Year 10 At Tibcot - A Mel, Tab, Mewla & Cathy story

Chapter Twenty-Five


  The rest of the class were already in Biology when we arrived.
  "Ah, morning you six." Mr Purrleck said. "Only five minutes late this morning. You're getting better."
  The class laughed. We found our seats, and Mewbellinne squashed on the end of the bench with us.
  "Here - I hope this isn't going to turn into a regular thing." Tibbicca whispered to me, indicating Mewbellinne with her pen. I laughed.
  "I don't think so." I said. "As soon as Cathy comes back, something'll happen, you'll see."
  Tibbicca smiled.
  Mr Purrleck told us that he wanted us to copy out some notes and diagrams from our textbooks.
  "I thought another practical wouldn't be a very good idea this morning." he said. "As most of you have not long had your breakfasts."
  We all laughed. So we all got out our textbooks and started to write, while Mr Purrleck sat at his desk and marked some exam papers.
  We had been working for about ten minutes when Mewbellinne spoke.
  "I'm not stupid, you know." she said quietly.
  Purla looked up. She looked blankly at Mewbellinne, then at Tibbicca, then at me, then back at Mewbellinne again.
  "Eh?" she said.
  "I said I'm not stupid, you know." said Mewbellinne.
  "Did someone say you were?" Purla said.
  "You all think I am." Mewbellinne said. "I know there's something going on with Cathy and Mr Mewan, and that you lot are covering up for them. You all think I don't know, but I do. I'll find out what's going on."
  "Oh, not this again." said Purla.
  "Yes." Mewbellinne said. "It'll all come out soon, you'll see. I know you're all laughing at me behind my back. You're all fake. All that about being friends and no hard feelings this morning was phoney. I made the effort and you pretended to. You're just being friends with me to make me think everything's alright, but I know better, I'm under no illusions about all of you. Like I said, I know what's what, and it'll all come out soon."
  "Mewbellinne, I really do think you've lost the plot." said Purla.
  "Hmmm." Mewbellinne said smugly, and bent over her work once more.
  I was hoping that she didn't notice any of the horrified looks we were giving each other.
  Cathy came back a while later. She strode into the lab with a smile on her face, but as soon as I saw her, I signalled at Mewbellinne and for Cathy not to act so cocky. She understood and came over and sat down, after apologising to Mr Purrleck, who didn't mind her being late.
  "The letter's all sorted." Cathy said, as she sat down and got her folder and pencil case out. "It's gone to the Head."
  "Oh, good." Purla said. "Looks like there's going to be some action."
  "What's this all about?" Mewbellinne looked up from her work. "I wish someone would tell me."
  "Like Cathy said, it's nothing." I said, suddenly feeling very hostile towards Mewbellinne.
  "It's obviously nothing if it's gone to the Head." Mewbellinne said. She was looking worried, but trying not to.
  "Well, we've always been told that if we feel there's a problem at school, in classes or in our tutor group, we should write a letter of complaint and get everyone who wants to to sign it." I said coldly. "And then it's passed on to the Head of Year, and, if it's serious enough, it's passed on to the Head."
  "I wrote it last week." said Cathy. "That's why I've been seeing so much of Mr Mewan lately - we've been talking about this letter and trying to sort things out."
  "Well I didn't know everyone was signing a letter." said Mewbellinne, still looking worried, and sounding put-out. "No-one told me."
  "You weren't here." Cathy said. "I wrote it after you left on Thursday."
  At this, Mewbellinne looked decidedly uncomfortable and worried, and I couldn't help smirking. It would serve her right to think that it was about her.
  "So, um, what was it about?" Mewbellinne said.
  "Oh, nothing." said Cathy airily. "Nothing at all, really. It'll be sorted soon, anyway."
  Mewbellinne bit her lip and settled down to her work again. We all grinned round at each other. We had her worried now!
  Mewbellinne kept very quiet for the remainder of the lesson. Cathy and I were passing notes to each other; I had told her what Mewbellinne had been saying before she came back from seeing Mr Mewan, and she had passed one back to me saying that she thought it was time for another text message.
  At break, we all decided to go to the tuck shop.
  I was feeling so cross with Mewbellinne for her attitude. She was jealous of Cathy beyond belief and would do anything, it seemed, to try and catch her with Mr Mewan. And it wasn't because she thought it was wrong that Cathy was seeing him, it was all because she fancied him herself, and she couldn't bear the thought of us lot covering up for Cathy and talking about Mewbellinne to Mr Mewan, and bitching about her. Which is understandable; if I fancied someone I would hate it if other girls were slagging me off to the guy, and he was going along with it!
  But still, it didn't excuse her behaviour, and in Biology she had sounded so cross and menacing when she had been saying that she would find out what was going on. I hated her for the trouble she was causing, and any guilt I had felt earlier on vanished.
  "I'll see you lot in Chemistry." Mewbellinne said.
  "Where you going?" Mewla asked.
  "Nowhere really." Mewbellinne said airily.
  "Oh, that means she's going to see Mr Mewan and try to get him to tell her what that letter was about." said Cathy bluntly, doing up her coat. She winked at me discreetly. "Come on then - are we going to get some food?"
  We all walked off, leaving Mewbellinne glaring after us. Cathy was right, and Mewbellinne hated her for being so blunt and then just walking off.
  "Wait for me!" Mewbellinne called, and caught us up.

