allison McLaren was a tall blonde around the age of thirty; quite young for the age that Jodie thought she would be. Jodie's last art teacher, who had only come to the school once a fortnight, had been old and wrinkly to Jodie at the age of fifty-two.
When Miss McLaren started to take the register, Jodie realised that she was Irish, not Scottish like the rest of the teachers from the school that she knew. Jodie had first-cousins who were Irish, so she was used to the sort of dialogue and accent that Miss McLaren had, and also as she had seen her cousins fairly recently.
When Miss McLaren got to ask if Jodie was present, she paused.
" Ah, Jodie, I know your mother." Said Miss McLaren.
Jodie was so awfully embarressed, that she turned a lovely beetroot red.
' Fancy Miss McLaren knowing my mother, she died when I was six. I hardly thought some of her distant friends would remember her. I hardly knew her myself.' Jodie thought, but not dared to say a single word of what she had just been thinking to herself.
" Class, today will be an introduction for you to the higher form of Art and Design. You are no longer in Primary school so I expect you to be behaved and hard-working in my class. Plus, I hope you are determines to do all this work and make the artistic changes to reach a higher standard than before. This year, we will be experimenting clay pots tiles and name plates; painting still objects; designing the covers of CD's and book covers, on paper and computer. Only if you are lucky and good can we make a collage or design clothes and make them on a mannequin."
When she heard the boys groan, she continued, " Boys, not everything to do with designing clothes is feminine, just look at all the male French designers you see walking the catwalks these days. Now, are you ready to learn?"
" Yes, Miss McLaren." Repeated the whole of the class.
' Make clothes? I can't wait for that' thought Jodie.
" Today we will start by drawing still life in pencil, then a little later on, if you think you are finished with pencil, you can shade and colour it in with my coloured pastels. Pick an object from around the class and draw it. You have one hour to finish." She said, setting the deadline.
Jodie really enjoyed her first lesson of art and couldn't really wait for the second. At the end of the lesson, when it was time for the bell, Jodie went up to Miss McLaren, to ask her about her mum.
" Ah Jodie, what can I do for you?" asked Miss McLaren politely.
" Miss, how did you know my mum?"
" We went to school together in Dublin, Dublin University. It was 1981 when we graduated."
" Oh," said Jodie, " Mum never really talked about her University friends. I thought she went to Edinburgh University."
" She did, she moved to the Dublin one, in 1980, after only one year at Edinburgh. As I understand it, she was pretty unhappy there."
" Oh, do you know why?"
" Why she was unhappy?"
" Yes. Can you tell me please?"
" Why don't you come and see me at lunchtime, say half past one, when we have more time, because I think the bell is going to ring any second now."
When Miss McLaren said the word 'now', the bell suddenly rang, and Jodie jumped.
" See you at lunch, Jodie." Called Miss McLaren to Jodie as she headed out the door.
" Bye, miss."
(A/N: I did put this up once before but didn't get any reviews for it, so I'm putting it up now. Believe me, the James Bond involvance will come later. Please review as it does mean so much to me to hear any comments or criticism you may have. Thankyou!)