Year 9 Sisters - A Mel, Tab, Mewla & Cathy story

Chapter Two


  The lesson didn't go too badly. We had to get into pairs and practise support techniques when jumping to and from wooden horses, bars, ropes, etc. To start with we had all been sat in a freezing huddle on the cold wooden floor, but when we got going it was quite fun. Tab and I went together, as did Cathy and Mewla, and we conveniently chose ropes and wall bars near to each other so we could chat. Mewlarka continued to behave strangely by actually asking Ms Hapmew if she could go on her own. Ms Hapmew looked bewildered.
  "Mewlarka, the whole point of this exercise is to have a partner to support and catch you." she told Mewlarka, who just looked at the floor and twiddled her fingers. "Now stop being silly and go and find a partner."
  Purbelle had asked if she could go with Tibleau, as she knew that Mewlarka wouldn't want to go with her. Tibleau had readily accepted. It turned out that Alimew was the only one without a partner, as Purlibya wanted to go with Purbecca, so Mewlarka went over to Alimew and rather unenthusiastically grouped with her. We stopped every so often to watch them and Alimew fell and hurt her arm at one point because Mewlarka was putting no effort into supporting her.
  "Honestly, Mewlarka, what planet are you on today?" Alimew said angrily, getting up and looking at her arm. Mewlarka just shrugged.
  Fortunately, Cathy provided a little light entertainment by seeing how far she could climb up the wall bars. She was almost at the top, by the ceiling, when Tom commented bluntly that he could see right up her gym skirt (fortunately we all wear navy gym knickers underneath) and Ms Hapmew heard, did a double-take at Cathy, and ordered her to come down at once.
  "I was just testing Mewla on how good she is at catching me from a great height!" Cathy grinned, but when she saw that Ms Hapmew's frowning face didn't alter in the slightest, she smiled sheepishly and climbed back down. The rest of us were giggling.
  The mood was quite light amongst us all when we finished and went to get changed. Mewlarka just changed in a corner and left without speaking to any of us. As soon as she went out and shut the door, we all started talking.
  "What the hell is up with her?" Alimew said. "My arm is killing me because of her!"
  "She's acting so weird!" Tibbick said.
  "I don't know what's got into her." Purbelle said quietly. She looked very upset. She and Mewlarka had been inseparable best friends since Year 7 and it was obviously very distressing for Purbelle now that Mewlarka was just being mean and ignoring everyone.
  "Come on - let's get to Geography." Tab said. "I think the best thing we can do is leave her and she'll come round when she's ready."
  Mewlarka was sat at a single table at the front of the class when we got into Geography. Tom went over to try and talk to her, but she just muttered a few words and barely turned to look at him, so he gave up and went back to his table, pulling a bewildered face at us as he went by.
  Thankfully we didn't have to get into our project groups; we had to sit and draw out some maps, so it was a pretty basic lesson. Purbelle sat with Tibbick and Mewbellan and, we were pleased to see, had a good laugh with them. Mewlarka didn't seem to care.
  At lunch, as the snow seemed to have stopped, we all went out to the picnic tables to eat. It is usually only the four of us, but everyone seemed to want to talk about Mewlarka, so we ended up with most of the class there with us.
  Our mums had packed us all some great packed lunches and we all sat and tucked in, discussing the day's happenings. None of us could work out what was wrong with Mewlarka. Purbelle said that there had been nothing wrong with her before her little outburst, and that there had been no sign of her being upset or stressed about anything.
  "I couldn't believe she just let me fall!" Alimew said, pushing her short hair behind her ear in annoyance. "Look at my arm!"
  Alimew had grazed her arm and there was a bruise appearing.
  "Is she having trouble with something or someone I wonder?" Tab mused, biting into a thick bread roll.
  "Don't think so." Purbelle said, crunching on her crisps. "I've been over to her house loads just lately and everything seems fine. And I haven't noticed her having any problems with anyone at school."
  "No, me neither." Tibbicca said.
  Cathy took another pate-covered roll from her packed lunch and bit into it. "We'll just have to see what happens I suppose." she said. "Mewlarka isn't going to listen to any of us if we try to talk to her and find out what's wrong, so we may as well just let her be."
  "Yeah, I know." Purbelle sighed. "It's just not that easy when it's your best friend and there's obviously something wrong."
  "Just hang in there." Purla patted Purbelle's arm. "She'll come round."

