Caroline glanced over towards my desk and, on being sure Miss†Svenson was not looking, slipped me a note that I hurriedly put in my pocket. It had been two days since we had skipped Science with old Mrs Cartwright. She never marked the role anyway. My mind went back to the 45†minutes
with Caroline. She was only a year older than me but she acted like she was five years older. I suspect a lot of her knowledge came from the books her brother Derek had under his bed but at the end of the day how she knew was not as important as the fact that she did.
45 minutes is a long time when you are doing something that you know will get you into serious trouble if you are caught. We were already on a warning after the formal ball evening where we did not get back till after three in the morning. That had been close. Miss Svenson seemed to know that something had gone on but could not prove it, so it was dire warnings all round, a threat to call our parents and even the promise of a senior cane making it’s acquaintance with our bottoms.
Miss Svenson was the new Head and a completely different kettle of fish to Mr Wilson. Mr Wilson had been there for over 23 years, he seemed only interested in golf and left the discipline side of things to his deputy who seemed to administer detentions rather than canings. We had liked it like that. But Miss Svenson was different so I do not know what made me say ‘yes’ to Caroline and sneak out with her during school time. Even two days later \I still shivered with†either the excitement of the 45 minutes or the fear of getting caught.
I fingered the note in my pocket and glanced towards Caroline. There was that knowing smile around the edge of her lips and her eyes twinkled. ††She had said she would write and tell me what she wanted next time, and she would go into detail!. The note almost felt hot in my pocket and I could not wait to go to the loo to have a quick read.
But then came the words: James, please come to the front of the class this moment†and give me whatever it was that Caroline just passed to you. I went†cold, the room went quiet and even Caroline turned white. You could have heard a pin drop. James, I am waiting. Slowly I stood up, my mind racing, did \I have another note in my pocket, something \I could exchange for the real thing. As I walked forward I knew I was in†serious trouble. I had no idea what the note said but \I knew it was not going to be good.
Miss Svenson held her hand out.’ Hurry up boy’ she said, ‘I have not got all day. Slowly I handed the note over. Miss Svenson glanced at the note, her cheeks seemed to blush a little, and she took a sharp intake of breath.
Her next few†words seemed to echo around the room, again and again. ‘I will see you†and Caroline in my office after study time’. This time you have gone too far.
It was only 2pm, still an hour and 15 minutes before the final bell and it seemed that every single person in the 5th form had heard the news. Why is that bad news travels fast and good news just meanders?. I tried to see Caroline at the lunch break but she was surrounded by what seemed to me all the girls in the 5th†form. Just what had she written in that damn†note?. If Miss Svenson’s† face was a† book I think I read the last three chapters of a novel where it had all gone wrong for the hero. She looked shocked sand her jaw had developed that set look…the same kind of look she showed when the sixth formers were caught at the strip club just off the High street. No one knows to this day how it was that Miss Svenson knew they were there but† it was in local folklore how she had simply walked into the club and dragged the two out by their ears!
Why did Caroline not switch her mobile on?. Even a text would be a comfort. All I could hear now were my ‘so called’ friends calling.… one thank you Maam,.…. two thank you Maam. All the†way to 12 and then falling about with laughter.Yeah…hilarious.!
My parents had decided on a school that still practised CP because they were ‘old school’. Always going on about how standards had dropped and what the young generation needed a was a dose of reality spelt C A N E.
Seemed ok at the time. I had never even been spanked as a child. Not that I was a goody two shoes, but rather, that I had not been caught. All cold comfort now as the realisation began to sink in.† Just what had she written on that note?. She had a fertile imagination, hands that knew exactly where to reach and lips that were soft like a ripe peach. But what had that note said? I shuddered as my imagination ran down dark and dangerous roads.
Was there anyway I could get my hands on that note? Was that possible?. Miss Svenson had put the note in her handbag and that was in the staff room. The staffroom that was usually fully of teachers. Suddenly my mind raced. The operative word was ‘usually’. There was a time that room was empty but did I have the nerve to make that happen?
There was only one occasion when all the teachers cleared the room. It had happened when O’Brien had been dared to break the fire alarm. He had been promised†a packet of cigarettes. He was only 13 and there was no way he could fool the shopkeeper he was 18. He was hard pressed to be seen as 13! So the fire alarm was worth the risk.†He doesn’t think so now of course. He was caught just a few hours later behind the bike shed with half the cigarettes gone and him looking very green in the face. It was only a matter of a few minutes and his other cheeks were red!. No one had ever received 12 from the Head. And with the senior dragon cane. O’Brien was heard yelling all the way down to the river where tourists thought they were witnessing a murder.