***

  Mewbellinne's phone beeped from across the lab, and Cathy grinned at me. We were all doing some practical chemistry. Mrs Mewlham was sitting at her desk writing out some tests, and we were all working in groups of five around the lab. We all had to wear white lab coats, and Cathy had her phone in the pocket of hers, and had texted Mewbellinne.
  Mewbellinne looked round to see if anyone had taken any notice of her phone, then hurried over to her desk. She took her phone out of her bag, and read the message. A smile formed on her face.
  "What did it say?" I said to Cathy.
  "It said 'do you fancy meeting me this lunchtime?'." smiled Cathy.
  "She's texting." I said, watching Mewbellinne from the corner of my eye. "She's put her phone down, she must have sent it."
  Cathy looked discreetly at her phone in her pocket. She had switched her ringer off.
  "Got one back." she said. She read it and smiled. "Here." she said, and passed me her phone.

'well i suppose so, as long as u don't stand me up again. where do u wanna meet? xx'

  "Hmmm." said Cathy, as I passed her phone back again. "Where do you think?"
  We both thought. Purla walked past just then, with a conical flask in her paw.
  "Purla." Cathy said, and beckoned her over.
  "What's up?" said Purla.
  "Mewbellinne's mystery date has just texted her again asking if she'd like to meet at lunchtime." Cathy grinned. "Where do you think they ought to meet?"
  Purla laughed.
  "Near the picnic tables, I think." she said. "It's out-of-the-way enough to make her think that she's going to be meeting a guy in secret, possibly a teacher, and it's also where we're just happening to be eating our lunch today."
  "Nice one Purla!" Cathy clapped her shoulder. Purla grinned and went back to her bench.
  Cathy texted back.

'how about on the path near the picnic tables? it's quiet and out of the way. :) i'm really sorry about the other night, i'll make it up to u. ur not cross with me, r u? x'

  I laughed.
  "Hey - we'd better get on with some work because if she looks over and sees us messing about, she might get suspicious." I said, nudging Cathy.
  "What are you two up to?" asked Tab, coming over to us with some clean test tubes. "If you send me off to wash these, you might at least get some work done for when I come back."
  "Mewbellinne's mystery date is meeting her at lunchtime by the picnic tables." said Cathy. "Right where we're going to be eating our lunch, too."
  "Oh, what a coincidence." said Tab, grinning.
  Cathy checked her phone again.
  "Got another one." she said. "Oh my God - get a load of this!"

'ok, picnic tables it is. no im not cross with u, how can i be cross with my sexy guy? i guess u deserve a slap, but i'll only slap u if u promise 2 do it back 2 me. :P xx'

  Tab and I burst into hysterics.
  "Mewbellinne Pearson, Queen of Sexy Text 2001." giggled Cathy. "I DON'T think!"
  We fell about.
  "Girls!" called Mrs Mewlham. "I don't see much work being done down there!"
  "We are, Miss! We were just waiting for Tab to come back with some clean test tubes!" Cathy called back.
  "Hmm." Mrs Mewlham said. "I shall be coming round to check soon."
  Cathy quickly sent a message back:

'if that's what u want, my sexy private school madam....... :) xx'

