Finally, it was Travel Day. The mini bus was due to visit all the kids' homes to pick them up in order of who lived furthest from the city centre, from 2pm onwards.
Robyn was first, Ms Chao asked her to go to the back, and she asked if she could save the three seats next to her for Lofty, Jess and Jeff.
"It's easier to fill up the bus from the back, Robyn, rather than have everybody climbing over each other's legs all the time. You'll get plenty of time to be with friends when you get to the resort."
"But Ben'll get on last because he's nearly in town!" pouted Robyn.
"Oh for goodness sake, the journey's only two hours" sighed Ms Chao, forgetting that two hours is a lifetime when you're small.
Next were Noel and Louise, with Louise giving her friend orders about what they were going to do on the trip. Noel thought it was easier not to tell her he was going to team up with the lads for the holiday.
Zax were waiting faithfully on Zoe's doorstep. Zoe ran in for one more hug with her mum and dad, then got into the bus.
Mr Keogh was also waiting outside, anxiously outlining all the things Dervla liked and didn't like to Ms Dixon. Ms Dixon thought it would feel like a holiday for her when Mr Keogh got on the minibus.
"Don't forget her favourite's that squeaky striped toy the kids bought her when she came back from the vet", he managed to shout down the steps just before he took his seat.
Robyn was going to ask why Mr Keogh wasn't made to go to the back to fill up the seats, when she remembered about Dervla Dog, so she just gave him a weak smile.
Jess and Jeff were duly picked up, and Robyn gave them a "Don't look at me, I tried to save you seats" look. Jess and Jeff were just happy to be on their way at last.
Other class members climbed aboard at various stops.
Mrs Beauchamp and Miss Freeman arrived with Cal and Ethan, Cal shouting cheekily:
"Wee breaks on demand, Ethan! You're in!"
"I don't wee all the time!"
Finally they picked Lofty up.
He tried to look sad about not being able to sit with Robyn but was too excited about the trip and too looking forward to laughing with Cal and Ethan, to look sad for long.
Then as they headed out of the city and towards the motorway, Mrs Beauchamp had a surprise.
"We shared up all the money equally, kids, but there was some left over, so Miss Freeman and myself will have that as emergency money. We've been able to book you a treat tonight… Shrek live on stage! There's a five o' clock performance, and the mini bus will take all your cases to the Travelodge while we're enjoying the show. It's a treat for working so hard and winning the competition"
Even Robyn couldn't sulk after that, though Cal got a warning look from Mrs Beauchamp when he shouted:
"Ethan wants a seat near the toilets!"
The kids' eyes were wide when they pulled into London's West End and when they climbed down the minibus steps outside the theatre, they were buzzing with excitement. Lofty nearly fell down the steps in his joy.
The show was everything they had imagined, and then it was time for a light evening meal, an hour to let their guts settle, and then off to bed.
"Thought you'd rather share with Ben" said gobby Louise to Robyn.
"Not allowed to. Even Zax is split up. It's in case the boys do rude boy stuff and we see them doing it."
In bed that night, Mrs Beauchamp thought, at least that's broken the rule of pre-holiday disasters coming in threes. Dervla, then Ethan… thank goodness it all looks fine now."
It never occurred to her that the final disaster would actually happen later, at the resort…