***

  Our last lesson was cooking, and when we got there, Tom, Mewfal and Francis were already in the classroom. Our cooking rooms are big, fairly high-tech rooms on the very top floor of the science block, and by the time we had climbed up all the flights of stairs, we were very hot and knackered.
  "Hey - anything happened with Mewlarka?" Tom asked.
  "No." Tab said. "We didn't see her all lunchtime, and have no idea where she is now."
  "She ate her lunch in the tutor-room." Mewfal said. "We went in and asked if she was OK but she just shrugged and wouldn't speak to us."
  "We just don't understand it." Cathy said, sitting down on the worksurface at the side. "She was fine this morning, and then all of a sudden she turned on us all."
  "You don't think she's... ill... or something, do you?" Mewla said.
  "Ill? In what way?" Purla said.
  "I don't know." Mewla said. "I just wondered, that's all."
  None of us had time to answer because the door opened and Mewlarka came in. She looked at us all sitting around, then went over to a table in the corner and started to unpack her cooking things. We were supposed to be cooking gateaux that lesson, and most of us were looking forward to it. Cooking last lesson is always a nice end to the afternoon. We always have a laugh.
  Mrs Pursimmon came in just then and looked to see if we were all there.
  "Not all here yet, I see." she said. "Where are the rest of the boys, and where is Purbecca?"
  "Oh, Purbecca has gone up to Mr Mewan's office with the new girl to get her a new timetable." I said. "She said they'd be here soon."
  "Oh yes, I forgot we have a new face." Mrs Pursimmon said. "But I'm sure the boys haven't gone with them."
  "They're just coming, Miss." Mewfal was looking out of the window, as because we were so high up there was a great all-round view of the school, and he could see the rest of the boys trooping up from the field.
  "Good - I want to get started as soon as possible today to give the gateaux as long as possible to cook." Mrs Pursimmon said.
  "Sorry, Miss!" Purbecca burst in, with Purlibya following. "We had to go up to..."
  "Yes, Melanie told me." Mrs Pursimmon said.
  "This is Purlibya Panayotis." Purbecca said. "Our newest addition."
  "Hi." Purlibya smiled.
  "Hello, Purlibya." Mr Pursimmon smiled. "And do you like the school so far?"
  "It's great." Purlibya said. "I'm glad I'm in this tutor-group, everyone's so much fun."
  "Well, there's never a dull moment, if that's what you mean." Mrs Pursimmon smiled, with a sideways glance at Cathy and Tom. They laughed.
  The rest of the boys came in at that moment, and as soon as Mrs Pursimmon had called a quick register, we all started to unpack our cooking things.
  There was plenty of space all along the worksurfaces for us all to work comfortably, and in no time at all we were cooking away, laughing and chattering together. Mrs Pursimmon wandered round watching us, commenting here and there. We like Mrs Pursimmon. She is your standard middle-aged cooking teacher, but has a great sense of humour and is really nice to us all, unless we behave badly.
  All of a sudden, Cathy, who was weighing out some flour, jumped and great clouds of flour rose up into our faces.
  "What the hell?" Mewla said, trying to waft some of it away.
  "Something hit me!" Cathy said, looking round for whatever it was that had hit her. "On the head!"
  We searched but couldn't find anything. Cathy, frowning, carried on with the flour. A moment later something came flying over and hit her again, then bounced along the worksurface and landed on a tray near to me. It was a chocolate chip.
  "Who's chucking things?" I said, looking round.
  Tom and Mewal were working across from us on the opposite work surface, and it didn't take long for Cathy and I to realise that they were secretly pelting us with chocolate chips. After checking where Mrs Pursimmon was, Cathy grabbed the bag of walnuts that Mewla had on the bench and flung a few over at the boys, who dodged and burst into laughter.
  "I'll get them later." Cathy whispered to me. "Just wait and see."
  Purbelle was working with Tibbicca, Tibleau and Purla, a little way across the classroom from us. Mewlarka was working alone. We weren't watching what was happening, but suddenly a scream from Purbelle and a loud crash made everyone look up.
  "Aaaargh!"
  Purbelle was clutching her paw, and Mewlarka was stood in front of her looking shocked.
  "You burnt me!" Purbelle stared at Mewlarka, who was stood there with a metal tray lying on the floor in front of her.
  "What's going on here?" Mrs Pursimmon marched over.
  "Mewlarka burnt me, Miss!" Purbelle said, wincing at the pain in her paw. "We went to the oven at the same time, and Mewlarka went to put her tray in while my hands were there, and..."
  "Oh, I'm so sorry, Purbelle!" Mewlarka said, and flung herself on Purbelle. We all stared in amazement. Mewlarka had tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, and I'm sorry for how I've behaved today! I don't know what came over me, I just felt so stressed and angry... and I had to take it out on someone!"
  Purbelle stood there for a few seconds, looking at the weeping Mewlarka clutching her for all she was worth. Then she put her arms round her and hugged her back. We all smiled.
  "Purbelle, I really am so sorry!" Mewlarka looked beseechingly at Purbelle. "Please forgive me!"
  "OK, OK, I forgive you." Purbelle said.
  "Right then." Mrs Pursimmon said. "I haven't the faintest idea what all this is about but I'm guessing you two have just made up after a falling out, so Mewlarka, you can make amends by escorting Purbelle to the nurse to get a bandage put on that hand."
  "Yes Miss." Mewlarka said, and hurried away with Purbelle as if Purbelle's life depended on it.


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