  Suddenly, Purbecca, who was working in a group with Mewbellinne, Tibbick, Mewbellan and Purbelle, screamed loudly and dropped her conical flask.
  "AAAAARGH!"
  "What's the matter?" Mrs Mewlham asked, getting off her stool and rushing over.
  Purbecca was huddled over the bench clutching her paw and wrist.
  "Mewbellinne!" she said. "She..... she spilt acid all over me!"
  "WHAT?" Mrs Mewlham thundered. "Mewbellinne, is this true?"
  "She was playing about with her mobile phone, Miss and wasn't looking what she was doing." Purbelle said. Mewbellinne looked daggers at her.
  Mrs Mewlham glared at Mewbellinne.
  "Were you?" she asked.
  Mewbellinne said nothing.
  "Were you playing about with your mobile phone?" Mrs Mewlham said.
  "Yes, she was, Miss." said Purbelle. "Look - there it is on the desk. She's been answering text messages for the past ten minutes or so."
  "Mewbellinne, I shan't ask you again." said Mrs Mewlham. "Were you playing about with your mobile phone?"
  "Yes, Miss. I was." Mewbellinne said, looking at the floor.
  "You know that I don't allow mobile phones in my class." said Mrs Mewlham crossly. "Right. I'm sending you to Mr Mewan. I can't have this behaviour in my class."
  The look on Mewbellinne's face was priceless.
  "Oh my God!" Cathy sniggered in my ear. "She's sending her to Mr Mewan, and Mewbellinne thinks it's Mr Mewan who was sending her the messages!"
  "Purbelle, take Purbecca to the nurse, right away."
  "Yes Miss." said Purbelle, and left the room with her arm round Purbecca's shoulders. Purbecca had her arm wrapped in her jumper, and she was crying.
  "Go up to Mr Mewan's office right now, and explain why I sent you." Mrs Mewlham said.
  "She won't go." Cathy said to me.
  Almost as if Mrs Mewlham read Cathy's mind, she added "Actually, Melanie, would you go with her please?"
  "Yes, of course." I said, getting up off my stool.
  "I know my way there now." said Mewbellinne.
  "I'm sure you do." Mrs Mewlham said, and, with one last look of disgust at Mewbellinne, she walked off to see how Purlibya's group were getting on.
  "Come on then." I said to Mewbellinne, and, winking at Cathy, I left the room, with Mewbellinne walking sulkily in front.
  "Why did she have to send me to Mr Mewan?" Mewbellinne said angrily as we walked through the snow across to the main building. "All I was doing was sending a couple of text messages. I hate her."
  "It doesn't matter, really." I said. "All he'll do is ask why she sent you, and then probably give you a detention or something."
  "When will that be?" Mewbellinne asked.
  "Maybe today, maybe tomorrow." I said. "I don't know. Depends when he's free."
  "When he's free?" said Mewbellinne.
  "Yeah, he'll have to sit in the detention with you, just to make sure you don't run off." I smirked.
  "Oh, very funny." Mewbellinne said.
  We went into the main building, and up the stairs.
  "Are you coming in with me?" Mewbellinne asked.
  "No, I'll wait outside." I said. "You won't want me in there, will you?"
  "Up to you." Mewbellinne shrugged.
  Mewbellinne knocked on the door, and I stood aside.
  "Come in!" I heard Mr Mewan call.
  Mewbellinne opened the door and went in. She pushed the door to, but I stuck my foot out a little so the door didn't shut properly, and I could hear what was being said.
  "Oh, hi, Mewbellinne." said Mr Mewan, rather unenthusiastically. "What do you want?"
  "Oh, as if you didn't know." Mewbellinne said crossly.
  "What?" Mr Mewan said.
  "Mrs Mewlham sent me up here." Mewbellinne snapped.
  "Well, what for?" Mr Mewan sounded puzzled.
  "What does that matter?" Mewbellinne said, trying to sound sexy. "Now I'm here, we can........"
  "For God's sake, Mewbellinne!" I heard Mr Mewan say. "What is it with you? Get off me!"
  I stifled a laugh. I peeped through the crack in the door. I couldn't see a lot, but I could see part of Mewbellinne, as she rearranged her shirt and her hair. I looked the other way and saw Mr Mewan, behind his desk, straightening his tie.
  "Mewbellinne, I really am going to have to see Miss Mewola about you." Mr Mewan said. "Your behaviour is becoming intolerable."
  "Can you risk that?" said Mewbellinne.
  "What?" Mr Mewan sounded very irritated.
  "What with you having flings with two pupils and everything." Mewbellinne said.
  "TWO pupils?" Mr Mewan said. "Have you lost the plot totally, Mewbellinne?"
  "Oh, so you and Cathy are finished then." said Mewbellinne.
  "There never was a 'me and Cathy', Mewbellinne." said Mr Mewan.
  "Listen to me." said Mewbellinne. "I could have you sacked from here right away, for harassment, and having a relationship with a pupil."
  "Oh, don't be ridiciulous, Mewbellinne." Mr Mewan said. "It's all in your head."
  "But I'm not going to." Mewbellinne said. "I've got my reasons."
  She turned and walked to the door. I moved away at once and stood a little way along from his office, pretending to mind my own business. Mewbellinne paused at the door, and I heard her parting shot.
  "I know you want me really."
  And with that, she left the office, and walked along to me.
  "Sorted?" I asked.
  "Just about." Mewbellinne said.

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