Warning: Minor character death. Alas, not Taylor's!
The kids had to be patient in the next month, as there was a lot of work to be done on getting the play just right before rehearsals could even begin. Mrs Beauchamp and Miss Freeman locked themselves in Mrs Beauchamp's study quite a bit, and the kids were impressed because they knew they must be really getting down to it. The teachers were now trying to gently hint that there was a huge chance they might not win.
"As long as we beat Toothless Taylor and her scabby Shakespeare I'll be happy", Mr Keogh had said, and then:
"And if you quote me on that I'll keep you in after school for a week!"
Ms Chao was not sympathetic.
"Now I'm not going to let you draw anything to do with the play, or Disney. You need to stop building up your hopes, kids, so it's lessons as normal from me. There's every chance you might not win, however good a team we all are. Life's not fair at times, kids. If it was, I'd have won the lottery and would have a hot date with Johnny Depp by now."
The kids wanted to giggle despite their disappointment. Ms Chao was in love with Johnny Depp!
Ethan wanted to tell her she might meet Captain Jack Sparrow at Disney then realised Ms Chao would be very cross, and shut up quickly.
The kids were to learn that life isn't always fair the very next week, when there was a cold snap and only the kids who could walk to school or whose parents had transport that could cut through snow managed to make it to class. Mrs Beauchamp reluctantly told them that the rehearsals would have to be put on hold until the snow had thawed a little, and there were some sad little faces.
Cal confided to Mr Keogh that he was worried in case Toothless Taylor's school were able to begin their rehearsals at once, and Holby were left behind.
"Outside!" growled Mr Keogh.
Lofty, Cal and Ethan, the only kids who had been able to come to school that day, looked uneasy and went into the corridor.
"No, coats on and outside! The only good remedy for the blues is a big snowball fight. And you can throw them at me and forget I'm a teacher."
The boys cheered. The final score was: Dylan Keogh ten, Holby Boys twenty.
But later, after Mrs Beauchamp had received a phone call from Big Mac, she came and asked the boys to come to her study.
Big Mac had rushed the rabbits home to his house in his big van as soon as the bad weather had begun, knowing Flossy was due to have her babies any time.
Sadly, all but one of the babies had died… and poor Flossy hadn't survived either. Harry and Ron had just made it.
Cal growled: "Bloody old snow." Mrs Beauchamp didn't reprimand him.
Lofty, his voice quivering, said "It wasn't Big Mac's fault. He did a hero dash to try to save them."
Ethan just stared.
"Ethan", said Mrs Beauchamp quietly, "Miss Freeman and myself thought you might like to look after Flossy's little rabbit, Janie, when she's a little stronger."
Ethan screamed:
"No! I don't want! Why should Flossy get killed and not Ben's rotten rabbits? And if that Janie cries at me to feed her or cuddle her I'll… I'll…"
He thought of the most mean thing he could do to a new baby rabbit.
"I'll turn my back on her!"