I had to get to that note and make it disappear. The Alarm was the only way. I would worry afterwards about what Miss Svenson would think. It was too much to hope that she would believe she had misplaced the note if I could get it…†it but if she did not have the proof then there was a good chance nothing could be done. If anyone was in trouble it should be Caroline. I knew which alarm to break. The one just outside the gym was out of sight, yet close enough to the back window of the teachers room. The more I thought about it, the more I was sure I could pull it off. The trouble was, I was ready to believe anything. I had seen her face and having some idea of the things Carline might have written I was absolutely sure that† I would not be sitting for a month if I did not get that note.
But I had to survive the last lesson and in the 15 minutes before we were due to meet Miss Svenson† had to make it all happen. It was going to be tight. My mind thought up and dismissed a dozen options.†The†biology teacher was droning on about††how far medical science had come and yet again was saying how well his replacement hip was working. Better than the original and no one knew.
My ears pricked up. ‘Replacement’, and ‘no one knew’. It was a ‘Eureka’ moment and all of a sudden I knew how I was going to get away with it. There was no need to steal the note at all. †This story was going to have a happy ending.†I smiled to myself. This was not going to be easy but it could work.
By the time I managed to get my heart rate down to something resembling normality I had† moved from a’ Eureka moment’ to a plan. I would simply get the fire alarm to go, wait till the staff room emptied, replace the original note with a new one and I’d be† free as a bird!. It was a masterful plan. First things first. I now had but a few minutes to write a replacement note. I had seen enough of Caroline’s writing to copy her style. But what to say?
My dear James ( a good start I thought…her note would have said.…I can see your P…throbbing…well you get the idea) I write this note with more than a tinge of sadness. You are of course quite right. Our schoolwork must come first and much as I love you I know that study is so important. It is not every day that we have teachers of the calibre of Miss Svenson and we must take advantage of it. So although my heart beats strongly for you I will put these feelings to the side. All my love Caroline xxx.
I read it back aloud. It was bordering on ‘over the top’ but it would fool Miss Svenson. She loved students who studied hard. It was her Scandinavian mind set. Rumour had
it she received her degree in geography before she turned 20 (on a side note…she doesn’t look 50)…must be the lack of sun?.
The moment had arrived. it was now a matter of timing. And it was going to be’ fine’ timing at that. It was three minutes past 3 and students were pouring out the door to go home and laughter filled the hallways. Old Mr Williams, the caretaker, was on school crossing patrol. He loved that…dirty old bugger. Still , you take your thrills where you can at that age. The principal was in the music room getting ready for orchestra practice. She had been a flute player until the† Botox in her lips had gone a little wrong. Now they resembled half oranges. Almost a good look, but not quite.
It was the moment of truth.….I hit the alarm, and bells began to ring, students walked briskly to the nearest exit. They had practised it enough times. The teachers did the same thing…out they came.….and thru the window \I could see that they were all leaving, except† Miss Weaver. Bloody Miss Weaver, was it all going to come unstuck because of her? My heart began to race, the up she got and out she went. I had ‘but†moments’ in which to sneak into the room and work out which was Miss Svenson’s bag. My hands were shaking but there it was…the offending note. Just as \I was about to exchange the note \I heard a sound behind me. My heart stopped. All I could hear was the alarm ringing and it seemed as if time had skidded to a halt. Slowly \I turned around. But to my relief all I saw was a curtain fluttering in the open window \I had used. Thanking stars \I did not know existed I made the swap keeping my eyes on the fluttering curtain that had† got me going!…then I retreated. I had done it!.…but something did not feel quite right..
Job done!.Success. I had beaten Miss Svenson. There was no way I could now be caught and† punished. The alarm was reset. The caretaker muttering about yet another false alarm. The teachers meandered back into the staff room and \I found myself in the quiet of the toilets. There was just one question to be answered. Just what had Caroline written that had made Miss Svenson turn such a shade of green?.….I opened the note and to my horror began to read† ‘My Dear James’,…I now†knew what I had not checked…oh shit.